The City of Grande Prairie Fire Department is asking residents to be mindful of their sparks ahead of the 2024 wildfire season.

Wildfire prevention has been a significant topic of discussion across the province as temperatures begin to rise ahead of the spring, and the County of Grande Prairie has already begun wildfire mitigation efforts around the municipality.

On the city side, Grande Prairie Fire Marshal Chris Renyk says he anticipates another hot summer for residents, and he is encouraging the public to prepare for another major wildfire season.

“We’ll be no stranger to this,” he says. “We didn’t get a lot of snowfall here and it’s all melting off, so we’re going to have a very significant wildfire season.”

The county has already established numerous firebreaks in Dunes West and in the southeast, and Renyk says further measures should be expected.

“I anticipate fire bans from the province and the county as well as the municipality so we ask even more strenuous diligence on behalf of the population to take on that responsibility.”

Fire bans were lifted for the Grande Prairie area in November, and fire permit requirements will not be required at the provincial level until March 1st.

The Grant Berg Gallery is continuing its efforts to put more art into businesses by promoting Canadian artwork as a tax write-off/business expense.

According to Grant Berg, a local artist and city councillor, businesses like doctor’s offices, law firms, and other professional settings can significantly benefit from having art in their buildings, as it portrays a certain level of professionalism to clients.

“You want to portray yourself as being an upscale, professional place,” he says. “Original art gives you that professionalism, that a lot of businesses want, it shows that they’re successful.”

To be eligible for a write-off, art must be created by a Canadian and include drawings, paintings, and sculptures valued at $200 or more. Berg says art matters to a business as much as any other work-related expense like desks and furniture and promotes a sense of success and comfort in professional buildings.

“In a very simplified way, it is part of your office in the same way that you’d have a nice desk or a credenza, you would have art.”

Berg compares the system to other efforts by the federal government like CanCon radio regulations that prop up Canadian artists and musicians to invoke a sense of pride in Canada.

“They [the Canadian government] were always promoting Canadian artists, it’s a huge part of the Canadian identity and it builds pride in our country no different than CanCon on the radio,” he says. “By promoting Canadian artwork as a tax write-off or a business, it certainly helps build artists and maintains that Canadian identity.”

Additionally, some art rental options are eligible for write-offs, and Berg says renting/leasing Canadian artwork opens up even more opportunities for businesses by making artwork more accessible by alleviating some up-front costs many businesses face when they open their doors.

“It brings it down to low monthly payments,” he says. “They [businesses] want that artwork to come in, to compliment everything they’ve done, so through a rental or a lease, it brings that initial sticker shock of doing a whole office down into bite-sized monthly payments they can easily manage.”

To be eligible for an art business expense, artwork must be produced by a Canadian artist or an artist who was Canadian at the time of creating the artwork. Art not created by a Canadian is specifically excluded.

A recent fire that occurred in downtown Grande Prairie is being treated as Arson by the Grande Prairie Fire Marshal.

On February 1st, the Grande Prairie Fire Department responded to reports of a dumpster fire that was spreading quickly to the exterior of a building near Market Manor in the Central Business District in Grande Prairie. As a result, the building was evacuated and no homes were lost and no injuries occurred.

Grande Prairie Fire Marshal Chris Renyk says the investigation in partnership with the RCMP is still underway; however, it “can be confirmed” that the blaze was set intentionally.

“It was a great save on behalf of the fire crews, but again that was nefarious activity, we can confirm that,” he says.

Renyk says the fire can be attributed to a number of factors, the main being the fact that the dumpster itself was combustible.

“It wasn’t a metal dumpster and the radiant heat and direct flame impingement in its surroundings and underneath was unfortunate and that attributed to more of an associated accumulation of mass,” he says.

The Fire Marshal adds that there seems to be an uptick in “criminal-related” activity for the fire department to deal with.

“Right now I think we have an increase in criminal-related activity and it always seems to have ebbs and flows with the weather,” he says. “The majority of dumpster fires are created through nefarious activity, intentionally set Arson fires.”

Residents and business owners are asked to remain mindful of where their dumpsters are located near their structures and make sure dumpsters are locked and behind fences.

Members of the Fort St. John RCMP have recovered more than $225,000 in stolen property from what police are describing as a “fairly elaborate fencing operation.”

A string of thefts between January 6th and February 4th led to officers obtaining multiple search warrants on a Fort St. John residence, and arresting one male suspect.

According to police, the initial theft occurred on January 6th and police were tipped off by a business owner that someone was actively shoplifting in their store on January 27th in the area of 96th Street and 93rd Avenue. Police say the suspect was gone before officers arrived; however, the following investigation allowed law enforcement to identify the suspect.

On February 1st, officers executed a number of search warrants on the suspect’s home, and a large amount of suspected stolen goods were located and seized. The investigation took multiple days and police processed nearly 650 items with an estimated value of more than $250,000. Police say the investigation is still underway and charges have not been forwarded in the matter.

Later in the week on February 4th, RCMP say another shoplifting was reported at the same store. Police attended and after a brief foot chase, Clifford Poole was arrested for theft and obstruction.

Poole was kept in custody until February 8th and an additional Theft under $5,000 was approved in that time.

The RCMP says the results of the investigation will have a “significant” impact on the local property crime trade in Fort St. John and the surrounding area.

As the investigation is still underway, police ask that anyone with information regarding the incident contact the Fort St. John RCMP at 250-787-8100 or anonymously through crime stoppers.

The Shannon Municipal Library in Sexsmith is hosting a series of blind dates for book lovers without any of the awkwardness.

“Blind Date with a Book” is an event that the library has hosted for some time to get bookworms out of their reading comfort zones by taking the classic “don’t judge a book by its cover” trope literally.

Readers who are interested in participating can select a variety of wrapped books that feature the book’s genre, and a short synopsis on the back, similar to what a dating app profile would have.

Chrystal Widsten, Library supervisor and one of the organizers of the event says all the books are available in the library, and consist of “great books” that simply need more circulation.

“You never know what you’re going to get with a blind date I guess, so it’s kind of the same thing with the book,” she says. “They are books from our library so they would be able to recommend it to a friend.”

Widsten says the event allows readers to avoid getting stuck in similar stories and genres, and the surprise element helps readers discover new books and authors if they are willing to give them a chance.

“Sometimes you might pick up off a shelf and say- oh I wouldn’t like this, but with these you aren’t able to judge the book by its cover,” she says. “It might not necessarily be a book that you would pick off the shelf for yourself, but because you kind of committed to it in the library at least you might want to give it a shot and who knows you might really like it.”

Additionally, Widsten says some of the books are even the first in a series, opening up greater avenues for curious minds, and presenting the opportunity for readers to discover entirely new worlds between the pages.

“If they do really like the book, they could continue on with that series or that author.”

The library recommends library goers check the book out as normal, and take it home before opening to commit fully to the exercise. Upon finishing the read, participants are invited to complete a short review on the provided sheet within the book.

The Holy Family Catholic Regional Division has released a statement in regards to the alleged incidents involving Glenmary High School teacher Brock Whalen.

According to the RCMP, the 31-year-old Peace River resident was recently charged with child exploitation, sexual assault, sexual interference, two counts of luring a child, and making sexually explicit material available to a child.

The HFCRD says through cooperation with the RCMP, it is recognized that the alleged incidents that led to the charges against Whalen did not take place during his time at the school division.

As a result of the investigation, Whalen has been placed on “offsite, unassigned duties” for the time being.

Additionally, the school division says student support is “of the utmost importance” and Parents and Guardians who wish to access student support services can do so by contacting their child’s school.

HFCRD says further action is pending.

AHS has announced a temporary disruption of service at the Fairview Health Complex Emergency Department on February 9th.

From 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., 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.

UPDATE: The Beaverlodge RCMP have located Jerome Backmeyer and confirmed he is safe. 

The Beaverlodge RCMP is looking for help from the public after a 45-year-old man was reported missing.

According to police, Jerome Backmeyer was last seen in Goodfare, Alberta, on February 6th. Members of the public are being asked to keep an eye out for his brown 2004 Ford SRW, with Alberta license plate HYY-444, as the vehicle is no longer at his address.

Backmeyer is described as having a fair complexion, five feet nine inches tall, weighing 189 pounds, with brown hair, brown eyes, and a full beard.

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Backmeyer is asked to contact the Beaverlodge RCMP at (780)-354-2955 or anonymously through crime stoppers.

A “bittersweet” victory came for one Beaverlodge man after banking a $70 Million Lotto Max Jackpot in January.

Brian Hoover, a long-time lottery player from Beaverlodge says the win signifies so much more than money in the bank as the win marks the fulfillment of a dream he shared with his late wife. He says he sees the win as an opportunity to honour her legacy.

Hoover says playing the lottery began as a long-time inside joke between him and his wife and a shared dream between the two of them.

Mrs. Hoover passed away before they could see their dream come true, but Brian says he plans to use the opportunity to commemorate his wife.

“We always talked about what we would do if we won the lottery [and] I’m determined to bring some of those ideas to life in her memory,” he says. “We had three children… She liked
to take them to parks, any park. My first thought is to have a park named for her.”

According to Hoover, he is currently in the beginning stages of his planning, but he says he is committed to providing for his community, and his family.

“I want to make sure I do good things, using this money and investing in her memory is a way to share this win with her,” he says. “I want to help my family [so] I’m going to pay off a couple of mortgages and give some money to a few people.”

Hoover adds that he is looking into sponsoring a program for local schools, but “after that” he plans on looking at something for himself.

“I have a friend who lives in the Yukon who’s been asking me to visit, I’m thinking it would be nice to drive up in a classy motorhome.”

Hoover purchased his winning Lotto Max ticket at Ace Hardware in Beaverlodge and won by matching all seven main draw numbers on January 16th.

It’s another day, another donation for Harry Balfour, as the school continues their fundraising efforts for a new playground at their replacement school.

The most recent donation, $30,000 from the Five Mile Community Agricultural Society, brings the school within $45,000 of its $175,000 goal. Currently, the playground project is in phase two of the multi-phase project, which includes an outdoor classroom, and several smaller playground structures.

The Ag Society’s donation follows a $50,000 county grant and a matching $50,000 from Peace Wapiti School Division funding, and Harry Balfour School Principal Jen Clevette says the amount of support from the community has been “amazing.”

“The students and staff are all very excited for our new school and this playground will only add to the excitement,” she says.

On top of the donation, the Ag Society has committed to providing time and machinery during the landscaping and playground construction process through the spring.

Additionally, officials have confirmed that the replacement school will be open for the 2024-25 school year.

The Sexsmith and Area Foodbank is seeking donations as winter continues to stick around the region.

The food bank, which services Sexsmith, Bezanson, Clairmont, La Glace, Teepee Creek, and Webster, has been around for several years, but board member Daryl Parlee says many of the communities didn’t even know it existed until the formation of the board.

“There is actually a lot of people in the community that still don’t know that we exist, but we are getting our name out there,” he says.

Parlee says the food bank bridges the gap for residents in the area, and as food costs continue to rise, Parlee says the number of residents “goes up and down.”

“Our goal is to provide food relief in those hard times of need if someone loses a job or loses a loved one, so we have the food that is available for those people in their time of need,” he says. “It is definitely a need, there are some people that come once because they just need a little bit to get them through and then there’s some that need it a little more, and we don’t say no.”

Donations are accepted year-round, and Parlee says this time of year in particular requires school snacks for families.

“During school time, school snacks and food that can be put in school lunches is always good.”

Parlee adds that “all kinds” of donations are welcome including home-baked goods, canned goods, fresh produce, and even grocery gift cards for residents who can’t make it to the grocery store.

Donations are accepted at the food bank’s Oasis Building in Sexsmith, and residents who wish to utilize the service are asked to make an appointment by phone at (780)-568-4345.

Grande Prairie City Council has proposed a few changes to how their Tuesday committee meetings are run, based on time management and transparency concerns.

The choice to move into a council “committee of the whole” format versus the current subcommittee format has been a split issue in council for some time, and Deputy Mayor Gladys Blackmore says she questions why the current structure is still being utilized at all.

“I’ve certainly questioned why we have standing committees when they operate like council committee of the whole,” she says.

Currently, it has become a trend for all nine members of council to attend committee meetings, speak, and debate on issues whether they are a member of that committee or not, which has caused significant time delays, and what some councillors call a lack of communication between council and members of the public. Despite her concerns, Blackmore says she thinks that using the subcommittee format is preferable, if they are used properly.

“It is my preference that we use standing committees as they were intended to be used,” she says. “It creates a better debate at council table, but it also gives the community an opportunity to know- oh this is coming to council, and its important to me and these are the people I need to talk to, or this is when I need to come to council as a delegate.”

Blackmore says it is no secret that the opportunity for public engagement is more present during Monday evening meetings, simply based on the viewership, and the meetings occurring outside of the workday.

Many councillors say Tuesday morning committee meetings have become the place where the bulk of debate and discussions occur, leading to official council meetings on Monday becoming a formality.

Councillor Dylan Bressey says the issue is simply one of spending time more effectively, and trust between councillors.

“If we work in subcommittees it allows us to spend more governance hours overseeing this organization,” he says. “We can go more in-depth with conversations that need to be more in-depth if we’re splitting up the work rather than insisting that all nine of us be part of every conversation.”

The issue was discussed during Tuesday’s committee of the whole meeting and is slated to be discussed once again during council’s next Monday meeting.

The Grande Spirit Foundation has announced they are accepting new applications for the new Pleasant View Lodge in Spirit River.

The new location is scheduled to open this year and the Grande Spirit Foundation says the development comes as a result of the “growing demand” for senior living facilities in the region.

Grande Spirit Foundation CAO Steve Madden says the lodge will offer accommodations, dining options, activities, and a dedicated workforce of staff in a welcoming setting for seniors to enjoy their golden years.

“This new senior lodge reflects our commitment to providing a warm, welcoming environment where seniors can feel at home,” he says.

Currently, the lodge has launched a waitlist for applicants, and according to officials, it is already more than 75% subscribed.

Interested applicants and their families to apply by calling the foundation at (780)-532-3276, or by visiting the office in person.

The County of Grande Prairie has announced it will be conducting its first municipal census since 2012.

From April 3rd to May 31st, 2024, residents in Clairmont, Hythe, Beaverlodge, Demmit, Sexsmith, Benzason, and surrounding areas can expect census workers to drop off PIN cards at all homes to be completed online.

Residents who do not complete their census form online will be visited by a census worker near the end of April or early May to collect their data in person.

The county says the project comes due to the nature of growth in the municipality, and an updated population count is needed to ensure appropriate grant funding from the province, service delivery needs, and economic development.

Additionally, the county says the census will inform a Provincial Government-mandated electoral boundary review after the dissolution of the Village of Hythe, to determine whether a growth or decline created an imbalance in population in the county’s divisions.

As of 2022, Statistics Canada estimates a population of more than 25,000 in the county.

Grande Prairie City council continued their ongoing discussion and debate surrounding cell tower locations throughout the city during Tuesday’s committee meetings.

This time around, council opted not to support a proposed telecommunication tower on City Furniture property, sandwiched between Royal Oaks and Avondale.

Prior to the meeting, city administration advised council to avoid supporting the tower based on its infringement on the city-wide Land Use Bylaw that prohibits cell towers from being placed near residences within six times the tower’s height.

Additionally, the tower would violate the city’s “High Visibility Corridor” policy that prohibits telecom towers from “negatively impacting” the corridor. Councillor Dylan Bressey spoke on the matter, saying it is a priority of city council to keep the corridor clear of any obstruction as it functions as a “first impression” for people visiting the city.

“The high visibility corridor is on the major thoroughfares of our city that get lots of traffic, especially out-of-town traffic,” he says. “We’ve got higher aesthetic standards there than everywhere else in the city, just to make sure that we’re giving a really good first impression to the people that are visiting.”

In regards to the larger issue of cell tower debate in council, Deputy Mayor Gladys Blackmore says there are two separate debates among her colleagues.

“I think there are really two separate issues, [first], it falls too close to residences based on our policies and bylaws, it’s within six times the height of the tower, and so it is clearly not meeting our own requirements, and our own bylaws,” she says.

Citing the recent approval of a telecommunications tower near St. Joeseph Catholic High School, Blackmore says council is growing uncomfortable with the seemingly increased number of cell towers near venues like schools and public facilities.

“Not all councillors are comfortable with putting extra cell towers close to schools or sporting fields,” she says. “It seems that we don’t have enough knowledge to comfortably make that determination.”

The city opting to not provide a letter of support does not bar the tower from being constructed, however, as the city has no right to deny and ultimately, the final decision will fall on the federal government’s Innovation, Science, and Economic Development department.

Grande Prairie Composite High School students were spotted outside in a province-wide walkout in protest of the Alberta Government’s recent change to the province’s transgender policies.

Around 20 students stood outside the school’s main entrance with signs reading “protect trans kids” and the transgender pride flag.

Sam Ellwood, a student and outspoken transgender youth advocate in Grande Prairie says the turnout could be seen as both a positive and concerning feat.

“We have an excellent turnout but I’m a bit scared that it has less to do with the fact that we’ve been doing more community engagement and more to do with the fact that things have gotten progressively worse over time,” she says.

Ellwood says her peers feel frustrated with the changes in legislation regarding the requirement of parental consent before a youth under the age of 15, chooses to change their name or pronouns in particular. She says schools should be a “safe haven” for queer youth, and the new requirements could take that idea away for some students.

“Schools for a long time have been a safe haven for transgender and otherwise queer individuals to present themselves, and I feel like having enforced parental consent for that to be respected could put a lot of people in danger.”

Additionally, Ellwood cites the change to “gender-affirming surgeries” which bars children under the age of 17 from receiving certain procedures such as mastectomy for breast removal, and hormone therapy as an overstep by Premier Smith.

According to the premier, the changes simply act as “guidelines” for trans youth to be sure of their choices and will be implemented “with the best interests of the child in mind.”

Northwestern Polytechnic art students are back at the Beaverlodge Art and Culture Centre for their 16th annual display in the main gallery.

Harmony Freeman, a BACC representative says each year has a theme and this year’s is “Bodies of Thought.” She says students look forward to the event every year, and the event marks the first significant showing of their career for many students.

“It’s actually their first show back with real gumption so they have really blown our socks off with what they have in the gallery,” she says. “We are very excited to have the students come back every year to show off their work and their pieces.”

Paintings, sketches, sculptures, and vinyl cut prints are just a few of the art styles that students submitted to this year’s showing, and Freeman says the opportunity for budding artists to see their work in a public gallery functions as a sort of “confirmation” for a lot of students.

“It is so important, especially having these students walk in on opening day and getting to see their piece on the wall, or their peer’s piece, and really experience what that’s like in a public gallery,” she says. “We’ve all had artwork displayed at school and stuff like that but a public gallery where people come in and they get to see it, it’s a huge deal because it confirms what you’re doing, and its exciting to see where your process can go.”

Freeman says attendees should expect to see a variety of creations in a fun setting for both the artists and patrons, and the BACC remains committed to supporting young artists. Admission for the event is free and the show runs until February 22nd.

Grande Prairie City Council’s Financial and Administrative Services Committee has opted to move forward with a new borrowing bylaw that allows the city to access a $15 million line of credit from the Province of Alberta.

According to city administration, the change comes in large part due to the current state of the bond market, which is providing favourable returns to investors presently, and Deputy Mayor Gladys Blackmore says the line of credit will help support the city through low tax revenue times like the beginning of the year.

“The benefit is that right now the bond market is providing excellent returns and normally we would take money out of investments to support the period of time when we are short on tax dollars, simply because taxes aren’t due until June,” she says. “This year, because the bond market is providing excellent returns, it’s a better financial tool to use a line of credit.”

Grande Prairie Chief Financial Officer Danielle Whiteway said during the meeting that council should consider the line of credit a “short term” borrowing method to be utilized for the next two to four months, giving the city a supplemental income until taxes are paid in the summer.

Blackmore adds that residents will benefit from the choice as council is anticipating a “positive cashflow” as a result of the process.

“The residents will benefit in my opinion because we will be earning a higher rate of interest on investments than the interest will be paying out on the line of credit, so there’s a positive cash flow there.”

According to the city, residents should not expect any tax implications from the choice, and the credit line “will not impact” tax budgeting.

New cannabis bylaws could come into effect for retailers in Grande Prairie after discussion in Tuesday’s committee meetings.

According to a proposal from Grande Prairie City Councillor Dylan Bressey, current red tape from the city is preventing cannabis retailers from utilizing their full legal operations hours in GP.

Presently, provincial laws allow cannabis retailers to operate between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 a.m., similar to liquor stores; however, in the City of Grande Prairie, retailers can only operate between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

Councillor Bressey says the current municipal bylaws came from a “conservative” approach by council during the early stages of cannabis legalization, and he says it would be prudent to reevaluate the approach based on current data.

“When cannabis was first legalized, there were so many unknowns so council took a very conservative approach to cannabis retailing, as time has gone on, we haven’t seen a big impact in neighbouring communities, we’ve loosened up the regulations,” he says. “This is a highly regulated industry that’s got a lot of rules it has to live with under the province, I don’t know if we need additional municipal rules for it.”

Bressey credits his proposal to a number of retailers in the industry who presented concerns regarding hours of operation bylaws in the city. He says it is solely on council to work with businesses in GP to ensure all types of retailers can be treated fairly and without unnecessary government interference.

“I had retailers reach out to me sharing their concerns about the rules, and that’s something that we regularly have as councillors,” he says. “It’s our responsibility as councillors to be very responsive and talk to our colleagues when we hear ideas about how to make the community better to do business in.”

Ashley Vanderburgh, a “bud-tender” at Value Buds Grande Prairie West, says she sees the opportunity to expand store hours as a good thing, as it would allow more flexibility for customers.

“We wouldn’t mind opening up earlier, I think it’s a good thing because it’s busy here, we’re one of the busiest weed stores in town,” she says.

Council opted to move the proposal past the committee stage and the matter is set to be discussed and voted on during their next Monday meeting.