Mayor Bill Given

Looking for fun things to do over the holiday break? Check out the Countdown to 2021 Activity Sheet for a list of family-friendly activities. Complete any acti...vity and upload a photo to Instagram or Facebook with the hashtag #GPCountdown to be entered into a draw to win awesome prizes! Four winners will be contacted on January 4th to claim their prize, which includes a family board game and treats from Grate Sweets & Treats. Join in on the fun and download the activity sheet here: http://bit.ly/34vWEwK

My condolences to the Council, Staff and community of Pincher Creek on the passing Councillor O’Rourke. http://www.pinchercreek.ca/m/media/notice.php?view=514

Staying healthy during COVID-19 includes taking care of your mental health. View a list of resources available to help here: https://www.cityofgp.com//covid-19-infor/community-support

The United Way 50/50 is knocking on the door of a $90,000 pot. ($87,320 right now) Imagine that: $45,000 for you and $45,000 to do good in our community. What's there to lose? Get a ticket online here: ... https://www.uwnw5050.ca

Would you like to support all the good work of our United Way? Would you like a shot at an extra $25,000 (at minimum) to end the year? If so, buy a ticket in the United Way Super-Sized 50/50. ... https://www.uwnw5050.ca It's 1 day only and tickets start at $20. Hurry, it's literally only open today.... the 50/50 pot stands at $47,900 as of 10:30 am.

Three public member positions are currently available for the Grande Prairie Airport Commission. Learn more about this opportunity and apply today: https://bit.ly/3e9oFOv #gpab

The agenda for 2021 budget deliberations, including a full budget report is available here: https://www.cityofgp.com//council/agendas-meetings-minutes. Tune in live November 12 and 13 starting at 9:00 a.m. on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/GrandePrairieCA.

Today, the Premier and Alberta's Chief Medical Officer of Health announced a public health order outlining additional measures for the City of Grande Prairie. G...atherings are now limited to 15 people max. This applies to all indoor and outdoor social gatherings including but not limited to: >> banquets and award ceremonies >> wedding or funeral receptions >> luncheons or potlucks >> parties: birthday, baby shower, retirement, dinners, backyard BBQs >> other private social gatherings and functions This does not apply to structured events including but not limited to worship services, seated audience events, funerals, or in-person dining. --- Voluntary measures are in place to protect us and to protect our health care system from being overwhelmed. All residents are strongly encouraged to: >> Limit cohorts to no more than three- your core household, your school, and one other sport or social cohort. Young children in child care may have four. >> Wear a mask in all indoor work settings except when alone, able to physically distance, or a barrier is in place. --- Grande Prairie, the province has implemented these measures to help keep us all safe. We ask all residents to follow mandatory and voluntary measures to prevent the further spread of COVID-19 in our community. To view the full details of the provincial public health order, please visit: https://www.alberta.ca/covid19-communities-under-watch-publ --- The City's Temporary Mandatory Face Covering/Mask Bylaw remains in effect for all indoor locations as a supplementary local measure. We understand there are many opinions on the merit of a face covering/mask and remind all residents to practice compassion and kindness as we continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. To view all the City's COVID-19 updates, visit: cityofgp.com/covid19 and click "current COVID-19 response updates."

Applications are now open for residents to join the City's boards and committees! We are looking for 35 residents to join eight different boards or committees, ...each with a different role. New this year, is the Community Advisory Committee that serves as a connection between the community and the City and provides advice related to significant recreation and cultural projects, ongoing engagement activities, community improvement, community pride and events, and grant funding opportunities. Learn about all the opportunities, here: https://bit.ly/34BehvN

The Business Resiliency Taskforce (Chamber of Commerce, City of Grande Prairie and County of Grande Prairie No. 1), in partnership with Community Futures Grande... Prairie & Region and nine10 Incorporated is excited to offer a SECOND ROUND of Digital Marketing Training for eligible local businesses in the region. The training sessions will be focused on empowering local businesses with knowledge and skills to develop a brand and navigate the digital realm of Websites, Social Media and Search. With support from the Government of Canada’s Regional Relief and Recovery Fund, which is administered in Alberta by Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD), CFGPR is pleased to announce a second intake to the Digital Marketing Training program. Funding from WD will enable an additional 20 businesses and up to 40 people access to the program through early 2021. For full program details, click the link below. Due to the experiential and hands on format of the training, space is limited. Applications for the program will be accepted until November 6. Successful applicants will be notified by November 13 with digital onboarding beginning at the end of November. COVID-19 risk mitigation and physical distancing measures will be acknowledged during in-person training with a contingency plan in place for a digital delivery model. https://growthzonesitesprod.azureedge.net//Digital-Marketi

The City of Grande Prairie’s Mandatory Face Coverings (Masks) Bylaw C-1426 trigger point has been reached, meaning that face coverings and masks in indoor space...s are now required within the City as of October 26, 2020. The bylaw is in effect for indoor, enclosed or substantially enclosed public places. It was triggered by a combined total active case number of over 100 within the City and County. The City of Grande Prairie thanks all residents for their diligence, understanding, and cooperation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using face coverings or masks is an additional layer of protection against the spread of COVID-19 and will help protect the health of the public and the economy. The full media release is available here: https://bit.ly/35zGJND Details on the bylaw can be found here: https://bit.ly/3dZwWUR

Update, October 23, 2020: The Salmond Fire Station has safely re-opened and resumed regular operations. --- One COVID-19 case has been identified at the Salmond... Fire Station. The impacted fire station is closed until a deep cleaning of the station is complete. Fire response services to Grande Prairie are maintained out of the Pete Eager Fire Station One and Westgate Fire Station. The City of Grande and Grande Prairie Fire Department are working with Alberta Health Services to ensure a safe reopening of the facility. We wish a speedy recovery to the impacted individual and remind the community to adhere to provincial COVID-19 guidelines. To view the full release, visit: https://bit.ly/35nyNPA

Applications are now open for the Neighbourhood Outdoor Rink Program. This free programs supplies residents with the supplies and training to build and maintain small skating rinks in their neighbourhoods over the winter. Full details in our latest media release: https://bit.ly/354DI7J.

Recognize a long-standing volunteer in the community with notable achievements or community contributions by nominating them for a George Repka Outstanding Achievement Award. Visit this page for more information on how to apply before November 2: https://bit.ly/32Q9oOt.

In the provincial Covid update today Grande Prairie's number of active cases jumped from 29 to 41 and our status was moved up from "Open" to "Watch". This is not a cause for alarm, but it is a disappointing trend. Up to this point we have all taken a lot of pride in how our region has handled the pandemic. I hope that this turn will act as a reminder to all of us that we can control how Covid impacts our community. We CAN: - Wash hands regularly ... - Keep 2m apart from people not in our household - Wear a mask in times where we can't keep distance - Stay home when feeling unwell Each of us CAN do all those things, because we ARE in control of how the virus impacts our communities and families.

The City's focused on improving the service we provide to the community. One of our big projects is Canola to Key. Led by the Corporate Efficiency and Strategi...c Initiatives department, Canola to Key is a review of the City of Grande Prairie’s Land Development process from raw land to occupancy. Watch this video to learn more!

The Grande Prairie Outdoor Pool is officially closed for the season. We would like to thank the community for their support in making it a successful swim seaso...n and cooperation in keeping the staff and facility safe following all of the COVID19 protocols. With limited capacity, the pool still saw 411 bookings with an average of 25 people per booking for an estimated 10,275 visitors this summer. This included free swim for youth 2x a day, 4 days/week for 8 weeks, for an estimated 1600 youth through a successful partnership with Big Brothers & Big Sisters made possible through the Don Gillies Legacy Fund. We look forward to seeing you next summer! https://bit.ly/3jzhoJE

Our Balancing Act tool is now available for you to learn how the City’s operating budget is allocated, create your own balanced City budget and provide comment ...to help shape the City of Grande Prairie operating budget for 2021. Visit it until October 13 here: https://engage.cityofgp.com/budget2021.

Starting October 13, Eastlink Centre is re-introducing their regular drop-in rates and memberships as they expand their available amenities. Current membership... holders can visit cityofgp.com/mymembership to either re-activate or cancel their memberships that have been frozen since March due to COVID-19 closures. The facility looks forward to welcoming back more of it's members with this latest announcement. Learn more in our latest media release: https://www.cityofgp.com//eastlink-centre-re-introducing-m.

Mayor Bill Given Will Not Seek a 4th Term Today Bill Given announced that he will not be running in the fall 2021 municipal election. After nine years as a councillor and now entering my eleventh year as mayor, I’ve decided that it’s the right time for me to begin my transition away from elected office. While I’m not leaving office, I’m announcing today because I hope this early notice will encourage people to think about running for council or mayor. ... When asked about significant accomplishments during his time as mayor, Given pointed to his role in collaborative community advocacy on important issues like new schools, achieving degree-granting status for GPRC, and the approval and completion of the new bypass. He also highlighted efforts to build a solid foundation for future growth through the multi-year downtown revitalization program, completing annexation and opening new parks and public spaces such as the JC Mackie and Maskwoteh parks and the Mamawe concourse. During Given’s time in office, the city’s population has grown by approximately 10,000 people. The city’s size has nearly doubled, adding 6,300 hectares in the 2016 annexation. Community building is a team effort, said Given. I’ve had the honour to serve alongside great teammates, including the committed professionals among City staff, leaders in many different community organizations and, of course, my council colleagues over the years. He also noted his work to nurture social connections in the community by developing neighbourhood associations, establishing the Mayors Interfaith Breakfast, and City Hall events such as flag raisings and proclamations. Using my platform to recognize the value of the many diverse people that contribute to the fabric of our City has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my job, stated Given. For me, the reaction to seemingly small gestures like raising the Meti, Franco-Albertan, Filipino or Indian flags above city hall, hosting students at city hall and recognizing Pride Day affirms the power of simply acknowledging people on a human level. I believe being mayor is to enter a stewardship role for a short time; you are entrusted with leadership in the care and growth of the city, concluded Given. I encourage people who share that spirit of stewardship to step forward over the coming months and put their names forward to run for council or mayor.