Grande Prairie Minute: Wildfire Costs, Patio Program, and Municipal Census Launched

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

This Week In Grande Prairie:

• This afternoon, at 2:00 pm, there will be an in-camera (in secret) meeting of City Council. The two confidential agenda items are labeled Intergovernmental Relations and Confidential Evaluations. There will also be a public meeting of City Council a little later in the day, at 3:00 pm. Mayor Jackie Clayton will proclaim May 6th to 10th, 2024, as “Economic Development Week”. Council will also discuss sites for a proposed recreation facility as well as a new Public Engagement Policy.
  
  
• The National Aboriginal Hockey Championships are set to debut in Grande Prairie, marking the first time an Alberta community will host this event. More than 400 participants, including coaches, athletes, and officials from all over the country are coming to the city to compete. Opening ceremonies are scheduled for this evening at 8:00 pm at Design Works Centre. Attendance at the games and opening ceremony is free, and all festivities will be livestreamed. A full schedule is available online.
  
  
• The City will start its Trail Rehabilitation Program today. There will be some trail closures during construction but alternative paths and signage will be provided. Five key sites requiring rehabilitation have been identified, starting with the west side of 102 Street from 120 Avenue to 124 Avenue. The City plans to complete the project by the end of summer, with additional sites scheduled for rehabilitation in the coming months. Residents can stay informed about trail closures by visiting the City’s Service Announcement page.

Last Week In Grande Prairie:

• The City announced a new Sidewalk Patio Program this summer, aiming to enhance business opportunities and provide more leisure options for residents and visitors in the downtown area. Approved businesses will be able to expand their seating outdoors and onto public sidewalks and roads. The program offers four patio configuration concepts, with businesses needing to pay a $100 application fee for a permit and provide necessary documentation to the City.
  
  
• The City has launched its municipal census. Residents can participate in the census in three ways - online, by calling 3-1-1, or via door-to-door visits. PIN cards with unique codes for online completion will be distributed to residents by May 8th. Early completion online enters participants for a chance to win grocery gift cards. Enumerators, identifiable by high-visibility vests and photo ID badges, will conduct door-to-door visits from May 26th to June 30th to assist those who haven't completed the census through another method. We don't necessarily have a problem with the City asking people to voluntarily answer questions, but for anyone concerned about privacy, the census is not compulsory!
  
  
• The City said it may not be able to recover around $166,000 related to hosting emergency wildfire evacuees last summer due to what it called “legislative inconsistencies” on the part of the Province. The City is struggling with reimbursements for expenses like water bottle deposits, hotel damages, and unused room bookings. At a recent Committee of the Whole meeting, a recommendation was made for Council to support a resolution aimed at setting a standardized level of service for Emergency Social Services at the provincial level with the aim of clarifying cost coverage and reducing financial strain on host municipalities like Grande Prairie. City officials said they are happy to help wherever they can, but it should not fall to taxpayers to pick up the tab.