Grande Prairie’s Wapiti House recently acquired the old Sunrise House facility and completed renovations to convert the facility into a sober living centre for Wapiti Community Support clients.

According to Project Lead Jared Gossen, the building was purchased in December and can support up to 10 residents who are abstaining from drugs and alcohol and can stay for up to three months.

Gossen says the centre will act as a sort of “middle-step” for clients coming out of long-term addiction counselling, or those unaffected by addiction but remain unhoused for various reasons.

“The residents there are work-ready or are awaiting a treatment program, sometimes in between detox and a treatment program,” he says. “Essentially it is the resident’s home while they require one.”

The modified duplex in the Hillside neighbourhood is staffed 24/7, and Gossen says the new facility fills a gap in the need for transitional housing in Grande Prairie.

During their stay, residents of the facility can access support from the Wapiti Community Support Association such as accessing employment services and finding affordable housing when they are ready to live independently again.

“Everyone’s care plan is specific to them, so there’s some people who’s housing instability actually has nothing to do with drugs or alcohol, they have no issue abstaining so we’re supporting them to get back into the workforce,” he says. “It’s kind of a new thing for us to be providing that almost bespoke or person-centred service for those living at the residence, but it’s definitely an underserved population group in our community.”

Operations at the new facility are currently underway, and the current residents consist of both male and female people experiencing homelessness.

The City of Grande Prairie has been awarded a $200K grant from the Forest Resource Improvement Association of Alberta to support the city’s continued wildfire mitigation efforts.

The city’s Vegetation Management Project will be implemented with the new funding and aims to reduce wildfire risk for the city, specifically the South Bear Creek corridor, and Mayor Jackie Clayton says the funding will help further wildfire mitigation in and around the city.

“We are thrilled that the City of Grande Prairie has secured this significant grant which will assist us in essential wildfire supports and prioritizing community safety,” she says.

Additionally, the city says plans to use the funding for the continued incorporation of FireSmarting and vegetation management to establish more defensible spaces to enhance wildfire safety in Grande Prairie and it’s ecosystem. Public education initiatives and “cross-training” opportunities for the city’s fire department will utilize the funding as well.

The city says the next step is to secure a forestry consultant who will lead the development of the vegetation management project.

Peace Wapiti School Division board members tried their hand at coding as part of an effort to understand what kinds of tools are being utilized in classrooms after some recent updates to the computer science curriculum for grades one to three students.

Jeannine Younger, an Education Technologist for the PWPSD says the implementation of coding has been an integral part of the new computer science program, and teaching board members alongside the students bridges the gap between the administration and the schools themselves.

“[We’re] making sure that the board understands what we’re trying to do as far as our role in education,” she says.

According to Younger, teachers can borrow robotics kits for up to three weeks in their classrooms, and even some more approachable tools such as board games that embrace the collaboration and creativity that come alongside coding.

“It’s kind of like teaching kids how to create a recipe, and following a recipe,” she says. “Coding is much more than just coding, it’s learning how to sequence, learning how to use some computational thinking, it exposes students to some creativity within their engineering and technology, it has them problem-solving and utilizing critical thinking.”

The updated science curriculum has been implemented in a number of schools across the PWSD, and Younger says the program has proven to be a success so far.

Grande Prairie City Council recently held two public engagement sessions to receive feedback during their ongoing stormwater utility bylaw discussions.

Currently, council is discussing four potential models to shift stormwater utility collection from property tax to Aquatera billing. Mayor Jackie Clayton says the showing saw a great turnout; however, it’s too early to say where council is leaning at this point.

“I was really happy to see the number of people that came out to ask questions and get more information,” she says. “In general the conversations we spoke about yesterday had a mixed response because everybody is in a unique situation, and everybody is impacted a little bit differently depending on the model.”

Mayor Clayton says the conversation will continue and will be brought back during council’s March 11th meeting.

“I think at that time council will narrow it down to one model.”

From there, Clayton says the current bylaw will be dissolved and the changes will be fine-tuned based on council’s findings before coming back for a final time on March 26th for the ultimate decision and further input from council.

“There are many nuances to it, it’s not an easy conversation to have, there’s many considerations in the models, depending on the type of property you have, whether your residential or non-residential, so I think people need to learn more about their unique situation,” she says.

Clayton says survey results and feedback gathered from public engagement will be compiled and a report will be presented to council during their next meeting.

The Grande Prairie Downtown Association presented two awards to local businesses in Grande Prairie’s downtown at their Annual General Meeting on February 28th.

The “Downtowner of the Year” Award went to local cocktail bar 92 Beverage Co. in recognition of their work bringing new life to Grande Prairie’s social scene.

The couple-owned bar boasts an urban lounge scene which the Downtown Association says fosters a sense of belonging and giving back to the community. 92 Beverage Co. has been a supporter of various initiatives such as suicide prevention and has hosted numerous events in support of Odyssey House and the Grande Prairie Friendship Centre.

The Downtown Association says the bar has become a “fixture in the downtown core” and says their enthusiasm and entrepreneurial spirit has earned them the title of Downtowner of the Year.

“In recognition of their outstanding contributions to our City Centre, the Grande Prairie Downtown Association extends its heartfelt congratulations to 92 Beverage Co, Ken and Jessica Schoepp,” the Downtown Association says.

In addition to the Downtowner of the Year award, the Downtown Association also presented the 2023 Art Ouellette Memorial Award to Piece Fabrics Co. in recognition of their dedication to their business.

The Downtown Association says Piece Fabrics Co. has demonstrated “outstanding” attention to detail in the business’ cleanliness, display, and operation and an attitude of pride in their property.

“Their commitment to excellence serves as a shining example for businesses throughout the community. Congratulations Kendra and Nathan Davis on this well-deserved honour,” the Downtown Association says.

Both award winners were recognized at the AGM and the Downtown Association says both businesses continue to contribute to Grande Prairie’s growing City Centre.

City of Grande Prairie crews are set to start residential snow clearing on Thursday

Clearing will be done in two-week rotations, following a Week A and B schedule. Crews will begin clearing the latest snowfall from communities on Tuesday, February 29th following the Week A schedule, starting in the communities of Kensington, Mission Heights, O’Brien Lake and Stone Ridge.

Snow clearing will be done from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday to Friday, and during this time residents are reminded a parking ban is in place on residential roads on the assigned plowing days or when signs indicate.

More information can be found on the city’s website.

County Assessors will begin property re-inspections around several sections of the region around the City of Grande Prairie and the Town of Sexsmith from March 1st to July 1st.

According to the county, properties are assessed on a five-year cycle to determine their estimated market value, to be used during property tax calculations.

This year, assessors are to focus on Township and Range Roads around the city of Grande Prairie and the Town of Sexsmith. Those subject to property reinspection will have already received a letter and an information request from the county in February asking residents to self-report changes to their property.

The County says three approaches will be utilized during the assessment process: Sales Comparison based on the actual sale prices of other properties sold, Cost Approach based on the cost of replacing an “equally desirable” substitute of the property, and Income Approach, based on the property’s ability to produce an income such as rentals and leasing.

Assessors will be conducting re-inspections during regular business hours and if a staff member needs to speak with a resident, the county says they will knock on front doors or leave a call-back card if a resident is not home.

The County of Grande Prairie is furthering its wildfire mitigation efforts with plans to conduct a controlled burn on February 28th.

County crews will be conducting a 10-day controlled burn to dispose of wood debris in four areas along the previously established fireguard.

The county says they completed the same permitting process required by residents, and “no special permission” was granted to complete the project. Crews will be burning at the sites for 24 hours per day, seven days per week throughout the 10-day burn permit.

During the process, officials say residents can expect some smoke throughout the region, and residents are asked to not call in any of the smoke or flames at the listed locations to fire officials as they have already been made aware.

Following the burn, crews are slated to re-evaluate the level of completion after the 10 days to determine whether weather conditions are suitable for any additional controlled burn projects.

All questions regarding the procedure are asked to be directed to the County’s Transportation and Utilities department.

The Beaverlodge Art and Culture Centre is continuing its exhibit theme of “Art is for Everyone” in March with a watercolour student showcase.

Local artist Mimi Zhang-Mackie recently held a series of three watercolour classes in 2023 and she and her students’ works will be on display until March 21st. Harmony Freeman, a BACC representative says the showcase allows students to validate their work while encouraging others to try something new.

“I came up with this idea being able to show off the student work and maybe some of the processes in the class,” she says. “I think if people actually saw the process of things they would be less intimidated and more willing to try.”

This year’s theme has already made a splash on the local art scene after last month’s NWP Art student showcase and Freeman says it’s important to continue encouraging and supporting local artists who might not have the ability to display their work in a gallery setting to show that anyone with the drive to create a piece can be successful.

“It took a little bit of arm twisting for some of these watercolour students to bring their pieces in because they really did not feel like it was up to gallery standards, but we really wanted to show them that what they did was important and it is worth showing,” she says. “People are seeing that and going- well maybe I can do this, and I think that’s really important in anything.”

Freeman adds that the exhibit has already proven to be a success as “about a half dozen” people have already signed up to be notified of when the next Mimi watercolour class is scheduled.

The exhibit is available for public viewing from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the BACC at no cost.

The MD of Greenview and the Town of Valleyview have been recognized with the 2024 Minister’s Award for Transportation Innovation from the province in recognition of their work on the Valleyview Airport Rehabilitation Project.

Valleyview CAO Ben Berlinguette says the award is quite meaningful for both partners and the airport itself, as it shows just how important the Valleyview Airport is for the town’s residents.

“This award is very prestigious for a small town,” he says.

According to Berlinguette, the majority of the airport’s users include air ambulances, and STARS helicopters, which he says can make the difference between life and death for residents experiencing significant health issues as the drive from Valleyview to Edmonton is three to four hours, while a flight can be as little as 45 minutes.

“It saves lives,” he says. “It’s fairly inefficient for ambulances to go from here to Grande Prairie, or even with the idea that someone might have a stroke to Edmonton.”

Additionally, Berlinguette says Valleyview served as a “key hub” for air transportation for fire crews during last year’s wildfire season, hosting up to 12 firefighting helicopters at once.

“We’re a key hub for helicopters in this region when there are fires this close.”

Greenview Reeve Tyler Olsen adds that the award marks a continued partnership between the MD and the town, and serves as a “testament to the power” of partnerships.

Following a heavy police presence advisory and a shelter-in-place order for some residents in Grande Prairie’s Hillside neighbourhood, the Grande Prairie RCMP has confirmed the incident was firearm related.

Investigators say on February 26th, around 12:49 p.m., members of the RCMP responded to a firearm-related complaint where threats were allegedly made. Police say they secured the scene, negotiated the peaceful arrest of the suspect, and obtained and executed a search warrant on the residence.

As a result of the search warrant, police seized a shotgun with “multiple attachments,” an airsoft gun, and various ammunition.

32-year-old Grande Prairie resident, Duncan Alexander Lougheed, was arrested and charged with two counts of allegedly possessing a firearm while prohibited, careless use of a firearm, uttering threats, and two counts of possessing a firearm without a license.

Lougheed was brought before a justice of the peace and remains in custody. He is scheduled to appear at the Alberta Court of Justice in Grande Prairie on February 28th.

County snow removal is underway around the Grande Prairie region, and crews are scheduled to continue clearing on February 28th.

Snow removal is set to move to Wedgewood, Taylor Estates, Maple Ridge, and Hythe. After completing those areas, the county says crews will move to Clairmont and La Glace residential streets.

Digital no parking signs will be placed at the entrance of the affected areas and temporary parking restrictions will be in place, banning street parking between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.

Vehicles left on the street during snow removal may be ticketed and towed. Additionally, the county is reminding residents that piling snow on roadways is illegal and could result in a $100 fine as it slows the snow-clearing process and creates safety hazards for drivers.

On the residential side, temporary parking restrictions will be introduced in neighbourhoods and communities with concrete curbs and gutters. Snow removal in rural areas and other subdivisions with ditches on the road such as Carriage Land are on a separate schedule.

After the discovery of black mould in the Peace River Regional Women’s Shelter leading to a temporary closure of the facility, the provincial government has committed a one-time payment of $400,000 to help cover remediation costs.

According to the province, the shelter receives just over $1.2 million annually from the government to operate the 24-bed women’s emergency shelter and a three-unit second-stage shelter. Officials say the three-unit shelter units were unaffected by black mould and remain open.

According to Alberta Minister of Children and Family Services, Searle Turton, a healthy relationship between the province and the shelter has been fruitful for both parties, and continuing advocacy for women’s shelters like it remain a priority for the government.

“Women’s shelters are crucial to ensuring the safety and well-being of women and children impacted by family violence,” he says. “We worked closely with Peace River Regional Women’s Shelter to make sure they have the supports and funding they need to help survivors.”

The current plan is to have emergency shelter beds reopened at the end of March, and residents of the facility have been placed in temporary accommodations in the meantime. The shelter has continued to provide crisis support and outreach services and has played an important role in finding alternate spaces for clients.

County of Grande Prairie council has approved the appointment of this year’s “fire guardians.”

According to the county, fire guardians assist with issuing fire permits which are required for all residents who wish to have an outdoor fire in the County and include fire pits, burn barrels, or incinerators. Additionally, fire guardians have been placed in charge of educating the public on safe burning practices.

A total of 34 fire guardians have been appointed this year across 10 divisions in the county including, Bezanson, Clairmont, Dunes, East of Wembley, West of Wembley, Beaverlodge, Hythe, La Glace, Sexsmith, and a forestry division.

The county is encouraging residents to remain aware of the current wildfire rating and remember to completely extinguish fires, especially while exploring crown lands and rural county lands.

Residents are encouraged to contact their local fire guardians for any questions, and a full list of their names and contact information as well as the divisions they represent is available on the county’s website.

Grande Prairie’s Sunrise House has given an update to city council and members of the public regarding their recent move to a larger facility.

The move took place just a few days before Christmas, and Sunrise House Executive Director Tanya Wald says the undertaking went surprisingly smoothly.

“For a move of that caliber it went really well, we had lots of volunteers that showed up with trucks and trailers and we packed up and we moved buildings,” she says. “We had really high numbers this year at Christmas and to get them into that new space was really special.”

Throughout the move, teams of up to 15 volunteers helped move toiletries, clothing, and other donations over the course of a week. Wald says the Sunrise House’s residents were mostly kept away from the action during the process, and some were understandably anxious about the move; however, Wald says once they saw the new facility, all their reservations seemed to disappear.

“Some of them were anxious, they were so used to this house, this was their safe place to be, and then all of the sudden they were going to a new one,” she says. “Once we got over there and they were able to see the space and how we kept this very homelike space, they were really happy to be there.”

Wald credits the city and other funders for making the project possible, and after a $939K donation from the city, the relationship between the Sunrise House and Grande Prairie council was solidified even further.

“We have many champions on city council and from talking to the community and letting people know they were behind the project, they understood the project which was really important.”

The new facility features a number of amenities, but Wald says simply having more space has opened up more opportunities for the house. She says the old building lacked security, but safety for residents and staff was top of mind when looking at a new space.

“Now we have secure entryways, so people are much safer, including our staff.”

In addition to security, the new building offers a variety of specialized spaces for prayer, homework, and quiet time.

“In the old building we didn’t have any of that, everything was just in one space,” Wald says.

Additional housing units have also been added to the Sunrise House’s roster. 11 full bachelor apartments are available for residents who wish to live independently, bridging the gap between departure from the youth emergency shelter, to adulthood and independent living.

“We can catch those youth who need to leave us and live independently, but don’t have the support or the skills to do that so now we can move them into that unit,” the Executive Director says.

Currently, 24 beds are available for young people to seek refuge, nearly double the available space of the old shelter, which Wald says is a welcome addition as unfortunately, youth homelessness is still a battle to be fought in the city.

“Now we’re sitting at a place where we always have space so that’s really important,” she says. “We never know when we’re going to get an influx of high numbers so this way we know that we’re good.”

The Sunrise House is now working with a funder to finish off its $7,000,000 fundraising campaign, and Wald says she is confident in and thankful for all the community support during the process.

Grande Prairie City Council has approved a municipal census for 2024 during their February 27th council meeting.

According to the city, the count is slated to begin sometime in the spring; however, officials say the count must be done by the end of July at the latest.

The city says the choice to conduct the census is a prudent one, as a higher population count would mean more grant money from the province, attract new business opportunities, and review the city’s diversity.

The county is scheduled to conduct a municipal census of its own in April and May for similar reasons, and due to the nature of growth in both the city and the county.

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 says all costs associated with this project were included in the 2024 budget.

The Grande Prairie Storm’s reimagined mascot made his debut when the boys faced off against the Drumheller Dragons over the weekend.

“Stormy” is a fan-made interpretation of the Greek god of the sky, Zeus, and Storm Executive Director Nicole Menzies says he embodies everything powerful about the team.

“We thought the storm, the lightning, it was a really fun connection, and we are really excited to have him on board,” she says. “I think Stormy is going to serve as the guy who comes and pumps everybody up, I think it’s cool for the players to sort of have this embodiment of the team.”

According to Menzies, the Storm’s previous mascot “Slapshot” was retired during the COVID-19 pandemic, and she says thanks to increased fan engagement and community support, it was time to introduce another fun character to drive the team into the postseason.

“We’ve really seen an increase in fan engagement, and game day experience over the last year during our home games and we thought a mascot was kind of the next step to really kicking it up.”

Menzies adds that Stormy’s debut was well-received by fans and the team’s skaters alike, and having a mascot adds even more depth to the game day experience both on and off the ice.

“Obviously we have a lot of young fans and when he debuted on Saturday night it was awesome to see all the kids running up and wanting to take a picture with him,” she says. “The team was so excited to see him when we took him out of the box and the guys were so excited they thought it was so cool.”

Plans are now in place to introduce Stormy as another piece of fan engagement for the team, and Menzies says fans should keep an eye out for him at Storm events throughout the offseason.

The City of Grande Prairie has announced parking bans on permanent snow routes beginning on February 27th.

The bans restrict parking on permanent snow routes from Monday to Friday between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.

The city says the bans are necessary to ensure safe access to roadways for snow removal vehicles and crews during operations.

Residents parking on Priority 1 and 2 roads are asked to relocate their vehicles in two scenarios- if there is a windrow (snow at the bottom of a driveway) down the center or a parking ban has been declared (Monday to Friday 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.)

The City adds that a notice will be issued on the city’s website and social media to inform residents once the parking ban is lifted.

UPDATE: The Grande Prairie RCMP has lifted the shelter-in-place and heavy police presence in the Hillside neighbourhood. Police have detained one suspect and investigators say there is no threat to public safety. Police will remain on-scene as the investigation continues.

The Grande Prairie RCMP is advising residents in the Hillside neighbourhood of a heavy police presence.

Residents are asked to avoid the area near 96A Street and Hillcrest Drive and anyone within view of police response is asked to shelter in place and stay away from windows.

Additionally, anyone in the area is asked to not share photos of police activity on social media.

The RCMP says updates will be made as information becomes available.