Alberta Health Services will begin providing extended hours for addiction and mental health support for youth in the Grande Prairie area beginning on May 23rd.

According to AHS, children, youth, and their families can access walk-in addiction and mental health services in addition to booked appointments Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Child and Youth Addiction and Mental Health office at Nordic Court.

In the past, regular hours were weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with walk-in availability from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Addiction and mental health services can be accessed by calling the Access Addiction and Mental Health Line at 1-(888)-594-0211 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. and sessions can be conducted in-person, over Zoom, or on the phone.

Additionally, the Grande Prairie office offers group therapy options in the evening for those seeking help outside of regular office hours. For more information please call 780-538-5162

Another development out of Northwestern Polytechnic came on May 16th when the post-secondary announced its plans to continue building a Power Engineering and Instrumentation Controls presence in Grande Prairie.

On top of the expansion of current education capacity through a $16 million Power Engineering and Instrumentation Lab, NWP announced the addition of a new two-year Power Engineering Technology Diploma set to begin this fall.

NWP President and CEO Dr. Vanessa Sheane says the implementation of the new diploma aligns with the school’s role in localizing education and building the workforce in Grande Prairie.

“As our new Power Engineering and Instrumentation Laboratory continues to take shape, we are ensuring that we have the right programming mix to meet growing workforce demand,” she says. 

According to NWP, the school has been “limited” in years past when it comes to offering period one and two Instrumentation and Controls Technician apprenticeships due to a lack of space and equipment; however, through the new $16 million facility, the school opens up additional opportunities for students to better transition from their schooling to their career.

The new diploma will offer students the chance to learn thermodynamics, electricity, electronics, refrigeration, and air conditioning concepts, giving students the benefit of hands-on learning opportunities.

Despite the commissioning of the new facility being on track for 2026, eager students can apply to NWP’s Power Engineering Diploma Program online as the program has already opened up applications for the 2024-25 school year.

ABMunis has released another message of disappointment as the provincial government continues Bill 20 discussions.

In a release, ABMunis accuses the province of “not listening” to Albertans and “plowing ahead” with Bill 20, citing numerous polls that indicate residents are unhappy with the decisions being made by the Alberta Government.

According to ABMunis, the organization has heard from Albertans saying implying that it is clear Albertans do not want political parties at the municipal level, local elections influenced by corporations and unions, and the overstep by the province in being able to repeal municipal bylaws behind closed doors.

The organization goes on to say the proposed amendments that came following the backlash of Bill 20 do not address key issues identified by ABMunis.

“We are disappointed with the level of provincial government consultation with Albertans, with municipalities, and with municipal associations,” ABMunis says. “None of the many solutions we shared with the provincial government over the past few months are reflected in these amendments.”

In anticipation of the province moving forward with Bill 20, Alberta Municipalities says their attention will turn to the development of regulations to assist local governments in maintaining their own authority on matters that affect their residents.

The MyGPNow.com newsroom has reached out to local provincial MLAs and has received no comment on the matter. 

Police are asking for help locating a missing 16-year-old.

According to the Grande Prairie RCMP, Jade Houle was last seen on Wednesday, May 23rd in Grande Prairie and officers are concerned for his well-being.

Houle is said to be 5’7″, weighing roughly 127 pounds with brown eyes and hair. The teen was last seen wearing a blue check hoodie with black sweatpants.

Police are asking anyone with information on his where Houle is to contact RCMP or Crime Stoppers.

The City of Grande Prairie has announced a series of upcoming events to promote connection with nature and gardening among residents.

“GP Grows: On Tour,” will feature numerous events throughout the summer and this season, the city has emphasized home gardening, exploration, and touring around local agriculture leaders.

Between May and August, the city will offer a variety of garden and orchard tours to educate attendees on skills that City Environmental Programming Facilitator, Kierstyn Otterman says can be used to enhance their own yards and gardens at home.

“GP Grows: On Tour provides an excellent opportunity for residents to gain valuable gardening skills and enjoy the many benefits of growing their own food,” she says.

Beginning on May 27th, residents are invited to attend the Learning Garden at Design Works Centre from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The first class features a showcase on how to prepare and plant your garden and will be followed by subsequent classes on July 8th and concluding with a class on harvesting and prepping for next year on August 26th.

Additionally, community orchard tours begin on June 19th from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Mike Fedyna Park Orchard, followed by two more at Obrian Orchard on July 17th and at the Country Club Orchard on August 28th.

The Fort St. John RCMP has turned to the public for help in identifying a suspect and vehicle involved in an alleged abduction attempt that occurred in Taylor weeks ago.

According to police, on May 6th at approximately 9:15 p.m. a male suspect driving a small tan-coloured pickup truck approached a youth and offered them a ride.  Investigators say when the youth declined, the driver made additional verbal attempts to get the youth in the vehicle before fleeing toward Fort St. John.

The suspect is described as a white male in his mid-40s, wearing a black and white busy beard, balding, with shorter stature, and weighing around 250 pounds.

The investigation is currently underway and anyone with information regarding the identity of the suspect, or possible sightings of the vehicle in question is asked to contact the Fort St. John RCMP at (250)-787-8100.

Grande Prairie City Council discussed some ideas in the hopes of identifying multi-family housing development opportunities in the city.

During the meeting, council directed city administration to bring back a report on the effect that potential supports or rebates could have on development fees to ensure developers are more inclined to build in the city.

Deputy Mayor Chris Thiessen calls the endeavour a “great idea” for the city, as it could lead to more affordable housing for both potential and current residents.

“It’s a great idea for the city to try to do everything we can to find houses and spaces for people and the more houses and spaces we have for people in our community, the more affordable they’ll become,” he says. “If there are things that we can do to help spur on development that will help increasingly put people into housing spaces, I think the development community could see that there will be potential profits in there and some cost savings as well.”

Under the city’s current growth rate, the question of whether the need for additional affordable housing options will be feasible in the future was brought up; however, Thiessen says addressing housing needs early will only serve the community better in the future.

“We need these spaces so the faster we can develop them, the better for our whole community,” he says. “The city is constantly growing and we see our growth patterns rising, not just locally, but provincially and nationally so this is to address some of that and sometimes you have to build for what isn’t here yet.”

The matter is scheduled to be discussed once again following the conclusion of administration’s report.

The fire ban in effect for the Grande Prairie Forest Area was officially lifted as of 10:00 a.m. on May 22nd.

According to Alberta Wildfire, due to current and expected forecasted precipitation, cooler temperatures, light winds, and high humidity, conditions have improved enough to allow fire bans in the region to be lifted.

On May 17th, both the City and County of Grande Prairie downgraded the ban to a restriction, allowing some permitted burning in fire pits and other appliances.

Despite Alberta Wildfire’s lift of the ban, jurisdictions outside the Forest Protection Area retain the ability to issue their own fire restrictions or prohibitions, which the county and city have maintained since May 17th.

Under the restriction, fire permits are available and anyone with an approved permit must follow permit guidelines and safe burning practices, including always remaining on site until the burning is complete.

A new website designed to address the workforce development needs in the Peace Country launched on May 22nd.

The City and County of Grande Prairie, alongside the MD of Greenview, the Grande Prairie Chamber of Commerce, and Northwest Polytechnic say the “Work NW Alberta” website is part of a multi-year strategy to bring talent to the Peace by showcasing the “abundant” employment opportunities available in the region.

Grande Prairie Mayor Jackie Clayton says the region is “rich” with employment opportunities across a variety of industries and the website will serve to bridge the gap between employers and talent from across the country.

“This website serves as a central hub for individuals and families considering moving to our area, where they can easily find information about our communities, search for jobs in their field, and get a taste of what our region has to offer,” she says.

Officials say the next steps for the project include further collaboration through the Work NW Alberta Partnership between the municipalities and employers within them to further marketing efforts and talent attraction initiatives.

Discussion surrounding the decommissioning of “dated” playgrounds across the city came up in Grande Prairie City Council’s May 22nd meeting.

According to the city, 130 playgrounds are currently set up in Grande Prairie, which Deputy Mayor Chris Thiessen calls “saturated.”

As a result, the city says some playgrounds have become money pits due to increased maintenance and upkeep costs on old playgrounds that are not being utilized.

“A big part of it is along the lines of cost saving, playgrounds don’t cost the same as they used to cost, we’re talking six-figure numbers for a lot of playgrounds in our community,” Deputy Mayor Thiessen says.

City council maintains that any parks that could be decommissioned will be done so based on community engagement and consultation to determine whether a playground is beneficial in an area, or if the area could be better served with an alternative such as turf, soccer fields, or basketball courts.

“That consultation is part of the process of everything that we do, so when we’re talking about breaking down a playground part of what we’re trying to know and understand is the demographics of the neighbourhood, and the proximity of other playgrounds,” Deputy Mayor Thiessen says. “No neighbourhood will be left without a playground in walking proximity to the other one that got decommissioned.”

Along with safety concerns, city council says the decommissioning and replacement of certain under-utilized playgrounds could lead to more beneficial spaces for kids to enjoy and get outside.

“In order to replace and take care of these parks so they don’t become a safety hazard we have to put some consideration as to whether or not we need these parks,” Thiessen says.

“It’s about getting kids involved in regular activity and playgrounds help to do that but perhaps not at the saturation level that we’ve seen in our neighbourhoods,” Thiessen says. “Depending on the need of the neighbourhood, if that gets kids out enjoying the sunshine and the fresh air and getting some exercise, I think that benefits everybody and especially the child.”

Ultimately, the city says no playgrounds will be decommissioned without consultation with the neighbourhood, and Thiessen says he looks forward to working alongside neighborhood associations throughout the process.

Alberta Wildfire has listed the fire danger for the Grande Prairie Forest Area as low following the two wildfires burning in the County just weeks ago.

Due to widespread rain in the region, Alberta Wildfire suggests that “temporary relief” has been brought to the area; however, officials say while the fire danger near Grande Prairie is low, it is important to remember that a wildfire can start in any conditions.

County Fire Chief Trevor Grant explains that due to the drought-like conditions in the area that can be seen simply by observing the low water levels in bodies such as the Wapiti River, consistent rainfall is key in mitigating any potential fire risk in the region.

“Really we need four or five days straight of potentially heavy precipitation, and then another three or four days to start having a significant effect on the conditions we have out there,” he says.

Over the weekend, fire crews brought the wildfire burning near Teepee Creek under control, and wildfire personnel have shifted their focus to working with pump and hose to extinguish any remaining hotspots near the blaze.

The Holy Family Catholic Regional Division has named Victoria Cornick as the new Assistant Superintendent of Human Services for the division.

Set to begin her duties on August 28th, ahead of the 2024-25 school year, Cornick boasts an impressive resume with a Bachelor of Education and a nearly 20-year career with the HFCRD.

Cornick began her teaching career in 2005 when she taught at St. Stephens School for eight years, serving as Assistant Principal for the school for two years. The longtime educator went on to obtain a Master’s degree in Educational Studies before transferring to her role as Principal of Glenmary School in Peace River in 2021.

Cornick took a moment to recognize her students at Glenmary saying, “It is important to note that it has been an honour to witness the remarkable talents and potential of our students and to work alongside such passionate educators.”

The new Assistant Superintendent says she is “excited” to use her experience as a teacher, Assistant Principal, and Principal in her new role.

“I am excited to bring this passion and experience to my new role as Assistant Superintendent of Human Services,” she says.

HFCRD Superintendent Betty Turpin says she looks forward to joining the team and calls her wealth of experience an “asset” to the division.

After the county listed the wildfires burning near Teepee Creek and Valhalla as officially “under control” County of Grande Prairie fire officials have shared some insights into key takeaways from the region’s first significant wildfires of the season.

Over the winter and early spring, governments at both the municipal and provincial levels made it clear that wildfire prevention and fighting was a top priority going into the warm season, especially after last year’s significant wildfire season.

County Fire Chief Trevor Grant says the additional resources directed to wildland firefighting has proven to be a success as additional crews and equipment made all the difference in bringing the blaze under control so quickly.

“We were all very aware of the conditions we were coming into spring with,” he says. “The additional resources that were announced through the provincial support as well as county council providing additional ability to up staff in our rural response stations through peak burn periods, it all really did come together.”

The month of May saw two significant wildfires- one near Teepee Creek and another near Valhalla and Chief Grant credits the additional resources to the fire crews’ quick response time.

“Being prepared and being ready this spring I think really paid off for us,” Grant says.

“We were able to get crews and resources to both events in very short order, and we were able to integrate quite quickly with Alberta Wildfire,” he says. “We had wildfire resources on both fires at the same time, [and] once the Valhalla wildfire was brought under control, we were able to clear up some of our resources.”

When it comes to the comparison between this year and last year, Chief Grant says it could be too early to say for sure; however, the sheer volume of wildfires ravaging northwestern Alberta in 2023 was simply not a factor this time around.

“I think the biggest difference between last spring and this spring is last spring, the lightning storm went through and we had multiple fire starts across the northwest region and this year, we’re not dealing with that sheer volume of fires across the entire northwest,” he says. “[In the] beginning of May last year, there were fires in essentially every rural municipality from High Level down to the MD of Greenview, so our mutual aid partners that we normally call on were already busy with their own events and weren’t able to come help us.”

Overall, the fire chief indicates that the wildfires near Teepee Creek and Valhalla could be seen as a wake-up call for residents in the region, reminding residents to continue maintaining diligence and awareness as the Peace Country moves into the summer.

The Grande Prairie Regional Airshow will mark the first event of its kind in 19 years when pilots hit the skies on July 27th and 28th.

The event, organized by the Rotary Clubs of Grande Prairie and its partner, the Grande Prairie Regional Airport, will see all proceeds raised going towards the D Coy Community Hub Project.

Officials say the D Coy restoration project will see D Company Armouries transformed into a “functional community hub” that will serve the needs of GP residents, youth, community associations, and not-for-profits.

The airshow is set to feature numerous acts both in the skies and on the ground, and airshow Director of Social Media and Advertising, Devon Potter says the event will have something for everyone.

“We are thrilled to bring our residents a show like no other. The Airshow will feature performances from Geronimo Skydiving Team, Insanity Jet Car, Undaunted Airshows, and many more world-class performers,” she says. “The event will have something for everyone with many non-flying acts including A-10’s and F-22 jets, and activities the whole family can enjoy including a freestyle motocross show, bouncy castles, food trucks, and a market.”

Additionally, 2024 marks the 100th year of service for the Royal Canadian Air Force, which event organizers say will make the airshow’s return an exciting way to celebrate and learn about the RCAF.

Early Bird tickets are on sale online until June 30th on the Grande Prairie Regional Airshow’s website.

Construction season is officially underway in Grande Prairie after the announcement of several projects to continue throughout the summer.

Most recently, the City of Grande Prairie announced Phase Two of the 116th Avenue construction project will begin on May 27th.

Crediting the success of Phase One which took place last June, city officials say they are “pleased to move forward” with the project. The next phase will see a heavy focus on the stretch between 102nd Street and 100th Street, with an estimated completion date sometime in September 2024.

“These upgrades will significantly improve the roadway’s safety, traffic flow, and longevity between 102 Street and 100 Street,” Capital Construction Supervisor Mark Hoseasson says. “We appreciate the community’s patience and cooperation during this work and encourage everyone to remain attentive to signs and detours for a safe and successful project.”

The second phase will see underground storm replacements, traffic signal upgrades on 102nd Street and 116th Avenue, asphalt milling, and paving/line marking.

As a result of the project, single-lane traffic will be in place on 116th Avenue for the duration of the construction period, and temporary closures of the intersections between 102nd Street and 116th Avenue and 100th Street and 116th Avenue.

Additionally, transit routes four, five, seven, and eight will be affected seeing stops relocated and rerouted.

The city says commuters are “strongly encouraged” to follow all posted signs and detours to minimize confusion and navigate the area safely.

The Fairview Health Complex Emergency Department will be without physician coverage for 48 hours this week.

From 7:00 a.m. May 21st to 7:00 a.m. May 23rd, the ED will not have an onsite physician due to the inability to secure coverage.

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.

There were 12 accidental fatal drug poisonings reported between December of 2023 and February of 2024 in Grande Prairie.

According to the Alberta Substance Use Surveillance System, in the last month of 2023, there were five accidental drug poisonings reported, one more than the number of poisonings reported in November and the four reported in December of 2022. All five incidents were reportedly connected to non-pharmaceutical opioids. The entirety of 2023, saw 37 accidental drug poisoning fatalities reported in Grande Prairie. While the number of drug poisonings reported across the province over the 365 days was 1,813.

In the first two months of 2024, there was a total of seven accidental drug poisonings reported across Grande Prairie, three reported in January and four reported in February. All seven incidents were connected to non-pharmaceutical opioids.

Across Alberta, there were 124 reported deaths reported in the first month of 2024 and 109 accidental deaths reported in February.

A frost advisory is now in place for the GP surrounding area. Environment Canada is advising people to cover up plants, especially those in frost-prone areas.
Frost advisories are issued when temperatures are expected to reach the freezing mark during the growing season, leading to potential damage and destruction to plants and crops.

Both the city and County of Grande Prairie have downgraded a fire ban to a fire restriction across the region as of Friday. The advisory will be in place for the entire city and county, along with the towns of Beaverlodge, Sexsmith and Wembley.

“It’s vital that everyone follows the fire restriction to help keep your property and our community safe,” said City of Grande Prairie Deputy Chief of Fire Operations, Mike Anderson. “We urge residents to exercise extreme caution with any fire at this time and never leave a fire unattended.”

Fire permits will be available again as of 1 p.m. Friday, but will be restricted to approved recreational fire pits, approved burn barrels and propane fired appliances like barbecues, smokers, and fire pits.

Anyone with an approved permit must follow permit guidelines and safe burning practices, including always remaining on site until the burning is complete. Everyone is reminded that burning is never permitted when winds reach, or are forecasted to reach, 12 km per hour or higher.