By Justine Kelsie

Grande Prairie-Wapiti MLA provides last update to city council

Oct 10, 2018 | 5:17 AM

Grande Prairie-Wapiti MLA Wayne Drysdale pops into council meetings in his constituency to give an update on the province and receive information from the various municipal governments every fall. As Drysdale isn’t running in the next election, he says this will be his last MLA update to the City of Grande Prairie.

Drysdale anticipated there would be interest in the Grande Prairie Regional Hospital.

“I think you may ask a question. So, I will bring up the regional hospital. I just wish I could tell you something about it. I am a little disappointed in where it is at. We are really close. I toured it about three weeks ago and it is really impressive inside there. It is closer to being finished than I thought,” says Drysdale.

He says there has been talks about having a construction manager for the project by the end of October.

The MLA says he has received many emails about the Parkside Inn and asked for an update. Mayor Bill Given says the development permit for the Mental Health Association is currently being processed for the building.

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“Before the social services agencies got directly involved, RCMP and Enforcement Services conducted a number of projects and enhanced patrols. Back in April, their first project focusing on that facility had 94 arrest warrants and 10 criminal charges. Later on in the year, after an increased focus on addictions and working with the people that are in the facility, a similar operation resulted in just 10 arrest warrants and five criminal charges,” says Given.

A briefing from city management will be forwarded to the MLA’s for the area about the building.
 

Other city council highlights:

The city passed a motion to place a bid for the 2022 Arctic Winter Games. The city will be asking other municipalities to join the bid.

City approved moving $20,000 from the Downtown Project communications fund to the Art in the Alley pilot project. The Downtown Association is the lead on the project.

A concerned resident presented on vulnerable residents being stripped of personal belongings like I.D. when unwanted tents are taken down by RCMP and enforcement. The city will be looking into what the process that officers take to get personal belongings back to people.

The Grande Prairie Curling Centre Lounge received a new name. It will now be called and marketed as the “Top of the House”.

Councillor Kevin O’Toole and another city employee received recognition for their work in the Francophone conference held in Grande Prairie recently. 

Given proclaimed October 6 as World Cerebral Palsy Day in Grande Prairie.

VIDEO: Mayor Bill Given proclaims World Cerebral Palsy Day in Grande Prairie at city council meeting. #gpab pic.twitter.com/vSWFuDTEBY

— EverythingGP (@EverythingGPAB) October 10, 2018