GRANDE PRAIRIE NEWS - 2003 ARCHIVED Menzies Printers moves, Home Depot coming to town.
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Grande Prairie News 2003

GRANDE PRAIRIE
ALBERTA, CANADA


GRANDE PRAIRIE NEWS - 2003 ARCHIVED


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January 2003- Menzies Printers moved to a new building in early January to 9917-97 Avenue. Menzies Printers started operation in 1946 in Sexsmith Alberta, later moving to the Downtown location on the corner of 100 Avenue and 102 Street. Menzies Printers also has locations in Edmonton, Alberta and Kamloops, British Columbia. Royal LePage Realty Grande Prairie moves its offices next to Menzies Printers.

January 2003- Carnelly's Restaurant and Pub closed its doors. It was located along the Highway Bypass at 10214-116 Avenue Grande Prairie.

February 2003- Bud Country 3 Day Festival is scheduled for July 4-6 at Evergreen Park. Some main headliners include, Sawyer Brown, Ronnie Milsap, Chris Cummings, Blake Shelton and more.

February 2003- Home Depot confirms it will be coming to Grande Prairie. Watch for their store just north of the Quality Hotel (Golden Inn) opening sometimes this fall. 62,000 sq ft building, 19,000 sq ft covered area, 20,000 sq ft lumber yard.

February 2003- Jim Hansen's Gateway Ford Lincoln Sales has moved to a new building on the west side in the Gateway Power Centre area. Located north of Quality Hotel (Golden Inn).

February 2003- Chamber of Commerce 2003 Business Citizen of the year award went to Tom Shields of Tom Shields Realty Inc. Fletcher Bootle won the Clem Collins Award for outstanding volunteer contributions. Peace Air Ltd, won the Dan H. Minchin Award for its long term business and community achievements.

February 2003- Bud Laverick of Re/Max named Realtor Of The Year. Lesley Craig of Century 21 was named Rookie Of The Year.


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Builders' Expo 2003 was held at Evergreen Park February 21-23, 2002. It is a trade show organized in partnership with the Grande Prairie Home Builders Association, GP Construction Association and the GP and District Chamber of Commerce. More than 190 exhibitors displayed their wares in the Largest Construction based Builders' Show in Northern Alberta.

March 2003- Little Caesar's Pizza will be coming to Grande Prairie locating in the new development south of the Royal Bank. Junction Point Village and Railtown is located along Resources Road.

March 2003- 18th Annual Peace Country Classic usually attracts close to 20,000 people was held over 4 days this year at Evergreen Park. March 5,6,7,8. Free admission, seed fair, showcase and horse sale, cattle show and auction, bison and elk show and sale, variety of demonstrations. Over 250 displays and exhibits. Very cold weather affected the attendance figures.
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GRANDE PRAIRIE NEWS - 2003 ARCHIVED
March 2003- The Bank of Montreal has closed its downtown location as well as the Prairie Mall location and have amalgamated to a new location at the West Side Plaza. (area east of Northern Metalic) Their new address is 10705 West Side Drive. March 2003- A construction material recycling centre officially opened by the name Northwest Re-Build Industries. Also the Gaiety Theatre has re-opened operated by the Living Christ Youth Mission Fellowship Group. On opening night the main attraction was a Christian rock band with more concerts planned.

March 2003- 6th Annual Grande Prairie Sports Expo, an annual event at Evergreen Park was held March 21, 22, 23.

Attractions included the 21 foot climbing wall, the 60 foot houseboat as well as boats, RV's, ATV's, archery and fishing equipment, truck accessories, pool tables, paintball accessories and more
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April 2003- The TD Canada Trust has moved to the West Side Plaza, right across the street from The Bank of Montreal. The downtown location and Patterson location have closed and amalgamated at this new location at 10704 West Side Drive. May 2003- Health Region 8 is now officially called the "Peace Country Health Region". The Peace, Mistahia and Keeweetinok Health regions merged early this year to provide health care for over 130,000 people.
May 2003 - Johnny Macdonald Arena has moved to the twin-ice arenas, known as the Coca-Cola Centre located on the south side of the City. The Wall of Fame has been moved as well which includes photos of Johnny Macdonald "the father of hockey in Grande Prairie". enlarge picture

May 1, 2003- The official launch of a new website that features the Peace Country. After approximately 2 years in the making, this one-of-a-kind website features approximately 20 towns and villages as well as parks and lakes in the Peace Country with over 350 pictures. More communities will eventually be added to the site. "DiscoverThePeaceCountry.com" is featured on the most viewed websites in the area which includes the Daily Herald-Tribune website in Grande Prairie, the Fairview post website and the Peace River Gazette website.

June 2003 - The County Office and Municipal Shop has moved to a new location and new building, north of Grande Prairie along Highway 2, approximately 1 km north of the Four Mile Corner.

June 2003- Mary Brown's Restaurant, closed its doors. It had been only open for about a year on the west side of the city next to Visions in the Gateway Power Centre.

August 2003- Business Career College moves to a new location along Highway 40, 8611-108 Street. (Former County Office Building) They provide Diploma Programs and Continuing Education Programs.

August 2003- More pages have been added to the website to now total 60 areas. (47 cities, towns, villages, and hamlets as well as another 13 feature pages on parks and lakes.) Most of the Peace Country is now on ONE website with over 800 pictures on this site. Most recently added are High Level, Rainbow Lake, Fort Vermilion, La Crete, Keg River, Manning, Dixonville, Worsley as well as Twin Lakes and Notikewin Park. The Map of The Peace Country and Map of County are now clickable...click on any area on the map and information comes up about that place. MAP OF PEACE COUNTRY

July 2003- Canfor fire creates state of Emergency in Grande Prairie. Water bombers and firemen brought in the fight the blaze and finally brought under control in a few days. 20,000 cubic metres of wood had burned. The last Canfor fire happened in 1978.
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July 2003- Another 21 feature pages added to discoverthepeacecountry.com. Includes: Donnelly, Falher, Girouxville, High Prairie, McLennon, Nampa, Tangent...also British Columbia towns in the Peace Country: Charlie Lake, Chetwynd, Dawson Creek, Hudson's Hope, Fort St. John, Dawson Creek, Taylor, and Tomslake. Also Alberta Parks: Figure 8 lake, Queen Elizabeth Park, Winagami Lake and BC Parks: Moberly Lake and Swan Lake. These pages accessible from the pull-down menu at the top of this page.

July 2003- Canadian Western Bank under construction next to Home Depot in the Gateway Power Centre (west end of Grande Prairie.) This will be the 28th location in western Canada, scheduled to open in November 2003.

September 2003- City Hall comes tumbling down on the corner of 100 Street and 99 Avenue. (just east of the Brick) 214 Place is visible in the background. Now work can progress on widening 100 Street. Theodore Court located on Montrose Avenue, is now the new City Hall. The move was made to the new location only a few weeks ago.
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September 2003- Lexington, an apartment building opened in the heart of Grande Prairie, across from Re/Max and next to Jubilee Park. The complex is an undertaking of Alberta Lands Inc, which is part of the Evaskevich family. Also the Grand Opening took place for the Coca-Cola Centre located at the Community Knowledge Campus on 68 Avenue and Wapiti Road. The twin ice surfaces will see everything from minor hockey and adult hockey to figure skaters, sledge hockey and speed skaters.

September 2003- Mobility Plus Health and Homecare Centre, took on its new name this summer and is now located in a brand new building one block west of Safeway, 10021-115 Avenue. Mark Christopherson is the owner. Just down the street Robins Donuts closes its doors.


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Oct 2003- Home Depot opens its doors October 15. Located on the far west of the city in a 75,000 sq ft building. This is the number 99 location in Canada. Employs 150 staff.

Oct 2003- Co-op Bulk Plant and Cardlock had its Grand Opening October 20. The new building is located at the corner of 89 Avenue and Wapiti Road (Highway 40). West of Canfor.

Oct 2003 -Mr.Mikes Restaurant will be opening in the former Carnelly's Restaurant on the Highway Bypass at 10214-116 Avenue Grande Prairie. Construction of the ATB Financial begins at the West Side Plaza. The new 16,000 square foot building should open July 2004.

November 2003 - Plans are in place for the Montrose Centennial Centre opening in 005. The Grande Prairie Public Library and the Prairie Art Gallery hope to build the new centre at the former Montrose school site in the centre of Grande Prairie.


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November 2003 - Canadian Western Bank and Trust opens it doors for business in their new building next to Home Depot on the west side of the City.



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November 2003 - Sobeys Inc announced it has closed its warehouses in both Grande Prairie and Peace River. Sobeys had supplied the groceries to 14 IGA stores and has served the north over 71 years. 67 full and part time employees are put out of work.

November 2003 - Finning moves to its new location at the intersection of Highway 43 and Highway 2 (near 4 mile corner). 7601-99 Street, Clairmont. New state-of-the-art facility that includes 16,000 sq ft warehouse and office space. GPR Industries will move in to the old Finning location December 15, just east of the Quality Hotel.

December 2003 - Grande Prairie has a new residential subdivision. O'Brien Lake is situated west of the Community Knowledge Campus and south of Pinnacle Ridge. (Highway 40 and 68 Avenue) About 500 homes will be built here.

December 2003 Grande Prairie Chamber of Commerce has new executive for 2004. Alex Figel is chairman, Darren Kjemhus is first vice-chairman, and Jackie Thompsen, is second vice-chairwoman. The chamber presently has approximately 1020 members.

December 2003 - Rod Dueck of Dueck Brothers is 2003's Builder of the Year. The award was presented at the SAM Awards put on by the Grande Prairie Home Builders' Association. The association's new president is Sean Doerkson, mortgage specialist with RBC Royal Bank.

December 2003 - City alderman and longtime Grande Prairie Public School District superintendent, Derek Taylor passes away at the age of 70.

December 2003 - The Grande Prairie Regional College Community Health Centre officially opens on Campus. It has a drop-in extended hours clinic with physician services, nurse practitioner services, lab services and x-ray. Open Monday thru Friday from 10am to 10pm and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 6pm.








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