Grande Prairie Minute: Squad Cars, Recreation Rezoning, and Dust Suppression Treatment

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

This Week In Grande Prairie:

• Today, at 2:00 pm, there will be a City Council In Camera Meeting. This meeting is closed to the public and there is little indication as to what will be discussed. Then, at 3:00 pm, there will be a public meeting of City Council. The agenda includes delegations from the Grande Prairie Stompede Association and the Bear Creek Folk Music Festival Society.There will also be a Public Hearing to gather feedback on rezoning 4.05 hectares of land in the northwest corner of the Trader Ridge to accommodate a recreational facility.
  
  
• On Tuesday, there will be a Council Committee of the Whole In Camera Meeting at 1:00 pm. This meeting is closed to the public and, again, there is very little indication as to what will be discussed. The public Council Committee of the Whole Meeting will take place at 3:00 pm. The agenda includes an advocacy update, a grant update, and a report regarding Asset Management Costs.
  
  
• Grande Prairie residents and businesses near gravel roads can apply for dust suppression treatment until April 25th. The program uses calcium chloride to reduce airborne dust, improve visibility, and enhance air quality. Applications cost $440 for residential and $660 for commercial properties per 100 metres of road. Rural residents may also be eligible for treatment on stretches of at least 100 metres. The City says that effectiveness depends on weather, and refunds aren't offered once the treatment is applied. More information is available online.

Last Week In Grande Prairie:

• Grande Prairie has seen a reduction in injury-causing collisions on four major roads. City officials attribute the improvement to lowered speed limits on 100 Street, College Bypass, 108 Street, and 100 Avenue. Between 2017 and 2019, there were 294 injury collisions, but that number dropped to 130 from 2020 to 2023. When adjusted for traffic volumes, the overall collision rate has decreased by up to 60%.
  
  
• The Grande Prairie Police Service (GPPS) has introduced new squad cars to patrol the city, with plans to have the entire fleet of marked vehicles operational by the end of the year. Four new cruisers are currently in use by GPPS officers at the Grande Prairie RCMP detachment. Chief Dwayne Lakusta emphasized that this move will enhance the visibility, accessibility, and responsiveness of the police service. Despite the increased presence of GPPS, the RCMP still holds primary jurisdiction in the city, but the initiative marks an important step toward strengthening public safety and police presence.
  
  
• The Grande Prairie Police Service’s new Community Standards Unit, alongside the Fire Department, secured a vacant home in Cobblestone that had become a safety concern. After a wellness check, police found the property in extreme disarray and confirmed it was being used as a flop house by individuals with no connection to the home. The residence, which was in foreclosure, had been the subject of ongoing concerns from neighbours about suspicious activity. Following an inspection, the Fire Department determined the home posed serious risks of fire or injury. The Community Standards Unit and Fire Department boarded up the property.