Grande Prairie Minute: Issue 92

Grande Prairie Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Grande Prairie politics

📅 This Week In Grande Prairie: 📅

• Merry Christmas! We hope you had a wonderful day with family, friends, and food! Thank you to every single one of our readers and supporters who reached out, donated, volunteered, or shared our content this year. We appreciate every single one of you and hope you have a wonderful holiday season.
  
  
• We usually reserve these weekly updates for sharing news and analysis, but as the year comes to a close, we want to be upfront with you. Our year-end fundraising campaign is underway, with a target of $10,000 to be met by December 31st. This funding is essential to sustaining our operations and allowing us to carry our work into the new year. If you find our work valuable and want to help ensure it continues, we’d be grateful if you would consider making a contribution. Even a modest gift makes a meaningful difference. You can donate by clicking here, and we sincerely thank you for being part of this effort.
  
  
• Mayor Jackie Clayton reflected on 2025, highlighting the municipal election that brought two new Councillors to City Council and the transition of the Grande Prairie Police Service, set to take effect in October 2026. She noted Council’s efforts to attract and retain doctors, addressing a portion of the community without family physicians, and welcomed new healthcare professionals to the Regional Hospital and local clinics. Housing also remained a key focus, with about 800 new multi-family housing starts aimed at addressing near-zero vacancy rates. Clayton encouraged residents to reconnect with the community in the new year and reflect on why they chose to live in Grande Prairie, whether for work or family. She emphasized the city’s vibrancy and growth while acknowledging the ongoing challenges this brings. Looking ahead to 2026, Clayton expressed excitement about maintaining the momentum and continuing to build a strong, connected community.
  
  
• On Christmas Day, Canadian rideshare company Uride, founded in Thunder Bay, offered Grande Prairie residents free rides of up to $25 to help them get to family gatherings. The initiative was part of Uride’s Good Deed program, which allocates a portion of rides each month to support the community. Individuals who needed a ride, or wanted to nominate someone else, could email the company to receive promo codes for two rides - each worth up to $25 - to and from Christmas dinner. Uride’s CEO, Cody Ruberto, said the program aimed to make it easier for families to spend the holidays together, especially when transportation is limited or costly.
  
  
• Grande Prairie is hosting a free New Year’s Eve event at Muskoseepi Park on December 31st, 2025, from 6:00 pm to 10:30 pm. The evening will feature festive outdoor activities for all ages, including horse and wagon rides and a skating party on the Muskoseepi pond with lights and a DJ. Attendees can also enjoy hot chocolate and cookies. The celebration will conclude with fireworks over the Muskoseepi Park reservoir at 10:30 pm. A full schedule is available on the City's website.

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨