By Jeff Henson

PRAIRIESCAN

Federal government opens PrairiesCan service Centre in Grande Prairie, announces funding for 23 local projects

Jun 27, 2023 | 2:06 PM

The federal government has officially opened a new Prairie Economic Development Canada service centre in Grande Prairie.

Located in Centre 2000, the new PrairiesCan regional office is one of seven being opened across the Prairies.

Its goal is to enhance collaboration between Albertans and the federal government, as well as help capitalize on economic opportunities across the Northwest region.

As part of the launch, Federal PrairiesCan Minister Dan Vandal also announced over $9.4 million in investments into 23 projects that support tourism, community economic development, innovation, and economic growth across the region.

Among the projects that received funding are:

Wolfe Honey Company Inc. ($667,507)
Renovate existing facilities in the Hamlet of Guy to increase capacity to produce organic honey as well as launch and market a new hot honey product.

Cherry Canyon Agricultural Society ($30,060)
Upgrade the outdoor community park in Bear Canyon with a new playground and fitness equipment, bleachers, landscaping, and benches.

County of Grande Prairie No. 1 ($750,000)
Improve access to recreational trail infrastructure by constructing a new 1.6 km multi-use trail that connects existing City of Grande Prairie trails with the County of Grande Prairie trail network.

Fourth Creek Community Association ($23,000)
Enhance an established community recreation area by building a new public playground near the Fourth Creek Hall, ball diamond, and campground.

Hythe and District Agricultural Society ($192,327)
Build the Mustang Spray Park, an accessible and family-friendly outdoor spray park in Hythe.

La Crete Agricultural Society ($39,090)
Establish a 7.5-acre community orchard at the La Crete Mennonite Heritage Village.

Loon River First Nation ($20,000)
Develop a new community garden in the Loon River First Nation to provide residents a place to gather and grow their own food.

Marigold Enterprises Rehabilitation Services Society ($38,531)
Repurpose a vacant space into a community gathering space and mini-golf course in downtown High Prairie.

Sagitawa Friendship Society ($500,651)
Renovate the Al-Adair Recreation Centre to create a community centre and Indigenous Cultural Hub in downtown Peace River.

Town of High Level ($750,000)
Enhance High Level Community Park with new baseball diamonds, soccer fields, pathways, washroom facilities, and infrastructure to better support year-round recreation activities.

Town of Swan Hills ($236,364)
Enhance downtown Swan Hills by expanding greenspace and adding accessible walkways, benches, and outdoor museum displays that attract residents and support community gatherings.

Little Red River Group of Companies (Operating as Caribou Mountain Homes) ($4,480,500)
Enable Caribou Mountain Homes to acquire equipment, supplies, and labour they need to increase the production of ready-to-move homes that can be delivered to markets throughout northern Canada.

Canadian Motorcycle Tourism Association ($72,222)
Add equipment that extends the operating season of outdoor event spaces at the Veterans Memorial Gardens & Interpretive Centre in Grande Prairie and launch new marketing initiatives to attract visitors to northern Alberta.

High Level Native Friendship Centre Society ($500,000)
Establish an Indigenous cultural park with a historic walkway that shares Indigenous knowledge and outdoor gathering spaces designed to host authentic Indigenous experiences.

La Crete Polar Cats Snowmobile Club ($87,838)
Create new trails, install signage and accessible washroom facilities, and launch digital trail maps to enhance the snowmobile trail network in the La Crete area.

Mackenzie Ski Hill Society (operating as Blue Ridge Mountain Resort) ($225,908)
Enhance Blue Ridge Mountain Ski Resort with new ski runs, a terrain park, website updates, chalet expansion, and enhanced staff training to provide quality experiences that attract new guests.

The Mighty Peace Tourist Association ($140,000)
Gather detailed information on trails in Peace River Country and the Municipal District of Smoky River to guide future trail development and tourism planning.

Monkman Ventures Ltd. (operating as Broken Tine Orchard) ($57,540)
Enhance Broken Tine Orchard facilities to increase production capacity, support the launch of new products, and enable the orchard to better attract and welcome visitors.

Municipal District of Greenview No. 16 ($55,861)
Create a destination development strategy and launch a virtual reality experience to increase awareness of and visitation to attractions and experiences in the Grande Cache area.

Prairie Gallery Society (operating as the Art Gallery of Grande Prairie) ($26,385)
Acquire assets that enable the Art Gallery of Grande Prairie to display captivating multimedia exhibitions and create an immersive digital collection that can be viewed online.

River of Death and Discovery Dinosaur Museum Society (operating as Philip J. Currie Dinosaur Museum) ($315,628)
Launch interactive tourism experiences – including guided river rafting tours, an escape room, digital fossil discovery experiences, and new museum exhibits – to increase awareness of and visitation to northwest Alberta and the Philip J. Currie Museum.

Town of Fairview ($99,999)
Acquire equipment and create a destination development plan to support the delivery of quality community events that attract visitors to Fairview.

Zama Recreation Society ($99,999)
Build two full-service cabins in the community campground and upgrade the Zama Community Hall with a new kitchen to attract visitors and provide amenities that better support community events.