(Image Credit: Curtis Galbraith)

By Curtis Galbraith

City Hall

Highlights from Monday’s Grande Prairie City Council meeting

Mar 17, 2026 | 6:01 AM

Grande Prairie City Council met on Monday afternoon.

– City staff told council that this will be a “particularly challenging week” for snow and ice control crews with the temperatures in the forecast. Administrator Brian Glavin says warmer weather means that ice is “breaking off in large sheets,” something that can lead to other hazards. He also says rain and freezing overnight will also mean challenges for ice control. City officials are also asking anyone who sees a pothole to report it to City Hall by calling 311.

– Council approved three Large Scale Tourism Grants after putting approval at its last meeting, so city staff could gather more information. The approved grants are for $50,000 for the Grande Prairie Regional Air Show and $25,000 each for the Grande Prairie Traditional Pow Wow and GrandeCon. Administration had recommended $35,000 for the pow wow and $40,000 for the air show at this meeting after recommending $33,333 at the meeting two weeks ago. Councillor Wade Pilat made the motion, saying he is concerned about what percentage of funding for the pow wow comes from the city, adding the event has been around a while. Councillor Grant Berg was worried this would mean it would lose money. The motion passed by a 5-4 vote.

– Council endorsed having the mayor sign a consent form related to the dividends Aquatera pays to its four shareholders. The amounts would be $4,123,631 for the city, $1,244,109 for the County of Grande Prairie, $469,718 for the Town of Sexsmith and $39,787 for the Town of Wembley.

– Council approved doing something that officials say the city does not have to do very often. Council has approved using $2,416,540.68 from a security paid by a developer to cover unpaid off-site transportation levies and to finish what are called development projects. Those would include things like trees and landscaping. A report from city staff said “financial hardship” for the developer, 272649 Alberta Ltd., could not fulfill its obligations. Places that have things left to be done include the Northridge Business Park, and parts of Northridge residential Centre West Business Park, Vision West, O’Brien Lake and O’Brien Lake West.

Council will next meet on March 30.