Numerous city transit stops will be closed due to road construction as part of the city’s annual roadway improvements in May.

As of May 13th, transit stops 808, 836, and 838 will be closed while construction is underway, with an anticipated completion date sometime in “early June.”

In addition to transit stops, drivers can expect one-lane alternating traffic zones throughout the city. Officials are urging caution among commuters and are reminding drivers to pay attention to directional signage to minimize traffic disruptions.

Temporary closures and detours will be implemented and alternative routes will be in place to ensure safe navigation through the affected areas.

In an effort to minimize disruptions to travel plans, temporary stops will be provided by the city.

Residents are encouraged to visit the City Transit page for updates as the situation changes, log into the On Demand app to schedule rides, and utilize the “Where’s My Ride” bus tracker in the app for real-time bus locations.

Additional assistance for trip planning is available at 3-1-1.

The Fairview Health Complex Emergency Department will be without physician coverage several times between May 13th and 18th.

The Fairview ED will not have on-site physician coverage from 7:00 a.m. May 13th to 7:00 a.m. May 15th, and 7:00 a.m. May 17th to 7:00 a.m. May 18th.

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.

Alberta Wildfire conducted an overnight operation with a night vision helicopter the evening of May 12th from 9:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. to assess hotspots in the Teepee Creek wildfire.

Officials say a wildfire crew, municipal firefighters, and heavy equipment worked through the night on hotspots identified by the helicopter. As a result, no new fire growth has been reported and a 100 foot wet line is being established to reinforce the guard.

This morning, the County of GRande Prairie confirmed crews made “good progress” overnight after completing 100 per cent of the fire guard.

Structural protection on the homes and cabins in the area continued and mop-up operations are underway. The county adds that no structures have been damaged or lost.

Yesterday’s weather conditions are described as “cooperative” leading to favourable fire behavior. Air support will continue throughout the day to provide additional support to the firefighting efforts.

The evacuation order for Kleskun Creek North to Township Road 742 and the Riverstone Golf Course remains in effect and RCMP officers are actively enforcing the order.

The Grande Prairie RCMP is looking to the public to identify and locate a suspect involved in an alleged theft that occurred at a local business on May 3rd.

According to police, members of the RCMP were advised of a theft that occurred at the Grande Prairie Best Buy. An officer attended the scene and obtained video footage which revealed a male in a red jacket stealing an e-scooter valued at $1,169, and loading it into the back of a “newer” black GMC Sierra whose licence plate was removed.

As a result, investigators have turned to the public for assistance in identifying the suspect. Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to contact the Grande Prairie RCMP at (780)-830-5700 or anonymously through Crime Stoppers.

Alberta Wildfire will be in the skies tonight operating a night vision helicopter between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 a.m. as they continue operating on the wildfire near Teepee Creek.

Alongside the night vision helicopter, a wildfire crew, municipal firefighters, and heavy equipment will be operating to secure the perimeter hotspots.

Crews have completed 90 per cent of the fire guard around the perimeter of the blaze and additional crews and equipment from the MD of Greenview, the City of Grande Prairie, the MD of Smoky River, Big Lakes County, and the Town of Slave Lake will continue operating overnight.

Additionally, 20 pieces of heavy equipment, four helicopters, and approximately 80 firefighters along with eight fire engines, three fire tenders, seven commercial water trucks, two structural protection units, and two command vehicles will be supporting firefighting efforts.

Fire growth throughout the day is described as “limited” in the north and west of the fire, and officials credit the “cooperative” weather with the progress made in those areas. Air tankers and helicopters took the fight to the air today as a result of increased visibility.

No structures have been damaged and fire suppression near the at-risk homes is being provided.

The evacuation order remains in effect for the areas of Kleskun Creek North to Township Road 742 and the Riverstone Golf Course. Residents who need to access their properties must contact the call centre at 1-825-606-5166 between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. to obtain a permit.

The areas of Township Road 744 to 750 and Range Road 32, Township Road 744 to 730, and Range Road 32 remain under evacuation alert, but no order has been called so far.

In Valhalla, the wildfire is listed as being held at 100 hectares in size. Officials describe today as a ” good firefighting day for Alberta Wildfire” after crews managed to secure the perimeter completely and are now working to extinguish the fire.

More than 20 firefighters have begun working with pump and hose, hand tools, and a bucketing helicopter to extinguish hotspots within the perimeter’s boundaries.

The County of Grande Prairie is describing the fire crews operating on the Teepee Creek wildfire as having made “good progress” after completing 80 per cent of the fire guard around the perimeter of the blaze.

Additional crews and equipment from Alberta Wildfire, the MD of Greenview, the City of Grande Prairie, the MD of Smoky River, Big Lakes County, the Town of Slave Lake, arrived to support operations both in the air and on the ground.

Currently, twenty pieces of heavy equipment, four helicopters, and approximately 80 firefighters are on scene to continue the fight today. Additionally, eight fire engines, three fire tenders, seven commercial water trucks, two structural protection units and two command vehicles from municipalities and mutual aid resources are working on the fire.

Officials say limited growth came yesterday in the north and west of the fire due to good conditions and containment has been a success so far. High winds are forecasted throughout the rest of the day; however, air tankers and helicopters have been deployed to take advantage of increased visibility.

While fire suppression is being provided to homes near the fire, no structures have been reported to be lost as of 2:00 p.m. on May 12th.

The evacuation order remains in effect for the areas of Kleskun Creek North to Township Road 742 and the Riverstone Golf Course and is being “actively enforced” by the RCMP.

The areas of Township Road 744 to 750 and Range Road 32, and Township Road 744 to 730 and Range Road 32 remain on evacuation alert, but no order has been implemented thus far.

In Valhalla, the blaze burning near the town was listed as “being held” yesterday at 100 hectares in size when it was last measured. County crews are scheduled to scale back operations, leaving Alberta Wildfire to continue mopping-up.

The wildfire burning near North Goodwin in the MD of Greenview experienced scattered rain showers overnight, clearing up the skies and allowing crews to deploy helicopters with buckets.

According to the MD of Greenview, AB Forestry deployed bucketing helicopters and is actively identifying targets for tankers to take advantage of the favourable conditions and increased visibility.

Officials say “significant progress” has been made after a dozer guard was established around much of the fire’s perimeter.

Steep terrain in the north and northwest of the blaze has proven to be a challenge for crews; however, efforts will continue today. The MD adds that a dedicated unit crew was active in the area overnight and additional firefighters arrived this morning to assist with operations focused on the west side of the Smoky River to set up agricultural fire guards.

Residents operating recreational drones near the wildfire have interfered with firefighting efforts and the MD is urging all residents to avoid the area. The MD is reminding residents that flying drones near any active wildfire is illegal and poses serious risks to ground and arial firefighters.

Fire crews operating on the wildfire near Teepee Creek have completed a fire guard on the south side of the blaze, bringing the total fire guard to 80 per cent completion. County officials say additional resources and heavy equipment are on scene from Alberta Wildfire on Sunday, and with high winds forecasted later today, air tankers will be potentially mobilized this morning to support fire fighting efforts.

Despite this, fire remains classified as out of control at 1,382 hectares in size. Structural protection for the three homes and two cabins in the area remains a top priority for crews, and so far, no structures have been damaged.

The evacuation order remains in place for Kleskun Creek North to Township Road 742 and the Riverstone Golf Course. Additionally, residents in the areas of Township Road 744 to 750 and Range Road 32, and Township Road 744 to 730 and Range Road 32 are on evacuation alert; however, no evacuation order has been implemented so far.

In Valhalla, County, and Alberta Wildfire crews are continuing the battle against a wildfire 13 kilometres northwest of the hamlet.

The blaze near Valhalla is considered “being held” at 100 hectares in size with a dozer guard surrounding the perimeter. As a result, County crews are set to pull back operations in the morning and Alberta Wildfire will continue the mopping-up process.

The County of Grande Prairie is emphasizing the importance of staying away from the evacuation zone due to the ongoing wildfire situation in the area.

The county remains in a state of local emergency and all evacuation orders and alerts are enforced under the Emergency Management Act. As a result, officials say returning home is “strictly prohibited” until authorities confirm the area is safe.

Additionally, county authorities say re-entry to the evacuation zone poses a significant risk for not only those returning but compromises the integrity of the volunteer Search and Rescue teams and Emergency Response teams operating in the area and if re-entry persists, emergency responders will be “forced to pull back operations.”

Evacuees who require temporary access to their homes can call 1-825-606-5166 to determine if their need is considered legitimate and whether it is safe to proceed.

The wildfire in the MD of Greenview travelled 12.8 kilometres eastward on May 10th and now stands approximately 1 kilometer on the other side of the river in the area of North Goodwin.

Officials say the fire has not reached farmland and is currently in the valley. Residents in the area are urged to stay alert and up to date on wildfire updates on the MD of Greenview’s website.

Residents are also encouraged to sign up for the MD’s Voyent Alert system to receive updates from authorities regarding emergencies throughout the MD.

The MD adds that much of the smoke in the area is coming from wildfires in Northern British Columbia.

The National Aboriginal Hockey Championships’ Bronze medal games originally scheduled for May 11th have been canceled due to the ongoing wildfires in the Peace Region.

Both the males and females from Team Manitoba and Team British Columbia were originally set to face off at 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. respectively, at Design Works Centre.

Despite the cancellation, the females from Team Alberta and Team Ontario and the males from Team Ontario and Team Saskatchewan are scheduled to compete for the gold medal at Design Works at 4:00 p.m. for the men and 7:00 p.m. for the ladies.

Eastlink Centre’s aquatics area has been closed until further notice due to unsafe air quality throughout the City of Grande Prairie.

Smoke from the ongoing wildfire situation in the county has elevated the city’s air quality outside of safe conditions leading to the closure for the sake of the health and safety of patrons and staff.

As a result of the closure, all bookings and drop-in usage has been cancelled and the city says staff will continue monitoring air quality and will provide an update when the aquatics area is deemed safe enough to reopen.

Fire crews are continuing to operate on wildfire four kilometres east of Teepee Creek.

The blaze now stands at 1,382 hectares in size and is considered out of control. Structural protection is being done on three homes and crews have begun working on other assets in the area. So far no structures have been damaged.

County and Alberta Wildfire crews have responded with heavy equipment and ground crews are building fire guards. Crews and heavy equipment are on the ground and will prioritize limiting the spread of the north and south flank of the flames.

Fire behaviour is expected to be active today; however, officials say conditions are more favourable and spread rates will be “significantly” lessened due to the lack of wind.

The evacuation order remains in place for Kleskun Creek North to Township Road 742 and the Riverstone Golf Course. Additionally, the areas of Township Road 744 to 750 and Range Road 32, and Township Road 744 to 730 and Range Road 32 are on alert for possible evacuation.

In Valhalla, county crews are assisting Alberta Wildfire in the fight against a wildfire 13 kilometres northwest of the town. The blaze is still considered out of control at 90 hectares in size. Officials have confirmed heavy equipment has been released and the fire guard was completed overnight.

Crews and heavy equipment remain on the ground to suppress the fire on the surface and will hold the perimeter while winds are favourable.

According to Alberta Wildfire, the use of helicopters and air tankers will be limited due to smoke in the area reducing visibility.

Fire crews from the County of Grande Prairie battled against a still out of control fire approximately 4 kilometres east of Teepee Creek throughout the night, with officials saying progress has been made on getting the fire contained.

Officials say the fire crews have established a perimeter on approximately 40 percent of the fire in the county and have completed structural protection on three homes in the area.

As of Saturday morning, no structures have been damaged. County of Grande Prairie and Alberta Wildfire crews are responding will helicopters bucketing and heavy equipment building fire guards.

An Alberta Emergency Alert and evacuation order remains in place for residents from Kleskun Creek North to Township Road 742 and the Riverstone Golf Course. Meanwhile, an evacuation alert also remains in place for those living on or near Township Road 744 to 750 and Township Road 744 to 730 and Range Road 32.

The blaze northwest of Valhalla Centre fire also continues to get attention from fire crews on Saturday. County officials say the the 90 hectare blaze will be met by crews and heavy equipment on the ground suppressing surface fires and holding the current perimeter while windy conditions are less prominent.

The MD of Greenview has issued an evacuation order for all residents in the North Goodwin area, including everyone
west of Range Road 21 between Township Road 734 and Township Road 741.

A wildfire remains burning out of control west of Range Road 21 between Township Road 734 and Township 741. Anyone in the area is required to evacuate to the Paradise Inn located at 3609 Highway Street in Valleyview. Residents are urged to bring pets, important documents and medication, enough food, water and supplies for at least three days.

Smoke from wildfires in northeastern BC is billowing into the region and has prompted a special air quality statement from Environment Canada.

The national climate and meteorological organization says while smoke concentrations can fluctuate over short distances and vary considerably from hour to hour, conditions are expected to improve marginally by late Saturday morning, but could quickly worsen again Saturday night in some areas.

Wildfire smoke can be harmful to everyone’s health even at low concentrations, and anyone with pre-existing lung, or heart conditions, children, pregnant people, and people who work outdoors are at higher risk of experiencing health effects caused by wildfire smoke.

People in the region are being urged to reduce their activity level if breathing becomes uncomfortable or you or someone in your care feel unwell. Contact your health care provider or local health authority if you develop severe symptoms or need advice.

Fires are raging on in the areas of Valhalla and near Teepee Creek in the County of Grande Prairie, leading to the evacuation of 17 homes as of the evening of May 10th.

County Fire Chief Trevor Grant says the fire near Teepee Creek is still burning “substantially” at around 400 hectares in size, leading to the evacuation of more than a dozen homes and another 90 being placed on alert.

“We’re really focusing on doing structural protection, protecting any homes that may be in the area and making sure that we have people out of the way,” he says.

Unfavourable wind conditions have presented a challenge to the crews on scene and Chief Grant says containment and structure protection is a high priority for his crews.

“It’s still exhibiting extreme fire behaviour, we’re just trying to do some containment on the sides, but we just can’t get in front of it because of the extreme fire behaviour,” he says. “Today’s burning conditions were really extreme, the winds were gusting in that 70 kilometre per hour range, it was definitely pushing it.”

In Valhalla, the blaze was last measured at approximately 130 hectares in size and dozers and wet lines have been deployed with a focus on establishing a perimeter and protecting homes around the flames.

“I don’t think we’ve seen any significant growth in the last two hours,” Grant says.

The Fire Chief adds that weather conditions are not looking favourable for crews throughout the weekend with continued hot, dry weather on the 11th.

“The weather conditions tomorrow are looking very similar to today, not quite as extreme winds but everything is just so dry it’s going to be a challenge for our firefighters for sure.”

Chief Grant says he is urging all residents to remain mindful of any activities that could lead to a spark as the region remains quite dry, and is reminding all residents that a fire ban is still in place for the region.

UPDATE: In addition to the areas affected by the evacuation order, the County of Grande Prairie has placed residents from Township Road 744 to 750 and Township Road 744 to 730 and Range Road 32 on evacuation alert. No immediate evacuation is required at this time. 

The county adds that anyone in the area is urged to prepare for a possible evacuation by fueling up vehicles, gathering pets, important documents, medications, and enough food and water to be away from home for “at least” seven days. 

An Alberta Emergency Alert and evacuation order has been issued for County residents from Kleskun Creek North to Township Road 742 and the Riverstone Golf Course due to the wildfire burning four kilometres east of Teepee Creek.

Every resident from Township Road 734 and Range Road 32 is required to evacuate immediately.

Residents are asked to travel North to Township Road 742 and West onto Highway 733.

All evacuees must register with a form of identification at the Pomeroy Hotel in the City of Grande Prairie and are asked to visit the GPREP website for additional updates.

A new signage project is underway in Peace River in an effort to streamline navigation in the municipality.

According to the Town of Peace River, the municipal government is currently developing a wayfinding plan that will include the design and installation of directional signage throughout the town to make navigation easier in the community.

Director of Community Services for the Town of Peace River, Tanya Bell says the signage will “fill a gap” in the community so residents and visitors can more easily find their way to points of interest, which in turn, could be beneficial for tourism and day-to-day life in the community.

“We have so much to offer in Peace River and this project will help make sure no one misses out,” she says.

The project was funded through a $200K grant from Alberta’s Northern and Regional
Economic Development Program, matching the town’s own investment.

Officials say the project is currently underway and the implementation of signage throughout the town will begin in 2025.