Aquatera has released a few tips for residents to save money on their water bills during the summer.

As the weather continues to heat up, Aquatera customers are encouraged to get “water-wise” when landscaping and irrigating their lawns. According to the utility supplier, residents can take a few simple steps to conserve water including regular lawn aeration and using mulch around plants to reduce evaporation.

Additionally, property owners can consider growing lawns to 2.5 inches as taller grass can shade new growth and reduce evaporation.

According to Aquatera, most evaporation on lawns and in gardens occurs due to simply watering at the wrong time. As a result, officials suggest watering in the morning between the hours of 4:00 and 10:00 a.m. while the sun is still low, and temperatures are still cool. Aquatera says watering mid-day can result in a loss of up to 30% of water due to evaporation.

Collecting rainwater tends to be overlooked as a sustainable water source that can save customers a significant amount of money, especially during the record-breaking heat spells Grande Prairie has experienced this summer. Aquatera recommends gardeners use recycled water for small plant boxes or even use a bucket to gather water from the shower while waiting for the temperature to adjust.

Other water conservation tips include regular inspection of faucets to avoid leaks, creating a watering schedule, and only watering when needed.

A different kind of four-legged racer will be hitting the track at JDA Raceway this weekend during the ongoing Horses at Evergreen Park summer event.

The Horses at Evergreen Park planned for July 20th was called off due to an apparent “lack of horses to fill the field.” Despite the setback, event representatives say eight races will continue as normal on Sunday, with the highlight of the day being Barda Equipment’s Wiener Dog Derby.

According to officials, 26 wieners are set to race during the special event following heats two, three, and four of the horse races, with the top performing pups competing in the championship final after horse racing heat seven.

Numerous other special race days are scheduled throughout the rest of the summer including  Derby Day on July 28th when attendees are encouraged to dress in their finest derby clothes, Bacon Fest on August 4th, Memorial Weekend from August 10th to 11th, and more.

Racing begins at 1:15 p.m. on July 21st, and the event is free to attend.

UPDATE: The Peace Regional RCMP has located Eris Williams and confirmed she is safe. 

The Peace Regional RCMP is asking for help from the public in locating missing 19-year-old Eris Chantel Williams.

According to police, Williams was last seen at around 3:00 p.m. on July 17th in Peace River and is believed to have been travelling to the area of Cadotte Lake.

Williams is described as a 19-year-old female with brown eyes, a light to medium skin tone, weighing approximately 130 pounds, standing five feet six inches tall, with a dark “pixie cut” hairstyle.

The RCMP says they are worried for her wellbeing and would like to speak with her.

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Williams is asked to contact the Peace Regional RCMP at (780)-624-6611 or anonymously through Crime Stoppers.

The City of Grande Prairie has released a list of the roads and transit routes that will be affected by the upcoming International Street Performers Festival on the weekend of July 19th.

From Friday, July 19th to Sunday, July 21st, temporary changes to transit routes and road closures will be in effect for downtown traffic to accommodate the event.

During the weekend, 100th Avenue between 99th Street and 101st Street will be closed to westbound traffic. Detours will be in place on 101st Avenue or 97th Avenue, with reroutes north or south on 99th Street.

Traffic on 100th Street between 99th Avenue and 101st Avenue will be closed to northbound traffic. Detours will be east on 99th Avenue, with alternate routes on 99th Street and 98th Street. Southbound traffic will be redirected east or west on 101st Avenue, with potential adjustments to switch detours to 102nd Avenue to reduce congestion near the Farmers Market.

When it comes to public transit, the city says routes 3, 4, and 8 will detour, affecting stops 302, 402, and 802, which will be closed from 6:00 a.m. on Friday to 7:00 p.m. on Sunday. As a result, affected passengers can use temporary boarding points at Town Center Mall.

Saddle Hills County fire crews continue to battle a 3 hectare sized fire in the region.

The fire was reported in the Happy Valley area, near Township Road 780 and Range Road 72 on July 15, 2024. Despite Alberta Forestry and local volunteer firefighters managing to extinguish all but a few hot spots as of Wednesday morning, flare ups have prompted Happy Valley and Woking Fire Departments to return to the scene.

The fire currently poses no threat to homes or structures in Saddle Hills County.

Representatives of the Ducks Unlimited Canada Boreal Wetland Centre in Grande Prairie are looking to increase public awareness regarding the services offered at the centre.

According to Rick Murray, a representative of the BWC, raising awareness is “still a challenge” for his organization; however, recent efforts in community education have resulted in more people visiting the site recently.

“We are definitely much better known now and being utilized well when it comes to those educational opportunities that we can host,” he says. “The amount of folks that have taken us up on the offer to utilize the Boreal Wetlands Center as kind of a community resource.”

Murray says the bulk of the facility’s use continues to be educational in nature, especially in the Kindergarten to Grade 12 age range. He adds that with the success of the facility in the grade school market, the focus has shifted to encouraging adults and families to utilize the site as more of a community resource.

“K through 12 education is at the brim of what we can hold at this point, we’ve got the K through 12 education going well, now it’s about getting the adults and practitioners,” he says. “People are looking for opportunities to get out in the land, do that on the land learning, so there’s certainly a demand for it.” 

Murray adds that the site can be used for a variety of opportunities outside of K through 12 education. He suggests families can use the grounds for everything from a quiet place to walk and enjoy nature, to picnics, and even children’s birthdays.

When it comes to education, Murray says the facility has seen an uptick in use from schools and teachers looking to embrace outdoor education, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We receive a number of different requests from teachers and even actually parents in the homeschool community are really pushing for those outdoor education opportunities, especially after COVID,” he says. “There are lots of opportunities to do things out here, the site was originally run very much based on the practitioner piece, and over the last few years, Ducks Unlimited Canada has been pushing for it to become more of a public space.”

Ultimately, Murray says he is hopeful that through the number of public awareness initiatives scheduled throughout the rest of the year, the facility will cement itself as a public resource for all ages in the community.

The RCMP has confirmed one person has died as a result of a single-vehicle rollover on the bypass in Grande Prairie on Tuesday.

According to police, reports were made at around 11:20 a.m. on July 16th of a single-vehicle collision at the intersection of 102nd Street and 116th Avenue.

Investigators suggest that a vehicle was driving in the opposite direction in the westbound lane, before hitting the middle median on 102nd Street and going “airborne,” hitting the opposite curb and landing upside down.

RCMP Media Relations Officer Constable Cory Riggs confirms that one senior was confirmed to be deceased as a result of the accident; however, no further information regarding the victim’s identity is available due to privacy reasons.

Two-lane traffic has temporarily returned on 132nd Avenue between 97B Street and 99th Street on Highway 670 near Keddies.

Despite the reopening, the city maintains that traffic flow will continue to be impacted throughout the week as paving operations get underway later this week.

Repairs come following the incident involving a CN contractor accidentally damaging an Aquatera water main during railway work earlier this month. As a result, CN hired a contractor to complete the necessary repairs to the roadway.

During the temporary period, two lanes of traffic are open to passenger vehicles with periods of one lane of alternating traffic to accommodate paving operations. During this time, no semi-trucks are permitted “until further notice.”

Semi-trucks entering the city from the east are asked to divert to Highway 43 as the usual truck route remains closed.

Officials suggest that all construction and repair work is subject to weather conditions.

AHS has announced the closure of the Central Peace Health Complex Emergency Department due to an “unexpected nursing shortage.”

From 8:00 a.m. July 17th to 8:00 a.m. July 18th, no staff will be available for residents in the ED; however, nurses will remain on-site in Acute Care.

Residents are asked to call 9-1-1 in case of emergency and EMS will remain available to the community and will be re-routed to surrounding healthcare centers such as the Grande Prairie Regional Hospital.

For non-emergencies residents are asked to call Health Link at 8-1-1, for 24/7 inquiries.

The County of Grande Prairie is pushing crime prevention in its communities after approving the Crime Prevention Committee’s Annual Work Plan in December.

According to the county, the plan emphasizes finding ways to reduce crime and makes sure residents feel secure in their community.

The plan is timely as County Reeve Bob Marshall says when highlighting the importance of addressing rural crime in the Grande Prairie area. Marshall says crime reduction was identified as a major concern among residents, and adds that his council has heard residents “loud and clear” and actions are now being taken as a result.

“People have told us loud and clear that reducing crime and feeling safe are their top concerns,” he says. “By really focusing on stopping crime, we want to build trust, unity, and a strong sense of community in the county,”

Among the plans identified, two highlights stand out; strengthening the focus on rural crime watch committees and exploring virtual meeting options to ensure that committee members are well-connected to discuss crime reduction options.

The Annual Plan was developed through collaboration with law enforcement, the Crime Prevention Committee, and county council and includes short, medium, and long-term strategies to continue crime reduction in the Peace Country.

The Holy Family Catholic Regional Division has announced a new Principal for St. Thomas More Catholic School.

Thomas Fraser is a maritime local who holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History from St. Francis Xavier University, and a Bachelor of Education from Acadia. The new Principal boasts an extensive teaching career in Nova Scotia, Nunavut, China, and Alberta.

Fraser is a family man who moved to the Peace Region in 2013 with his wife and kids and is described as having a “strong background” in working with inclusive education students and teaching in a Catholic school environment.

The new Principal says the opportunity to take the lead at St. Thomas More is an “amazing” one to create something new in Fairview.

“I am blessed to be able to be part of this growth and new beginnings,” he says. “I look forward to joining the Holy Family Catholic community.”

Fraser will begin his term in Fairview in September for the 2024-25 school year.

The Art Gallery of Grande Prairie has announced its latest exhibition- “Drink from the River,” featuring the work of Edmonton’s Brenda Draney.

Draney is a previous winner of the RBC Painting Competition and her latest exhibition is described as “delving into the complex questions around the notion of intimacy and vulnerability.”

According to AGGP Executive Director Jessica Groome, the images portrayed in Draney’s art appeal to the viewer with their sense of familiarity, while clearly portraying a reference to Draney’s own personal experiences.

“The soft images in her paintings are familiar, like cars, people, and rooms with furniture, but it’s clear the people and places are close to the maker’s memory,” she says.

Draney has taken a challenging approach in her work and says she hopes her exhibition will invite viewers to reconsider what they know and what they remember.

Drink from the River will be available for free viewing at the AGGP on July 25th with a virtual artist talk scheduled for 5:00 p.m. that evening. The exhibition will be featured at the AGGP until January 5th of next year.

As temperatures continue to climb throughout the province, AHS has shared a list of simple precautions for residents to beat the heat and avoid contracting any heat-related illnesses.

In Grande Prairie, temperatures as high as 34 degrees are expected throughout the rest of the week, leading to heat warnings being issued by Environment Canada.

As a result, AHS says heat stroke is a very real possibility and could even be a life-threatening medical emergency in some cases. The health authority says symptoms of heat stroke range from confusion and restlessness to nausea and vomiting, and residents are encouraged to dial 9-1-1 in case of an emergency.

To avoid the heat, residents are encouraged to keep cool at home by keeping blinds closed, using air conditioning when possible, and taking frequent cool showers. When outside, residents should consider drinking “lots of water” and avoiding strenuous activities whenever possible.

Keeping your skin safe from the sun is another essential consideration when it’s hot out. AHS says simple precautions such as wearing a broad-rimmed hat and choosing a water-resistant sunscreen of 30 SPF or higher are recommended.

Additionally, pet owners are encouraged to make sure their furry friends have access to fresh water, walk pets on the grass during cooler times of the day to avoid injury to paws, and never leave a pet in an unattended vehicle.

Grande Prairie City Council has approved the sale of the property Rising Above Ministries’ addiction treatment centre is currently operating to the organization.

Rising Above Executive Director Mel Siggelkow calls the moment a “big step” for his organization, as the transfer of ownership opens up numerous additional development opportunities on the property.

“It makes it a lot easier for us to work with the bank and go through the legal side of building a building, because now it’s on our property instead of on someone else’s property,” he says. “We’re going to build a new building on the present location, in addition to the building that’s already there.”

The new building is described as a four-story facility that can accommodate up to 38 residents, and Siggelkow says he has high hopes that shovels will be in the ground to begin the new development by “late August.” The project is anticipated to take between 12 and 16 months.

The Executive Director says the new building will increase the ministries’ capacity from 19 men to 38, opening up the current facility to house women in need, who would otherwise be spread across the city in one of the ministries’ four residential houses.

“Right now our ladies are in four residential houses, so we have 17 beds for ladies spread out across Avondale and Royal Oaks, so then those will move into our existing facility which has 19,” he says. “It adds strength to the program, the ladies live off-site, so they feel left out when they need support systems, they have to go to our main campus centre to get it, so this will strengthen the delivery of service to our ladies, and increase our capacity for the men.”

Among the renovations, Rising Above plans on making the old facility more “female friendly,” with bathroom renovations anticipated to take up the bulk of the costs.

The County of Grande Prairie has approved a new Water Restriction Bylaw in the hopes of ensuring sustainable water access for essential usage during dry conditions and potential low water levels.

Currently, there are “no plans” to restrict water usage within the county; however, officials suggest that the bylaw will enable the county to respond if water levels are reduced significantly.

If the county chooses to enact the bylaw, residents connected to the county’s water systems such as Aquatera will be affected. According to the county, should the bylaw take effect, “human health and safety are prioritized,” but other uses deemed “non-essential” could be limited to certain times.

The county’s Transportation and Utilities General Manager Ryan Konowalyk describes the new bylaw as a “necessary tool” as much of the province continues to battle drought-like conditions.

“This bylaw provides a necessary tool to safeguard the water supply for all residents and water users to meet everyone’s needs,” he says.

Communities throughout the province have implemented water restrictions to combat low water levels and splash parks/pool operations were limited as a result to ensure water is available for drinking and other household uses.

As law enforcement in Grande Prairie continues its efforts to reduce noise complaints related to vehicles in the community, Grande Prairie Enforcement Services has released the results of its recent traffic enforcement checks.

Throughout the month of June, five operations were conducted by GPES and focused primarily on vehicle noise violations.

According to Enforcement Services, 100 tickets for varying violations were written and two vehicles were towed. Among the tickets, 44 were noise-related, including 27 that were issued during the operations.

Peace Officer Sergeant Ryan Hoffman says the initiatives come in response to an increased number of complaints regarding vehicle noise in the city, and adds that operations will continue throughout the summer months.

“We will continue to target noisy vehicles through static enforcement operations throughout the summer,” he says. “Loud and excessive noise from vehicles, including vehicles without mufflers or with illegal vehicle modifications, are being addressed as the community is concerned about the excessive noise that these vehicles produce.”

Drivers who are curious regarding noise from their vehicles, and the legality of after-market vehicle modifications, are encouraged to visit the Enforcement Services office in Grande Prairie between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. on July 20th for an “amnesty event.”

According to GPES, no violation tickets will be issued during the event and officials suggest that it aims to educate Grande Prairie drivers on what is and is not illegal on their vehicles.

Vehicles making “excessive and unnecessary” noise at any time of day can lead to fines from $162 to a mandatory court appearance. Anyone who wishes to make a complaint about a noisy vehicle can contact GPES at (780)-830-5790.

Grande Prairie residents are asked to avoid the area of Township Road 704 near Wapiti Nordic Ski Club as RCMP and recovery crews operate on a single-vehicle collision.

According to police, at around 10:30 a.m. on July 15th, Grande Prairie Rural RCMP received a report of a single-vehicle collision that occurred near Wapiti Nordic Ski Club.

As a result, the RCMP is asking residents to avoid the area to allow recovery crews to safely and efficiently remove the vehicle from the area.

Officials suggest the operation could take up to three hours.

County of Grande Prairie Reeve Bob Marshall made a sizeable donation to the Grande Prairie Reading University on July 12th.

The Reading University functions as a three-week-long summer program for students who struggle with reading comprehension, a topic that Reeve Marshall says is very close to his heart.

Reeve Marshall’s late wife Beverley was an established elementary teacher at Wembley Elementary School and is described as always “sharing her love of learning” with children in her community. The Reading University was always her first choice for her students who struggled with reading comprehension, and Marshall says the program has always been valuable in his family.

“She always saw, when the kids came out of it, they were able to be successful and carry on into the higher grades so it’s something she really valued,” he says. “I value [it] too because personally, I struggled at Grade 3 reading comprehension so for both of us, it was something very important to see the value and giving back to the community.”

“When she passed, that’s one of the things that she wanted to make sure people were donating to in her memory, so I’ve carried that on each year.”

The $20K donation marks the first of its size for the Reeve, who calls the program an integral part of the education system in the Grande Prairie region.

“It’s such an important program, especially for our region, it’s very unique, I think there’s only one other program like it in the province, and it just gives kids such a leg up and a chance to be successful,” he says. “Reading comprehension is critical to every subject they’re after in all grades.”

When it comes to the future of Reeve Marshall’s support, the longtime donator says he has plans to continue supporting the beloved program for “as long as he is able.”

“It’s something I plan on carrying on, I definitely will be contributing to the program to carry it on in her memory as long as I’m able,” he says. “It just means a lot to have that recognition, in her memory especially.”

Recipients of the donation at the Reading University are described as feeling an immense sense of gratitude and say they plan to roll out the funds where they will have the “most impact.”

Consultants from Alberta Infrastructure conducted several independent assessments of hazardous materials, facility conditions, and life cycle costing of the St. Thomas More School in Fairview.

The endeavour comes in support of Grande Prairie and District Catholic Schools’ capital planning process and the joint efforts between the HFCRD and the GPCSD to transfer the school.

According to the assessors, numerous asbestos-containing materials found in the school, such as window putty, insulation, vinyl floor tiles, and others, were disposed of accordingly. Officials suggest that the removal of those items was necessary ahead of any renovation or demolition projects within the school.

Additionally, sources of lead such as batteries and emergency lighting were identified throughout the building; however, during the paint analysis of the assessment, all samples that were analyzed reportedly did not feature significant amounts of the heavy metal, therefore, no further evaluation will be conducted.

When assessors looked at sources of “other hazardous materials,” microbial growth and mould were not identified in the facility.

As a result, the Holy Family Catholic Regional Divison is awaiting approval of the Ministerial Order to complete the Ward transfer, including the school and other additional assets. The Grande Prairie Catholic School Division says they have shared the assessment reports with the HFCRD and adds that Alberta Infrastructure has approved sharing with others.

The HFCRD is set to enter into discussions with Alberta Infrastructure and Alberta Education to talk next steps and determine the future of the building.

The Fairview Health Complex Emergency Department will be without physician coverage for most of this week.

From 7:00 a.m. July 15th to 7:00 a.m. July 17th, and again from 7:00 a.m. July 18th to 7:00 a.m. July 19th, the Fairview ED will not have an onsite doctor to assist patients.

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 and will be re-routed to surrounding healthcare centers. For non-emergencies residents are asked to call Health Link at 8-1-1, for 24/7 inquiries.