The Grande Prairie RCMP is asking for help from the public in finding a missing 17-year-old girl.

Aielah Smith-Auger was last seen on April 4th in Grande Prairie. Police have expressed concern for her wellbeing and whereabouts.

Aielah is described as having a medium complexion, standing five feet five inches tall, with black hair and brown eyes.

Anyone with information regarding Aielah’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Grande Prairie RCMP at (780)-830-5700 or anonymously through Crime Stoppers.

The Beaverlodge Municipal Hospital Emergency Department will be temporarily without on-site physician coverage between 8:00 a.m. April 8th to 8:00 a.m. April 9th.

AHS says nursing staff will remain in the ED to provide triage, assessments, and referrals for patients to alternate emergency departments in the region.

EMS and 9-1-1 remain available to the community and residents are reminded to contact Health Link at 3-1-1 for 24/7 non-emergency health-related questions.

Additionally, patients seeking care at the Beaverlodge ED may be able to find support at local pharmacies.

The Grande Prairie Coffee Club celebrated its sixth anniversary at the end of March with a celebration at Teresa Sargent Hall.

Partygoers included members, friends and family, caregivers, and support staff. Long-time member and Lead Facilitator of the Coffee Club Soleil Molloy says the six-year mark is quite meaningful to her, and everyone involved as it represents the continued growth of the organization.

“I’m just fortunate to always have been a part of it,” she says. “We emerged from a small study room to one of the training rooms to now, Coffee Club is held in the Teresa Sargent Hall twice a month and we’ve seen upwards of 80 to 120 people.”

Molloy says Coffee Club started as a way for adults living with disabilities to connect with one another in a social setting. She says the comradery that members find in the club is “extremely beneficial” as a lack of social opportunities was a significant problem in Grande Prairie before the club’s inception.

“We’re all about community inclusion, making friendships, and natural connections, it’s been really lovely the result of coffee club, now I have 80 to 100 friends that I’ve met with my time at the coffee club and it’s nice for us all to keep an extra eye out for each other in the community,” she says. “Reflecting back on the six years, it’s really been a fun time getting to meet lots of new people, seeing all kinds of different successes, getting to know people’s families, and from that as well, we’ve been able to initiate some different types of programming.”

The club has continued to grow, and more opportunities such as summer barbecues and adult-friendly dances are scheduled throughout the year.

Following the distribution of Transitional Funding Support Payments to family and rural physician practices from AHS, many Alberta Medical Association members have expressed “extreme” concern regarding their eligibility to receive funding.

According to AMA President Dr. Paul Parks, payments are not available to family or rural generalist practices that support under 500 patients.

The province recently announced that 3,000 family doctors around Alberta will be eligible to receive funding between $24,000 and $40,000 based on the number of patients their practices serve.

As a result, numerous rural family practices will continue to struggle, and Dr. Parks says the AMA will continue to advocate for smaller practices to receive funding from the provincial government.

“Despite our best efforts, we could not persuade the government to lower the threshold for eligibility, this was their decision,” he says. “Our advocacy continues and it has never been more important to communicate that the urgency is still real.”

Parks says the AMA remains hopeful that TFP payments will “buy some time” for some physicians; however, he says it is “urgent” for the province to consider following up with long-term, sustainable payment options for care through the Physician Comprehensive Care Model.

“We have to live with the structure of the TFP and it will have a variable impact as a one-time payment,” he says. “The long-term PCCM is a very different matter, and it will be critically important that we get things right.”

The AMA is asking family or rural physicians who were excluded from the TFP to reach out and share how practices and patients may be impacted through email, to receive input from the AMA.

The County of Grande Prairie is encouraging livestock owners to be mindful of the county’s Livestock Emergency Response Plan ahead of the anticipated 2024 wildfire season.

According to the county, livestock owners must consider wildfires, floods, motor vehicle incidents, and other disaster scenarios heading into the warm season, and the plan adds to the existing Emergency Preparedness plan with an emphasis on domestic animals.

Livestock owners in the county are asked to register animals and equipment to help the county respond during an emergency by giving crews a better understanding of the resources required to allocate during a disaster.

“The type, location, and timing of the incident will determine how we use the plan,” the county says.

Officials say one of the “most important” factors for emergency responders is knowing the exact amount of domestic animals in a location and how many residents will need assistance such as transportation and feeding.

The county says there is no minimum livestock requirement to join the program and registration is not strictly limited to cattle producers and is open to all residents with domestic animals of any kind.

Interested residents can register online on the county’s website.

UPDATE: According to Grande Prairie RCMP Kali Jenkins-Thomas has been located safe. Officials are thanking the public for their help.

Grande Prairie RCMP are turning to the public for assistance in locating Kali Jenkins-Thomas.

According to police, the 16-year-old was last seen on Thursday, April 4th. Police say that it is believed Jenkins-Thomas may frequent the Muskoseepi Park area.

She is described as 5’5″, weighing roughly 130 pounds, with a medium complexion and black hair with brown eyes.

Officials are concerned for her well-being and are asking anyone who has any information about where Jenkins-Thomas is to contact Grande Prairie RCMP or Crime Stoppers.

UPDATE: The Grande Prairie RCMP says 12-year-old Kalli McDonald has been found safe.

The public is being asked for their help locating a missing 12-year-old who was last seen on Wednesday. April 3rd.

According to Grande Prairie RCMP Kalli McDonald is described as being 5’3″ and weighing roughly 122 pounds with brown eyes and hair and a medium complexion.

According to police they are concerned for her well-being. Anyone with information about where McDonald is is asked to contact RCMP or Crime Stoppers.

The MD of Greenview has partnered with the United Way to host a “poverty simulation” to give residents the opportunity to further their understanding of the effects poverty has on the MD’s communities.

According to the MD, the simulation will function as a roleplaying experience where participants are given a family role to play one of 26 fictional low-income families. Experiences range from single parents with one small child to seniors on government supports.

The MD says the “ultimate mission” of the experience is to showcase the challenges low-income families can face when trying to provide food, shelter, and other basic needs with a limited income.

Participants can expect a range of encounters, obstacles, and challenges, all while volunteers act as business owners, teachers, police officers, and service providers.

While the simulation replicates a full month in the life of a family living under the poverty line, the entire experience will only take a few hours.

The simulation is scheduled from 1:30 to 4:00 p.m. on May 13th at the Valleyview Memorial Hall, and is free to attend. Interested residents can register online on the MD of Greenview’s website.

The upcoming solar eclipse on April 8th continues to be front of mind for much of the East Coast, and many Albertans have been left wondering what it could mean for them.

Bill Archer, a Mission Solar Terrestrial Scientist for the Canadian Space Agency says while the sky might seem to be falling in the east, Alberta residents may have to wait for the next one.

Archer says Grande Prairie’s astronomy enthusiasts might remember the more recent solar eclipses that passed through the area in 2017 and 2023, but this year won’t be quite as extravagant.

“Grande Prairie and Calgary would see a similar sort of thing, we talk a lot about what percentage of the sun is going to get covered by the moon in a given spot,” he says. “For context in 2017, Calgary saw 75 per cent coverage whereas Grande Prairie saw 70, so it’s similar, and compared to 2023 Calgary saw 60 per cent coverage and Grande Prairie saw 55.”

Archer says all hope is not lost for residents who wish to see the phenomenon, however. He says residents can hope to see around 15 per cent coverage during this event, but residents who want to see more should consider heading south to get a better view.

“The farther south you go, you’ll see more but not much more so it should be around 25 per cent in Southern Alberta.”

Astronomy buffs in Grande Prairie can still get a chance to see some of the effects of the eclipse though, and Archer says those who choose to participate should be mindful of some safety precautions, necessary to protect viewers from the harsh sunlight.

“For anybody who’s particularly enthusiastic they can set themselves up with equipment and take a look and they will be able to see something,” he says. “If you’ve got eclipse glasses and you’re looking at the right time you will see some effect, a little bit of a bite taken out of the sun, eclipse glasses are the number one, please take care of your eyes, but we often talk about using a pinhole camera or make a simple version of a pinhole camera by making a small hole in a piece of paper and let the light pass through that way and you’ll get a little image of the sun on the ground as the light passes through.”

Archer says the entire event will be a roughly two-hour long spectacle between noon and 1:30 p.m. but the best time to catch a glimpse in Grande Prairie is in the “early afternoon.”

“A lot of that will just be a little sliver taken out of the sun so the real focus will be around 12:40 p.m. or early afternoon will be the best time to see it,” he says.

Despite missing out on the total eclipse this year, Archer says good things will come to those who wait in Alberta. He says eager stargazers should look ahead to August 2044, when a total eclipse is on track to pass directly through Alberta in the evening, which should create quite a spectacle for those watching.

“20 years from now, it’s a bit in the future, but honestly there’s going to be quite a spectacular eclipse that really all of Alberta will be able to see,” he says. “You’re going to get a really neat effect just a couple of hands above the horizon, and you’re going to have a total solar eclipse.”

According to officials, the best viewing opportunity in Alberta for this year’s eclipse will be in the south near Lethbridge, Taber, and Medicine Hat when the sun reaches nearly 30 per cent coverage on April 8th in the early afternoon.

The City of Grande Prairie has opened up applications for dust suppression for residents with properties next to gravel roads.

Residents in rural service areas can apply for dust suppression and control treatment on gravel road sections of at least 100 metres, and the application fee is $440 for residential and $660 for commercial per 100 metres.

City officials say dust suppression is a critical part of Spring road maintenance improves visibility and can “significantly boost air quality” through the use of a calcium chloride treatment throughout the city on an as-needed basis in the spring and summer to reduce gravel dust.

Additionally, the city says “every effort” is taken to ensure treatments are successful; however, the dust control agent’s effectiveness “cannot be guaranteed” and depends on factors such as weather and refunds will not be issued once a treatment has been applied.

Interested residents can apply for dust suppression on the city’s website and anyone with additional questions is asked to contact 3-1-1.

As the warm season approaches, the City of Grande Prairie has released a reminder for residents to be mindful when using public trails and bike paths in the summer.

According to the city’s Parkland Bylaw which addresses permitted “wheeled conveyances” in public areas, both manual and electric bicycles, skateboards, scooters, inline skates and rollerblades, and other mobility devices like wheelchairs are welcome in parks when used responsibly.

Vehicles “designed for road traffic” such as Vespa scooters, golf carts, and any gas or diesel-powered vehicles like ATVs, dirt bikes, and skidoos are prohibited due to the city’s commitment to ensuring the “safety and enjoyment” for all park users.

Managing Director of Enforcement Services for the City of Grande Prairie, Helen Napier adds that sharing the trails should be top of mind for those who choose to use a permitted vehicle on city trails.

“Whether you’re on a bike, a skateboard, or enjoying a peaceful walk, remember to share the space respectfully and abide by the rules set forth for everyone’s benefit,” she says.

Residents with additional questions are asked to visit the city’s bylaw webpage for a fulsome list of guidelines regarding trail use.

The “Hat-tastic” 40+ Parade for women will see women over 40 in Grande Prairie, marching in solidarity with one another to address the issue of “social invisibility” for middle-aged women in modern life.

Event organizer Larysa Naser says the parade is dedicated to the empowerment of women over the age of 40, who struggle to find their voice in society. She says the parade marks a statement of visibility and support.

“I thought that if we meet all together and walk in the center of the city, we can support each other and we can address the problem,” she says.

Parade attendees are asked to gather at the intersection of 100th Avenue and 99th Street and wear their favourite hats as a symbol of unity. Naser says the hats are more than just a fashion symbol however, she says the hats represent the “vibrant lives” of women over 40.

“It’s to get our voice out, and to make it more fun I thought it would be cool if all of us wore hats to show off, to say we are visible, we are here.”

The event is free to attend, and the walk is scheduled for June 8th from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Grande Prairie’s Resource Centre for Suicide Prevention has partnered with Northwestern Polytechnic to hold the 2024 Mental Health Summit to promote mental wellness in trades, industry, and agriculture.

Tracy Golnick, Director of Men’s Mental Health at the RCSP says the two-day conference will feature breakout sessions and training opportunities for employers to address mental health in the workplace. She says the “unfortunate truth” is mental health is rarely spoken about in the trades and agricultural industry.

“I think it’s really important in any workplace,” she says. “When we look at trades and industry and agriculture, they’re traditionally workplaces that don’t have a lot of conversations around mental health, yet they experience some pretty significant stressors when it comes to their mental wellbeing.”

According to Golnick, the goal of the summit is to create conversations in spaces that need them the most and address key issues surrounding the stigma of mental health in those industries.

“It’s kind of a first of its kind in Canada, there’s a lot of mental health conferences in workplaces but not specific to the trades industry and ag,” she says. “How do we go into some tough workspaces, talk about mental health, how do we support companies in their mental health strategies, how do we beef it up, how do we build more skills.”

Golnick says the RCSP is hoping to see around 200 attendees at the event and interested individuals can register online on the RCSP’s website.

The City of Grande Prairie’s annual City Scrub event is back and residents are invited to clean up their community, clear away, and properly dispose of winter debris and litter.

Between April 2nd and 30th, residents are encouraged to spend 20 minutes picking up litter in parks and around their neighbourhood. After collection, litter can be disposed of in curbside garbage carts alongside regular household waste.

Grande Prairie Mayor Jackie Clayton says the City Scrub event provides residents with the chance to foster pride in their communities and ensure the city is clean and free of litter as we head into the warm season.

“Join us in making a positive impact by dedicating just 20 minutes to beautifying our parks and neighborhoods,” she says.

The city is providing free cleaning supplies during the event such as garbage bags and gloves to assist residents in their efforts. Supplies can be picked up at City Hall, Muskoseepi Park, Eastlink Centre, the Grande Prairie Museum, and the City Service Centre.

Large groups can coordinate a supply pickup with the city via email, and additional safety tips are available on the city’s website.

The City of Grande Prairie and the Grande Prairie Police Commission have announced the official swearing-in date for GPPS Chief Dwayne Lakusta.

On April 19th in the Teresa Sargent Hall at Montrose Cultural Centre at 2:00 p.m. Chief Dwayne Lakusta will take an Oath of Allegiance and Office, signifying his dedication to the city and it’s new police force in front of provincial dignitaries and members of the public.

Lakusta assumed the role of Chief of Police on August 28th last year, and made history as the GPPS’ first chief and the first inaugural municipal police chief in the province in nearly 70 years, as the installation of the GPPS marks the first Alberta municipal police service to be established since 1956.

The occasion will be livestreamed on the City of Grande Prairie’s Facebook page for residents unable to attend in person and the city says Chief Lakusta will be available to meet with and speak to attendees following the ceremony.

After what many are calling an unprecedented wildfire season last year, a welcome donation came to the County of Grande Prairie Fire Service from the GlobalMedic and GlobalFire charity service.

The Toronto-based charity responded to the call from numerous communities that were affected by last year’s wildfires by distributing 60 fire skids to communities in need.

According to the county, three new fire skids will be utilized by the fire service during the upcoming wildfire season to assist crews in their efforts to keep communities safe during the summer months.

GlobalFire says each skid includes a water tank, pump, and hose to mount on the back of a pickup truck to open up more opportunities to extinguish flames in hard-to-reach areas before they burn out of control.

“Last year we were faced with extraordinary challenges during our wildfire season, and having these pieces of equipment will greatly enable our department’s increased capability to combat these fires in the coming seasons,” a county fire official says. “We’ll be using those in the coming weeks and months and they couldn’t have come at a better time,” another says.

According to the Government of Alberta, nine wildfires have been reported in the Grande Prairie Forest Area since January 1st of this year, with an additional five carryover fires from the 2023 wildfire season; however, the province says all carryover fires are listed as “under control” and are actively being monitored by firefighters.

Northwestern Polytechnic has added an additional program to its career-focused education stream in a continued effort to promote local employment opportunities in the Peace Region.

Beginning in Fall 2024, students with an interest in the water resources industry will be able to complete a 12-month Water and Wastewater Technician certificate.

NWP CEO Dr. Vanessa Sheane says the implementation of the certificate is prudent as the post-secondary continues to localize in-demand education opportunities at a local level.

“This new program is yet another example of NWP’s commitment to advanced technical education that meets the needs of our region and produces knowledgeable and skilled graduates who can add value,” she says.

The program will work closely with Aquatera to develop “Level one and two” Water and Wastewater Technicians who will be trained to monitor and operate essential water control systems.

Additionally, through their collaboration with NWP, Aquatera has announced their support for a program-specific scholarship fund for operator training.

The new program will be the second of its kind offered in Alberta, which NWP says will bridge the gap between students and potential employers at a local level.

National Volunteer Week is approaching fast and the Grande Prairie Regional Association of Volunteer Organizations has announced a series of activities and partnerships to celebrate.

From April 14th to the 20th, GPRAVO and a variety of partners will host a number of new and returning activities such as Celebration Cup party favours, the “Meet Me at the Mall” event, gifts from Pizza Hut, and workshops to elevate the celebration.

Member agencies are invited to collect a Celebration Cup from GPRAVO’s office which are filled with party favours, and a list of activities to enhance celebrations around the city.

The Meet Me at the Mall event is scheduled to take place between April 16th and 19th, and mall patrons can visit the community booth where different GPRAVO entities will showcase their offerings and celebrate the spirit of volunteerism.

Organizations are encouraged to share their events for the week with GPRAVO and on social media using @VolunteerGP and #NVW2024 to spread the word.

A municipal census will be conducted by the City of Grande Prairie from May 1st to June 30th.

According to the city, the primary purpose of the project is to come up with a set population count of residents in the city, which helps provide a baseline for calculating provincial grants based on per capita.

Speculation surrounding the current population of the city has been widespread in past years, and the city says as a growing municipality, the updated population count will help ensure appropriate funding from the province, aid in the local planning process for services, and attract new development projects.

The most recent population count took place in 2021, and Statistics Canada reported a population of around 64,000 residents while the Alberta Regional Dashboard estimates a population of around 67,000 people in 2022, making the city the ninth most populated in the province.

The city will be counting residents in one of three ways- door-to-door, over the phone via 3-1-1, or online.

PIN cards will be delivered to residents beginning on May 1st and each card will have a unique PIN residents can use to complete online. Residents who complete their census early will be entered to win one of two $500 grocery gift cards.

Census workers will come door-to-door between May 26th and June 30th to assist anyone who has not completed the census online.

Additionally, the city is currently hiring Census Enumerators for the 2024 census, and interested residents are encouraged to apply on the city’s website.