Email icon Back to Search

November 12, 2024

Municipal Census Demographic Report — Council received the 2024 Municipal Census Demographic Report as information. The report outlined results of the municipal census conducted by the County of Grande Prairie from April 3 to July 2, 2024. With a strong 95.2 per cent response rate, the census revealed that the County has a population of 26,701 residents, an increase of 5,500 residents since the 2012 census. Clairmont stands out as the largest hamlet in the County and the third largest in Alberta. Additionally, 61.9 per cent of respondents reported having a family physician in the Grande Prairie region. Read the media release for additional information.

100 Years of Farming Awards Presented — Councillors Chrenek, Harris, and Rosvold presented the 100 Years of Farming Awards to two deserving families. The Lock family received the Heritage Award, which recognizes farm/ranch families who homesteaded and continuously farmed/ranched the same land for 100 years or more. A Pioneer Award was presented to the Richards family, recognizing families who have lived and farmed/ranched within the County of Grande Prairie for 100 years or more. The awards highlight the dedication and resilience of families who have helped shape the County’s agricultural heritage for a century or more.

Funding Approved for Sexsmith Museum Train Station Repairs — Council approved $10,000 in funding for the Sexsmith and District Museum Society, to repair the Sexsmith train platform.

Partial Road Closure on Range Road 110 — Council gave final reading and approval to Bylaw #3233 The Partial Road Closure of Range Road 110 Undeveloped Government Road Allowance, to close off a portion of Range Road 110, located south of Township Road 693, approximately 9.06 kilometres south of Elmworth. The closure will allow for safe expansion of nearby extraction operations without limiting access to neighboring private land or public areas.

Partial Road Closure Near International Paper — Council gave final reading and approval to Bylaw #3235, Undeveloped Government Road Allowance, authorizing closure of a portion of undeveloped government road located adjacent to the International Paper mill.

Procedural Bylaw Amended — Council gave final reading to the amended version of Bylaw #3242 Procedural Bylaw for the County of Grande Prairie. The bylaw’s focus is to regulate the proceedings of County Council meetings and Council committees. The amendment corrected an error related to the 1:00 p.m. start time of Public Hearings.

2024 Tax Levies Waived on County Campground Properties — Council approved cancelling 2024 tax levies and penalties totaling $4,867.39, for mobile homes occupied by Park Hosts within County campgrounds. Since these properties are County owned and on County property Council may waive the taxes in accordance with the Municipal Government Act.

2023 Taxes Waived on Relocated Mobile Homes — Council approved cancelling 2024 tax levies totaling $1,969.96 for three mobile homes located in the Silverpoint subdivision and $1,304.69 for two mobile homes from the Lakeview Mobile Home Community. The structures were removed from the property in 2022 and were not adjusted in the 2023 Property Assessment and Tax Notice.

2024-2027 Agricultural Service Board Strategic Plan Amended — Council approved the updated 2024-2027 Agricultural Service Board Strategic Plan, which now includes the Beautification Mowing program. As part of the Community Services Division reorganization, the mowing program was moved from Recreation and Culture to the Agriculture department.

Bezanson Community Event Centre Funding Referred to Interim Budget — The Bezanson Agricultural Society provided an update on the community event centre’s current operations, highlighting financial challenges stemming from organizational restructuring and rising operating costs. The Society requested loan forgiveness, interest relief, and additional funding to help address these needs. Council referred the following requests to the interim budget discussions in December:

  • $145,366.71 for principal loan forgiveness and 2024 cumulative interest.
  • $35,000 to extend the one-year pilot for increased Executive Director wages for one year to 2025, based on the hire date for the position.
  • $66,156 for a three-year term (2025-2027) for additional operating funding. The Society will be required to report back to Council in the fourth quarter of 2025 before operating funding is confirmed for 2026.

Draft Business Incentive Program — Ernst, Basler and Partner (EBP) presented preliminary recommendations to enhance the County’s Business Incentives Program, part of the 2022 Industrial Investment Attraction Strategy aimed at attracting non-resource-based investments. Council directed Administration to incorporate the recommendations into the final draft, to be reviewed at an upcoming Committee of the Whole meeting.

Interprovincial Meeting — Council directed Administration on topics to add to the Interprovincial Meeting agenda set for November 29, 2024. Participants include the Peace River Regional District, City of Dawson Creek, The Village of Pouce Coupe, Clear Hills County, Saddle Hills County, and the County of Grande Prairie.

Range Road 64 Truck Traffic — Council directed Administration to redesignate a section of Range Road 64, between Township Road 710 and 712, back to a non-truck route with permits required.

La Glace Ice Plant Replacement Request Deferred — Council deferred the emergency funding request of up to $130,000 for a temporary replacement ice plant from the La Glace and District Agricultural Society to a future council meeting and directed Administration to bring back options for alternate solutions.

Event and Funding Requests — Council deferred the following funding requests to the 2025 interim budget deliberations:

  • $1,107,191 the County Library Board’s 2025 operating budget.
  • $25,000 sponsorship request by the Bear Creek Folk Festival Society for the 2025 Bear Creek Folk Festival.
  • $20,000 in increased annual operating funding for a three-year term (2025-2027) to fund the Kleskun Hill Museum Society.

Public Hearings — Council held the following public hearings:

  • Council gave final reading to Bylaw #2680-24-039 to redesignate 3.72 hectares located approximately 8.5 miles southwest of the Town of Wembley, adjacent to Township Road 703 and Range Road 94, from the Agricultural (AG) District to the County Residential (CR-5) District.
  • Council gave final reading to Bylaw #2680-24-040 to redesignate 1.2 hectares located approximately 1.7 miles south of the City of Grande Prairie in the Dunes subdivision, south of Township Road 704A, and west of Resources Road, from the County Residential (CR-1) District to the Rural Estate (RE) District. 

Staff Introductions — Council welcomed the following new staff to the County:

  • Lee Brachmann as the new General Manager of Community Services.
  • Kyle Palfy as the new Superintendent of Regional Enforcement Services.
  • Ryan Ulrich as the new Regional Fire Service Deputy Chief of Training.
  • Chris Storeshaw as the new Regional Fire Service Deputy Chief of Logistics.

The next Regular Council Meeting will take place on November 25, 2024. The next Committee of the Whole Meeting will take place on November 28, 2024.

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.