Grande Prairie Minute: Issue 95

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

📅 This Week In Grande Prairie: 📅

• Today, at 3:00 pm, there will be a City Council meeting. Council will hear from several delegations, including one from Special Olympics Alberta. The delegate will present a thank-you to the City of GP and request a cheque be presented to the local Special Olympics chapter as a legacy of the 2025 Special Olympics Alberta Summer Games. The desired outcome of the meeting is a photo opportunity to commemorate the presentation. Community Futures Grande Prairie & Region will provide an update on the organization’s activities, highlight its impact on the community, and share plans to celebrate its 40th anniversary.
  
  
• Jacqueline Henderson will appear at the City Council session, representing the U of A Masters of Science Physiotherapy Grande Prairie Satellite Program Working Group. She will provide an update on ongoing discussions with the University of Alberta, Northwest Polytechnic, and local MLAs about establishing a rural satellite physiotherapy program in Grande Prairie. The group is seeking advocacy from the City to support awareness and lobbying for provincial funding, highlighting the benefits the program would bring to Northern Alberta communities. The goal of the appearance is for the City to publicly support the initiative and help advance funding and development of the program.
  
  
• Council will review the City’s 2025 Disclosure of Wrongdoing Annual Report. It shows that 18 submissions were received, but none resulted in findings of wrongdoing by City employees. All disclosures were assessed and redirected to the appropriate processes, including human resources, the 311 service, the Independent Complaints Adjudication Committee, or other public bodies. No investigations remain open, and all matters were resolved in accordance with existing policies. The report concludes that the City’s reporting mechanisms are accessible and effective, supporting ethical conduct, accountability, and public trust. No changes to the policy or program are recommended at this time, and Administration will continue to monitor and manage disclosures.
  
  
• Also on the agenda are proposed amendments to the Utility Bylaw for 2026, including updates to water, wastewater, and solid waste rates based on Aquatera’s business plan and capital program. Residential water and wastewater services would see a 3.9% increase, solid waste services a 4.0% increase, and curbside recycling fees would remain unchanged. The bylaw also includes housekeeping changes and updates to the Cross Connection Control Program to further protect the region’s water services. 
  
  
• Between December 8 thand January 12th, the Grande Prairie Police Service issued 499 parking tickets for violations during City snow removal operations. Most infractions occurred during the first cycle, with 344 tickets issued from December 8th to 19th, followed by 68 in the second cycle and 87 in the third. Violations include parking on permanent or temporary snow routes, and on roads with windrows, which obstruct plowing, snow loading, or traffic flow. Residents are reminded that parking is restricted on Priority 1 and 2 routes Monday to Friday from 7:00 am - 9:00 pm, and on neighbourhood plow days from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm until windrows are cleared. Updates on snow removal operations are available on the City’s dedicated webpage.

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨