Grande Prairie County Council has awarded a student at Northwestern Polytechnic with a $500 scholarship.

Brady Roberts, a second-year Business Administration student at NWP, was awarded the 2023 County of Grande Prairie Ron Pfau Memorial Scholarship during council’s Committee of the Whole Meeting.

The 20-year-old Grande Prairie resident graduated from St. Joeseph Catholic High School and the county says he emerged as the “ideal” candidate after demonstrating dedication to his academic journey both in and out of the classroom, and Roberts says the recognition marks a significant milestone in his journey.

“The financial support provided not only allows me to maintain focus on my studies but also acts as a catalyst for my education,” he says.

The county says Brady has contributed to the community through his work at the Grande Spirit Foundation, and he says helping his community is “everything” to him.

“It feels great to see that we are helping people in all the little ways we can. This community is everything to me and will always be home.”

The county offers the scholarship every year in memory of long-time County Administrator Ron Pfau to a county resident pursuing post-secondary studies in Alberta.

The Grande Prairie RCMP is asking residents for help in finding missing 24-year-old woman Aldonza Noskiye.

Noskiye was last seen  (in Grande Prairie on December 21st, 2023, and is described as a five-foot-four woman with a medium complexion, weighing approximately 110 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.

Police say they are concerned for her well-being and would like to speak with her.

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Noskiye is asked to contact the Grande Prairie RCMP at (780)-830-5701 or anonymously through Crime Stoppers.

The Grande Prairie Golden Age Centre is putting on its monthly community event, and this time it’s a pancake breakfast.

Grande Prairie residents of all ages are encouraged to head to the centre for a morning of pancakes, eggs, sausages, and all the fixings hosted by the Golden Age Centre’s team of senior volunteers.

Elaine Jobin, Office Manager for the Golden Age Centre says events like these are important, as they provide funding for residents who might not have the money to attend activities in the community.

“When we host events here, that gives some of the lower income seniors that can’t normally afford that to come and enjoy things,” she says. “Sometimes it goes to food, sometimes it goes to car rides, it just depends, every month is different.”

Jobin says the volunteers “just love” the event and preparations for breakfast are expected to start as early as 6:30 a.m.

Residents of all ages are expected to be in attendance, and Jobin says a number of long-time attendees of the event have taken it upon themselves to volunteer and help continue the tradition.

“We’re all going to be a senior one day, so we’ve actually had people who have attended breakfast in the past who are now volunteers here,” she says. “Having that volunteer base is really important, the seniors give and the community gives back.”

Nearly 50 people have responded to the centre’s advertisement on social media, and Jobin says around 150 are expected to be in attendance.

“Generally we have up to 150 [people] we are hoping to get more but now because it’s cold we may get less,” she says. “We always cook for 150 people regardless, and there have been times where we’ve had to zip out to co-op real fast and grab some more stuff because we were running out.”

The breakfast kicks off at 9:00 a.m. on January 20th, and tickets are available upon arrival for $5.00.

Environment Canada has issued an extreme cold warning for numerous communities in the Peace region.

The cold warning is taking effect for Grande Prairie, the M.D. of Greenview, Yellowhead County, Woodlands County, and the Peace River region.

According to Environment Canada, extremely cold wind chills nearing -40°C are expected overnight; however, temperatures are forecasted to warm up by Friday afternoon.

Residents who are young children, seniors, people with chronic illness, and those working outside are at a greater risk.

Additionally, residents are advised to dress warm, in layers that are easily removable and wind-resistant outer layers, while moving around frequently when possible.

Anyone experiencing cold-related symptoms such as colour changes in extremities, shortness of breath, chest pain, muscle pain, and numbness should seek shelter immediately.

Pet owners are also being reminded that if it’s too cold for you, it’s too cold for your furry friend.

The search for missing 24-year-old Cole Hosack continues as police are doubling down on their call for help from the public in finding him.

Hosack was last seen in the area of the Lonestar Bar in Dawson Creek B.C, around 12:20 a.m. on New Year’s Day.

Investigators say he is not from Dawson Creek and was expected to leave for Medicine Hat on January 5th to start a new job but never arrived.

Police have asked Dawson Creek residents to check any outdoor areas on their properties, including sheds and underneath decks due to freezing temperatures and snow. Anyone with surveillance footage that captures the area of Highway 49, from 8th Street and Alaska Avenue eastbound to Spirit River is asked to save the video and contact the Dawson Creek RCMP.

Hosack is described as a five-foot-nine white man weighing 150 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing dark green pants and a green tee with a black Boston Red Sox hat.

The Holy Family Catholic Regional School Division held a meeting on January 17th with Alberta Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Dan Williams to discuss Mental Health and Wellness in HFCRD schools.

Two topics jumped out as significant issues among students during the discussion- cell phone usage and vaping in the classroom and at school.

According to HFCRD officials, student engagement sessions between student representatives and the school division revealed that students are feeling the effects of distractions in class.

Officials say a lack of set rules surrounding cell phone usage has led to the problem expanding into what the division calls a mental health issue.

“During our chat it was noted that there was no legislation around this, no rules, but it’s definitely on the minds of education,” they say.

Cell phones have become a major distraction for students and teachers alike, and the HFCRD says temporary solutions are in place; however, with a lack of protocol, teachers are limited in what they can do about the problem.

“At a lot of our schools we have a docking station, where they can have a station at the front where they can come into the classroom and the students will place them in this station,” they say. “If they need the phone for something like classwork, they’re allowed to use it, and that can happen but there is no division-wide protocol, or Alberta Education protocol on this.”

It’s not all bad however, the HFCRD says the school division sees cell phones as a useful tool for students and can be beneficial when used appropriately.

“They are used in positive ways like research, but there is the screen time addiction, that’s why we brought it up because it is a roundabout addiction,” they say. “It’s being brought up with families too, in parent-teacher interviews, that the kids are maybe a little bit distracted with the phone at times.”

When it comes to vaping and e-cigarette usage in schools, the school division has described the issue as an “epidemic” in children, and steps are being taken by the province to combat the problem, but once again, the lack of legislation on the matter has allowed the matter to explode, with kids as young as 14 using e-cigarette products in school.

“It’s such an epidemic right now in children, obviously at schools as well,” they say. “There’s no real anti-vaping campaigns in place, there’s no legislation in place, but honestly HFCRD has been a leader in deterring that.”

HFCRD says the division has experimented with installing detectors in vaping hotspots like bathrooms to ensure the proper steps are taken if a child chooses to use nicotine products in school.

“They’re detectors that are placed in places like the bathroom and they will actually detect that vape and let the appropriate people know that this is happening.”

Officials say the detectors function like a “silent smoke alarm” and allow faculty to take the appropriate steps should a student use a vape in school, and deter children from vaping in school altogether.

The Alberta Motor Association (AMA) says the past week has been one of its busiest in history for roadside assistance calls.

AMA received more than 49,000 calls between Jan. 9 and Jan. 17 and requests for boosts were as high as 33 times normal.

Professional Bull Riding is returning to Grande Prairie for the fifth time later this year.

From September 27th to the 28th, Canada’s Elite Cup Series will return to Grande Prairie at the PBR Peace Country Invitational at Bonnetts Energy Centre.

The event marks the seventh of the nine-event regular season for PBR Canada’s Premier Cup Series in 2024.

Last year’s event saw Saskatchewan’s Dakota Buttar winning the PBR Peace Country Invitational with a perfect three-for-three performance.

Buttar went on to take the number-one spot in the country; however, his season was brought to a halt after breaking his collarbone during his dismount in the championship round.

Despite his hardships, Buttar came back with a stellar performance at the 2023 Canada National Finals and was crowned the Canadian champ, making him the fourth rider in history to win the PBR Canada Championship multiple times.

The action begins at 7:00 p.m. Mountain time on Friday, September 27th, and Saturday, September 28th and tickets for the event go on sale on January 19th at 10:00 a.m. for $20.

During a land-use bylaw conversation in council on Monday, concerns regarding the possibility of becoming a 15-minute city were brought up by numerous councillors.

The topic of 15-minute cities has been a controversial one recently, and Grande Prairie Mayor Jackie Clayton says the topic causes concern across the Western world.

“I think that 15-minute cities continue to be a concern in many communities across North America,” she says. “What people are concerned about is that oversight, people feel that they want to know that municipalities and governments aren’t tracking them, they’re not getting unnecessary information,”

Despite the concerns, Mayor Clayton says the City of Grande Prairie “takes pride” in the fact that most GP residents can get around the city in 15 minutes or less; however, she says council is “not interested” in the traditional idea of becoming an official 15-minute city.

“We pride ourselves on the fact that you can get around pretty easily in our community and you can be anywhere in 15 minutes,” she says. “Does that mean that we’re exploring the future of a 15-minute city? Not at all, that’s not a priority of council.”

Clayton adds that many of the concerns raised stem from the negative connotation that the phrase “15-minute city” carries. Residents bring up concerns like increased government presence in day-to-day life; however, Mayor Clayton says council sees the topic in a different way.

“There’s a little bit of a negative connotation when people do talk about 15-minute cities,” she says. “Our regard of 15-minute cities is about the fact that it’s easy to get around our community, and that we pride ourselves in the fact that you can live in an urban centre, and be 15 minutes to anywhere, but not aligned with the concerns that people have with the land use planning of a 15-minute city.”

Clayton says projects such as public transit and infrastructure remain a priority for council, to ensure the city remains accessible for residents.

UPDATE: Peace Regional RCMP members have recovered the stolen truck and tools in the area of Highway 986 and Township Road 852. 

Police say the RCMP is still actively investigating the event and anyone with information regarding the identity of the suspect and the black truck seen with the stolen vehicle are asked to contact the Peace Regional RCMP. 

The Peace Regional RCMP is seeking public assistance after an alleged break-and-enter and theft of a motor vehicle in Peace River.

According to police, on January 15th, 2024, members of the Peace Regional RCMP responded to reports of a break-and-enter into a business in the area of 107th Avenue in Peace River.

Investigators obtained surveillance which shows a black truck in the area before an individual entered the business’ yard and allegedly stole a “large quantity” of work tools and a customized picker truck that reportedly “rammed through the gate” and left in the black truck around 4:30 a.m. that morning.

Police describe the truck as a “newer” dark GMC Sierra with an extended cab and a “large object.”

The stolen truck is described as a white 2012 GMC Sierra, extended cab with a custom picker deck. Additionally, the white Sierra has a “WEAVER” company logo on the driver and passenger door, with unit number 138 over the front wheel wells.

The RCMP says the stolen vehicle, suspect, and the associated black truck were spotted in the area of Range Road 215 in Peace River, where they stopped for gas later that day. Police add that the suspect could have been heading to the Grande Prairie area.

A new doctor is coming to the Grande Prairie Regional Hospital as the city and Alberta Health Services continue their campaign to bring new doctors to Grande Prairie.

Grande Prairie Mayor Jackie Clayton says efforts from the AHS have been “quite aggressive” in attracting new physicians and the addition of the hospital’s new specialist marks a “win” for the city’s efforts.

“On a regular basis we like to support AHS and their initiatives and in turn, take on some of our own initiatives to not only attract but retain existing physicians,” she says. “Hearing that more and more of these doctors that were touring are actually landing in our city is a great win.”

Mayor Clayton adds that despite the encouraging number of specialist physicians coming to the city, general practitioner and family doctor roles still need to be filled.

“We’ve recently had quite a few doctors sign on, but one area that we’re still significantly short of is general practitioners and family doctors,” she says. “Many people, including myself don’t have a family doctor, so that’s an area focus, but we’re still seeing good uptake in specialized physicians.”

In regards to attraction, Clayton cites the Grande Prairie Regional Hospital as a major tool for the city, as its advanced technology and services play an important role in bringing new physicians to the city.

“The regional hospital is a testament to when you build something of significant nature and of high technology, it in itself is an attraction tool.”

According to the city, efforts are in place to continue building on their partnership with AHS and Mayor Clayton says the city is “happy to serve” as a sort of concierge service to attract new doctors, and show off the amenities available for them and their families if they choose to move to the region.

“Having these physicians sign on is great; however, creating a community where the quality of life where physicians want to stay around for a longer period of time where their families are happy is a priority of council,” she says. “Whether it’s being inclusive and introducing new families to offerings in our region, introducing them to schools and areas of recreation and culture and different things.”

Mayor Clayton has confirmed that funding has been approved by council to invest in continued attraction efforts by the city.

The City of Grande Prairie is urging Grande Prairie pet owners to register their furry friends as the new year rolls in.

According to the city, all cats and dogs must wear their current animal license/tag when off their owner’s property, and Grande Prairie Mayor Jackie Clayton says registering is important as it can help lost animals return home.

“It allows people to have their animal returned home if they happen to be lost, it just provides that sort of piece of security if you do lose your pet, that it could potentially be returned back to you,” she says.

Registration fees range from $15.75 to $31.50 for cats and $26.25 to $52.50 for dogs, and fines can reach up to $500 for unlicensed animals.

“With a new year comes new licensing expectations so renewals are up so if you have a pet it’s a really simple process so we’re just reminding people to go online and renew your pet license,” Clayton says.

Residents can register their pets online or in-person at City Hall, and tag replacements are available for owners who may have lost old tags and all proceeds from registration fees will go directly to the Bandaged Paws Animal Rescue Association.

Alberta Health Services is temporarily closing the Central Peace Health Complex Emergency Department due to an “unexpected nursing shortage” and an inability to secure temporary coverage.

The closure is scheduled between the hours of 11:00 a.m. on January 16th and 7:00 a.m. January 17th. Nurses will remain on site in Acute Care and the Emergency Department could reopen sooner if coverage is found.

Patients are asked to call 911 in the event of a medical emergency, and the health service says they will work with EMS and regional healthcare centres to ensure patient safety during this time.

Residents are asked to call Health Link at 8-1-1, anytime for non-emergency health-related questions.

Former Premier Rachel Notley is stepping down as lead of the Alberta NDP. She made the announcement on Jan. 16 and says she believes it is best both for her and the party.

Notley leaves as the party is the largest opposition in Alberta’s history and she says it is stronger than ever. She told reporters she considered stepping down in 2019 when she did not win a second term in government and she is proud of the work she has done since deciding against it.

“There are many reasons I did not. But the biggest is probably this: too many people were declaring that the Alberta NDP was done and, more importantly, that Alberta was destined to revert back to being a one party conservative state. And I knew that wasn’t true. And I also knew that it would be awful for Albertans if they came to believe that it was,” she says.

She says one of her biggest accomplishments is knowing Albertan do not have to feel like their voices do not matter in elections.

“It was that way when I started. It’s not that way anymore. Not only do I leave Albertans with that electoral choice, I leave them with a caucus that is filled with expert, dedicated, diverse people, supported by the hardest working and most skilled political staff in the country,” she says,

Notley will remain in her position until a new leader is elected. 

With files from mylethbridgenow.com reporter Tyler Hay

It was a packed house at the Grande Banks Medical Clinic after an announcement that two new doctors were accepting new patients at the facility.

Several residents say they were under the impression that new patients would be selected based on a “lottery” style system; however, officials say that is not the case.

Applicants looking to become new patients were required to fill out a form with their medical information and submit it to the front desk. After which, officials say meet and greets will be set up with those selected, and from there, the decision falls on the doctors.

Morgan Marbach, an eager applicant at the clinic says the choice to apply was an easy one, as she has been dealing with chronic pain for several weeks.

“I’ve been dealing with pain since the beginning of January, and thankfully the doctors here are fantastic for that, I finally got some answers I couldn’t get at the hospital,” she says.

Marbach’s story seems to be the story that many Grande Prairie residents share, but she says the doctor shortage is a nationwide issue.

“I applied for a family doctor because mine moved to Castle Downs two or three years ago,” she says. “It’s that way in New Brunswick too, I’m originally from there and it’s rough.”

Marbach adds that she is concerned with Grande Prairie’s high population growth rate. She says if trends continue, it might become even harder for her family to find a doctor.

“A lot of people are moving here from other places, even on the Grande Prairie Facebook page you see people saying- ‘I’m moving to Grande Prairie, are there any family doctors?’ no there aren’t.”

AHS has been made aware of the shortage of healthcare professionals, and incentives are in place by the city to encourage physicians to make the move.

The Holy Catholic Regional Division has announced a new scholarship for graduates of Glenmary High School in Peace River.

Named for former Peace River Mayor Michael Procter, the funding for the scholarship was accepted on behalf of the HFCRD Board of Trustees and the Peace River School Division Board of Trustees as an endowment gift from Procter’s Estate, after he passed away in August 2023.

The former mayor served for four terms over 12 years from 1986 to 1998 and is regarded as a man of high standing by school officials.

Former HFCRD Superintendent Wayne Doll calls Procter a “man of integrity, goodwill, and vision” and officials say Procter was often involved in HFCRD affairs during his time as mayor.

“He was a fierce advocate for Peace River and worked tirelessly to improve the lives of citizens,” he says. “Mike valued education and was not shy in his support for schools.”

The exact amount available for applicants has yet to be determined and officials say the HFCRD and PRSD are actively working together to create the criteria for eligibility.

UPDATE: Environment Canada has ended the extreme cold warning for the Grande Prairie region. The warning was ended at 4:50 a.m. Tuesday, January 16th for the area including Grande Prairie, Beaverlodge and Valleyview. The warning has been continued for the communities of Peace River, Fairview, Manning and High Prairie.

An extreme cold warning has officially been issued for much of the Peace Country with temperatures forecasted as low as -44°C.

According to Environment Canada, a long period of extreme cold temperatures and wind chills are expected in Grande Prairie, Beaverlodge, Valleyview, the M.D. of Greenview, Yellowhead County, and Woodlands County throughout the weekend. ECC says air temperatures will continue to fall through the end of the week until Saturday morning and with windchill, temperatures will approach -50°C on the weekend.

Slight improvements are forecasted for early next week; however, ECC says “certainty is low” and below normal temperatures are likely to continue.

Pets, people with chronic illness, older adults, children, and people working outdoors face a greater risk during this time and residents are advised to cover up while trying to avoid outdoor activity if possible.

10 classrooms at Wembley Elementary School are receiving new “interactive televisions” thanks to a $12,000 donation from NuVista Energy to update the classroom experience for students and teachers.

According to Peace Wapiti Communications Officer Kayla Klava, classrooms at Wembley have been utilizing Smartboards and projectors as old as 15 years old, so when NuVista asked the school if there were any projects in need of funding, Wembley suggested the replacement.

“It is the newest technology, they will be replacing the old Smartboards all the classrooms have been using,” she says. “Technology changes every day, so the students will be more with the times and have a better capability of hands-on learning.”

According to Wembley Principal Robin Lieverse, the televisions open up collaborative opportunities for students that the former technology couldn’t.

“They not only benefit kinaesthetic learners who need to move, and learn by “doing things”, but all students who learn in a variety of ways,” she says.

Wembley Elementary School says they have been working towards replacing the old technology for a “number of years” and NuVista’s donation has allowed the school to explore new, interactive technology for classrooms.

The 2024 Alberta Winter Games are just one month away and athletes and coaches aren’t the only ones planning on taking advantage of the boost in population.

According to the AWG, around 2,000 athletes and coaches will call the city home in February, and Grande Prairie Mayor Jackie Clayton says the city is anticipating an economic boost as a result.

“Any time you host an event of that magnitude there is economic spinoff,” she says.

Mayor Clayton says plans are in place to conduct a Sport Tourism Economic Impact Analysis during and after the games to examine the effect of the event on the city’s business sector.

“That measures the impact that has to your community during a period of time, not only during the time where the attendees, the athletes, the parents are in our city but leading up to it because there’s obviously the acquisition of additional food, additional needs for hosting the games, so there is an overall economic impact,” she says.

Clayton adds that the business sector in Grande Prairie makes significant contributions to events like the AWG because of their role as “ambassadors” in the community.

“These ambassadors within our retail and hospitality sector are essential to the success of games like this so I know our business community, our hospitality sector will embrace the opportunity just as much as the athletes and the coaches.”

The Mayor emphasizes the importance of service in a host city, saying she knows business owners will embrace the opportunity to be the “great hosts they are” during the games.