A Grade 5 teacher from Hillside Community School in Grande Prairie is the Grande Prairie Public School Divisions’ zone 1 nominee for the Edwin Parr Award.
Ailee Estrada, who school board officials say teaches in a classroom where every student feels seen, supported, and inspired, is a graduate of the University of Alberta, and brings what colleagues say is thoughtful planning, engaging lessons, and a commitment to meeting the needs of all learners.
“She already shines as a teacher, leader, colleague, and friend. She helps in every way possible, and students and staff benefit from her involvement with our school,” says Hillside Community School Principal Mike Humbke.
Board Chair Joan Nellis says they are grateful to have teachers like Estrada leading young minds.
“Her dedication to her students and her thoughtful approach to teaching make a real difference in our school community,” Nellis adds.
The Edwin Parr Teacher Award was created in 1964 to celebrate the efforts of first-year teachers.
9-1-1 services for Northern Alberta have returned- now fully and independently operational.
On April 28th, residents received word that 9-1-1 service was completely unavailable for most of Alberta’s northern communities as GP911 was experiencing outages. As a result, residents were required to report emergencies in-person or through non-emergency lines.
Officials maintain that GP911 is designed with backup systems to ensure services are maintained without interruption, even if one part of the system fails.
GP911 has requested a review of the service disruption to ensure “transparency and accountability” for the incident, but can confirm the outage was “beyond their control.”
Businesses interested in taking part in the city’s Barrier-Free Grant now have until the end of the year to apply.
The initiative offers a matching grant covering 50 per cent of project costs, up to a maximum of $20,000, for eligible accessibility enhancements. Accessibility improvement projects focus on making both physical spaces and communication more inclusive for people with disabilities
Grande Prairie Mayor Jackie Clayton says extending the Barrier-Free Grant deadline underscores the city’s commitment to building an inclusive and caring community.
“By supporting accessibility improvements, we enhance the quality of life for all residents and strengthen engaging relationships across sectors to create a more connected and resilient city.””
Projects may include the installation of ramps, accessible washrooms, elevators, or improvements to digital platforms to ensure compatibility with assistive technologies. You can find more information, and links to apply, at the City of Grande Prairie website.
Grande Prairie RCMP is hoping the public can help them with tips, or surveillance footage from nearby neighbours after multiple reports of thefts from community Canada Post mailboxes in several areas across the city,.
Police say between April 11th and April 23rd, multiple reports of unknown suspects allegedly breaking into, and stealing the mail from the large community boxes, with the reports coming in from several neighborhoods during this time period.
Mounties say if you live in any of the impacted areas, or know someone who has, they are looking for any witnesses that may have surveillance footage of the thefts that occurred during this time frame. If you have any surveillance footage, please contact the Grande Prairie RCMP at 780-830-5701.
An investigation continues after police in the city seized hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, drugs and at least three prohibited firearms from homes in the Pinnacle and Lakeland neighbourhoods in Grande Prairie.
Authorities say following several search warrants being executed on numerous locations across the two communities, seized 2,849 grams of cocaine, 94 grams of methamphetamine, more than $60,000 in cash, as well as three prohibited firearms, including a handgun.
One person was arrested during the execution of the search warrant, but was subsequently released pending further investigation.
The investigation remains on going and an update is anticipated.
If students across the country were to vote in the federal election the Conservative Party of Canada would have a minority government with the Liberal Party being the official opposition.
Across the country, students in more than 5,900 schools participated in the initiative operated by CIVIX Canada, with there were 870,340 votes cast.
In the Peace River – Westlock riding Conservative Party candidate Arnold Viersen won the student vote with 52.83 per cent of the vote from students in the region. Liberal Party candidate Luke Markowski received 20.49 per cent, NDP candidate Landen Tischer got 14.36 per cent and Independent candidate Darrell Teske got 12.32 per cent.
Across Alberta
Students across Alberta voted Conservative Party of Canada candidates into 32 out of the 37 seats across the province, with the Conservatives getting 47.09 per cent of the vote. The Liberals won four seats, with two in the Edmonton area and two in the Calgary area, and received 24.15 per cent of the vote. The New Democratic Party came out with one seat in one seat, winning Edmonton Griesbach with 14.33 per cent of the vote.
We are heading back to a Liberal government this morning with Prime Minister Mark Carney holding on to the title that fell to him following Justin Trudeau’s resignation.
“Who’s ready to stand up for Canada with me?” Carney asked rhetorically, kicking off his victory speech at approximately 1:25 a.m. Eastern time. Recognizing the closeness of the popular vote, Carney reached out to those who voted Progressive Conservative: “I will always do my best to represent everyone who calls Canada home.”
It is still too close to call a majority or minority, even with 73,771 of 75,482 of polls reporting, or 97.73 per cent, though we are tilting closer to a minority at this stage.
The Prime Minister elect is among 167 Liberal MPs leading their races at this hour, but the party was unable to break the 172 threshold to capture a majority.
The Conservative Party of Canada is sitting as the official opposition leading in 145 ridings, with the New Democrats a distant fourth behind the Bloq, leading in only eight ridings, four away from maintaining official party status.
Progressive Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre was trailing the Liberal candidate in his riding by roughly 1,200 votes with 251 of 266 polls reporting, but said he would stay on as party leader.
NDP leader Jagmeet Singh was well back in third in his riding, and he announced he will step down as leader once a replacement is named. Singh had to pause often to compose himself during his emotional speech.
“Change takes time,” was Poilievre’s go-to three-word catch-phrase in his concession speech.
Fourth-consecutive mandate
This marks a fourth-consecutive mandate for the Liberal party.
The election was deemed by many pundits to be a choice of which party and leader would have the best chance to defend Canada’s interests in the ongoing trade tariff war with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Other major issues included housing affordability, general economic stability and climate policy and carbon taxes.
Turnout was a major story line, with advance polling numbers topping 7 million in four days of voting.
When Parliament dissolved in March, the Liberals held a 153 seats, with the CPC filling 120 seats, Bloc MPs taking up 33 seats and the NDP having 24 Members of Parliament.
Swearing-in ceremonies will be confirmed for new MPs in the days ahead.
Incumbent Conservative MP for Grande Prairie Chris Warkentin is projected to win back his seat for the seventh consecutive time.
As of 6 a.m. on April 29th, Warkentin had received 47,472 votes, an overwhelming 81.2 per cent of the vote, with 227 of 228 polling stations reporting.Â
Warkentin has held the Peace Country seat in its several forms for nearly two decades after first assuming office in 2006, and says he is grateful to represent Grande Prairie in Ottawa for another term.Â
“My continued commitment will be making sure that people in the Peace Country have economic opportunities- ones that have been challenging over the last number of years with a Liberal government that has been intent on shutting down the industries that are so important to folks in the Peace Country,” he says. “I’m looking forward to going back to Ottawa and fighting for Peace Country residents.”Â
Several outlets are calling a minority Liberal government- which Warkentin says will lead to increased disconnection between Ottawa and Alberta, especially in the Northwest.Â
“Unless we continue to fight for the values of hard work, of freedom, of opportunity and prosperity that are embodied in the Peace Country- I believe that this current government, the Liberal government, will destroy those values permanently,” he says.
Following his projected victory, Warkentin took a moment to thank all of his supporters, and promised to fight for Peace Country residents, Conservative or otherwise.
As of 6:00 a.m. on April 29th, the votes are as follows:Â
Conservative- Chris Warkentin: 47,472 votes- 81.2 per cent
Liberal- Maureen McLeod: 6,974 votes- 11.3 per cent
New Democratic Party- Jennifer Villebrun: 2,545 votes- 4.4 per cent
Peoples Party- Shawn McLean: 828 votes- 1.4 per cent
Rhino- Donovan Eckstrom: 311 votes- 0.5 per cent
Independent- Elliot McDavid: 236 votes- 0.4 per cent
Arnsold Viersen will be heading back to Ottawa to represent those in the Peace River-Westlock riding after taking more than 75 per cent of the vote on election day Monday.
As of 6:00 a.m. on April 29th, with 245 of 273 polling stations reporting Viersen holds 76.4 per cent of the vote with 32,964 votes.Â
Liberal candidate Luke Markowski sits second with 13,361 votes, Independent candidate Darrrll Teske is third with 2,862 votes, and NDP candidate Landen Tischer rounding out the results with 1,081 votes.
It is now 7 p.m. PDT and polls have officially closed across the country in the 2025 federal election.
The counting has been well underway in the rest of Canada east of the Pacific time zone.
The main parties – the Conservative Party of Canada led by Pierre Poilievre, the Liberals led by Mark Carney, and the New Democratic Party, led by Jagmeet Singh – are looking to capture at least 172 seats in the House of Commons to form a majority government. This is based on the new total of 343 seats, reflecting the recent electoral redistribution that added five seats to the previous 338-seat configuration.
Canada employs a first-past-the-post electoral system, where each of the 343 ridings elects one Member of Parliament. The candidate with the most votes in each riding wins the seat, regardless of whether they achieve an absolute majority. This system allows a party to form a majority government without necessarily winning the majority of the national popular vote.
If no party achieves the 172-seat threshold, the result is a minority government. The governing party must then seek support from other parties to pass legislation and maintain confidence in the House of Commons.
The Elections Canada website offers this breakdown of the counting process:
Counting votes
Trained and paid election workers count the ballots.
The ballot-counting procedures for federal elections are set out in the Canada Elections Act,
the law that governs federal elections.
Candidates, candidates’ representatives or other designated observers are allowed to watch
the counting of the votes.
Before the count, election workers close the doors of the voting place. No one is allowed to
enter or leave.
The election officer who counts the votes then:
Counts the number of electors who voted.
Counts the spoiled ballots, places them in an envelope supplied for this purpose and seals
it. A spoiled ballot is one that became unusable—for example, because it was accidentally
torn by the elector (who was then given a replacement ballot). Spoiled ballots are never
deposited into the ballot box.
Counts the unused ballots that are not detached from the booklets of ballots, places them
in the envelope supplied for this purpose and seals it.
Totals the number of electors who voted, the number of spoiled ballots and the number of
unused ballots to ensure that all ballots provided by the returning officer (i.e. the official who
manages the election in the riding) are accounted for.
With many people watching, the election officer unfolds each ballot and says aloud the names
marked on each ballot taken out of the ballot box.
Staff tally up the votes, record the tallies on paper and report the totals to the returning officer.
The returning officer records the vote counts in a computerized results aggregation and
reporting system that securely sends the information to Elections Canada’s main office.
In the last general election on Sept. 20, 2021, there were 17,209,811 votes cast for a turnout of 62.6 per cent.
The Peace River School Division Board of Trustees has made the decision to close Dixonville School, effective June 30th, 2025.
The decision was made following a 5-1 vote, with Trustee Marie Dyck holding the lone vote in opposition. As a result, Dixonville students will be transported to Grimshaw Public School.
Officials suggest the decision was not made lightly, and only came about after the careful consideration of various outside factors, including declining enrollment and “long-term sustainability.”
PRSD Board Chair Crystal Owens says the choice was “extremely challenging” for the Board; however, the decision is in the “best interests” of students in the division.
“In situations like this one, these decisions are never clearly right, or clearly wrong, and often feel like a lose-lose situation,” she says. “Ultimately, we had to make a decision that we believe is in the best long-term interests of all students within the Peace River School Division.”
The PRSD says they will remain committed to supporting the students and families affected by the closure and will be focused on a smooth transition during the 2025-26 school year.
UPDATE: As of 5:45 p.m., the County of Grande Prairie has confirmed GP911 services are operational through partner 9-1-1 agencies. Telus is continuing to investigate the outage, and the alert has officially been downgraded to an advisory.Â
GP911 is experiencing “technical difficulties” that has resulted in an outage of 9-1-1 services for most of Northwestern Alberta.
According to officials, the cause of the outage is “unknown,” and Telus is investigating. The outage is affecting the ability to call 9-1-1 on both cellphone and landlines- so residents in the affected area may not be able to get through to an operator.
Officials advise callers to stay on the line if you are recording a message, and if the call disconnects, try again.
In case of emergency, residents are advised to go to their local emergency services building- RCMP, EMS, or otherwise, to report it.
To report any fires, please call GP911 Fire Dispatch at (780)-538-0393, for medical emergencies dial (780)-624-3911, and for police- call (780)-310-RCMP(7267).Â
So far, the affected communities include:
Big Lakes County, Birch Hills County, Central Peace area, City of Grande Prairie, Clear Hills County, County of Grande Prairie, County of Northern Lights, M.D Lesser Slave River, M.D Fairview, M.D Greenview, M.D Peace, M.D Smoky River, M.D. Opportunity #17, Mackenzie County, Northern Sunrise County, and Saddle Hills County.
After a brief but intense federal election campaign that many have called “the most important election of our time,” today is the day for Canadians to cast their ballots.
Polling stations are officially open across the country for those who have not already voted in advance polls.
Polls are open for 12 hours, with hours staggered by time zone to ensure most close simultaneously, allowing for the timely release of election results, according to Elections Canada.
Voting hours by time zone are:
Newfoundland Time: 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Atlantic Time: 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Eastern Time: 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Central Time: 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Mountain Time: 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Pacific Time: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
What you need to vote
To vote, electors need their voter registration card or, if they did not receive one, a combination of accepted identification options:
Option 1: Show one piece of ID issued by a Canadian government (federal, provincial, territorial or local) that includes a photo, name and current address, such as a driver’s license.
Option 2: Show two pieces of ID. Both must have the voter’s name and at least one must include their current address.
Option 3: If no ID is available, voters can declare their identity and address in writing and have someone who knows them — and who is assigned to their polling station — vouch for them. The voucher must provide proof of their own identity and address and can vouch for only one person, except in long-term care facilities.
Voters can find their assigned polling station by entering their postal code at the Elections Canada website or by calling 1-800-463-6868 or 1-800-361-8935 (TTY).
Potential for record turnout
Advance voting numbers suggest today’s turnout could be among the highest in Canadian history.
Elections Canada estimates that 7.3 million Canadians voted during the four days of advance polling, held from April 18 to 21. That is up significantly from the 5.8 million advance votes cast in the 2021 federal election.
Officials say the surge in early voting reflects heightened voter engagement, possibly driven by concerns over the economy and national sovereignty.
Updates to come
We will update our national coverage with several stories as the night unfolds:
Polls close feature: approximately 7 p.m. PDT.
Main results story after winners are declared: approximately 8:30 p.m. PDT.
Near-final results story: approximately 10:30 p.m. PDT.
Stay with us for the latest developments as Canadians decide the outcome of the 45th federal election.
After a 37-day-long campaign, Canadians are heading to the polls Monday to cast their vote in the 45th federal election.
Across the province, polls are open from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Those wondering where they go to vote can find the information on the voter card they received in the mail or by going to elections.ca and typing in their postal code.
To vote you will need to have a piece of government-issued photo ID, or two pieces of identification with your name and current address which can include a voter information card and a bank statement or utility bill. If you don’t have any of these forms of identification you can get someone to vouch for you at the assigned polling station, this person has to be able to prove their identity and address.
NWP, along with numerous community partners came together for a mass casualty training event on April 24th, ending the school year with a bang, and establishing connections between prospective workers and potential future employers.
The exercise saw more than 100 participants including volunteer actors, post-secondary students, and industry professionals working together, utilizing real-life equipment and mock scenarios to sharpen their skills, learn new techniques, and connect with one another.
NWP’s Dean of Health Megan Stone says the event was significant for “so many reasons,” but for her, the greatest lesson was in collaboration.
“For the students- I hope they recognize the community effort that is special about where we live,” she says. “I think the main takeaway is we can do pretty amazing things when we work together and that we have pretty incredible education opportunities as we grow here at NWP.”
Stone adds that while NWP hosted the event, everyone who participated brought something to the table.
“Fire, police, AHS, Nursing faculty, our Paramedicine faculty, and NWP as a whole have all worked together to do our jobs, but do our jobs side by side and learn from one another and the best way to collaborate- both in a simulated environment and a real environment.”
Stone says her time as a Registered Nurse in Grimshaw put her eyes towards the importance of rural healthcare. She says healthcare in rural communities is simply “different” than anywhere else, so educational opportunities like these are critical in showing off the capabilities of NWP, especially as the school continues to expand.
“Rural health, especially in this region, is different- so we need really good generalist practitioners who are strong teammates, and who are feeling capable and confident in performing what they need to,” she says. “This exercise starts people thinking about that, working together, those simulated experiences so when they do go out to practice, they feel confident to do that and take care of the communities they’re a part of.”
“We know when we have students who are local- we train them local, in the local context, they’re generally more inclined to stay local, so that’s the idea.”
Thanks to the event’s success, Stone says she would “love” to see a similar event in the future.
A situation one would think to find in a movie or television script involving an alarm, stolen fire truck and police dogs happened in southern Alberta over the weekend, leading to the arrest of a 25-year-old man.
According to RCMP, around 11:30 p.m. Saturday Vulcan RCMP responded to a commercial alarm. While on the road a responding officer saw two Champion fire trucks driving at a high speed without their emergency lights on. Officials say mounties attempted to stop the fire trucks without success.
RCMP Police Dog Services was called in and helped arrest the Peace River man, while officials say a second suspect has been identified.
Jaeden Glabb is facing a handful of charges including break and enter, possession of property obtained by crime and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle. Glabb has been remanded into custody.
Officers say both fire trucks were recovered and the investigation is ongoing.
Roughly 200,000 more Albertans cast their ballot during early voting during this election than the number of people who did during the 2021 election.
According to Elections Canada, 815,131 people across the province voted during the four-day advanced voting period.
In the Grande Prairie riding 19,434 people took part in the four-day early voting period, while 17,655 cast their ballots in the Peace River—Westlock riding.
On Tuesday Elections Canada announced advanced voting was up 25 per cent from the last federal election – with 7.3 million Canadians casting their ballot ahead of the general election.
Monday, April 21st was the busiest day for early voting across the country with 2,100,273 casting their ballot.
Monday, April 28th is election day, with polls across Alberta open from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Snow plows have officially turned into street sweepers in the County.
Street sweepers are operating throughout the County of Grande Prairie, with a focus on the neighbourhoods of Wedgewood, Taylor Estates, and Maple Ridge in the coming days.
Starting on April 24th, crews will be working in those residential areas for the “next few days,” and parking restrictions have been implemented as a result.
Residents are reminded that whenever digital “No Parking” signs along streets are visible, temporary parking restrictions are in place and street parking is not permitted between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. to allow crews to work safely.
The Peace River School Division has announced their pick for the Edwin Parr Award.
Every year, school divisions from across the province nominate outstanding first-year teachers for the award, and this year’s PRSD pick Mikaela Tegart fits the bill.
Nominated by Worsley Central School Principal Jennifer Daniel, Tegart is described as a calm, yet assertive educator.
“Mikaela demonstrates empathy and genuine care for others by frequently checking in with students identified as needing additional support,” Principal Daniel says.
The Peace Country local prioritizes her students first through a variety of methods such as open communication, availability for her students, and encouragement.
“She supports high school students by allowing occasional use of physical education time to ‘catch up’ on academic work and makes herself available during lunch hours to assist students with academic challenges,” Principal Daniel says.
The division will celebrate Tegart at the Worsley Central School Long Term Service staff awards, and again at the ASBA Zone 1 AGM in the Fall, where a nominee will be selected as the Zone 1 winner of the Edwin Parr Award.
