June 9, 2025 Council Highlights

June 9, 2025

Proposed Work Plan for County Recreation Plan — Council directed Administration to move forward with the development of a County-wide Recreation Plan through the use of a consultant.

Bezanson Wastewater Treatment Infrastructure Direction — Council approved proceeding with the relocation of the Hamlet of Bezanson lagoon system to a tender-ready state and directed Administration to apply for grant funding to cover up to 75% of the $7.5 million project cost. The remaining funding will be determined by Council. The project addresses ongoing safety and operational concerns and supports future community growth.

Use of County Resources During a Municipal Election — Council approved Policy B31 – Use of County Resources During a Municipal Election. The policy outlines clear guidelines on the appropriate use of the County of Grande Prairie resources for election-related purposes, helping promote public confidence and transparency in local government elections.

2025 Tax Levies and Related Penalties on County Campground Properties — Council approved cancelling $5,148.43 in 2025 tax levies and penalties for Bear Lake, Pipestone, Hommy Park and Kleskun Hills campgrounds.

Cemetery Improvement Grants — Council awarded a total of $55,904 in cemetery improvement grants to 12 local groups for improvements to cemeteries located within the County.

Ovintiv Activities Update — Ovintiv representatives presented their annual update to Council, highlighting ongoing operations in the Montney Basin, upcoming plans for Alberta, and recent community engagement efforts.

Sponsorship Requests — Council approved the following sponsorship requests:

• $1,500 in operating assistance to Northwestern Polytechnic Foundation’s Inspire Arts Program to support the next season concerts, ensuring these vital cultural events remain accessible, impactful, and sustainable.
• $2,325 to the Grande Spirit Foundation to support their 65^th anniversary celebration on June 28.
• $2,500 gold sponsorship to the Wapiti Shooters Club for the 2025 World English Sporting Clays Championship event from August 12-17.

Public Hearing — Council gave final reading to Bylaw #2680-25-023 to redesignate land located west of Highway 43 and north of Highway 671, approximately 4.5 miles north of the Town of Beaverlodge. The redesignation supports industrial expansion and ongoing agricultural use while removing the Confined Feeding Operation (CFO) designation from the remaining lands. Specifically:

• 34 acres were redesignated from CFO to Rural Industrial – Direct Control (RM-DC) to support industrial development.
• 59.7 acres were redesignated from CFO to Agricultural (AG) to allow continued farming operations.
• Two lots totaling 14.61 acres were redesignated from Highway Industrial (RM-4) to Rural Industrial – Direct Control (RM-DC) to enable consolidation with adjacent industrial lands.

‌2025 County Open Houses — Council directed Administration to reschedule the County Open Houses due to the Kiskatinaw Wildfire.

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

• Financial and Business Planning Services: Triansh Bhatnagar as the new Finance Officer Intern.
• Agricultural Services: Ryan Li as the Agricultural Officer for Weed Inspections and Ben Seft as the Temporary Agricultural Officer for Legislated Mowing.
• Family and Community Support Services: Hannah Lundstrom, Alison (Ali) Martens, Carrie Quiring and Kim McDonald as full-time Home Support Workers; Ember Blais as a new Casual Home Support Worker; and summer students Jasmine Joosse as the Summer Program Coordinator and Amber Watson as the Summer Program Assistant.
• Recreation and Culture: Tyler and Amanda Choboter as the new Park Hosts at the Pipestone Creek Campground.

Appointment of Agricultural Fieldman — Council appointed Andrew Goldberg, Director, Agricultural Services as the Agricultural Fieldman for the County of Grande Prairie.

The next Regular Council Meeting will take place on June 23, 2025. The next Committee of the Whole Meeting will take place on June 17, 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.