Energy Alberta is looking to construct a new nuclear power plant north of the Town of Peace River, and is now seeking feedback from the public.
The “Peace River Nuclear Power Project” would see the construction of two twin nuclear reactors, located approximately 30 kilometres north of the Town of Peace River, operating for around 70 years, providing 4,800 megawatts per year.
The proposal is subject to an assessment to meet the requirements of the Impact Assessment Act and the Nuclear Safety and Control Act.
As a result, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission and the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada are inviting Indigenous nations and communities, and the public to review the initial project description and provide comments on the proposal.
The IAAC and CNSC are asking for comments that are made based on local, regional, or Indigenous knowledge of the site or the surrounding environment. Officials say the feedback gathered will help the authorities develop a summary of issues for the energy provider.
Comments can be submitted online on the project’s home page. Additionally, printed copies of the Initial Project Description are available at Peace River Town Hall, Northern Sunrise County Municipal Office, and the County of Northern Lights Municipal Office.
The Kidney Foundation in Northern Alberta and the Territories is hosting its first-ever Grande Prairie Kidney & Transplant Health Forum for patients, families, potential donors, and the community on April 26th.
The inaugural event aims to bring together kidney and transplant experts, along with those interested in learning more about kidney health and transplantation, together for a day of connection and education.
Community Engagement Manager at the Kidney Foundation NABT Branch Krysta Gendreau says the organization is “thrilled” to bring the forum to Grande Prairie.
“Our goal is to foster a supportive community in the Grande Prairie region where people feel seen, heard, and empowered to take charge of their health journey,” she says.
The event boasts a deep lineup of speakers, including two nephrologists, a transplant specialist, and several other industry experts to discuss a number of topics like nutrition, treatment, and even mental wellness tips.
Attendees will have the chance to ask questions directly to healthcare professionals, hear inspiring stories from those with lived experience, learn about local resources, and build a sense of community with others who understand the journey first-hand.
The event is scheduled from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on April 26th at Northwestern Polytechnic. Attendance is free; however, registration is required ahead of time.
The Grande Prairie Public School Division has announced a significant funding dump from the Government of Alberta to facilitate the design phase of a “major addition” to Grande Prairie Composite Highschool.
The funding comes as part of the Province’s Accelerated School Construction Program, which officials say allows school projects to receive funding and move forward, even outside of their regular budget cycle, saving time and resources while opening up much-needed classroom space.
Capacity pressures
A lack of space has continued to pose issues for Grande Prairie’s school divisions, with schools operating at 100 per cent, and in some cases, even beyond capacity. Grande Prairie MLA Nolan Dyck says the expansion has always been a part of the plans at the Comp, just coming sooner than later due to capacity pressures.
“When we planned and built the composite high school, it wasn’t planning to hit capacity for another five to seven years,” he says. “Because of Grande Prairie’s growth, we’re seeing more people entering the public system- which is the better problem to have.”
Thanks to the funding bump, the GPPSD will now begin the design process for the expansion, including 18 new classrooms, space for an additional 450 students, with the whole addition spanning around 21K square feet.
Timeline
The design portion of the project is expected to take around one year; however, the division maintains they aim to fast-track timelines so construction can begin “as soon as” approvals are in place.
The Grande Prairie Crime Reduction Unit made two arrests last week following a traffic stop in the city.
According to police, on April 7th, members of the Grande Prairie detachment received a complaint of a suspicious person and vehicle. Officers responded, approaching the vehicle before it fled the scene at a high rate of speed.
Three days later on April 10th, a Grande Prairie RCMP Police Dog Services member observed the vehicle and advised the Crime Reduction Unit of their findings.
The CRU managed to locate the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop- leading to the arrests of two, and the seizure of 125 grams of methamphetamines, 30 grams of fentanyl, and more than $2,000 in cash.
Now, 45-year-old Grande Prairie resident Timothy Kelly faces charges related to alleged possession of drugs, proceeds of crime, and weapons while prohibited, obstructing a police officer, dangerous driving, and several others. The second individual- 30-year-old Grande Prairie resident Jasmine Potter was charged with two counts of alleged possession for the purpose of trafficking, and possession of proceeds of crime.
Both were brought before a justice of the peace. Potter was released on conditions; however, Kelly remains in police custody. Both are scheduled to appear in the Alberta Court of Justice on April 14th.
The Grande Prairie Subaru Sport Excellence Awards came on April 11th, recognizing some of the region’s best athletes, coaches, officials, and volunteers in local athletics.
Previously called the Northwest Alberta Sport Excellence Awards, the newly named ceremony aims to shine a light on the individuals, across a variety of skill levels and ages, who have demonstrated a commitment to their sport throughout the past season.
More than 40 athletes, parents, coaches, and officials across 13 categories were recognized during the event.
This year’s Outstanding Official recipient Chris Stone says after starting out in the sport at the age of six, he’s happy to have found his home as a speedskating official.
“It’s amazing, I started out at six years old as a skater and made my way through that competitively and moved on to coaching after I finished skating, and it wasn’t quite the fit for me so I decided to get into officiating and I’ve been doing that for the last ten or twelve years now,” he says. “It’s been an amazing journey, I just got back from a national championship in Ontario so- it’s been, there’s no words to describe it honestly.”
Calvin Willett was recognized with the Unsung Hero award for his volunteering in the local baseball community. He says the award was rather “unexpected”- despite the roars of applause and cheering in Clarkson Hall when his name was called.
“I wasn’t expecting it that’s for sure- I don’t do what I do for these awards and to be recognized is awesome, but honestly, it’s truly our association that deserves this award over me,” he says. “It feels good, really good, there’s a lot of kids in there that are supporting us adults that help out these kids and it’s awesome.”
Other 2025 Award Recipients include Yasna Aedo Tapia as Female Athlete of the Year, Aiden Getson as Male Athlete of the Year, Grayson Hnydyk and Ainslie Coburn as Junior Athletes of the year, Sara Woodlands as Coach of the year, Shayne Milligan for Spirit of Sport, and Kade O’Dell as Junior Official.
It’s not just individuals who were recognized either- Jason Anderson and Michael Horrigan were selected as Developmental Coaches of the Year, and Nancy McCabe and Joe Alaimoana were chosen as this year’s Sport Builders.
Additionally, the Grande Prairie Minor Baseball U18 AA Reds won the coveted Team of the Year award and the Grande Prairie-hosted ASAA Football Alberta Bowl won Event of the Year.
County of Grande Prairie councillors will be back around the table Monday as they kick off up to three days of final budget deliberations before ultimately approving a municipal budget for 2025.
Back in the fall, council approved the interim 2025 budget with a $3.96 million deficit, which includes funding in roads, water and sewer infrastructure, and intermunicipal for recreation and culture cost-sharing. Despite the approval, council at the time deferred any discussion around property taxes to final budget deliberations as administration contunues to work toward reducing the deficit.
“Council’s goal is to ensure we can continue to provide the services our residents enjoy that contribute to their overall quality of life,” said Reeve Bob Marshall following the approval of the interim budget.
“We have opted to move any discussion around property taxes to final budget, however a moderate tax increase should be expected. In past years when residents saw no increase in property taxes, Council was accessing reserves and withdrawing more from savings than we were able to replenish.
Overall, the $174.3 million budget includes an estimated $115.7 million for general operations and $58.6 million for capital investments.
Deliberations will take place April 15th-17th at the County of Grande Prairie Administration Building in Clairmont.
Vista Radio is excited to announce today it has become Canada’s 2nd largest commercial radio broadcaster with the acquisition complete of the 21 properties formerly owned by Bell Media in British Columbia.
Today also marks the launch of exciting new Vista brands that will be heard across the province.
GO FM is “Feel Good Pop” for your city! On this all original format, you’ll hear hit music from the 90s and 2000s and an incredible mix of today and a little spice to keep things fun. The GO FM sound can be heard with your favorite local announcers and local news and information in Kelowna on 101.5FM, Penticton 97.1FM and Fort St John at 98.5FM.
Summit Radio is the classic hits from the 1970s to the 2000s. Rock-leaning, but mixed with some of the most well-known pop hits of those decades, and lots of deep classic favorites you might not have heard lately. This is one of our favorites and because BC is known for it’s rocky peaks, we’re covering the province with the Summit name along with your favorite hometown announcers you have loved for years. Summit Radio will be the soundtrack to these cities: Penticton 800AM, Osoyoos 1240AM, Summerland 98.5FM, Nelson 106.9FM, Trail 95.7FM, Revelstoke 106.1FM, Golden 106.3FM, Salmon Arm 91.5FM, Terrace 590AM and Fort Nelson 102.3FM.
We did make an exception where mountain ranges were swapped for the coast which is where CoastFM comes in! Classic Hits, coastal vibes, and community spirit are alive and well and on the air in Prince Rupert at 99.1 FM.
The station that changed the entire Okanagan forever is back! 99.9 SUNFM, Kelowna’s original Top 40 station returns with an amazing mix of up-and-coming artists alongside established pop hits and classic songs from recent years. The voices and local Kelowna talent you have loved remain plus some new local surprises for the Valley are coming soon!
One of the newest Vista Radio brands is also expanding into British Columbia. The Ranch, Where Country Music Lives, is now playing the best new country in Vernon at 105.7FM and Dawson Creek at 890AM. Again, we are proud to say the exceptional local announcers who love country will be heard with a new “brand” branded on the herd… the Ranch!
Our country music brand couldn’t be contained to just one name though. We did something special for Terrace because when you have something as wild and powerful as the Skeena River, we knew the name also had to match. The new River 103.1FM launches today, playing the best country in the area and serving the Skeena region with familiar voices and a new commitment to local news and information.
Possibly Vista Radio’s most famous brand is also finding a home and it’s a return to rock for Fort St John. The new 101.5 The Goat is waking up the city after years of missing a rock station and we’re proud to bring a new local and “hard as nails” voice to the city. The Greatest of All Time is back in Fort St John!
Somethings you just can’t change. Kelowna’s voice for News, Talk, Sports has always been AM 1150, and we weren’t going to mess with a good thing. The most informative and up to date news station is getting a resurgence of local focus. The familiar talent the Okanagan has relied on will remain, but they’re now combined with Vista Radio’s commitment to local service and strong ties to the community. The Valley has an all-new voice for News to rely on as of today.
With the addition of the 21 new radio stations, Vista Radio also launches 13 unique news and information digital portals to serve the regions across British Columbia. These new sites join the other 39 across the country in the Vista digital portfolio as the home for all the local radio station’s news, information, contests, entertainment, live streams and more.
This is an important undertaking for broadcasting in British Columbia and the simultaneous launching of this many new brands is a milestone in Canadian media. Vista Radio is proud to have taken this challenge on and reinvigorate an important service to so many communities.
We are also very proud to bring the very talented people of these incredible stations with us to become part of the new Vista Radio. These include the core leadership of the Okanagan General Manager and newly appointed Vista Vice President – Talent, Ken Kilcullen, Regional Cluster Program Directors Amy Gilbert and Chanine Carr, and Director of Engineering Larry King.
They, with all our Vista team members, share our commitment to local programming, news, economy, and community service. We invite any other broadcasting and media leaders, visionaries, and up and comers to join us. We are growing, we are a viable business, and we look forward to a prosperous media future in Canada.
The Grande Prairie RCMP Crime Reduction Unit made an arrest, and are searching for one following an investigation regarding alleged stolen property and forgery.
According to police, on March 20th, a Sexsmith resident contacted police to report a 2024 White Chevrolet Tahoe as stolen. The CRU initiated an investigation into the matter, and had reason to believe the VIN provided by the caller was fradulent. Police say further investigation revealed a similar trend, with a second vehicle in the accused possession having the same issue.
As a result, police obtained and executed a search warrant in his home on March 26th, where a second person, was found to be involved and arrested.
The first person, a 43-year-old man faces charges of Public mischief, six counts of possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000, six breaches of his firearms prohibition, 13 “other firearms-related” offences, four counts of tampering with a VIN, and four charges related to forged documents.
A 29-year-old, also from Sexsmith, was arrested and charged with six counts of possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000, five counts of possessing a firearm while unauthorized, seven “other firearms-related” offences, four counts of tampering with a VIN, and two counts of possession of forged documents.
The 29-year-old was brought before a justice of the peace, where she was initially brough back into police custody, to be later released on conditions, following a court appearance in Grande Prairie on April 23rd.
The 43-year-old is still considered at large by police, and the RCMP is asking for help from the public in locating him. Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts is asked to contact the Grande Prairie RCMP or anonymously through Crime Stoppers.
Grande Prairie City Council made the decision to provide the Bear Creek Folk Festival a cash sponsorship of $50,000 during its recent Monday night meeting.
Festival Producer Sarah Card came into the meeting seeking $80K in sponsorship- citing increased costs and fewer grant opportunities from agencies like the Province of Alberta.
Despite her original ask, Council’s current maximum for corporate sponsorships stands at $50K, which Card says the festival is “incredibly grateful” for, especially given the city’s desire to work with the festival in finding any additional cost savings to make up for the missing $30K the city historically provided before the cap.
“We came in knowing the sponsorship cap was 50 and that’s what we received, so we’re incredibly grateful for that,” she says. “We’re also grateful for the city’s continued support and discussion in ways to find that other 30- whether that’s in reduction of costs, we’re very excited about their investment in the hill, which is not only going to help us- it’s going to help other community groups too.”
Council’s investment in electricity infrastructure for Borstad Hill bears slightly higher-than-anticipated costs, potentially delaying the project beyond the festival. Still, Card says she looks forward to revisiting the idea, even if it isn’t feasible for this year’s event.
“If that ends up being not possible for this year, they mentioned they can revisit that,” she says.
The event producer maintains that affordability remains top of mind when it comes to cost-recovery. Card says the festival is first and foremost a “family event,” so keeping ticket prices low is a significant priority for organizers.
“We assess every single year, but at the end of the day- it’s so incredibly important to us to keep our festival tickets affordable, to families and people who don’t necessarily have a giant amount of money, this is an event for the community, and for families, so we want to keep it affordable,” she says.
The 2025 Bear Creek Folk Festival is scheduled from August 15th to the 17th.
The 2025 STARS’ Critical Care on the Air Radiothon raised a record-breaking $565K in support of their mission of providing critical care, whenever and wherever it is needed.
STARS President and CEO Dr. John Froh says the organization is “incredibly grateful” for the support from dozens of communities across the three participating provinces.
“We were proud to see all of the STARS stories broadcast across Western Canada, connecting the communities we serve with our mission, raising critical funds and providing insight into our life-saving operations,” he says.
The two-day radiothon broadcasted across 50 radio stations in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, and featured stories from STARS crew members and VIPs or- Very Important Patients, giving those who tuned in the chance to hear their inspiring stories of survival and bravery.
Thanks to the success of this year’s event, the Critical Care on the Air Radiothon is planned to return in 2026.
91 firearms were among hundreds of allegedly stolen items found and seized from a property in Fairview earlier this month.
RCMP in Fairview say they received information from the public suggesting they would be able to find multiple firearms on the property, and after obtaining a warrant, a search revealed 91 firearms, most with handmade price tags and ready to be resold, as well a large quantity of ammo.
Police say while they were on the property conducting the search for the alleged stolen weapons, they noted a large number of other potential stolen items in the vicinity. Two days later, another search warrant was executed on the property, and ended up seizing numerous vehicles, trailers, atvs and other items, including generators, a motorcycle and a welding skid.
As the investigation continues, police are looking to link the firearms and stolen goods to the places and people they were stolen from. Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to please contact the Fairview RCMP at 780-835-4031, or your local police.
A couple of Grande Prairie are looking forward to taking a big bite out of their mortgage after taking home a $200,000 jackpot from a LUCKY LINES EXTRAVAGANZA scratch ticket.
Allan and Anne Granberg picked up the winning ticket from the Shoppers Drug Mart on 92 Street, and when Allan scanned the ticket, he says he couldn’t beleive his eyes.
“I was in such disbelief!” he laughed. “That’s why I had to scan it over and over!”
Granberg says they’ve already got a pretty good idea what they are going to do with their added windfall.
“We will be putting the money toward our mortgage and getting rid of our payments. We’re ecstatic – we’re going to be able to do so much for our future,” he adds.
A 50-year-old Grande Prairie man is facing charges after police allegedly seized drugs from a vehicle during a routine traffic stop.
The Grande Prairie RCMP says they had stopped a vehicle around 1 a.m. on April 5th because of expired registration. During the stop, police say an investigation revealed that the suspect was believed to be involved in the drug trafficking trade. Authorities say they searched the vehicle and turned up approximately 215 grams of cocaine, 67 grams of crystal methamphetamine and $1,800 cash.
A 50-year-old Grande Prairie resident is now facing two counts of Possession for the purpose of trafficking and one count of Possession of proceeds of crime under $5000.
A trio of Grande Prairie Storm players have been appointed to the AJHL North Division All-League Team for the 2024-25 season.
Each year, AJHL General Managers and Coaches select one goalie, two defencemen, and three forwards from each division, recognizing their unique contributions to their teams throughout the past season.
Grande Prairie makes up most of the North Division roster, with Nicholas Jones in net, Logan Cunningham on defense, and Tomis Marinkovic at forward. Two Whitecourt skaters and one Oil Baron were also selected to the squad.
All three were also finalists in their respective position award categories.
The Grande Prairie Storm will make their AJHL finals debut in Calgary on April 18th.
The Fort St. John RCMP have issued a public service announcement regarding toxic drugs circulating in the region.
According to police, between April 3rd and 9th, members of the FSJ detachment responded to three sudden deaths where the cause was believed to be consistent with an opioid overdose.
Recently, the Fort St. John RCMP came across the powerful synthetic opiate “Isotonitazene,” within counterfeit Oxycodone tablets, and is considered as potent or potentially more potent than fentanyl, which FSJ RCMP Constable Chad Neustaeter says poses significant risks for those who choose to use.
“The pills are like making chocolate chip cookies, some cookies have 6 chocolate chips, others have 16 which, when it comes to fentanyl or synthetic opiates, can be fatal,” he says.
Risk to surrounding areas
In Grande Prairie, Corporal Troy Savinkoff agrees with his colleagues in BC, saying there is “always a risk” when it comes to using illegal drugs, so the simple advice from police is to stop, as there is simply no way to ensure what you are being sold is the product you wish to purchase.
“When you buy those through the appropriate means- they’re done in labs that have oversight to ensure the product being provided is consistent and has the appropriate ingredients in it,” he says. “There is always a risk, and the obvious advice from police to anyone who is engaged with illegal drug usage is to not be- seek out supports, if you are engaging in that sort of activity you have to be aware of the risks.”
Additionally, Savinkoff says with the Fort St. John detachment issuing a notice, residents throughout the Peace Region would be better off following their advice.
“If Fort St. John has put out an alert- certainly there could be that possibility of a regional supply in that community, but we do often see that Fort St. John, Dawson Creek, Grande Prairie, these are all one generic region and it would be very easy for a tainted drug supply in one community to easily travel to a neighbouring city,” he says.
The Fort St. John RCMP are reminding drug users to never do so alone, and to always carry Narcan or Naloxone kits.
The Spirit River RCMP has located 41-year-old Kyle Dale Hudson after a near month long search.
This comes after members of the Spirit River RCMP conducted a search warrant on a property in Woking on March 1st- locating six stolen vehicles, an additional three with tampered VINs, “several” firearms, ammunition, suspected substances, and others.
Police put the call out to the public on March 12th, asking for assistance in locating Woking resident Kyle Hudson, who was wanted for 15 offences related to this investigation, and three warrants out of Grande Prairie.
Now, the Spirit River RCMP has arrested Hudson for his warrants relating to the March 1st search, along with his Grande Prairie warrants. He was taken before a Justice of the Peace, and remains in police custody.
Northwestern Polytechnic is welcoming the next generation of tradespeople to its Fairview campus for this year’s North West Regional Skills Canada Competition.
From April 10th to the 11th, 90 of the most talented high-school students from across the Peace Region to show off their talents across 13 disciplines. NWP Fairview’s Dean of Skilled Trades Tony Shmyruk says the Fairview Campus is “always excited” to welcome talented students during the competition.
“For us it’s an opportunity for us to highlight our regional high school students, and the talents they have,” he says. “It’s always exciting to welcome talented youth to Fairview.”
Competitions in welding, carpentry, culinary arts, automotive, robotics, and more are scheduled from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on April 11th. Across the province, there are 9 Regional Skills Canada Competitions, with the top performers from each earning themselves a spot to compete at the provincial level.
“It’s a pretty big deal with top performers in the Regional and Qualifying Competitions automatically earning a spot to compete at the Provincial Skills Canada Competition,” Shymruk says. “More importantly, it’s for them to recognize the skills they do have, showing them they can use those skills to go into the career that they have real talent for.”
NWP officials say they are proud to host the event, and continue their more than 20 years of support for Skills Canada.
The Grande Prairie RCMP responded to a single vehicle rollover which resulted in the death of one man on April 9th.
According to the RCMP, at around 9:30 p.m. the evening of April 9th, members of the Grande Prairie detachment responded to a report of a single vehicle rollover on Highway 674 and Range Road 43 in the County of GP.
Upon arrival, emergency crews managed to remove the driver from the vehicle, and STARS was deployed; however, the driver died on the scene.
The deceased was identified as a 68-year-old man from the county.
The Grande Prairie and District Chamber of Commerce is hosting an all-candidates federal election forum on April 15th.
The online event will feature all confirmed candidates for the Grande Prairie riding, sharing their platforms and answering questions regarding key issues for the region.
Additionally, for those interested, the Chamber has supplied a link for participants to submit a general question- to be addressed by all candidates.
Registration will be required to participate over Zoom.
A new 19-bed inpatient transition unit at the QEII Ambulatory Care Centre hopes to alleviate capacity pressures on the local health system.
Often referred to as “Alternate Level of Care” or “ALC” beds, AHS says the beds are intended to serve as a more temporary care setting for patients who no longer need acute care, or are waiting for a continuing care home space to open up.
Patients in the new unit will receive care from registered nurses, healthcare aides, and doctors, which AHS Senior Operating Officer for Grande Prairie Candice Edey says will directly benefit patients who might need a bit of additional support during the transition period.
“They may not require traditional, acute-level hospital care but they could benefit from more time to recover or additional supports to safely return home,” she says.
The beds are expected to be made available for patients later in April, with the hope they will free up acute care capacity at the Grande Prairie Regional Hospital, especially during the busy respiratory season.
Grande Prairie-Wapiti MLA Ron Wiebe says he is happy to see that the space continues to prove its use, even after it ceased its operations as a full hospital in 2021.
“I’m happy to see the former QEII hospital space being further utilized to expand and enhance care for residents of the Grande Prairie region,” he says.
Despite it’s retirement from full time hospital duties, the QEII continues to provide a number of community-based healthcare services.
