The City of Grande Prairie has approved the development of roughly 3.21 hectares at a site near Trader Ridge to support the construction of a new multi-sport, air-supported recreation facility.
The idea of a potential new recreation facility has been under consideration at City Hall since 2023, and while the project has taken its time, Grande Prairie Mayor Jackie Clayton says she is confident Trader Ridge is the best area to accommodate such a facility.
“We looked in various locations around the community and finding the right fit for that facility was of utmost importance to council,” she says. “A dome-like structure will get a facility up and running in a much quicker time than a traditional stick-built facility.”
The proposed structure will span 135K square feet and feature a full-size FIFA regulation field, and an auxiliary building will include locker rooms, public washrooms, a reception area, and equipment storage. Mayor Clayton explains the need comes from the hundreds of local kids who are turned away from sports every year, so the new facility will provide space for more recreation opportunities, especially for young people.
“We know that the user groups that are going to be using this facility are all growing, we know that hundreds of kids are turned away at soccer each year, we know that football, baseball, cricket, lacrosse, have double-digit growth numbers, this multi-recreation facility will be well utilized,” she says. “We heard today from the soccer club for example, that they are cutting the practice times to be able to accommodate as many people as possible, their competitive teams are practising less, young kids are being turned away, and that’s only one sport that will utilize this facility.”
While Swan City FC was one of the main proponents of having a new facility in the city, Board Member Derek VanTassell maintains that it is much more than a soccer dome, he says the need is one from the whole community.
“I think the community needs it, and if you look at other communities, they have these types of facilities, and Grande Prairie, it’s been growing rapidly for a long time, it’s important to keep kids engaged, especially in the winter,” he says. “Soccer, historically, has been one of the more cost-effective programs for kids, even cheaper outdoor obviously, but even indoor, grassroots, that’s sometimes the only thing that parents can afford, and our grassroots program is the one that’s turning away a lot of kids right now.”
The one issue that council members continually brought up was transit access in Trader Ridge. Despite this, Mayor Clayton assures residents that as the area continues to develop in the future, transit will become more of a priority.
“As transit needs increase in any area of our community, they’re regularly evaluated, transit on demand will be an option,” she says. “Transit, as that area of town builds out, will be something that the next council will look at, every time we have new growth in an area of our community, the transportation and bussing department always evaluates the needs.”
Council’s choice to move forward and purchase the land carries a more than $2.8 million price tag, and the RFP process will begin later this month, with contracts expected to be awarded sometime in April. Construction is expected to begin in July 2025, with an anticipated completion date set for spring 2026.
