The grasshopper forecast for the County of Grande Prairie’s 2024 season has been released by the Government of Alberta.

Each year, the Provincial Agriculture Department conducts grasshopper counts in the late summer to get estimates of adult grasshopper density in the county to help indicate the number of reproductive grasshoppers for the next year.

According to the province, grasshoppers are considered a major pest of cultivated crops and rangeland grasses throughout Alberta.

The province says typically, the majority of grasshopper damage occurs to cereal grains; however other crops can be seriously affected. As a result, crop producers are encouraged to scout and monitor their fields for pests and consider implementing control measures as needed.

Additionally, the province says even a moderate infestation of ten grasshoppers per square metre can consume up to 60 per cent of the available forage depending on conditions.

Hot spots for the 2024 year include East of Elmworth, Southeast of Webster, and Northeast of Teepee Creek.

The first major road construction project of the season is underway in the County of Grande Prairie.

Repair work on the Canfor Overpass on Resources Road is scheduled to take place between May 29th and June 3rd.

The county says there will be lane delays and height restrictions on Resources Road for Canfor to complete repair work. As a result, drivers are being asked to exercise “extreme caution” and allow extra time for travel.

Officials say the road will be completely open for all traffic every evening during this time.

The project comes just a few days after the county announced they will be heavily focused on road and bridge projects during the 2024 construction season after county residents identified roads as their top priority this season.

More than 50 kilometres of road resurfacing work is scheduled throughout the county during the 2024 construction season and includes the paving of gravel roads, surface road overlays, reconstruction and divisional road projects, bridge replacements, and other rehabilitation projects.

The county’s website contains a full list of the locations and descriptions of this year’s projects.

As the annual Grande Prairie Stompede gets underway, the festivities kicked off at the highly anticipated Bust Out Barbecue.

During the event, numerous familiar faces were in attendance and received awards for their hard work and dedication in making the Stompede possible. Among them was Brenda Clarke, long-time stomper and Treasurer for the Stompede, who received the award for “Stomper of the Year,” thanks to her “unwavering” support of the annual event.

The humble Clarke describes the award as a “huge deal,” while reminding everyone that she couldn’t have done it without her fellow board members.

“It’s a very big honour, I don’t do it alone, there are 14 other people on this committee that help me so it’s not a one-person show,” she says.

After spending the past twenty years of her life with the Stompede, Clarke says it has become part of her emotionally and physically.

“I do it for the community, it’s in my heart, so it’s in my soul you could say,” she says. “Just the community and the friendships we’ve built, we are a family, we fight we argue, but we are a family.”

Clarke adds that while she spends most of her time in the backroom as Treasurer during the Stompede, she invites everyone to attend some of her favourite events like the rodeo and of course the chuckwagon races.

UPDATE: The Grande Prairie RCMP has announced the highway has since reopened.

Police say while the investigation is currently underway, information available at this time suggests that a pickup truck rear-ended a construction roller. 

The driver and the passenger of the pickup were transported to the hospital and are in critical condition, while the driver of the construction roller was treated on the scene for minor injuries. 

A serious vehicle collision resulted in the westbound lanes of Highway 43 being closed Tuesday night.

Around 9:40 p.m. Tuesday, May 28th Grande Prairie RCMP reported they were on the scene of the incident and westbound traffic was being diverted to Range Road 13. At the time eastbound lanes were not impacted.

A statement from police reads “RCMP anticipate remaining on scene for several hours while they investigate.”

Police say additional information is expected.

The City of Grande Prairie saw a three per cent increase in total Criminal Code Offences when compared to the first quarter of last year.

The City saw a five per cent increase in Persons Crime, an eight per cent increase in Break and Enter offences, a two per cent increase in Theft Under $5,000, and a 54 per cent increase in “other” offences such as missing court dates.

Grande Prairie RCMP Superintendent Lee Brachmann spoke on the matter saying while the increase is rather small, the ideal situation would be a decrease overall.

“Ideally from my perspective, I’d love to see a decrease right now,” he says. “We’re still fairly [early] in the calendar year, those numbers will fluctuate as the year goes on, ideally I’d like to see a downward trend there.”

As a result, Brachmann says his detachment has identified a number of key priorities to address crime in the city such as rolling out increased police presence in problem areas identified throughout Grande Prairie while continuing to collaborate with the new Grande Prairie Police Service.

“One of our priorities is to do some analytical work to see some of the underlying trends related to that so that we can put some strategies forward to hopefully look at ways to reduce those upward trends,” he says. “Right now in terms of enforcement priorities, we have three key priority areas, of course, there’s a number of concerns in various areas of the city, we’re going to be focusing on some of the downtown core.”

Despite the increase in some areas, the city did see an overall decrease in property crime, falling by 16 per cent when compared to the same period in 2023. Additionally, the city saw 19 fewer instances of motor vehicle theft, an overall decrease of 21 per cent.

Brachmann describes the reduction in property crime as “enviable” especially when compared to other cities of similar size.

“Overall I’m fairly pleased, although I’d love to see additional downward trends as the year goes on,” he says.

The Superintendent credits initiatives like the RCMP’s recent “Operation Cold Start” with the reduction in motor vehicle thefts and Brachmann says further initiatives will be implemented as the year goes on.

Seven new principals and vice principals have been announced for numerous GPPSD schools for the 2024-25 school year.

Kim Caron, Katherine Grenier, James Hudyma, Brian Mayea, Matthew Pepper, Teresa Rawlyk, and Krista Sterr have been appointed vice principals and principals for Isabel Campbell, Grande Prairie Composite, Maude Clifford Public, Riverstone Public, École Montrose, and Grande Prairie Christain school.

GPPSD Superintendent Sandy McDonald says the appointments came after being “carefully chosen” based on numerous factors.

“Effective leadership is essential for creating school environments where every student has opportunities to succeed academically, socially, and emotionally,” he says. “I am confident our students, families, and staff will continue to see high-level, professional leadership within their schools and experience welcoming, caring, and safe learning environments.”

Isabel Campbell will see a nearly entire leadership change with the appointment of Teresa Rawlyk as Principal and Kim Caron as Vice Principal of the school.

All of the selected individuals boast an extensive background in education both in Grande Prairie and nationwide.

The Aquatera Outdoor Pool schedule has been revealed with an opening date set for June 7th at the “Here Comes Summer” event.

Grande Prairie Mayor Jackie Clayton describes this year as “extra exciting” with a variety of new activities and theme nights scheduled throughout the summer.

“This year is extra exciting with the many new activities and special nights that encourage everyone to come out and embrace summer,” she says. “Come create grander summer memories this season by taking part in one of the new schedule additions or stopping by for a day of splashing fun at the Aquatera Outdoor Pool.”

This year, theme nights are scheduled every Friday from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. all season and include themes like “beach party,” game night, bring your own floaty, western, and eighties night.

Additionally, private rental options will be available from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays all season along with aquatics classes like Aqua Zumba throughout the season.

Grande Access Pass holders will be able to attend a member night during public swim every Tuesday from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. beginning July 1st.

Youth night during public swim is scheduled every Thursday from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. when young people aged 13 to 17 will have $2 entry beginning on July 1st.

Along with the numerous activities scheduled for the summer, evening swimming lessons will be operating from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday to Friday starting July 1st.

This year, the Aquatera Outdoor Pool will be open seven days a week from June 7th to September 3rd with varying hours.

The public is being asked for their help locating a missing teen who was last seen on May 20th in the Grande Prairie area.

According to the Grande Prairie RCMP, they are concerned for Rashaad Dickenson’s well-being and would like to speak with him. The teen is described as 4’6″, 100 pounds, black hair with pink hair dye and brown eyes.

Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to contact RCMP or Crime Stoppers.

Following the quick reaction of the Grande Prairie Fire Department in bringing a blaze in the area of Crystal Lake Park under control, GPFD Chief Mark VanWerkhoven has provided an update on the situation thus far.

Chief VanWerkhoven says the fire department responded in “short order” with eight fire apparatus and numerous personnel on the scene, along with support from the RCMP and EMS.

The GPFD was made aware of the wildfire around 6:00 p.m. the evening of May 26th and crews quickly established a line; however, no structures were threatened and the line was unused.

“We did preemptively create a defensive line between the structures and the park, but it was not required and crews were able to action the fire prior to it reaching that defensive line,” VanWerkhoven says.

The blaze was brought under control shortly after 8:00 p.m. later that evening, and crews remain onsite actioning hotspots, along with fire investigators; however, the cause of the blaze has not yet been confirmed.

The Fire Chief says access to the park could be limited due to the ongoing operations in the area, but much of the damage is deep within the park and would be difficult to access regardless of a resident’s desire to visit the area.

VanWerkhoven adds that he is “grateful” for the numerous 9-1-1 calls reporting the fire, and asks residents to remain diligent in reporting wildfires as soon as they are seen.

“The GPFD is grateful for the diligence of the residents who called 911 immediately, which allowed us to access that fire quickly and effectively,” he says.

Fire conditions for the Grande Prairie region remain unfavorable in some areas from being classified as “low” south of the river and are described as being “very high” to the west of the city.

“This is also a good reminder that despite the recent rain, our local conditions require extreme care with anything that could be a source of ignition,” VanWerkhoven says. “Some areas got much more rain than others.”

As a result, VanWerkhoven and the GPFD urge caution among residents as the city gets deeper into the wildfire season, and reminds residents that the city is “not out of the woods yet.”

Numerous Grande Prairie schools made the Terry Fox Foundation’s Top 50 Fundraisers of Alberta list.

Whispering Ridge Community School nabbed the top spot in the elementary division after raising more than $12,500 during the annual fundraiser event.

Hilary Schmidt, one of two Assistant Principals at Whispering Ridge describes the event as a “tradition” in her school, something parents, teachers, and students all look forward to participating in.

“It’s just a tradition in our building,” she says. “We like to think that this fundraiser is one of our top ones that families feel the most strongly about raising money for a good cause.”

Schmidt credits the student body with their overwhelming participation in the event and says incentives like the pizza party for the class that raises the most money certainly helped in raising such a large sum of money this year.

“We always do a ton of competition for the class to see who can raise the most money,” she says. “I think teachers feel strongly about students knowing Terry’s story and how inspiring he is and the kids just love learning about him.”

Isabel Campbell Public School took home third place in the Elementary Division with more than $10,500 raised and Principal Matthew Pepper says collaboration was the key to the school’s success.

“We have four tenants here at the school- innovation, collaboration, perseverance, and success, and for me it’s that collaboration piece with our school council,” he says. “We had the community on board right from the start and it was our combined efforts between the parents, the students, and ourselves at the school to pull it off.”

When it comes to next year, Assistant Principal Schmidt says her school always tries to “match or beat” the previous year’s goal, so hopes are high to take home first place again.

The County of Grande Prairie is hosting a series of open houses in June to connect with residents and provide them with the opportunity to speak with council directly.

This year marks the 12th annual series of open houses and County Reeve Bob Marshall says council is “delighted” to engage with residents once again.

“Each year, we look forward to this opportunity to personally connect with residents,” he says. “We invite families to come out and meet County Councillors and staff for an evening of socializing and to provide valuable feedback on County initiatives, programs, and services.”

Residents of all ages can attend the events which will include a free barbecue meal and information sessions from a variety of county departments.

Three events are scheduled at venues across the county from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The first of which will be hosted on June 17th at Valhalla Community School, followed by another on June 19th at the Lyons Events Centre, and finally a session at Five Mile Hall on June 20th.

The City of Grande Prairie will host a public hearing on the proposed changes to secondary suite regulations in the city on June 3rd, ahead of council’s upcoming decision.

According to the city, attendees can share their opinions with city council regarding the proposed amendments during the hearing and Grande Prairie Communications Director Phillip Cooper calls the hearing a “valuable opportunity” for residents to engage with city council.

“This will enable Council to understand the community’s thoughts before making a decision,” he says.

Recently, council members discussed numerous amendments to the current secondary suites bylaw including the allowance of secondary suites in semi-detached dwellings, expanding beyond single detached dwellings.

Additionally, the proposed amendments would see an expansion on neighbourhood density limits for secondary suites from 20 per cent to approximately 50 per cent of homes, removing floor area restrictions for basement suites, eliminating lot width requirements, and reducing parking requirements to one space less than the number of bedrooms.

Ahead of the hearing, the city is hosting a pair of informational open houses to provide residents with the opportunity to ask City Administration questions and learn more about the proposal.

The first open house is scheduled for May 28th from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Teresa Sargent Hall followed by another on May 29th from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the same location.

The Swan City is getting hotter, moving into the 49th spot for sexiest cities in Canada, according to new rankings released by pinkcherry.ca.

This is the adult website’s 12th annual rankings report, which looks at the website’s sales and customer activity across 299 Canadian cities and towns. Last year the city ranked 69th overall, seeing the area’s ranking jump 20 spots in 2024.

Fort St. John and Dawson Creek also made the list ending up 41st and 51st respectively. Other Alberta cities like Cold Lake, Lloydminster and Lethbridge finished 58th, 92nd and 73rd on the rankings list. 

Calgary finished in the top spot, with Edmonton in second and Winnipeg in third.

Police in Grande Prairie are asking for the public’s help in tracking down a total of five firearms allegedly stolen from a holiday trailer north of Sexsmith.

The Grande Prairie RCMP says they responded to the report of a break and enter at the trailer in Webster on May 1st, with five weapons among the items taken during the robbery. Authorities say they’ve yet to recover the weapons, and are looking to do so as soon as possible.

The missing weapons, according to police, are as follows:

Beretta .92f Hand gun, Serial number c73516z;
Henry Gun Company .22 Lever action rifle, Serial number 11844613;
Russia SKS Semi Automatic, Serial number HM794;
Domino Grizzly Pump Action Shotgun, Serial number H97882;
Mossberg Pump Action Shotgun, Serial number MV0490.

Anyone with information on the weapons, or other stolen property from the trailer are urged to contact the Grande Prairie RCMP detachment or Crime Stoppers if they wish to remain anonymous.

Students from the Holy Family Catholic Regional Division’s St. Stephens school in Valleyview are set to attend the National Science Fair in Ottawa.

According to the HFCRD, five students, Janessa Bourlon, Elianna Eagles, Hannah Klinck, Isabella Pozniak, and Paige Trofimenkoff all qualified for the Canada-Wide Science Fair thanks to their efforts and interest in science at school.

The five young scholars qualified during the Peace Country Regional Science Fair in Peace River in March.

The six-day science fair will feature students from around the country competing for a range of awards including scholarships, while celebrating scientific excellence, creativity, and potential societal impact.

The event is scheduled from May 26th to the 31st at Carleton University in Ottawa.

After conducting numerous surveys and public engagement opportunities throughout the winter, County of Grande Prairie residents identified roads as their top priority.

As a result, county council approved approximately $33.2 million of the $110 million capital budget to be invested in new road and bridge projects.

More than 50 kilometres of road resurfacing work is scheduled throughout the county during the 2024 construction season and include the paving of gravel roads, surface road overlays, re-construction and divisional road projects, bridge replacements, and other rehabilitation projects.

As of May 24th, 13 capital road projects are scheduled throughout the construction season, the majority of which will have “minor to moderate” traffic impacts.

Nine additional projects including bridge construction and other projects are scheduled this year and residents should expect moderate traffic impacts.

In addition to road projects, the county says flood prevention projects remain a high priority this construction season.

A full list of the locations and descriptions of this year’s projects can be found on the county’s website.

The Fairview Health Complex Emergency Department will once again be temporarily without physician coverage numerous times between May 27th and May 30th.

Between 7:00 a.m. May 27th to 7:00 a.m. May 28th and once again on May 29th at 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. May 30th, the ED will be without an onsite doctor.

AHS says nursing staff will remain on-site to provide triage, assessments, and referrals for patients to alternative emergency departments as needed.

Patients and residents can still access 9-1-1 during a medical emergency and EMS will remain available to the community.

Residents are also reminded to call Health Link at 8-1-1 for 24/7 non-emergency health-related questions. Additionally, patients seeking care at the ED are encouraged to access services that may be available through local pharmacies.

UPDATE: Traffic on 116th Avenue has returned to normal according to RCMP. As of 10:30 p.m. Sunday, the fire in Crystal Lake Recreational Park is said to have been extinguished and firefighters were remaining on scene overnight to put out any hot spots. Walking trails in the area are however still closed.

Roadblocks are in place near Crystal Lake Recreational Park as fire crews are battling a blaze in the area.

According to the Grande Prairie RCMP, officers are on scene assisting the fire department. There is a roadblock in place on 116th Avenue 92nd Street to Lakeland Drive.

According to officials, there are no evacuation orders in place and there is no active threat to any properties as of 6:50 p.m. Sunday.

Police are turning to the public for help locating a missing 47-year-old woman who has not been heard from since Thursday, May 23rd.

According to Grande Prairie RCMP, police are concerned for the well-being of Terra Slena O’Hearn. O’Hearn is described as being 5’3” and weighs roughly 99 pounds with neck tattoos along with brown eyes and hair. 

Anyone who knows of O’Hearn’s whereabouts is asked to contact RCMP or Crime Stoppers.