Council highlights: discussion on shortage of doctors, a new name for children’s memorial garden
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Council heard a presentation from a local Alberta Health Services official about staffing levels. AHS North Zone medical director Dr. Bryan Muir says there is a vacancy rate in the North Zone of around 20 per cent for family physicians and nurses and that all rural zones are short-staffed in this area. He adds Grande Prairie currently has 43 family doctors and could use nine or 10 more. He also says Grande Prairie’s physician supply has stayed roughly the same but is far short of what is needed. Dr. Muir also says most of the doctors that chose to leave Grande Prairie do so for personal reasons. He adds places all over the western world are short of anesthetists. Dr. Muir also says there are lots of incentives offered to attract doctors. When asked if the city could do more to help recruit doctors, Dr. Muir told council not to do anything differently.
Council has asked administration to look into a request from the Canadian Mental Health Association. It has asked to be given title to property on 99A Street that the city leases to the association and that is used for low-income housing. The CMHA says it wants to add to its assets that it can use to borrow money for other projects. City administration has been asked to report back to a standing committee.
Council has approved an official name for the proposed children’s memorial garden. It will be called the Blossoming Garden of Hope. Organizers say blossoms represent both the beauty and fragility of life and hope represents what parents who have lost a child look for. The park will include trees and shrubs that will bloom in different colours throughout the summer. They add they hope to start construction next week. The Blossoming Garden of Hope will be built in Maskwoteh Park not far from the Grande Prairie Regional Hospital.
Council approved redirecting $21,000 set aside in the budget for Municipal Government Day and instead putting it towards a new event called Experience Grande Prairie. Council also approved taking $35,000 from a reserve fund for the event. It is planned for late August downtown and is meant as a way to attract people to the downtown, and to help out business, after all the construction over the last five-plus years.
