The Parkinson Association of Alberta has announced the return of the 12th annual Parkinson Step ‘n Stride event in nine Alberta communities the weekend of September 7th and 8th.

Every September, participants from around the province gather as one community and walk for Parkinson’s, which the PAA says has helped raise more than $3.8 million to support and better the lives of those living with or loving someone with Parkinson’s disease.

Each year a theme is selected and this time is no different. According to the PAA, the “Unshakeable” theme for the 2024 event was chosen to celebrate the courage and determination of those living with or caring for someone with Parkinson’s disease.

In 2023, the Step ‘n Stride event saw more than $360K raised and the bar has officially been raised with the goal this year being $400K.

The PAA reports that right now, more than 15,000 Albertans are currently living with PD and Parkinson’s Plus Syndromes, with thousands more affected as caregivers and loved ones.

As a result, the PAA relies heavily on community participation with the Step ‘n Stride fundraiser accounting for more than 20 per cent of the PAA’s annual budget.

In Grande Prairie, the walk is scheduled for September 8th at Muskoseepi Park. Residents can register and donate online on the PAA’s website.

The week-long smoke advisory for the Grande Prairie area has been lifted for all communities; however, County Regional Fire Service Deputy Fire Chief Jason Nesbitt says now is a good time to address wildfire prevention for the rest of the season.

According to Nesbitt, the “number one” way to address the region’s wildfire concerns is early detection. He says calling 9-1-1 at the immediate sight of smoke or flames is critical in getting firefighters rolled out to address any wildfires that could get out of control.

“The number one thing that can help us, if you see a fire, call 9-1-1 immediately, if you see smoke and you don’t know what it is, call 9-1-1,” he says.

When it comes to matters of prevention, the Regional Fire Service has maintained that easy steps such as making sure smoking materials are put out entirely. Still, Nesbitt adds that regular vehicle maintenance can also be an important measure to avoid out-of-control sparks reaching the dry brush and ultimately causing a wildfire.

“To prevent them, things like not tossing cigarettes out of windows, that’s important, making sure vehicles are in good repair, things like dragging chains, trailer legs, catalytic converters that are failing can all start wildfires,” he says. “Controlled burning, making sure we’re burning in appropriate conditions so having screens on top of burn barrels.”

On the agriculture side, Nesbitt says rock strikes on farming equipment have led to several ignitions, so farmers are encouraged to be mindful when working in the field.

“Even when farmers are haying, we’re getting quite a bit of rock strikes that are causing fires, so looking and seeing if that can be done earlier in the morning, or in the evening, during the time when the humidity is a little higher.”

While prevention measures are critical for residents to take, Nesbitt says the toughest battle of this year has been naturally occurring wildfires due to lightning; however, the Deputy Fire Chief says early detection is the single most important factor in preventing wildfires from getting out of hand.

Local classical musician Kelan Lynch will host a community appreciation and fundraising performance in Grande Prairie on August 27th to raise money for his purs of Music and Performance degree at Guildhall School of Music and Drama in England.

Lynch was born and raised in Grande Prairie and is described as a “passionate advocate” for the classical arts in rural Alberta. He has enjoyed singing with the Grande Prairie Boys Choir for ten years and now as a classical vocalist with a Bachelor of Music from the University of Alberta.

During the fundraiser, Lynch will be joined by collaborative pianist and U of A instructor Shannon Hiebert, emerging Canadian tenor Matthew Dalen, and soprano and founder of the Grande Prairie Opera Chelsea Pall.

Lynch credits his success as a performer to his community’s continued support of the vocal arts in his acceptance at the Guildhall School which is ranked as one of the top institutions in the world for Music and Performing Arts.

The fundraiser takes place on August 27th at 7:00 p.m. at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Grande Prairie. Admission is by donation.

The County of Grande Prairie is looking for feedback from residents during the second electoral boundary review survey and plan open house.

The review process was deemed necessary due to the dissolution of the Village of Hythe, leading to the province stepping in and mandating a review of the county’s electoral boundaries ahead of the next election in 2025.

“While this review may or may not result in changes, as our County has changed, it’s important to ensure that residents are adequately represented,” the county says.

Following the first reading of the boundary review, the county shaped four potential options based on resident feedback gathered in June.

Research in the past months has revealed that six out of nine county divisions are outside the optimal population range of between 2,052 and 3,420. According to the county, the population in divisions ranged from more than 1,000 residents to more than 5,000.

The county is also projected to grow faster than the rest of the province with an anticipated population of 45,400 by 2046.

So far, the county has made the decision to keep the current number of councillors and boundaries at nine each. Up for debate still are the three potential boundary options along with the choice to keep the current boundaries unchanged.

Interested residents can complete the survey online on the county’s website, and officials suggest that the results of the survey will guide council’s decision in September regarding any changes to the electoral boundaries.

The County of Grande Prairie is advising residents in the Hamlet of Bezanson of a temporary unplanned water outage for repairs that are currently underway.

According to the county, water will be shut down intermittently throughout the afternoon of August 16th and work is expected to be completed between noon and 4:00 p.m.

Officials say an update will be provided when water service is restored.

Anyone in need of additional information or questions are asked to contact the Ccounty’s Transportation and Utilities Department at (780)-532-7393.

Nearly a month after being evacuated, Jasper residents will be able to return home Friday.

Starting at 7 a.m. on August 16th residents and business owners coming from east of the community will need to stop at the East Gate and get their resident re-entry guide before they continue to town. Those coming from the west side of Jasper will need to go past the west gate and go to the east entrance to receive a re-entry guide.

According to a post from the Municipality of Jasper, “Residents can show their Parks Canada-issued resident parking pass or self-declare.” The post continues “Resident Re-entry Guides include a placard from ATCO Gas.”

With a re-entry guide residents will be able to come and go from the town during Highway 16 hours of operations from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. RCMP officers will be posted at the east entrance to help make sure everyone entering has a re-entry guide.

The east entrance will be the only entrance into the town and the west entrance will be used as the exit. Anyone who is not a Jasper resident will be directed to continue on Highway 16 through the park without stopping and RCMP officers will stop anyone looking to enter town without a re-entry guide.

“It is important that residents have space to process their immense losses in the community.”

“The state of Jasper is very different now. The process of returning may be intense. There is disruption to the landscape and property in the townsite due to the emergency response to the fire.”

Officials say for some the significant damage could be triggering, while others may find the smell of smoke overwhelming. Residents returning are advised they should prepare to wear an N95 mask.

Town council is working on making temporary adjustments to the bylaw so RVs and trailers can be safely used in the community while people work to rebuild or make their homes livable again.

“Our intention is to provide flexibility to those residents located within green zones to park in front of their properties or agree to provide their space to red zone friends and family with RVs or trailers.”

Those who live outside of the main townsite will be given instructions about when they can return home at a later date.

It was a pawsome day for the County Regional Fire Service on Wednesday as residents got the opportunity to spot the birthday boy at the La Glace Fire Department.

Casey the Firedog celebrated his birthday with his community in a big way with a well-attended birthday bash featuring meet and greets, pawdographs, and more which Deputy Fire Chief Jason Nesbitt says is another way the Grande Prairie Fire Department is focusing on fostering community connections.

“It’s important to engage the community with our fire service, the fire service is very much part of the community,” he says. “Mascots in particular have a unique ability to connect with people of all ages to inspire trust and confidence and to make our service more approachable.”

During the event, Casey received his official County of Grande Prairie Regional Fire Service badge to mark his ongoing dedication to the fire service. Nesbitt says Casey serves as a “powerful ambassador” for fire safety and education in a more approachable manner, especially among Grande Prairie youth.

“Whether visiting schools, participating in public events, or simply being a reassuring presence at the firehouse, Casey will help us spread the vital message of fire prevention and safety in a way that is accessible and memorable.”

Nesbitt also took a moment to address the current status of wildfires in the region, saying prevention is key in fire safety, and encourages all residents to be mindful of just how devastating wildfires have been recently.

“A decade ago, we would have smaller grass fires, we’d get on them quickly and because of things drying out here, the lack of precipitation, we’re challenged more significantly on a regular basis, especially up in La Glace,” he says.

Ultimately, the regional fire service maintains that Casey will continue his work as both a mascot and community ambassador, providing residents with the opportunity to educate themselves on the importance of fire safety as Grande Prairie continues to battle the ongoing wildfire situation in the region.

Weeks after the blazes sparked, fire officials in Saddle Hills County are happy to report that both are now listed as “being held”

The larger of the two fires, located around 10 kilometres southeast of the Saddle Hills landfill is being held at 159 hectares as of 4:00 p.m. Wednesday. Three helicopters and four ground crews have been deployed and will continue actioning the flames in the coming days.

The second fire, located, sitting just over 4 kilometres northeast of Albright Lake is being held at around 44 hectares in size as of the most recent report from Alberta Wildfire. Two ground crews and one helicopter have been tasked with working on hotspots within the perimeter.

It’s likely firefighting crews on both wildfires will continue to seeks out and extinguish hotspots along their perimeters; however, dangerous firefighting conditions remain due to falling trees and ash pits, according to Alberta Wildfire.

Airspace restrictions remain in place and officials are reminding any would-be drone pilots that aircraft cannot be flown within 10 kilometres of a blaze as doing so can interfere with aerial firefighting operations and ultimately could land you in legal trouble.

Your commute may be a little smoother starting Thursday, as all northbound traffic and southbound lanes at the intersection of 116th Avenue and 102nd Street are open to traffic.

Despite the opening, some changes have been made to accommodate the ongoing work being done in the area.

Between 105th Street and 102nd Street, traffic is open in all four lanes, two eastbound and two westbound, while east of 102nd Street, traffic is reduced to just one eastbound and one westbound lane.

On the public transit side, stops 820 and 822 on Route 8 have returned to their regular schedule, but officials suggest that delays could occur as construction continues in the area.

During this time, transit riders are encouraged to consider utilizing the “Where’s My Ride” bus tracking feature on the city’s transit app for real-time bus locations.

Staying indoors, limiting exposure to the smoke and being aware of the Air Quality Health Index rating is the advice one health official has for dealing with the wildfire smoke that is blanketing the region.

Medical Officer of Health for the Alberta Health Services South Zone, Dr. Allison Gonsalves says wildfire smoke would be considered high on the numerical index, ranging anywhere from seven to 10 plus. She explains this rating would be because of the particulate matter and gasses that are part of wildfire smoke’s chemical makeup contain toxins. While some studies show that using a respirator such as an N95 mask is helpful; Gonsalves says it is not a completely protective device because it filters out some of the finer particulate matter but not the gasses.

“In regard to the air quality, if it gets really bad, in regards to the wildfire smoke, you really want to try to stay indoors and close your windows close your doors.”

“If you have air conditioning it is important if you can keep that on and keep the fresh air intake closed, to make sure you aren’t getting that outdoor air into your homes.”

She explains that it is important to make use of the Air Quality Index that Environment Canada has because it can help you better understand if you should be rescheduling your activities or moving them indoors. The rating system is said to take into consideration the general population and also those who are considered to be at risk.

“A higher number leads to a higher risk or a greater potential health risk. – For example, people who are elderly, people with chronic medical conditions such as heart issues and lung issues.”

“The long term effects of wildfire smoke is it can really irritate the lungs and airwaves, it can make it harder to breathe and it can worsen chronic heart issues and respiratory issues.”

She adds there is no safe threshold for the amount of wildfire smoke someone can be exposed to because of the gases in the chemical compound.

The Games Organizing Committee in partnership with Special Olympics Alberta has announced the 2025 Special Olympics Alberta Summer Games will come to Grande Prairie next summer.

From July 11th to the 13th of next year, more than 900 athletes, 350 coaches and support staff, and 1,000 spectators will call the Swan City home as they bowl, race, and lift their way to glory during the event.

Sport at Special Olympics Alberta Vice President Jill Moore says the athletes are already preparing and training for the games, and says her organization is excited to put their hard work on display.

“We look forward to showcasing our athlete’s talents through sport and the power of inclusion,” she says. “It will be a weekend to remember for all involved.”

The competition is only open for Alberta’s special Olympians once every four years and the games will feature ten official summer sports spanning eight venues in the Grande Prairie area. The 2025 contest will feature bowling, athletics, basketball, bocce, golf, powerlifting, rhythmic gymnastics, soccer, softball, and swimming.

Following the announcement, the organizing committee has opened up sponsorship and volunteer opportunities, available on the Summer Special Olympic Games’ website.

An alleged robbery in Fort St. John has resulted in a suspect being arrested in the Peace Country.

According to police, on August 13th at around 6:00 a.m., officers received reports of a robbery attempt in progress at a hotel in Fort St. John. Investigators suggest that a male entered the hotel and allegedly threatened the front desk clerk with a large knife while demanding cash before grabbing a set of vehicle keys from the office and fleeing the scene.

Members of the FSJ RCMP frontline attended immediately; however, they were quickly made aware that the suspect had left the hotel before their arrival.

Police determined the suspect had stolen a vehicle and fled the area southbound on Highway 97. Law enforcement proceeded to conduct patrols but could not locate the stolen vehicle.

Later that day at around 4:00 p.m. members of the Fort St. John RCMP received word that officers in Fox Creek located the stolen vehicle and apprehended the suspect.

The man is currently being held in Alberta for court on charges of alleged robbery and breach of probation which are pending approval.

Police have confirmed no one was injured during the incident.

The Alberta Motor Association has announced a significant investment in reforestation that will see 200K trees planted across the province.

According to the AMA, the initiative marks the first of its kind for the organization and will see roughly 247 football fields of trees planted in protected land designated by the province to always remain wild.

AMA President and CEO Michelle Chimko says the commitment will ensure a thriving environment for future Albertans and hopes to fight the loss of Alberta’s biodiversity while reducing Alberta’s carbon footprint.

“Our 100-hectare commitment is one of the ways we hope to reduce our carbon footprint while fighting biodiversity loss on Alberta land,” she says.

Two forests will see thousands of trees planted. In the south, the Benoit site in Lamont County will have 19,980 trees planted, while the Flatbush site in the north will see more than 80K trees planted with the expectation that a combined 225 metric tonnes of carbon will be removed from the atmosphere within the next 150 years.

As the 2024-25 school year fast approaches, the Grande Prairie RCMP has released a number of tips for children, parents, and drivers regarding road safety.

Constable Cory Riggs with the Alberta RCMP says the first step to take is obeying local traffic laws and staying aware of speed limits, especially during the first few weeks of school.

“Make sure that if you’re doing a drop off pickup location at school, just make sure that we’re following the school rules to the pickup line,” he says. “This is pretty much essential because the rules are designed to keep all children safe for drivers, just make sure we’re being patient, specifically around school zones.”

Riggs also took a moment to discuss stranger danger for kids, specifically during arranged pick-ups. He recommends talking to your child about the dangers associated with unknown adults and adds that reporting suspicious activity is critical in making schools a safer space for kids of all ages.

“If you are having someone to pick up your child, it’s good to come up with a password that only you and your child will know,” he says.

Awareness was another talking point for the Constable who says whether you are a child walking to school, a motorist on the roads, or even just a bystander, paying attention to your surroundings is essential in protecting your safety.

“If you’re walking to school, just make sure that you’re not on your phone, you’re not listening to music too loud, just so you can be aware of your surroundings,” he says. “Make eye contact with drivers to ensure that they notice everyone and know that you’re there, because sometimes you may see the vehicle, but the driver might not see you so that’s very important as well.”

Speed limits will also change to their posted speeds and times in school divisions, and Riggs suggests that times and speeds can vary from school to school, so remaining aware of the rules of the road could be the difference between an easy ride home and landing yourself a hefty fine and traffic violation.

“It’s very important to just be aware of where your school zones are in the city that you live in or town or community you live in,” he says. “Just make sure that we’re reducing speed in school zones and just being very mindful of the posted speed limit because they’re there for a reason and they’re there to protect people.”

Ultimately, Riggs maintains that “awareness is key” in all aspects of driving, especially during the school year, and says traffic safety is important for all drivers to be mindful of to avoid fines, jail time, and even the loss of life.

During their most recent meeting, the County of Grande Prairie council approved several funding requests and reallocations.

Council opted to reimburse $381,999 to the Town of Wembley for expenses related to upgrading Township Road 712 between Range Road 82 and Range Road 83.

When it comes to budget reallocations, the county chose to direct their administration to reallocate just over $99,000 from the ongoing Clairmont Landfill Cell Four construction project to the Tarp Shed Replacement project at Clairmont Landfill to cover some estimated costs. Additionally, council approved a budget reallocation of $225,000 to address “outstanding” repairs to maintain the county’s water and sewer systems.

On top of the budget reallocations, the county approved additional funding for the Recreation Assistance Program up to $5,000 for 2024. Officials describe the move as one to support the program’s continued collaboration between the Family and Community Support Services Department and the Recreation and Culture Department.

Nitehawk was also a topic of conversation during the meeting, as council directed county administration to send a letter to the MD of Greenview and the City of Grande Prairie to seek formal engagement on an inter-municipal, long-term funding agreement for the facility.

Natural Resources Canada scientist Jaime Pinzon will be conducting fieldwork at the recently opened Grande Prairie Boreal Wetland Centre as part of a research study on ecosystem restoration.

Pinzon and his team who will be exploring environmental and biodiversity responses to soil mounding as a means to improve the return of tree cover following the recent development in the area to be used for natural resources.

Visitors to the site will see disturbances, known as “seismic lines,” created for the experiment, that will be treated and planted with local tree species, which Pinzon says is beneficial as most seismic lines in peatlands fail to recover naturally.

“Human intervention is needed to aid in their recovery,” he says. “Mounding has been widely used over the last 15-20 years, but given the slow recovery of peatlands to disturbance, evidence of success is still in development.”

Researchers suggest that the use of mounding in the area will provide favourable conditions for trees to survive, and will continue to provide adequate forest cover along the seismic line.

At the end of the experiment, Pinzon says long-term monitoring will be required to help researchers better understand the impacts of the treatment and test its effectiveness.

The Grande Prairie RCMP is seeking public assistance in identifying a suspect involved in an alleged assault attempt that occurred on August 10th.

According to police, members of the Grande Prairie RCMP responded to reports of an assault attempt at approximately 8:20 p.m. in the South Avondale area of the city. Investigators suggest that an unknown male allegedly attempted to assault someone with an axe who proceeded to cause damage to their property.

Law enforcement has confirmed no one was injured during the attack.

The suspect is described as a male, standing approximately five feet ten inches tall, wearing a black hat, grey sweater, black pants, and black and white shoes.

Police are actively investigating the incident and have reached out to the public for assistance. Anyone with information regarding the individual’s identity or the incident is asked to contact the Grande Prairie RCMP at (780)-830-5700 or anonymously through Crime Stoppers.

An air quality advisory has been issued for the Grande Prairie region including the City of Grande Prairie and the communities of Beaverlodge and Valleyview.

According to Environment Canada, wildfire smoke is expected to cause “very poor” air quality and reduced visibility. Officials suggest that air quality can fluctuate over short distances and can vary considerably from hour to hour.

During this time, everyone is considered “at-risk” regardless of their age as the fine particles found in wildfire smoke pose the main health risk; however, seniors pregnant women, smokers, infants and young children, those who work outdoors, people with chronic health conditions are more likely to be affected by smoke.

Residents are encouraged to look out for symptoms of smoke inhalation such as irritation in the eyes, nose, and throat, chest pains, or a severe cough. If any symptoms are experienced, residents are asked to consider seeking medical assistance.

When indoors, homeowners are encouraged to utilize a clean, quality air filter in the ventilation system, or a portable air purifier that can filter fine particles.

The Fairview Health Complex Emergency Department will be closed numerous times this week due to the inability to secure physician coverage.

From 7:00 a.m. August 12th to 7:00 a.m. August 14th, and again from 7:00 a.m. August 15th to 7:00 a.m. August 19th, the ED will be temporarily without on-site physician coverage.

AHS says nursing staff will remain on-site to provide triage, assessments, and referrals for patients to alternate emergency departments in surrounding communities.

Residents are asked to call 9-1-1 in case of emergency and EMS will remain available to the community with re-routing to surrounding healthcare centers. For non-emergencies residents are asked to call Health Link at 8-1-1, for 24/7 inquiries.

The annual Rotary Dream Home Lottery is celebrating its 32nd anniversary and has announced the lot and builder of the 2025 contest.

The 2025 builder will be Unique Home Concepts for the third year in a row, and General Manager Chris Newbury says he is “pleased” to be part of the Dream Home team for another year.

“To be honest the 2023 and 2024 fundraiser was a fun project, they allowed us to help raise some incredible dollars and show off what we do at the same time,” he says.

The GM spoke on the status of the 2025 Dream Home, saying it will be quite different from the year before it.

“I would describe the home as an ideal transitional home,” he says. “A blend of modern elements intertwined with vintage and traditional touches,” he adds.

Construction on the 2025 Dream Home has already begun in Carriage Lane Estates and officials describe the project as a “terrific opportunity” to showcase the area’s development through its participation in the event.

The 2025 home marks the 32nd in the city, and Grande Prairie Rotary Club President Robert Simmons says his club is excited to see the project continue its sold-out success in the future.

“[It is] a major event for our community and Rotary is proud to be a part of this fundraising event,” he says.

Tickets for the 2025 contest will go on sale sometime in late December of this year.