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By Liam Verster
Land Use Bylaws

County to crack down on illegal activities on crown land south of Correction Line

Dec 10, 2019 | 4:30 AM

The County of Grande Prairie is taking action to stop illegal activities from taking place on unoccupied public land south of the Correction Line.

Reeve Leanne Beaupre says residents, business owners and nonprofit organizations operating in the area have grown concerned with the increased activities on the Crown lands, most of which are illegal. She says administration has been directed to draft new bylaws to limit activities permitted under the Public Lands Act.

“Well, there would be usage, in certain areas, of off-road vehicles. Also, there would be limits to random camping and fires, things like that, discharge of firearms. There’s already a bylaw in the area that speaks to discharge of firearms in a certain radius, and this would encapsulate some of that Crown land as well.”

She says they want to make sure there’s an opportunity for certain areas to be used for recreational use, but other activities need to be restricted and bylaws enforced.

Along with directing staff to draft new bylaws, Council also discussed writing a letter to the province regarding a land-use plan from 1998, the Wapiti Sand Dunes Land Use Plan.

Beaupre says the plan was adopted and put in place in 1998 and is still used to this day, but Council now wants it updated.

“What Council, what you heard from concerns, was that the document, the 1998 planning document, which was being asked to be updated, was in recognition of a much smaller area, and council was looking for, well some of Council, was looking for a bigger area. But really the ultimate goal is that they update the plan altogether. So hopefully they’ll consider a larger, than smaller (area).”

The letter will be written and sent to the province in the new year.

by Liam Verster