STAY CONNECTED: Have the stories that matter most delivered every night to your email inbox. Subscribe to our daily local news wrap.
(Image Credit: Curtis Galbraith.)
By Curtis Galbraith
City Hall

Highlights from Monday’s meeting of Grande Prairie City Council

Sep 15, 2026 | 6:03 AM

Grande Prairie City Council met on Monday.

Council approved having administration come back with a policy on what it calls nuisance birds.

A delegation spoke to council about having a management program for birds like magpies and crows, and finding out what control measures are available. She told council that several people in Grande Prairie have said these birds damage plants, make a lot of noise, can become aggressive around mating and nesting season, and raid the nests of other birds.

Administration will report back to a city committee. 

Council also heard from another delegation that is organizing the 11th annual Voices for Peace Conference. It will take place Saturday in Room D208 at Northwestern Polytechnic, starting at 1 p.m. It is organized by a group called Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat. Organizers say people taking part want to have an “open, respectful dialogue on the issues that matter most in our communities.”

Elected officials, Indigenous elders, educators and regular community members are all expected to attend. A panel including religious and secular speakers will be part of the event. Admission will be free. 

Council approved its 2026-2029 Strategic Plan.

This covers four main areas, including economic opportunity and resilience; community empowerment and livability; infrastructure and financial responsibility; and purposeful leadership and governance. It is used to set budgets.

Specific items include getting the multisport dome built, upgrades at the Grande Prairie Curling Centre, modernizing transit fare collection, and completing the transition to the Grande Prairie Police Service. 

Mayor Jackie Clayton read out a proclamation for Rail Safety Week. It will be marked across Canada from September 21 to 27.

The proclamation says there were 252 incidents at railways and crossings in Canada in 2025 that resulted in 60 injuries and 69 deaths. 

Council approved having the new multi-sport dome operate as a city facility. This means the city would both own and operate the dome. Council also approved having administration put together a list of fees based on averages from other facilities not in this area that are seen as similar. 

Council also approved grants for individual athletes and local groups hosting events.

The individual grants range from $500 to $1,415, while the hosting grants go from $500 to $2,125.

The money comes from the Pursuit of Excellence funding; legacy money from the 1995 Canada Winter Games.  

Council meet again in three weeks, on October 5. 

The Alberta Municipalities Convention runs September 23 to 25 in Edmonton.

by Curtis Galbraith