Nominations for the County of Grande Prairie’s “It Takes a Volunteer” Program are being accepted until March 3rd.

The county says the program aims to build on the success of the first one in 2023, which highlighted local volunteers during National Volunteer Week.

Officials say successful nominees include “anyone and everyone.” Last year, 10 individuals, six volunteer groups, and three volunteer organizations were recognized for their commitment to volunteerism in their communities and made the inaugural year a success.

Last year’s nominees included the Peace Draft Horse Club, Clairmont Community School Patrollers, and the Bezanson Agricultural Society.

Nominations opened up on February 1st, and three categories are available for nominees- individual volunteers, a group or team of volunteers (three or more), and volunteer organizations.

The county says qualifying nominees will receive an It Takes a Volunteer appreciation package and will be recognized during National Volunteer Week in April.

Interested individuals are encouraged to nominate volunteers online on the county’s website.

The 15th annual Growing the North Conference is returning to Grande Prairie and will feature nearly 400 delegates from various organizations around the Peace Region.

Tanya Oliver, CEO of the Grande Prairie Chamber of Commerce, says that as part of the 15th anniversary, 15 bursaries were awarded to small businesses to celebrate. Still, she says the goal of the conference remains the same.

“The main goal of the conference is to connect people from municipalities, small businesses, organizations, and unite them under the same roof, delivering information on trends, current things that are happening,” she says.

Oliver says some of the key components of the conference are the connection it builds between small businesses and organizations in the north, and educational opportunities through the numerous keynote speakers in attendance.

“Providing the information, the fabulous keynote speakers, and lots of robust opportunities for the delegates to connect amongst each other,” she says. “Every year we hear that’s one of the most valuable things about the conference is the ability to connect face to face with so many different people across the network.”

Additionally, Oliver says the chamber is just one of ten partners putting on the conference, and she says their partnership is the building block of the conference’s success.

“We believe in that strong partnership between organizations to really show how much all the organizations are invested in Growing the North and connecting with each other.”

The conference is scheduled for February 20th to the 22nd, and interested individuals can register online.

The Centre for Young Parents’ annual Playhouse Raffle is back in a new way for 2024.

Recently, the Centre for Young Parents and the Grande Prairie Construction Association announced a new partnership for the raffle after the previous sponsor pulled out last year.

According to CYP Community Engagement Coordinator Heather Tilapaugh, the revamped raffle hopes to get five local businesses involved in building playhouses before the raffle in a friendly competition of bragging rights. She says the raffle is a critical fundraiser for the centre, and helps the community significantly.

“We get these playhouses built and then the community can purchase raffle tickets and then they have a chance to win one of the playhouses,” she says. “It’s a fundraiser so it brings in those extra funds that help support the programs that we offer here at the centre.”

Tillapaugh adds that the competition element introduced this year should bring in even more community engagement with the organization and its clients, and could include competition categories such as “kid’s choice,” “parent’s choice,” or “judge’s choice.”

The raffle fundraiser started in 2006 and has been an annual affair ever since.

The Grande Prairie Regional Fire Service is gearing up to officially launch the County of Grande Prairie ATCO Fire Cadet Program.

According to District Chief Matt Smith, the program marks the first of a multi-year funding commitment from ATCO in partnership with Beaverlodge, Sexsmith, and Wembley, and accomplishes one of the fire service’s long-term goals.

“One of our main strategies throughout the year is recruitment and retention so if we can bring people in early, get them pre-qualified and pre-trained when they turn 18 and they live in the communities that have paid responders or volunteers they’re available,” he says.

ATCO has made a habit of funding cadet programs around the province, and Smith says the program is critical in Grande Prairie, as the county prepares for what is expected to be another significant wildfire season.

“We need the numbers,” he says. “The cadets won’t necessarily be able to respond to emergencies but they can support them through equipment turnaround, getting stuff ready, moving stuff, and care for things back at the fire station.”

Smith adds that lack of availability due to personal/work-related responsibilities has been hurting the volunteer fire service in rural communities.

“We were already struggling and volunteerism and having members in the smaller, rural communities to support these fire departments has been horrible,” he says. “The numbers have dropped [so] it will be huge just to get some more trained people in the stations.”

To date, 21 fire service cadets are enrolled in the program meaning each participating station will have 2-5 additional members to utilize. Smith says the funding will be useful for transportation, uniform, and training costs.

The official kick-off is scheduled for February 16th at 10:00 a.m. with a cheque presentation from ATCO.

Oliver’s Funeral Home held its annual Flag Day flag memorial service for retired flags at the end of their lifespan.

Numerous armed forces members and veterans were in attendance at the burial, alongside members of Grande Prairie’s cadet corps to show respect and lay the flags to rest in a respectful manner.

Lieutenant Earl Phillips, a zone training officer for the cadets says he takes pride in the flag, and memorial services like this serve as a reminder of just how important the Canadian flag is to the country.

“I’ve served for over 40 years in the Canadian Armed Forces and it’s always been a privilege to share the Canadian flag and it’s something I’m very proud of,” he says. “The history of it all and remembrance and the fact that so many have died under our flag and served our country well.”

Phillips adds that the cadets play a critical role in remembrance services in November and on Flag Day. He says making sure Canadian youth are involved is important, as it helps them understand the significance of the flag.

“Canada doesn’t spend enough time recognizing the flag and the significance it has both for veterans and for current members serving,” he says. “It’s good for especially our youth to be a part of this and to recognize the importance of the Canadian flag and what it stands for.”

The service concluded shortly after the burial, and a series of discussions from keynote speakers continued at Oliver’s Funeral Home after the event.

The 2024 Passionate Heart Awards have once again come and gone and celebrated numerous individuals and organizations for their contributions to local social services.

The awards aim to recognize people, teams, and businesses that make a difference in their communities by improving quality of life through social service.

A total of nine awards were given to six individuals and three organizations across four categories.

Board Chair of GPCSD Russ Snoble, Robert W. Zahara School Grade three teacher Val Muggaberg, La Glace School Kindergarten Instructor Wilma Pol, Mountain Plains Community Services Society of the North Program Manager Soleil Molloy, and Western Cree Tribal Council Child Youth and Family Enhancement Casework Generalist Mercedes Mwemera, received the Passionate Heart Exceptional Service Award. Boston Pizza Westgate was recognized with the Passionate Heart Exceptional Business Award. The Passionate Heart Exceptional Team Award was given to the Grande Prairie Friendship Centre and the Cairn Housing Society, and the Chris Henderson Lifetime Service Award went to Centerpoint Facilitation Director Tammy Ouellette.

Grande Prairie Mayor Jackie Clayton says the Passionate Heart Awards serve as a recognition for the “unsung heroes” in Grande Prairie’s social service industry.

“The City of Grande Prairie extends heartfelt congratulations to the award winners, recognizing their vital contributions to enhancing the well-being and inclusivity of our community for all residents,” she says.

This year’s ceremony was the 18th annual, and nominations for the awards are accepted from early December to mid-January.

UPDATE: Physician coverage has been found for the previously unstaffed hours of 8:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. at Beaverlodge Municipal Hospital.

AHS has announced the Beaverlodge Municipal Hospital Emergency Department will be temporarily without on-site physician coverage from 8:00 p.m. on February 14th to 8:00 a.m. February 15th.

AHS says nursing staff will remain on-site in the E.D. to provide triage, assessments, and referrals for patients to alternate emergency departments in surrounding communities.

Residents are asked to call 9-1-1 in case of emergency and EMS calls will be rerouted to the Grande Prairie Regional Hospital.

Additionally, AHS is urging residents who are seeking care at the E.D. to remain aware of services available in local pharmacies. Health Link 8-1-1 remains available 24/7 for non-emergency inquiries during the closure.

The Grande Prairie Regional Sport Connection is hosting a series of coach clinics this spring to promote quality coaching in Grande Prairie.

GPRSC Executive Director Karna Germsheid says the series will provide new and seasoned coaches with the opportunity to improve their coaching skills and inspire aspiring potential coaches to take the leap.

“It can be a scary position, coaching,” she says. “These workshops help coaches that are interested in coaching long-term and those community coaches that are like- okay well somebody’s gotta coach, please give me the tools to confidently move forward with this.”

Germsheid says coaching availability is a need for sports across all levels, and the organization prides itself on connecting quality coaches with teams in need.

“You think it just happens but there’s a million different volunteers that are just hard to get a lot of the time,” she says. “The fact is that we’re trying to find coaches out there and sometimes they need a little bit of support in their confidence to be able to go out and volunteer.”

The executive director adds that the training will help break old habits passed down by coaches of another time, which she says helps support both the coaches and their athletes to be successful.

“A lot of times we just coach how we were coached and sometimes there can be a danger to that because there are some things that when we were young that maybe don’t fit with the culture of coaching nowadays.”

Attendees will be subject to full NCCP training through coach.ca and will receive legitimate coaching certification that adds to their coaching portfolio.

Interested individuals can sign up on the Grande Prairie Regional Sport Connection’s website.

The Alberta Winter Games have released a full schedule for the 17 events planned over the Family Day weekend.

Skiing at Nitehawk Adventure Park kicks off at 8:00 a.m. on February 17th and 18th for both the Alpine and Freestyle events. Alpine medal presentations are slated for 2:30 on both days and Freestyle presentations are scheduled for 3:45 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. respectively.

Archery at the Activity and Reception Centre is a three-day affair from Saturday to Monday starting at 8:00 a.m. Medal presentations will take place at 11:45 on February 19th.

Gymnastics starts at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday at the Grande Prairie Gymnastics Centre, and medals will be presented at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday and 1:00 p.m. on Sunday.

Artistic swimming at Eastlink starts at 8:00 a.m. Saturday to Monday with medal presentations scheduled at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday and 11:30 a.m. on Monday.

Badminton is scheduled at St. John Paul II High School for the full three days, beginning at 8:30 a.m. every day and medal presentations are scheduled for 12:30 p.m. on Monday.

Biathlon and Cross Country Skiing will take place at the Wapiti Nordic Ski Club. Biathlon is scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, and 8:15 a.m. on Monday with medal presentations at 3:30 and 4:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, and coming to a close on Monday with medal presentations at 12:00 p.m. Cross Country starts later at 10:00 a.m. from Saturday to Monday, and medals are set to be issued at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, and 11:45 p.m. on Monday.

Curling begins at 10:00 a.m. at the Grande Prairie Curling Centre on Saturday and Sunday with medal presentations scheduled for 11:30 p.m. on Monday.

Fencing begins at Charles Spencer High School at 9:00 a.m. Saturday to Monday and medals will be presented at 5:15 p.m. on Sunday and 11:00 a.m. on Monday.

Male and female hockey is set to begin at 8:00 a.m. at Dave Barr and Crosslink on Saturday and Sunday, and 10:30 a.m. on Monday with medal presentations at 12:15 p.m.

Judo kicks off at Eastlink at 9:00 a.m. on both Saturday and Sunday, and medal presentations are slated for 4:00 p.m. on Saturday and 3:00 p.m. on Sunday.

Ringette at Design Works Centre starts at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday and 7:45 a.m. on Sunday before closing out with the medal presentations at 11:45 a.m. on Monday.

Also at Design Works, speed skating starts at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, and closes out after a day at the races with medal presentations at 2:30 p.m.

NWP is hosting volleyball and the first game starts at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, followed by a 10:00 a.m. opening game on Sunday, and medal presentations on Monday at noon.

Wrestling begins at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, and medal presentations are scheduled for 3:30 p.m. the same day.

A comprehensive list of each specific event time is available on the Alberta Winter Games website.

City facilities will have adjusted hours during the Alberta Winter Games, and Family Day on February 19th.

Eastlink Centre will be closed to the public at 6:00 p.m. on February 18th and will observe statutory holiday hours of 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on February 19th. Additionally, the city is reminding residents the traditional Family Day event will not be taking place this year in light of the Alberta Winter Games.

Separately, the Eastlink Centre aquatics and fieldhouse will be unavailable for public drop-in from February 16th at 3:00 p.m. through the weekend. Stat holiday hours will be applied on Monday.

As a result of ringette and speed skating being hosted at Design Works Centre, the facility will be unavailable for public drop-in from February 16th at 3:00 p.m. through the weekend, and stat holiday hours will be observed on February 19th.

Public drop-in at the Activity and Reception Centre will be unavailable from February 14th to the 18th; however, toddler drop-in and homeschool phys ed will continue to run at Maude Clifford Community Gym on February 14th.

Female hockey will be hosted at the Dave Barr Community Centre and will be unavailable for public drop-in from February 17th to the 19th.

Bonnetts Energy Centre is slated to host the opening ceremonies of the games alongside figure skating over the weekend and will be unavailable on February 19th.

Transit will be operational on Family Day from 8:00 a.m. to 6:10 p.m. for regular service and late night service will operate from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

All facilities will be open for ticketed spectators during the games.

AHS has announced multiple temporary disruptions of service at the Fairview Health Complex Emergency Department.

From 7:00 a.m. on February 14th to 7:00 a.m. on February 15th, and 7:00 a.m. on February 16th to 7:00 a.m. on February 17th, the Fairview Health Complex will be without physician service due to the inability to secure coverage.

AHS says nursing staff will remain on-site to provide triage, assessments, and referrals for patients to alternate emergency departments in surrounding communities.

Residents are asked to call 9-1-1 in case of emergency and EMS will remain available to the community and will be re-routed to surrounding healthcare centers. For non-emergencies residents are asked to call Health Link at 8-1-1, for 24/7 inquiries.

The Public Health Agency of Canada’s annual Sexual Health Week is underway across the country and Grande Prairie’s Northreach Society is putting on a series of events to mark the occasion.

Lindsay Loset, Harm Reduction Team Lead at Northreach says the week is a critical part of promoting sexual health awareness and destigmatizing the various processes that come with sexual wellbeing.

“It’s not a way to think of it like these things are going around and it’s shameful or gross or anything like that, it’s just part of sexual health,” she says. “Normalizing it in the sense that you can get tested, you can get treated, and then continue taking care of your health and being as safe as possible.”

According to the Government of Canada, Alberta reported higher than average Chlaymidia rates than the national average, and Loset says sexual health week serves as an important educational tool for residents.

“The numbers statistically in Alberta aren’t super great when it comes to STIs or sexually transmitted bloodborne infections.”

Throughout the week, Northreach is hosting several events to promote awareness and make sure Grande Prairie residents keep their sexual health at the front of their minds.

“We’re offering our testing and treatment resources, and information and resources like condoms and other safer sex supplies.”

Residents are encouraged to get tested at Northwestern Polytechnic throughout the week, and the Northwestern Polytechnic Student Association has scheduled a trivia night on February 15th, and a bingo night on February 16th to encourage students to address sexual health in a safe and fun environment.

The Grande Prairie Council for Lifelong Learning is hosting an iPad/tablet for beginners class in March.

Jennifer Plagata, Ault and Family Literacy Program Manager for the GPCLL says the course is beneficial for anyone new to the digital space, and especially seniors.

“It’s for seniors or anyone actually, newcomers, immigrants who want to learn how to navigate their devices,” she says.

According to Plagata, the course is student-oriented, and while there is a curriculum, much of the teachings are based on requests from the students, and Plagata says the most common request tends to be digital safety.

“With seniors what they want to know about is the safety, and the settings of their devices like online accounts, banking accounts, how to make sure that they don’t get hacked,” she says. “We also include social media and other applications that can enable them to reach out or talk to their family members like Zoom, Skype, and Messenger.”

Plagata adds that plans are in place to partner with the Grande Prairie Golden Age Centre after they reached out to the GPCLL regarding a potential web safety class for their residents.

“They have a lot of clients who have concerns with online safety because they have been hacked a few times so that’s what we’re hoping to fulfill the needs of the community in that way.”

The program is three weeks long and features two, two-hour sessions per week, and interested individuals are encouraged to sign up online on the GPCLL’s website.

City of Grande Prairie Council’s stormwater utility charge sparked a lengthy debate during their most recent Monday meeting.

The proposed model sees stormwater utility charges for residents and business owners taken out of the tax pool on a separate bill; however, some Grande Prairie property owners have expressed concerns regarding how the new model affects their finances.

Jeff Keddie, owner of Keddie’s Tack and Western Wear says the proposal would hike his stormwater utility charge by 4.8 times what he is currently paying, and he says the new model seems to favour lot size, over actual utility impacts.

“When you start looking at the size of our land compared to different areas in town they were paying a third of the rate, and that’s all to do with lot sizes and imaginary lines, not the impact on the utility,” he says.

As a result, city council opted to pause the discussion by four weeks in order to open up further opportunities for council members and city administration to interact with residents.

Currently, council is set to discuss three proposed models including a flat rate for all lots, a capped system where property owners pay based on the size of their lots, and a bracket system based on taxation.

Grande Prairie Mayor Jackie Clayton says the utility charge is a complex issue, with no clear-cut solution to concerns from residents; however, she says implementing such a charge is important for the city’s future regarding stormwater utilities.

“This isn’t about the impact on the stormwater utility today or tomorrow, it’s for a one-in-50-year event,” she says. “Mitigating risk to the system, putting away dollars for when the system needs upgrades, there’s many factors of this formula.”

Despite the concerns from residents, Mayor Clayton says she is still confident that much of council will support a stormwater utility bill, and she says the bill is necessary as the proposal was a significant budget item during deliberations.

The current deadline for implementation is July 1st, 2024, and Clayton says if no stormwater utility charges are collected, there could be other costs to supplement the city’s income.

“I’m confident that we will come to a decision in four weeks, and we’ll be very tight on the timeline for July,” she says. “If by July 1st we’re not starting to collect stormwater utility revenue, that revenue needs to be captured somewhere.”

As a result of council’s pause, the city is set to host a series of public engagement sessions and town halls, and residents are encouraged to share feedback on the matter over the next four weeks.

The Grande Prairie Regional Hospital Foundation presented an update for City Council during their Monday meeting.

The presentation included successes, areas of improvement, and needs that the hospital has prioritized going into 2024.

The foundation recently wrapped up a fundraising campaign for the hospital, and Grande Prairie Mayor Jackie Clayton says the foundation has done an “excellent” job of utilizing local dollars raised during the campaign.

“To hear the equipment that they bought with dollars raised locally is something that makes people proud in our council,” she says.

One of the areas in need of additional support identified by the foundation is the hospital’s lack of cardiac care support. Currently, Grande Prairie residents who require cardiac care have to travel to Edmonton or sometimes further to receive treatment, and Mayor Clayton says this is a problem council has been considering for some time.

“There’s been conversations and council has heard regularly about the needs for cardiac support and facilities in that regional hospital,” she says. “Right now if you were to go get a stint in one of your arteries, we can’t do that in Grande Prairie and a facility of that magnitude makes sense to have those assets in there, so residents aren’t having to go five hours to get cardiac support.”

According to the Mayor, the population served by the regional hospital is too large to not consider having cardiac care options in the facility, and as a result, council opted to prioritize cardiac care needs in the future.

“That facility was built by the provincial government with the knowledge that it would serve an entire region and not just the city, county, and the MD,” she says. “There are expectations that people from High Level and BC use that facility so it truly is regional.”

Council heard the foundation and voted unanimously to receive the foundation’s report for information.

The Alberta Winter Games kicked off in a big way after a ceremonial torch relay over the weekend.

Grande Prairie is officially hosting more than 2,500 athletes, coaches, and officials, along with their families for the three-day multi-sport competition.

Numerous city officials and community representatives participated in the relay, and Grande Prairie Mayor Jackie Clayton says the city is “thrilled” to showcase Grande Prairie’s northern hospitality during the games.

“Grande Prairie has an established history of being an incredible games host and we’re proud to bring athletes from every corner of Alberta here to compete, make friendships, and create lasting memories,” she says.

Residents are encouraged to come out and support in the 17 different events and support Alberta’s young athletes, and tickets are on sale on the AWG’s website.

More than 1,500 volunteers from Grande Prairie’s local businesses, organizations, and independent volunteers will be supporting the massive event, and numerous city facilities will be utilized during the games.

Residents are asked to keep an eye on the city’s website for a full list of facility closures, and scheduling changes.

The Grande Prairie Public School Division is asking parents to stay mindful of when your child could be too sick for school through a provincial awareness program by Alberta Health Services.

The Health Education and Learning program stared around 2014 to educate parents on common minor illnesses in children and provides general information regarding the causes, symptoms, and when to seek medical care.

Stephen Page, a registered nurse, and HEAL representative says the program aims to alleviate some fears parents may have regarding their child’s health.

“We’re trying to give them information on normal childhood illnesses, normal progressions, and what things look like and when to be concerned,” he says. “There’s a lot of information that can be very scary for parents, so this kind of normalizes normal sickness.”

Page says the ultimate decision falls on the parents on whether to send their kids to school, stay home, or visit the hospital; however, he says the program provides parents with common knowledge of how to move forward if a parent is concerned with their child’s wellbeing.

“If you decide to go to the hospital because you’re concerned, which we wholeheartedly support, the HEAL program and the HEAL platform acts like a teaching, so when they arrive at the emergency department or their family doctor and the doctor says-what can I help you with, they have a language and they can speak to their specific concerns that they’ve learned from the website,” he says.

Page adds that through in-school efforts, children are educated too, and the HEAL program looks to “get kids familiar” with sickness.

“We’re hoping if we can have these conversations in schools and bring it out in different cultural languages and different ethnicities and get their value points as well then hopefully we can do a better job of educating people on what they need to know.”

The HEAL program is available online and features a number of tools for parents to utilize and educate themselves on their child’s health.

The Veteran’s Association Foodbank is seeking donations for their hamper program as shelves continue to empty every month.

Tammy Decker, Marketing Coordinator for the Veterans Association says with 24 local veterans in the facility’s care, each month marks a renewed need for donations for their hampers.

“We get enough just to feed the veterans so we need to replenish the shelves every month, so if you drop off 22 ketchups we’re gonna need 22 ketchups next month,” she says. “It disappears pretty quick when you’re feeding that many veterans.”

Marie Blackburn, Executive Director of the Veterans Association, adds that the need for a veteran-focused foodbank is a must for some ex-military, as many of them refuse to accept donations from people who “need it more” than them.

“We’ve had many veterans tell us in the past that they’ve lined up at a food bank and they see a family in front of them and they’ll walk out because they feel like they don’t feel that they should be taking from anybody else,” she says.

Blackburn says that the Veteran’s Association is more than just a food bank as well. She says food is just one of the numerous services they provide such as Financial, Medical, and Mental help and comradery between those who served our country.

“It’s not just about the food, food is a great way to get people in the door and figure out what they need,” she says. “There is a connection between veterans that none of us will ever understand… it’s a bond stronger than your family.”

Donations are accepted at several locations in and around Grande Prairie at places like Aderson Hardware Sexsmith, legion, bullets and Broadheads, Rona, Western Financial.

The Grande Prairie Fire Department has issued a few safety tips for smokers as the city continues to warm up ahead of spring.

According to GPFD Fire Marshal Chris Renyk, planters have become a serious concern for the fire department as the snow melts.

Renyk says dry conditions in Grande Prairie might give some people the illusion that planters filled with substances like peat moss are safe to butt out a cigarette in; however, what some people think is dirt, can turn into a serious fire hazard quickly.

“What you might think is dirt is essentially sawdust,” he says. “When you throw a cigarette in that, you might break apart the ash potential, but the cherry if you will is dropped down below in the bottom of the planter because there’s gaps, and it just sits there, and like anything, it will continue to burn [and] normally it’s within the hour but we’ve seen it within a few hours to overnight, to a matter of days.”

Renyk emphasizes the importance of disposing of smoking materials in an appropriate receptacle and says just a few simple measures can make a significant difference.

“We ask that you have a non-combustible receptacle, potentially filled with sand or water, and be responsible and smart about the discarding of that.”

The GPFD has responded to a number of fires due to this behaviour, and Renyk says the concerns are even more important for residents who live in side-by-side housing like condos or apartments that have vinyl siding which can spread a potential blaze fast.

“Essentially we have a giant fire that goes right up into the attic and can spread into neighbouring properties,” he says. “We really stress this for anybody who might have side-by-side townhomes, duplexes, apartments, anything where they shouldn’t be discarding these cigarette materials.”

Renyk adds that dry grass, exposed leaves, and other organic materials present a risk, and residents are asked to be mindful of where they toss their cigarettes as the weather gets warmer.

Oliver’s Funeral Home is hosting its annual Flag Day tradition of laying retired flags to rest at the Grande Prairie Cemetary.

The funeral home says the tradition started back in 2016 when it was revealed that there was no respectful way to dispose of flags that have served their time in western Canada, and Oliver’s Community Connections Coordinator Pamela Gault says the beginning of the tradition was a natural one as a funeral home.

“It used to be that you would burn it and walk away from it, and that was the way to do it respectfully,” she says. “Nowadays flags are made of a different material so if you burn it it just turns into a clump of oil because it’s synthetic.”

Flags are brought to the funeral home year-round for the occasion and include entries from British Columbia and Saskatchewan. Gault says the event comes from a place of respect for not only the flag but also the people who have fought and died on its behalf.

“It means something to people, a lot of people have fought for it too and it can mean so many things to so many people,” she says. “It’s just a really nice way to honour them, how they have honoured the flag and honoured Canada.”

The event will include stories from keynote speakers from around Grande Prairie, and the funeral home says anyone with a flag they wish to retire is welcome to come participate.