Back to SearchMarch 3, 2025
Regional Fire Service Presents 2024 Annual Report — The Committee received the 2024 Annual Report from County Regional Fire Service which highlighted the serious drought conditions in the Spring of 2024, creating the ideal scenario for the spread of wildfires across the County. Major impacts on the community included the 2024 Kleskun Creek wildfire and the Jasper evacuation. The Service also deployed resources to support partners across Alberta including the Municipal District of Peace, Zama City in Mackenzie County, Saddle Hills County, Municipality of Jasper, and Garden River.
Education is a priority, including the ATCO Fire Cadet program to provide students a streamlined path to a firefighting career, the Learn Not to Burn program presented to 660 children in 2024, and ongoing FireSmart™ principles to prevent losses during wildfire.
Year-over-year call volumes for emergency response increased from 7.6 calls per day in 2023 to 8.22 in 2024. The report also provided an overview of fire prevention activities, permitting, operations, activations of the Grande Prairie Regional Emergency Partnership (GPREP), the role of the new Fire Prevention Officer position approved by Council, and the grand opening of the new Regional Fire Training Facility.
Regional Enforcement Services and RCMP Present 2024 Annual Report — The Committee received the 2024 Annual Regional Enforcement Services Report from Administration and RCMP members from the Grande Prairie Rural and Beaverlodge detachments. The report included statistics and information on crime prevention, on-call services, new staff, training, public engagement activities, patrols, joint forces operations, and the Regional Animal Pound.
Voyent Alert 2024 Report — The Committee received a report from Administration on the first year since launching Voyent Alert, the County’s subscriber-based multi-purpose notification system that provides notice of critical events like fires or floods as well as day-to-day communications such as snow removal and service disruptions. Residents and business owners in the County can download the Voyent Alert app or sign up for email, text or landline alerts at www.countygp.ab.ca/alerts. Based on the success of the first year, the Committee supported Administration to renew the service for 2025.
Alberta Day Celebration 2025 Update — The Committee received an information update from Administration on plans for the 2025 Alberta Day Celebration. Administration consulted with community groups and confirmed that the event on September 1, 2025, will take place at the Philip J. Currie Dinosaur Museum and Wembley area.
Manufactured Homes Tax Collection Report — The Committee received a report from Administration regarding outstanding taxes owed from 107 manufactured home accounts located in manufactured home parks and discussed possible solutions. Council directed Administration to draft a bylaw in accordance with Section 304(1j) of the Municipal Government Act, changing the assessed person on the account to the park owner, and to bring back proposed amendments to Policy C13 – Collection of Outstanding Receivable to a future Council meeting for consideration, including sending outstanding accounts over two years old to a collection agency.
Business Incentive Program — The Committee received a presentation from Administration outlining proposed updates to the County’s Business Incentives Program, part of the County’s strategy to attract potential investors in target industries. The Committee directed Administration bring the final draft to Council for approval, as presented.
Letter of Congratulations — The Committee directed Administration to send a letter of congratulations to the newly appointed Alberta Minister of Infrastructure, Martin Long.
The next Regular Council Meeting will take place on March 10, 2025. The next Committee of the Whole Meeting will take place on March 27, 2025.
Council and Committee meetings are available to the public via live stream. Find connection instructions and meeting agendas under Council Meetings on the County website.