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Block Parent community hoping to expand to local businesses

Jul 10, 2018 | 2:29 PM

The Block Parent community of Grande Prairie is looking for local businesses who want to be a Block Parent Business. It’s the same concept as residential and if youth in the community are scared, lost or hurt they could see the recognizable sticker in the window and know that it is a safe place to go.

Doug Christian, Chairman of the Grande Prairie and Area Block Parent Association says it’s geared toward small businesses operating in our community with less than eight employees.  All of the employees would be required to have full security clearances through the RCMP.

“Essentially what would happen is for the hours of operation of that business, they would have a sticker on their window that says, ‘we are a Block Parent business,’ it’s the same recognizable sticker that residents use.  So, if any youth in the community are scared, lost, hurt, or in a scenario where they need some assistance and they’re in a commercialized area, they can see this sticker on the window and they can know that that is a safe place to go.” 

Residential Block Parents can be found in the city in six subdivisions; Royal Oaks, Crystal Lake, Patterson, O’Brien, Lakeland, and Westpointe.

The Grande Prairie and Area Block Parent Association currently operates with three board members and they would like to add at least two more to help share some of the duties.

Anyone interested in becoming a Block Parent, board member, or joining the Business Block Parent Program can visit The Grande Prairie & Area Block Parent Association on Facebook, online at gpabpa.ca or email Doug@gpabpa.ca