Highlights from Tuesday’s meeting of Grande Prairie City Council

Senior Operating Officer in Grande Prairie Stacy Greening told council that the Queen Elizabeth II Hospital currently has a 28-bed inpatient COVID unit and resources have been pulled from other areas to staff it because of the level of care needed is higher.

The number of ICU beds at the QEII has been increased from six to eight. There has also been a ninth ICU bed added to stabilize patients for transport to ICU-level critical care, something that keeps the QEII a regional trauma hub.

Both Greening and North Zone medical officer of health Dr. Kathryn Koliaska appeared at the council meeting to answer a list of pre-submitted questions from council and to also take any other questions council had to ask.

Councillor Thiessen asked about mandatory vaccinations and what would happen when the deadline for this comes and if unvaccinated staff would be put on leave during a staff shortage.

Greening answered by saying health care workers are already required to have other vaccinations as part of their employment. and that a process is in place for anyone who may want an exemption from the COVID shot.

Sunrise House Youth Emergency Shelter land swap proposal

Council will have City Manager Horacio Galanti write a letter of intent to go ahead with a land swap proposal brought forward by officials from the Sunrise House related to its plans for a new shelter.

Earlier, a local businessman had donated land in the Kensington area for the new youth shelter. However, that piece of land has been deemed unsuitable.

The swap would see that piece of land exchanged for city land located in the Gateway area, subject to Sunrise House doing some public engagement and getting the land re-zoned. The deadline for the transaction to go through is February 1.

Sunrise House officials told council they hope to start construction in the spring.

Richmond Industrial Park improvements sought

Council directed administration to work with landowners in the Richmond Industrial Park on a revitalization plan for the area.

Jackpot co-owner Stuart Lloyd-Jones made a presentation to council talking about how some other area business owners had been meeting for a year or so to talk about the current state of the park and its future.

They are worried about increased vacancies, security concerns, and how the condition of the area is deteriorating. They are also worried the area is unattractive to new businesses and losing its ability to keep existing ones.

One thing Lloyd-Jones told council owners would like to see is improved infrastructure. There are concerns about connectivity and a lack of internet speed, something realtors have said led to some potential transactions falling through. Lloyd-Jones says TELUS may be looking at this in the next several months or quarters.

He adds they would also like to see things like new landscaping and bike and pedestrian pathways.

College Park redevelopment Plan approved

Council approved the College Park Redevelopment Plan. This is meant to establish rules for new developments in the area. This had gone before council on August 23, at which time council asked administration to come back with design and build options that would help regulate multi-family housing projects.

Letter from the Justice Minister received

Justice Minister Kaycee Madu sent a letter to council saying a request for proposals to establish a drug treatment court in Grande Prairie is currently being evaluated.

The minister’s letter says they hope to have a contract in place that would allow the establishment of such a court in Grande Prairie by the end of this year.

Madu also told council that his department is working with Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench to have a Queen’s Bench judge in Grande Prairie, but did not elaborate on what is being done.

Alberta population estimates methodology approved

Council has voted to do away with the census held every other year and to instead endorse the province’s methodology for establishing municipal populations in a 4-2 vote.

Opponents of the idea were worried that some important data will be lost. Those in favour say the census cost $200,000 and there are less expensive ways of obtaining the same information.

Final meeting of the council term

This was the last meeting of the current council before the October 18 municipal elections.

This marked the last meeting for Councillor Wade Pilat who is not running for re-election.

There will be at least four new councillors as there were already two vacancies created by the passing of Clyde Blackburn and Bill Given’s resignation as Mayor, which led to Jackie Clayton becoming interim Mayor.

Clayton and current councillor Eunice Friesen are among four candidates running for Mayor in the October 18 vote.

Incumbent councillors Dylan Bressey, Kevin O’Toole, Yad Minhas and Chris Thiessen are all seeking re-election as councillors.

The full list of confirmed candidates running for mayor, council and school board trustee can be found here.

by Curtis Galbraith

Highlights from Tuesday’s meeting of Grande Prairie City Council

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