The Grande Prairie & District Chamber of Commerce has welcomed a new executive following the organization’s annual general meeting.

Cord Spero, with Grande Prairie ReMax, assumes the role of chair, Jon Anderson moves into the role of chair-elect, and Lori Pollock will assume the role of vice chair. Cindy Park from Northwestern Polytechnic will remain on the executive as past chair.

According to the chamber, three vacant positions on the Board have been filled by Danielle Hessler, Jennifer Ireson, and Shane Mudryck. All remaining positions went to returning directors, including Jason Howrish and Laura LaValley, who successfully sought their second two-year terms on the board.

The chamber also presented three awards to several businesses and their representatives at the meeting. Dan Wong from Beairsto & Associates Engineering and Survey received the Clem E. Collins Award for his work in Chamber Volunteerism, and Alison Gustafson from Victoria’s Attic received the Business Citizen of the Year Award. Ken Sargent GMC Buick and Sean Sargent Toyota shared the Dan H. Minchin Award for Long-Term Member Business Achievement.

Additionally, the chamber achieved re-accreditation from the Chamber Accreditation Council of Canada for 2024-2026, acknowledging the local chamber’s work in leadership, governance, and operations in the community, joining 71 other chambers from across Canada that have achieved this milestone.

With Mother Nature delivering a dusting of snow, Grande Prairie residents are being reminded to dust off their winter driving skills.

Chief instructor for Drivers Education with AMA Mark Pasternac says when it comes to driving in winter conditions, the three main things to keep in mind are space, vision, and speed. He explains that the faster the speed, the harder it is to make a quick stop, so travelling at a lower speed or at a speed that is adaptive to the weather conditions helps reduce the chance of losing control. Space also plays a part; when travel conditions are ideal, it is recommended to have a following distance of two to three seconds between vehicles, but when the conditions are less than ideal, it is suggested to have a distance of at least three seconds between vehicles.

“The simplest way of looking at this is you want to see and be seen. With more room in front of us and more following distance in the winter, it allows you to look at not the first car but the third, the fourth, or the fifth one down the street or plan a block ahead as best you can.” Pasternac says. “The bonus to all of that when it comes to vision is to make yourself as visible as possible to everybody. The simplest things you can do is turn on the full headlights, not the automatics, the full headlights, getting the taillights going and the headlights, even in the day.”

He adds that because Alberta is teased with every version of weather, drivers build up and get comfortable with certain habits, and when a change needs to be made in a quick second, sometimes drivers’ brains don’t make the shift fast enough.

“So the simplest way of looking at conditions, in general, is the minute you see things change on the road for surface or vision, or if it is wet or snowy or icy, just take your time and slow things down.”

Pasternac says, sometimes, when driving on wet, snowy, or icy roads, it may feel as if the vehicle is doing a good job and has a good grip, but that can change quickly.

“The moment too much pressure is applied for breaking or steering, you’ll find out very quickly that your wheels have that layer between them where they can’t get the grip they need, and that’s when we lose control.”

His advice is that as soon as the road looks different, whether from snow or ice, the best choice is to slow down.

The City of Grande Prairie has announced holiday hours for numerous city facilities scheduled to begin on Christmas Eve.

From December 24th to January 3rd, 13 city services will have adjusted hours and, in some cases, there will be no service between Christmas time and the new year.

City Hall and the City Service Centre will be closed between December 24th and 26th, open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. between the 27th and 29th, and closed again from December 30th to January 1st. AccessGP is in a similar situation, except the facility will operate from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. from December 27th to the 29th.

City Transit is a unique case as the service will be accessible every day of the holiday week except for December 25th and January 1st. for regular weekday and weekend service and on-demand service after 9 p.m. Late-night on-demand service will be available until 1:00 a.m. on New Year’s Eve/Day.

Eastlink Centre and Design Works Centre will be open on Christmas Eve in the morning before closing on Christmas and Boxing Day and reopening with adjusted hours heading into the new year. Playcare at Eastlink will be closed from December 24th to the 26th and reopen on December 27th, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. until New Year’s Eve/day.

The Ernie Radbourne Pavilion will be closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day and open late on New Year’s Eve for the City’s upcoming “New Year’s Eve-ning Out” event. The Montrose Cultural Centre and the Grande Prairie Museum will be closed from December 24th to the 26th, both facilities will be closed on New Year’s Day, and Bonnetts Energy Centre will be closed to the public on the same days.

The City Activity and Reception Centre will be closed from December 24th to the 26th and New Year’s Eve/Day.

The Grande Prairie RCMP Detachment will be closed from December 24th to the 26th before it reopens from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. from the 27th to the 29th and closes again from December 30th to January 1st. The RCMP says officers will remain on duty, and emergency response will not be interrupted.

Victory Church in Grande Prairie is looking to let families around Grande Prairie know they are cared for this holiday season with their “Family Fun Baskets” giveaway.

Pastor Charlotte Quist says the church started the project to ensure families are taken care of during the stressful holiday season. She says while financial support is important, many people simply need to know that someone in their community cares.

“We usually try to give in places in financial need, that’s an ongoing thing and obviously people are very focused on that during Christmas time, but we also have been really noticing that hard times come in all sorts of different packages,” she says. “Sometimes you just need to know that someone cares that you exist.”

Victory is looking to send out 50 baskets to anyone in need in Grande Prairie and Quist says the baskets are an important part of the season as it is easy for some individuals to feel “hopeless” due to the burden that sometimes comes with the holidays.

“When people feel like they can’t get out of whatever circumstances they’re facing, an act of kindness or letting someone know they are seen totally changes their perspective,” she says. “Sometimes all that you need is a little spark of hope to get through the day and I think the basic need of everybody is to feel loved, to feel known.”

According to Quist, baskets have been sponsored by families in the church, and contain a gift card, a “family book,” and a family board game.

Grande Prairie residents are urged to refrain from giving thieves the gift of opportunity by leaving valuables in their vehicles or leaving their vehicles unlocked.

Manager of Advocacy with the Alberta Motor Association Dominic Schamuhn says the message comes from the AMA and the Alberta RCMP, as Alberta has the second highest rate of auto thefts and theft from auto vehicles in the country. According to Schamuhn, as long as it takes you to put something in your vehicle, that is how quick it takes for someone to take the item out of the vehicle or the vehicle itself.

“A thief will act as quick as they can, so it is important for us to make sure that we are staying vigilant, that we are locking our vehicles, we are hiding our stuff, and we are not leaving our vehicles running,” Schamuhn says.”It is a crime of opportunity, so unfortunately, too many people are leaving valuables in site, leaving their vehicles unlocked, and just taking the chance to act on that.”

According to the AMA and the RCMP, the best practice is to lock the vehicle and never leave the vehicle unattended when running. Schamuhn says during the holiday season, many people may be running errands and unable to take valuables inside with them. In those cases, residents are told to hide valuables by moving them to their trunks or putting them under something.

“A valuable is anything that a thief might look at and think has some value to it. It could be as simple as loose change, it could be a pair of sunglasses that you leave in your vehicle, it could also be a gym bag, or your shopping bags.”

In cases with bags, whether it be shopping or otherwise, he says thieves don’t even know what they are taking; it is the bag that catches their eye.

“We don’t want folks to have a bad holiday season; we don’t want them to start the holiday season with a theft happening because we know that there are consequences beyond just the theft as well. There is the hassle of having to deal with it; you have to replace it, and you now have to pay for it again.”

Schamuhn adds along with being sure to protect valuables, drivers are also advised to keep their vehicle insurance and registration either with them or hidden. He says while these documents can be an adventure to replace, they do have information on them that opens the door to identity theft.

In 2022, Grande Prairie reported 567 vehicle thefts, a jump from 315 reported in 2021. As well, 465 thefts from a motor vehicle worth $5,000 or less were reported in 2022, 60 more than the previous year.

Five people from Grande Prairie are facing several child pornography charges after a joint investigation between the Grande Prairie RCMP and ALERT Internet Child Exploitation Unit.

The three-day investigation led to seven ICE-led search warrants on seven Grande Prairie homes between November 27th and 30th.  According to investigators, Operation ICE Tundra was initiated in October due to an increase in case referrals originating in Grande Prairie.

ICE representative Sergeant Kerry Shima says the operation is an important one as it establishes a zero-tolerance mindset for abuse survivors in small communities.

“An operation of this scale isn’t possible every day, but our unit must create a presence in smaller communities, showing that we will not tolerate this abuse against children.”

Full forensic analysis is ongoing and ICE says further investigation could lead to additional arrests, charges, or potential victim identification.

Five males, ranging from 29-years-old to 56-years-old, are all facing charges of access, possession and transmitting child pornography; however, ICE says they do not believe the suspects are known to one another, and the investigations do not appear to be connected.

Bonanza School has received $50,000 in funding from Saddle Hills County for a new playground.

On November 28th, Bonanza School Principal Theresa Simmonds attended the County Council meeting to request support for the school’s fundraising efforts and says she was “thrilled” when Council offered to pay $50K toward the new equipment.

“Our students are very excited, and we are so proud of all the hard work that got us here.”

According to the Peace Wapiti Public School Division, Bonanza School and the Bonanza Bring It Society have been working together to fundraise for a new playground for the past two and a half years. Between family and community support, the group was able to raise nearly half of the cost of the playground.

The PWPSD says a construction start date has not yet been set; however, school officials says they hope to begin construction “during summer break.”

Kids and parents are invited to attend Harolds Towing and Recovery and GP Truckin’s “Convoy for Kids” toy drive to raise money for the Helping Hands Society of Grande Prairie.

On Sunday December 10th, truckers from across the city will parade through Grande Prairie with decorated trucks to raise money and take toy donations for children in need during the holidays.

Driver Supervisor for Harolds Towing and Recovery, Morgan Penney says donations of new, unwrapped gifts, non-perishable food, or cash are welcome and donation locations will be scattered throughout the city during the event.

“There’s a couple donation dropoff points along the route and there will also be enclosed trailers in our yard till probably 8:30-9:00 that evening if people want to stop by here.”

The convoy starts at 4:30 p.m. on 98th before proceeding to eight different spots scattered around the city and ending at Harold’s Towing Yard.

A Grande Prairie man is taking home $100,000 after purchasing a winning “Hidden Gems” ticket.

Brennan Willier says it was his first time playing Hidden Gems and the win came as a surprise. He adds that he was simply looking for a new game to play after cashing in a $50 win on the “Peppermint Payout.”

“I grabbed that one because it was new and I hadn’t tried it before,” he says. “I went home and scratched, and sure enough I saw the $100,000 come up.”

According to Willier, he immediately told his wife, double-checked the ticket twice and returned to the store asking the cashier to validate the win on their terminal.

“My wife was really happy too, we showed my kids, and they’re super excited.”

Willier says he’s looking forward to enjoying a debt-free life and Christmas with his family.

“I have a new grandbaby to spoil too,” he says.

Willier’s winning ticket was purchased from Circle K at 9301 76 Ave in Grande Prairie.

The little orphan Annie is coming to Sexsmith through a drama production at Sexsmith Secondary School.

The show is the first of its kind for the school, and Grade 12 student Adam Lozeron says the musical has been a long-time project between numerous fine arts programs at the school.

“This is our first year putting on a musical using the drama program so we’re taking the whole semester to pump out one big production that’s supposed to be as good quality as we can.”

Cherylin Garland, the 17-year-old lead starring as Annie, says the show is unique, as it will feature live music from the school’s senior band, which is uncommon for a musical. Garland says through joint practices with their fine arts colleagues, both the actors and musicians are confident in their experiment.

“It’s very classic Annie so you can expect the same classic songs- ‘Tomorrow,’ ‘Maybe,’ everything in there,” she says. “We’re using our senior high band to do most of our music instead of using the actual tracks for the music, and we’ve been working and practicing our songs with them to make it as good as we can be.”

“Our choreography is very 1930s, it brings out a lot of that character for a lot of us and I just really hope that all our hard work, especially with the music, pays off.”

In addition to the joint performance between the actors and band, other fine arts programs such as design and photography are involved through set and costume design and even taking headshots for the actors. Lozeron says the collaboration breeds a level of comradery between the arts.

“It creates a sense of family between the different fine arts groups, it’s kind of like everyone is coming together to create one cohesive project and it’s been incredible.”

The show is scheduled for January 14th at 2:00 p.m. and January 16th and 16th at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $10 and children under five get in for free.

Residents in Grande Cache will be hitting the polls for a municipal by-election in mid-February.

According to the MD of Greenview, the by-election to fill the vacant seat on council will be held on February 21st, 2024, with advanced polling opening on February 15th, 2024. Nominations for the by-election are open until noon on Wednesday, January 24th, 2024.

To be eligible to run in the upcoming by-election, the nominee must have lived in the Ward Nine area for at least six months and be a Canadian citizen who is 18 years old or older.

The by-election was forced when Councillor Duane Didow put in his resignation back in mid-November.

More information about the upcoming by-election or the nomination can be found on the MD of Greenview’s website.

The number of people unemployed in the economic region, including Grande Prairie, saw a dip from October to November. According to the latest numbers from Statistics Canada, the unemployment rate for the Athabasca – Grande Prairie – Peace River region was 4.4 per cent in November, down from the 5.1 per cent reported the previous month.

Compared to November 2022, the number of unemployed people in the economic region saw a 0.5 per cent drop.

Across Alberta, the unemployment rate ticked upward to 5.9 per cent. November is the second month in a row that the unemployment rate across the province increased by 0.1 per cent. The Red Deer region recorded the highest unemployment rate in November, while the Camrose-Drumheller region reported the lowest.

Across the country, unemployment saw a slight increase, coming in a 5.8 per cent for the month of November. According to statistics Canada the economy added 25,000 jobs with added jobs in manufacturing and construction. However, in November jobs were lost in the wholesale and retail, finance, insurance, real estate and rental and leasing sectors.

The community is invited to ring in the new year at the City of Grande Prairie’s New Year’s Eve-ning Out event on Sunday, December 31th at Muskoseepi Park.

The event boasts family-friendly festive indoor and outdoor activities from 6 to 10 p.m., including a live fire dancing show, $1 horse and wagon rides, a skating party with lights and a DJ on the pond adjacent to Ernie Radbourne Pavillion, free hot chocolate and cake, children’s activities, and food trucks.

All indoor activities are taking place in the Ernie Radbourne Pavilion. The evening caps off with a fireworks display beginning at 10:30 p.m. over the Muskoseepi Park reservoir.

The City of Grande Prairie and Grande Prairie Regional Association of Volunteer Organizations have announced the 2023 Volunteer Award winners at the city’s annual volunteer breakfast.

Each year on International Volunteer Day, volunteers gather to highlight nominees for their contribution to their communities through volunteerism.

Bethe Goldie took home the George Repka Outstanding Achievement Award for her 40 years of service across numerous volunteer opportunities.

The Grande Prairie Friendship Centre was recognized as the 2023 Bill Bowes Volunteer Organization of the Year and the organization’s President Leonard Auger was named Volunteer of the Year due to his work with the Grande Prairie Friendship Centre.

MNP LLP was recognized as the 2023 Corporate Volunteer of the Year after their commitment to employee-led volunteerism seen throughout the city.

The city also named eight residents as Leaders of Tomorrow across four categories. Hollow Ruigrok and Robert Nelson for Leadership, Polina Kovalinksa and Alyssa Brown for Volunteerism, Rylee Martin and Jenna Peterson for Advocacy, and Crystal Hepditch and Kenneth Livesey for Perseverance.

Additionally, numerous parties were recognized with Outstanding Citizen Awards at the breakfast.

International Volunteer Day is a worldwide celebration of volunteers and next year’s awards are scheduled to take place again on December 5th, 2024.

The City of Grande Prairie has announced the launch of a new microgrant program for individuals aged 13 to 30 to help overcome financial barriers to education and employment.

According to the city, the Communities Building Youth Futures Microgrant offers up to $750 per individual to help address specific needs such as transportation, educational materials, work attire, and other related fees.

Grande Prairie Mayor Jackie Clayton says the program is significant as young people “continue to face barriers” while pursuing education and their careers.

“Young people in our community often face small but significant barriers in their pursuit of education and employment. This Microgrant Program is our way of saying, ‘We believe in you and are here to support your journey.'”

The city says applicants must live, work, attend school, or access services in Grande Prairie and be able to identify a specific barrier to their education or employment.

The application deadline is March 1, 2024, or until the allocated funding is fully disbursed. Interested applicants are encouraged to apply early to ensure their request is considered.

The RCMP Major Crime Unit is investigating what police are calling a suspicious death after a body was found in a wooded area near Westside Park.

The Grande Prairie RCMP says a person was found deceased in the area around noon on December 4th, however, despite the ongoing investigation, police believe there is no danger to the public.

Investigators say there is no concern for public safety as a result of the death and the scene is being held until further notice as the investigation is ongoing. Residents are asked not to approach the scene to avoid interference with the investigation.

Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to contact the Grande Prairie RCMP Detachment at 403-945-7200 or anonymously through Crime Stoppers.

RCMP detachments across Alberta are advising residents to be mindful of porch pirates this holiday season.

According to Grande Prairie RCMP Public Information Officer Corporal Mathew Howell, between January and October, more than 580 mail thefts have been reported across the province and that number is expected to climb higher during the holidays.

“With online shopping and all of these different ways to get goods shipped to your home, there is a risk with regards to mail theft,” he says. “Between November and December, you have multiple sales like Black Friday or Cyber Monday so there’s a lot coming in, people are ordering Christmas gifts.”

As a result of the anticipated uptick, Howell shared some advice for residents to make sure they avoid any holiday headaches due to stolen packages.

According to the RCMP, making sure packages do not end up sitting on your porch for too long is one of the simplest ways to ensure shipments are not stolen.

Howell says asking a neighbour or trusted friend to receive the package on your behalf is a simple and effective method of package protection; however, if that option is unavailable, there are numerous alternatives to make sure your Christmas gifts get into the right hands.

“If you can opt for a signature required delivery or provide delivery instructions for the delivery person to place it somewhere out of sight,” he says. “Make sure you’re tracking your shipments so you know when it’s going to be at your door, [but] try to have deliveries come when you know you’re going to be home.”

Additionally, the RCMP is “strongly recommending” the use of doorbell cameras and motion sensor lights as a deterrent for any would-be sticky bandits. Howell adds that even if a thief is bold enough to steal your package in front of a camera, the footage can be utilized in a police investigation.

“If your package is ever stolen you can use that for information to give to the police in order to hopefully apprehend the suspect,”

To raise awareness surrounding package theft during the holidays, the Alberta RCMP has launched a month-long campaign on RCMP social media and interested residents can use #MailSafety to keep up with further updates from police.

The Grande Prairie Public School Division has announced the annual Board of Trustees Holiday Art Card Contest winners.

This year, numerous grade 9-12 students across Bridge Network, Charles Spencer, and Grande Prairie Composite High Schools submitted artwork from various mediums. A new theme is selected each year, and this year’s was “Happy Holidays.”

Kyler Pearen, a Grade 10 student from Grande Prairie Composite High School took home first place with her watercolour artwork depicting a winter woodland scene.

Kyler’s creation will be featured on the Board of Trustees’ annual holiday card, and she will take home the $200 grand prize.

Two Charles Spencer High School Grade 12 students’ artworks placed in the competition with Caitlyn Loewen’s painting taking home the second place $150 prize, and Kaitlyn Utz’s digital art submission grabbing the third place $100 prize.

Additionally, the board awarded numerous honourable mentions to different submissions, each earning a $50 prize for their work.

A fairly large swath of Grande Prairie is without power Tuesday afternoon.

According to the ATCO Electric Outages Map, the outage spans from approximately 108 Avenue in the north to south of 68 Avenue, and from 100 Street to Range Road 63 east to west. Crews are on scene to assess and fix the outage, with an expected completion time of approximately 3 p.m.