Grande Prairie Minute: Police Training, Recreation Partnership, and an Alberta Municipalities Nominee

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

This Week In Grande Prairie:

• Tuesday is Standing Committee Day. The Financial and Administrative Services Committee meeting, originally scheduled for 9:00 am, is cancelled. The Public and Protective Services Committee will meet at 9:00 am. The agenda includes a discussion about indoor recreation opportunities at the Grande Prairie Curling Centre. The Committee will also consider a partnership with RxTGA (Prescription To Get Active) to offer free access to the Eastlink Centre’s wellness and recreational services for residents of Grande Prairie. This initiative aims to increase physical activity and promote active living for those without specific medical restrictions.
  
  
• Also on Tuesday, the Invest GP Committee will meet at 9:45 am to hear a Service Area Update. A little later, at 10:00 am, the Strategy and Communication Services Committee will meet. The agenda includes a Q2 Strategic Priorities Progress Update.
  
  
• Finally, to round out Standing Committee Day, the Operational Services Committee will meet at 10:15 am. The first portion of the meeting will be held in-camera (in secret), before opening back up to the public to discuss the Province’s new Extended Producer Responsibility model for shifting the costs of managing packaging waste from the City to the packaging businesses, covering paper, hazardous products, and single-use plastics.

Last Week In Grande Prairie:

• Several decisions were made at Monday’s Council meeting, including nominating Councillor Dylan Bressey as Vice President for Alberta Municipalities. Council also approved $350,000 for the Salvation Army's new facility and asked them to become the main food security organization in the region. They also directed Administration to explore a longer parade route for the Chariot Festival and to address road conditions on 132 Avenue and Range Road 54. Additionally, Council voted to lease the 99 Avenue parking lot and seek more revenue-generating parking opportunities.
  
  
• Grande Prairie Police Service (GPPS) has partnered with Lethbridge Polytechnic to start a new Police Cadet Training program this fall. The first group of 12 recruits will complete a 16-course program covering various aspects of policing before transitioning to field training in the spring of 2025. The curriculum includes law, community policing, and emergency vehicle operations, among other things. The recruits will finish their training at GPPS’s local campus, with Lethbridge instructors periodically visiting.
  
  
• The City announced a temporary closure of the trail under the 108 Street bridge from until September 6th for steel casing installation around a bridge pier, with trail users advised to use alternate routes. Additionally, Phase Two of trail construction in Muskoseepi Park will commence on September 4th, focusing on reconstructing the trail and access path to the outdoor pool, and upgrading the adjacent basketball and tennis courts. This phase is set to run until late October. During construction, the Aquatera Outdoor Pool will remain open until September 21st, and a temporary trail will be established for access, while the basketball and tennis courts will be closed.