A Swan City FC volunteer is among 75 volunteers across Alberta to recieve a community grant from Alberta Blue Cross.

Corrie Funk, who organizes the Power Soccer Program in Grande Prairie, has seen the prorgam reach national levels, with team Canada athletes taking part in local clinics.

Vice-President of Corporate Relations and Community Engagement with Alberta Blue Cross Brian Geislinger says celbrating the 75th anniversary of Blue Cross in the province has allowed them to give back to communities and volunteers who make a big difference.

“We want to thank everyone who took the time to submit nominations recognizing these volunteers who make amazing contributions to their local communities,” he says.

“We’re excited to recognize the inspiring individuals and organizations who go the extra mile to make such a positive difference.”

Both Funk and Swan City FC were alloted $1,000 a piece as part of the grant. Other Peace Country recipients include Bernadette Wlad, from Central Peace Health Complex Hospital Auxiliary and Jeremy McCracken with the North Peace Youth Support Association in Fairview.

Students and curious Grande Prairie residents eager to join the workforce will have the opportunity to take a look at in-demand jobs in the Grande Prairie region when Northwestern Polytechnic and Lifemark Vocational Services host the Multi-Employer Job Fair.

Northwestern Polytechnic says the event is “a great chance” for students and community members to connect with a variety of employers in and around GP.

The event will feature a mix of organizations representing unique industries, and showcase full and part-time opportunities for workers in the area.

The fair is scheduled to run from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on October 25, with free on-campus parking during the event.

Editors note: The original version of this article stated the event was on Thursday, it has been corrected. We apologize for any confusion this may have caused.

Philanthropist and humanitarian Dr. Charles Mulli is scheduled to make another visit to Grande Prairie to speak on the work his foundation, the Mully Children’s Family, has completed in Kenya.

According to recent reporting, more than 6,000 children are now under the care of the Mully Children’s Family, with half in “complete care”, which includes housing, education, food, and clothing.

Dr. Mulli’s connection to Grande Prairie is well-known due to organizations and benefactors in the city, allowing for significant progress in Mulli’s humanitarian efforts.

“He has some great connections here [in Grande Prairie] through some philanthropists who have supported the organization, there’s a couple of individuals who have had a huge impact on what he’s been able to do,” MCF Canada board member Louis Chabot says.

Chabot adds that Mulli’s philanthropy coaching and education is significant, as he focuses his efforts on teachings, instead of funding requests.

“He teaches us so much about how to do philanthropy, in developing countries and what type of model works really well for those countries,” he says.

Mulli will be on tour from October 20th to November 2nd, with talks in Toronto, Winnipeg, and Grande Prairie.

The Pregnancy Care Centre Grande Prairie is hoping members of the public can help lend a hand and provide any extra winter baby clothing to the non-profit as they head into the cold months.

Client Services Director Becky McKay says, traditionally, they receive upwards of 10 client visits a week during the first phases of winter. However, the recent cold snap also spurred a much greater than expected need.

“This week, we’ve seen a huge need in clothing for infants, toddlers and even moms. We’ve had more than 30 clients through the doors this week looking for access to warm clothing, and we’ve run out of everything warm that we have to offer,” McKay says.

“Jackets and snowsuits for little ones would be the most helpful,” she adds.

McKay says, in addition to winter clothing, the not-for-profit is constantly looking for other supplies for those who need them, including many essentials.

“We could always use formula, that’s quite hard to access right now, and with the price of groceries, that’s often a difficult burden for people. We are also looking for some small items we can use for our clients around Christmas time, which can be a difficult time for families, so things like toys for babies and toddlers and coffee gift cards for the parents.

“Just to bring some cheer to families who maybe could use extra cheer,” she adds.

Any donations can be dropped off in person at the Pregnancy Care Centre Grande Prairie on the fifth floor of 214 Place.

An evening of spooky stories is once again returning from the dead at the Bear Creek Funeral Home on Halloween weekend.

Grande Prairie Ghost Stories will feature a variety of tales from creepy true stories, and odd and unusual happenings around the Peace Country, to ghost stories from buildings and locations in and around Grande Prairie.

Bear Creek Funeral Home Owner Eunice Friesen has gathered and verified tales from around the Grande Prairie region that will give anyone a good fright.

“Even skeptics will enjoy these stories, we have verified the facts as much as possible with help through our friends at the archive, and the rest of it we leave you to decide,” she says.

Despite the chilling nature of the event, Friesen says the stories will not only serve to unsettle audiences but educate them along the way.

“We don’t have jump scares or anything like that, it’s not a really frightening thing, it’s more creepy and interesting.”

“I’ve gathered stories from people who have experienced them directly, and from historical documents through the archive and newspapers and other means.”

“Anyone who loves history or ghost stories, or anyone who just wants to hear more about the interesting tales of our region will really enjoy this evening.”

The event is scheduled to spook audiences on October 27 and 28, from 7-9:30 p.m. and proceeds from the event will directly support the South Peace Regional Archives.

The Grande Prairie Regional Sport Connection has officially relaunched and rebranded with a new branding kit, enhanced connection tools, and a revamped website.

GP Regional Sport Connection Executive Director Karna Germsheid says rebranding is critical for any organization, and the  Sport Connection looks to prioritize such projects every five years.

“It gets us out into the community, and it gives us an opportunity to continue to stay relevant for everybody,” she says.

The new website features streamlined organization tools for sports organizations and parents to connect through a digital list of registration opportunities called “One list, all sports” which allows parents to easily access and establish connections with over 150 different organizations in the Grande Prairie region.

“We hear from parents that they have a hard time figuring out when registration is, and that’s not surprising because our organizations are run by volunteers, so it’s not always exactly consistent,” she says. “We now have a list of different sports organizations and their contact information so parents can reach out to the organizations directly.”

Germsheid adds that the primary focus of the GP Sport Connection remains sport volunteer support, through coach education, parent education, and recognition events such as “Try It Day,” so parents and sports organizations can discover one another.

Despite the school opening for students in September, the ribbon has now been officially cut on the new St. Patrick Catholic School in Grande Prairie.

The decision to knock down the original facility came after dangerous levels of black mould were identified in 2017. A modernization project for St. Patrick was scheduled before the mould became a problem; however, officials say they were hoping for a new school entirely.

With 285 students currently enrolled, the new building features modern amenities with a focus on energy efficiency, student safety priorities, and an emphasis on STEM programming. Grande Prairie Mayor Jackie Clayton says the magnification of STEM streams of education is a crucial part of Grande Prairie’s growth as a budding community, calling STEM the “core education and industry needs” in Peace Country.

“We know that STEM training and streams of industry are in dire need of youth to be engaged,” she says.

The unveiling of the new school is also significant as the project marks Alberta Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides’ first of his term since being sworn in in June 2023. Nicolaides adds that the focus on STEM at the elementary level present in St. Patrick’s could be the beginning of a new trend for Alberta education.

“Those [STEM programs] are where the opportunities are in the future, more and more jobs are being integrated with technology or using robotics, or autonomous vehicles, and things like that are being employed in professions,” he says.

STEM programming is available through St. Patrick is available for students from Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 8.

The wildfire danger level for the Grande Prairie Forest area has been dropped to low heading into last week of the wildfire season.

According to Alberta Wildfire officials, since March 1st, there have been 77 wildfires in the area that have burned over 141,417 hectares of land; 68 of the fires have been put out, with nine still active and listed as under control.

Residents are being reminded if they plan to do any sort of burning this fall they will need a fire permit to help officials keep an eye on what is burning in the area, and it also is not allowed during windy weather.

“If you’re burning without a fire permit or outside fire permit conditions, your fire is considered a wildfire.”

Wildfire season will officially close on October 31st.

After nearly a year of efforts, the Town of Sexsmith Museum Society has officially moved the Emmanuel Anglican Church to its new home on 99 Street. The Town of Sexsmith purchased the lot the church previously sat on in June, allowing for the move to a vacant lot nearby.

Sexsmith and District Museum Society board member Sharon Ophus says the structural integrity of the church has been a concern since 2022, and the move will allow for a reopening of the 87-year-old place of worship after 20 years of vacancy.

“We want to clean everything up, we want to make it a shiny example,” she says. “It will be open to the community during museum hours, it’ll be rentable for weddings; if there’s an Anglican minister they can do baptisms.”

Ophus adds that the move was necessary for the community, as the church has been a staple since its construction in 1936.

“You can’t rebuild something like that,” she says. “That church holds memories, it holds the heart, it’s part of the history of Sexsmith.”

The church is scheduled to open to the public in spring 2024.

As the Peace Region heads into the cold season, the Alberta Motor Association (AMA) has issued a reminder for homeowners to remember to turn off and drain outdoor faucets to prevent cracked pipes, mold, and costly damages.

According to AMA, frozen pipes are one of the most common winter-related damage claims in Alberta, and with repairs costing between $5,000 and $75,000, they are one of the costliest.

Officials say cracked pipes could be serious right away, and with Albertan weather patterns fluctuating so frequently, the damage is far more likely to be serious as soon as it is noticed; however, AMA Property Claims Manager Dennise Roach says that by the time a homeowner notices cracked pipe damage, it is already too late, and repairs are already needed.

“That’s why you need to be proactive in the Fall, and make sure you are shutting off those outdoor pipes and draining them,” she says.

Additionally, homeowners who plan on being away from home for longer than 24 hours, are advised to have a friend check in to make sure outdoor pipes are safe in freezing temperatures.

“If you leave your house at any time, you should always make sure that you’re turning off the main water, and drain any of those taps, and don’t forget to drain toilet tanks,” she says.

AMA says by draining faucets, homeowners are likely to prevent costly repairs that are easily preventable if the correct steps are taken.

For the 11th year in a row, the Grande Prairie Alliance Church is hosting its Annual Winterize Your Ride event to help those who may need a helping hand getting their vehicle ready for the winter months.

Event organizer Dan Rigler says the event is a way to help those who regularly wouldn’t be able to, or afford to, get their vehicles serviced.

“People quite often think widows and single parents, but it’s also two-parent families, dual-parent families, it’s students, it’s people who are just struggling to make ends meet,” Rigler says.

“It’s a wide variety of people that we help out, but it’s designed to help make sure your vehicle can and will make it through winter.”

He adds it has grown substantially over the years, from approximately 27 cars in the first year of the event, to a record 185 vehicles serviced in 2022. However, Rigler adds despite an increase in those served, they aim to do as good a job as possible.

“It typically has 20 cars being worked on at one time. We try to get people in and out as quick as possible, we are also wanting to make sure not to run through numbers; we are trying to do a proper service so they get value out of it,” he adds.

Rigler adds there will also be someone on site who can help put on winter tires that are already on rims. He says the event wouldn’t be possible if not for the volunteers who donate their time and the sponsors who help with supplies.

Winterize Your Ride runs November 4th from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and is a drop-in event with no appointment needed.

The Eastlink Centre aquatics area, minus the 25 metre program pool, has reopened after a seven week closure for maintenance.

Some of the work done since the aquatics area closed at the beginning of September includes deep cleaning of all the facility’s amenities, fixing broken tiles and lights, line painting the 500-metre pool, and resurfacing more than 3,100 square metres of the deck. According to the City of Grande Prairie, a decent chunk of the work completed over the shutdown falls under a ten-year maintenance cycle.

Earlier in October, it was revealed the 25 metre program pool won’t reopen until November 6th. According to the city, the delay in re-opening is due to necessary repairs of the 50 metre competition pool
that were found when the pool was drained.

The RCMP is renewing their plea to the public for information about a missing 50-year-old man who last seen in mid-August.

Peace Regional RCMP is continuing to try and locate Kendal Dastou, who is said to frequent the Peace River area. Dastou has not been seen or heard from since August 17th, besides a possible sighting in the Grimshaw area on August 21st.

“Despite all efforts, there are still no new sightings or any information on his whereabouts. – Community members are asked to contact RCMP should you believe you have any information of Kendall’s whereabouts.”

RELATED STORIES: Missing man known to frequent Peace River region

Dastou is described as roughly being 5’5″, with a thin to medium build, medium complexion and roughly weighs 160 pounds. He has brown eyes, shoulder-length salt and pepper hair that could be dyed black, and goes by the nickname “Butch”.

Police are concerned for Dastou’s well-being and are urging anyone with information regarding his location or disappearance to contact RCMP or Crime Stoppers.

Those in the area of an alleged erratic driving incident in Peace River that ended with up with the vehicle in the river are being asked to check their dash and security cameras for footage that could help RCMP.

According to Peace Region RCMP, on October 13th officers received several reports about collisions and worry for pedestrian safety, stemming from the eratic driving behaviour of aa 1998 Dodge Durango. The incident happened in the 101st Ave, 105th Ave, and 99th Street between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Friday, October 13th.

The SUV driver was taken to hospital after the vehicle went over an embankment into the river.

Police are asking those in the area around this time to check their dash cameras and home or business security cameras to see if they have any footage of the incident, and if they do, they are asked to contact RCMP.

“Even seeing the direction of travel, speeds, or clips of collisions occurring at a distance or different angles with corroborating evidence could be important to advance the file.”

Police ask anyone with information about the incident to call RCMP or Crime Stoppers.

The public is being asked for help identifying the person believed to be involved in an early morning break in of a Peace River business.

According to Peace Regional RCMP, around 1:10 a.m. on Thursday, October 19th officers found the door to a business in the 94th Street area broken during a proactive patrol. Officers were able to get a hold of surveillance footage showing the suspect going into the business and stealing items from inside. The person is

described as being average build, last seen wearing a black ball cap, black and white ECKO sweater, blue gloves, grey sweatpants and mask.

“RCMP also request for community members to review their footage from dashcams, home and business footage in the area, then contact RCMP should you believe your footage may be meaningful to the investigation.”

Police are asking anyone with information regarding the robbery, or who has footage they believe could help the investigation, to call RCMP or Crime Stoppers.

UPDATE: Darin Overholt is reported to have been located safe and unharmed. The Grande Prairie RCMP is thanking the public for their help.

The public is being asked for help locating a missing 23-year-old man last heard from at the beginning of the month.

According to Grande Prairie RCMP, Darin Overholt was last heard from on October 5th. Police are concerned about his wellbeing and would like to talk to him.

He is described as 5’7″, with blonde hair and brown eyes, weighing approximately 140 pounds.

Anyone with information regarding Overholt’s whereabouts is asked to contact RCMP or Crime Stoppers.

UPDATE: The highway has reopened.

A semi truck rollover has closed Highway 43 westbound at Range Road 41. Grande Prairie Rural RCMP says the westbound lanes are completely blocked and traffic is being diverted.

It’s noted that eastbound traffic will also be considerably slowed. People travelling to Grande Prairie are asked to take alternate routes, like Highway 670.

There will be no physician on-site at the Fairview Heath Complex Emergency Department for 24 hours starting Monday morning.

According to Alberta Health Services, the lack of physician coverage will start at 7 a.m. Monday, October 23rd and is anticipated to conclude at 7 a.m. the 24th. However, the provincial health authority will cancel the disruption if coverage is found.

“Patients are asked to call 9-1-1 if they have a medical emergency. EMS will remain available to the community and will be re-routed to surrounding healthcare centres.”

Nursing staff will remain on-site to provide triage and assessments. EMS calls will be re-routed to surrounding facilities.

AHS is also reminded residents they can contact 811 at anytime about non-emergency health questions.

The Frightening 48 film contest is back at the Grande Prairie Live Theatre and local filmmakers are scheduled to hit the big screen on Halloween weekend.

Every October, the Peace Region Independent Media Arts Association (PRIMAA) challenges local and regional filmmakers to frighten viewers on the screen, all shot and edited in just 48 hours, and PRIMAA Representative Nyssa Mackinnon adds that the contest only has a few rules besides the time constraint.

“They get a genre, a dialogue, and a prop they have to use in the film and we tell them- go crazy from there,” she says.

Winners will be selected based on two sets of voting. First, films will be reviewed by “professional” judges from the community who will watch and award submissions accordingly. Following the professional vote and public presentation, online voting for audiences will begin on October 29th.

A Grande Prairie woman last seen at the end of August may possibly be heading towards British Columbia.

The Grande Prairie RCMP say they continue to search for 23-year-old Jasmine Laboucan who was reported missing on August 28th, and was last seen in the area of 101 Avenue and 97A Street on August 26th.

Laboucan is described as standing 5’9″ and weighing 183 pounds with black hair and brown eyes.

Anyone with any information as to Jasmine’s whereabouts is urged to contact the Grande Prairie RCMP at 780-830-5700 or your local police.