By Liam Verster

Virtual Tour

Senator Black impressed with resiliency of Grande Prairie following talks with local groups

Oct 15, 2020 | 3:15 PM

As part of his virtual tour of Alberta, Senator Doug Black spent much of Wednesday speaking with representatives of groups and organizations in Grande Prairie, to see how they have been faring and to find out if there are any issues he can help to resolve.

He spoke with Mayor Bill Given; the President of Grande Prairie Regional College, Dr. Robert Murray; the GPRC Student Union; a representative of the United Way Alberta Northwest; members of the Grande Prairie and District Chamber of Commerce; and Sandy McDonald, the superintendent of the Grande Prairie Public School Division. The only group he had planned on speaking with but did not get the opportunity to do so was the Grande Prairie Friendship Centre, which Black says he will reschedule so that he can be sure to hear from them.

He says during those talks the one thing that stood out the most was the positive, can-do attitude of people from the Swan City.

“It’s not always up, up, up. You’re used to dealing with ups and downs, and you just get back up again. And what I heard was consistent resiliency and compassion.

“Everybody I talked to acknowledged ‘Of course this is complicated, it’s difficult, but we’re going to get through it. I’m going to focus on my family, on my job and on my community, and we’re going to get through it,”” says Black. “It was so gratifying to hear that people felt ‘We’re in this together, we’re going to get through this together.'”

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He adds that during an hour-long call with about 15 members of the Chamber of Commerce, he was very impressed to hear about the innovative and resilient ways businesses in Grande Prairie are getting through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Black was also very impressed with the education in Grande Prairie. He says he’s impressed with how the public schools have been faring and getting through the pandemic. He says about 20 per cent of students have opted for online or at-home learning, and he’s very happy to hear that schools are open, and teachers are able to provide their students with a full education.

He does admit that the post-secondary situation is a little more difficult for the students, as they want to be more independent and social, which is difficult during a pandemic, though he adds he’s encouraged to hear about their drive to continue their studies.

While Black heard many positive things during his talks, he says there were a few issues that needed addressing.

“I’ve now had on my provincial tour, in excess of 50 meetings around the province. And every second or third meeting there is some concern about some matter that touches on the federal sphere, and Grande Prairie was no different than that,” says Black. “A couple of the stakeholders, they asked me questions and I suggested ways that I might be able to be helpful, and I will endeavour to do that on the matters that they raised with me, because that’s my job.”

Though he wasn’t able to divulge any particular details on who asked for support or on what issues they require help, Black does say he will be creating a synopsis of what he heard during his tour, which can then be used to advocate on the federal level for Albertans and the support needed to address the issues they are facing.

Black says the homeless issue was brought up during a few discussions, but he believes that the local government, the business leaders and the student organization are all taking action on a local level to help the vulnerable population, which he says is very important.

Black says his talk with the United Way revealed that their support was down this year, but not as bad as suspected, and that it’s impressive to see people continue to support others through that organization.

He also says that during his calls, it became apparent that there is a need for better internet infrastructure in the region.

“I saw it directly when I was talking with some folks from the County, the service was just crummy, and you can’t build a business, you can’t get an education unless there’s strong wireless broadband service,’ says Black.

He points to a recent announcement from the Canada Infrastructure Bank of a $2 billion investment into broadband infrastructure across the country. He advises people to contact their MLA’s and local representatives, and have them advocate for the region, so that those projects can be done in places that help those most in need of improved service.

Black’s virtual tour continues for the next few weeks, but he does say that he cannot wait until he has a chance to visit Grande Prairie in-person once again. He says he would very much like to be here when the Grande Prairie Regional Hospital opens, and may also take that opportunity to hold an open house and hear directly from the public.