With preparations underway for Canada Day celebrations in Grande Prairie, administration and city council have agreed to waive any parade fees for floats temporarily for the remainder of the year.
Registration for floats is down compared to previous years, with 16 floats currently registered for the Canada Day parade. 16 floats are enough for the event, but with this resolution city officials hope to see more people and businesses register floats for the parade.
For a non-profit group to register a float in the parade, it is free. For any other groups, it comes to $100 plus tax.
Prior to 2019, there was no fee in place within the Fees, Rates, and Charges bylaw. The city has not had a large-scale parade since it first introduced the fees during the COVID-19 pandemic. The motion was carried unanimously at Monday’s city council meeting.
The Canada Day celebrations start with the parade at 1 in the afternoon, which travels from 108 Avenue in Hillside and ends at the Leisure Centre parking lot at 2:30. Following that, activities and events will take place at Muskoseepi Park throughout the rest of the day. The night ends with fireworks from the reservoir at the park, beginning at 11:30 p.m.