Grande Prairie 2023 News - ARCHIVED
DiscoverThePeaceCountry.com features some of the news that changed Grande Prairie during the year 2023.
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GRANDE PRAIRIE NEWS - 2023


January 2023: A number of Grande Prairie residents decided to have their own neighborhood Fireworks to bring in the year. This one in occured over the Whispering Ridge Pond in the northern part of Grande Prairie. The Fireworks lasted over 15 minutes and started at 7pm, so the younger children to enjoy the occcasion.



January 2023: After what seemed like decades located downtown Grande Prairie along 101st Avenue, Riichmond Dry Cleaners has made the move to an area where there is more parking, 10814-100 Street, just west of Home Hardware.


January 2023: The 2023 Grande Prairie Dream was open for viewing and DiscoverThePeaceCountry.com was there capturing the many features on camera. View Dream Home feature page: View photos


January 2023: Frontier Eatery and Seafood has opened a second location at the old “Seasons on 40” location. It is located at the Holiday Inn and Suites, 9816-107 Street, near the Staples corner, Grande Prairie. It will now be able to handle banquets of up to 600 people, offer room service to the hotel, plus they will be looking after the Spa in the hotel.


February 2023: Bed Bath & Beyond Canadian operations are going out of business. In Canada there are 54 stores that employed about 387 full time employees and 1,038 part-time workers. A number of people have noticed for some time that the shelves at the Grande Prairie store were not being restocked and now know the reason why. Staff in Grande Prairie won’t say when the store will close and only advised to call head office for that information.


March 2023: Grande Prairie’s Tenille Townes won Country Album of the year at the 2023 JUNO Awards with the Album Masquerades.

March 2023: Travis Toews, MLA and finance minister announces he is not seeking re-election in May 2023. Toews won the 2019 election as the UCP Peace-Wapiti candidate in Grande Prairie. Earlier another Grande Prairie UCP MLA Tracy Allard announced she was not running in the next election because of health reasons.

March 2023: The City of Grande Prairie Council has voted in favour of establishing a municipal police service and phase out the RCMP. The service is to be established over the next five years. RCMP have policed Grande Prairie since 1937.The Peace Country Progressive Alliance (PCPA) a local group is petitioning the City of Grande Prairie’s decision to move forward on a municipal police force. They are hoping for for 6700 signatures to put the decision to a public vote.


April 2023: Workers on strike in Grande Prairie on the corner of 108 Street and 100 Avenue (near Staples). The Public Service Alliance of Canada were on the picket lines with more than 155,000 federal workers all across Canada off the job. A tentative agreement was finally reached on May 1st putting an end to the strick after nearly 2 weeks.


April 2023: Willie de Wit has been appointed Justice of Appeal in Alberta. Many remember Willie representing Grande Prairie at the Commonwealth Games getting a gold medal in 1982 in boxing and in the Olympics in 1984 getting the silver. He also won the World Amateur Heavyweight Boxing Championship in 1983-1984.

May 2023: The Winner of the Grande Prairie Dream Home was Shaleena Higgins and the winner of the 50/50 cash prize was tinity Schmidt of Manning, Alberta. She took home $325,775. More Dream Home info CLICK HERE

May 2023: The 2023 Alberta General Election was held on May 29, 2023 and the United Conservative Party under Danielle Smiith was re-elected as Premier of Alberta. A total of 1,777,321 ballots were cast in the provincial election in May, with the voter turnout at 59.5 per cent. Here are the local results: More info.


June 2023: National Indigenous Peoples Day was Wednesday (June 21st, 2023) and it was highlighted with a parade down 102 Avenue in Grande Prairie. DiscoverThePeaceCountry.com captured the entire parade. Play VIDEO

June 2023: Grande Prairie had the lowest rental rates for May 2023 out of 35 different Cities across Canada. A one bedroom apartment cost at an average of $1,023, while an average two bedroom apartment was $1,226. Across Alberta rent was up 13 per cent over last year at this time. Vancouver and Toronto were at the top of the list more the highest rental rates.


June 2023: GP Honda moved into its new building just south of the previous building and GP Motorsports. The new Bannister GP Honda is located at 12916-100 Street, Grande Prairie.



July 2023: The Grande Prairie Canada Day Parade took place July 1st right downtown with thousands of people of all ages lining the streets. DiscoverThePeaceCountry.com captured the entire parade on video and edited down to 25 minutes. Play VIDEO.


August 2023: Former Grande Prairie Mayor and City Councillor Dwight Logan has passed away at the age of 75 on July 29th, 2023. He and his family were a big part of the operation of the York Hotel in Grande Prairie. Dwight was first elected to Grande Prairie City Council as an alderman in 1983. More on Dwight Logan including VIDEO From 2010 Election.


August 2023: The former Norlan Used Car building along 100 Street Grande Prairie, has been renovated and is the new home for Impact Print and Promo along with Suzie Q’s Auto Detailing.

August 2023: The Source closed its doors that was located for many years in the south wing of the Prairie Mall. Many still remember this store as Radio Shack featuring all kinds of electronics. The Source still has over 300 locations with Dawson Creek now the closest Source store to Grande Prairie.


August 2023: This year will go down as the worste Wildfire Season in Alberta and across Canada. With a very dry and hot spring, there were hundreds of out of contril fires in Alberta and BC causing very many days of high levels of smoke through-out the Peace Country that prevented many outdoor activities. The fires continued for the entire summer and late August, thousands of evacues from the North West Territories arrived in Grande Prairie and other communities. And in September there were still over 400 wildfires currently active in BC and over 100 in Alberta. more info


September 2023: A new restaurant Cozy Pierogi, has opened on the west end of Grande Prairie. You can dine-in or takeout, 11520-Westgate Drive. (east of 116 street and north of 100 street.)

September 2023:TENILLE TOWNES has won again at the 2023 Canadian Country Music Awards. She is the Female Artist of the Year beating Shania Twain, MacKenzie Porter, Lindsay Ell and Tennille Arts. She also won the Country Music Program or Special of Year for “Christmas Time with Tenille Townes 2022”. Songwriters of the Year was presented to Bryan Adams, Tenille Townes, Daniel Tashian and Kate York.


September 2023: The old Composite High School and Leisure Centre has been scheduled for demolition. The walls started tumbling down near the end of September. MORE PHOTOS: VIEW photo 2, VIEW photo 3
GRANDE PRAIRIE NEWS - 2023



September 2023: One of the long term advertisers of DiscoverThePeaceCountry.com is Gurevich Burnham Law Office and they recently have had some big changes. They moved to a new location in September (east of the Public Library at 10309-98 Street) as well they changed their name to Burnham Law Group. One of the reasons for the name change was partner Cyril Gurevich retired a while back and Timothy Burham is now in charge.

October 2023: Grande Prairie City Councillor Dylan Brassy was voted into the role of vice-president of Alberta Municipalities (cities up to 500,000 people) Beside working with councillors in Grande Prairie he will also now help provincial communities thrive.


October 2023: Another Dollarama is scheduled to open in Grande Prairie. The newest location is at the South 40 Shopping Centre (along 108 Street / Highway 40) is the 4th Dollarama to open in the city.


October 2023: The New Harry Balfour School is under construction 5 km east of Grande Prairie near the Five Mile Hall. Enlarge photo


October 2023: Grande Prairie area will now have 2 roundabouts with the recent addition near the 5 Mile Hall, east of the city. It will relieve some of the traffic congestion when the new Harry Balfour School opens in the fall of 2024. The first Roundabout was built in 2022 just north of the city on the new Highway 43X Bypass at Range Road 63 and 116 Street.


October 2023: Madhatters on 100 Avenue closed at the end of July and there is no confirmation if it will re-open. The building and the business is for sale.


October 2023: The Grande Prairie and District Chamber of Commerce “Awards of Distinction” were awarded as follows: GREATEST IMPACT: Grande Prairie Friendship Centre, YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR: Braeheid Gardens, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION: Grande Prairie Regional Association of Volunteer Organizations, LEGACY BUSINESS:  International Paper Grande Prairie Mill, MARKETING: Once Upon A Child, EMERGING BUSINESS: Ruby's Treats & Charcuterie, LEADING EDGE: Paradis Valley Honey, BUSINESS OF THE YEAR (Under Ten Employees): M3M Marketing, BUSINESS OF THE YEAR (Ten or More Employees): Sideworx Connect.


November 2023: Emerson Drive, a successful country band originating from Grande Prairie, announced their Final Run Tour (after 25 years) will start in the spring of 2024. One of the stops will be in Grande Prairie at the Bear Creek Folk Festival August 16-18th, 2024 at Muskoseepi Park. (photo of Emerson Drive performing at Muskoseepi Park at the City’s 100th Anniversary in 2014).


November 2023: After 20 years, Sharks Bar Grill (9898-99 St, Grande Prairie) will be closing their doors at the end of day Friday November 10, 2023. Sharks still has a number of locations in Calgary, Kamloops, Saskatoon, Vancouver and Winnipeg.

ALSO Taco Bell has plans on coming to Grande Prairie and opening near the former Bed Bath and Beyond location (Westgate Centre, Grande Prairie). Mark’s has plans on opening in the spring of 2024 in the former Bed Bath and Beyond location. (update: The Restaurant opened near the end of December 2024).


November 2023: After serving the Peace Country for 34 years, Quality Vacuum Company has closed their doors at 10822-100 Street and the building is now empty and up for lease. The regular phone number is also no longer in service. Besides selling top brand name vacuums, it was a place that would repair vacuums.


December 2023: December 1st came and there was no snow on the ground as people started putting their Christmas decorations up. Warmer weather has helping with the cost of heating bills, but the bad news is the Provincial Government has said it is ending the fuel tax break as of January 1st, 2024. Prices of fuel at the pump could jump up to 13¢ per litre.


December 2023: Canada’s Mastermind Toys recently filed for creditor protection and will be closing 18 of its 66 stores across Canada. The list includes 9 locations in Ontario, 2 in New Brunswick and 1 each in BC, Nova Scotia and Manitoba, plus four in Alberta that include Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Red Deer and Calgary. The closures “do not” affect the Grande Prairie location and this one on the west end, will remain open.


December 2023: The Grande Prairie Daily Herald Tribune "building" has finally been sold after being empty for a considerable amount of time. The new owners are Modern Decore Carpet One. Besides the front offices of DHT that are visible from 100 Street, there is a large warehouse behind it where the presses used to run. The presses stopped rolling in 2014 when the printing of the newspaper was moved to Edmonton. The print version finally stopped in 2021 going totally on-line with only a handful of staff left and most were now working remotely from various locations.
More history: https://discoverthepeacecountry.com/htmlpages/dailyheraldtribune.html


December 2023: The Sunrise House has moved to a new location. Features of the new facility include wheelchair accessibility, a double-door entrance for added security, 24 beds, a family meeting room, a quiet space, and a cultural space. Sunrise House provides emergency housing for those aged 12 to 17. They’re open 24/7 and those in need are provided with personal care items, food, and clothing plus a nursing room which will be staffed through Alberta Health Services.. The building has 3 floors and about 16,800 square feet. Located on 107 Avenue near the Great Northern Casino, Grande Prairie.


December 2023: WHISPERING RIDGE SCHOOL in Grande Prairie has asked students not to go to school today (Dec 14) if possible, as there is an overwhelming level of teachers/staff that are sick and are absence. The school is reportedly on Outbreak Status because of the high volume of students who are also sick with respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses. (photo Whispering Ridge School)

ALBERTA HOSPITALS ARE IN A DISASTER MODE. New data indicates the flu is more widespread in Alberta right now than anywhere else across Canada. Vaccine rates are also the lowest in nearly 12 years and as a result a larger number of people are ending up in the hospital. There has been a surprising number of hospitalizations in the 18-65 age group and this year even some kids getting the flu are getting hospitalized. The Alberta Medical Association president Dr. Paul Parks stated, it is worse than anything they've seen in 25 years with influenza, Covid-19 and RSV. There are more sick people than there are beds in many of the hospitals in Alberta. Some patients can wait up to 19 hours for emergency room care. This has caused some non-urgent surgeries to be postponed as well as Chemotherapy delays.


December 2023: A new Dairy Queen Grill & Chill has been under construction for the last few months on the corner of 84th Avenue and 116 Street (south Costco) and will be the 3rd DQ location in Grande Prairie. None of the Mah family is involved with the new location. Jim and Julie Mah were the original owners of the DQ downtown along 100 Street and 105 Avenue, but sold that a number of years ago. The south side location along 68 Avenue and 95 Street (Country Club area) is owned by Jim’s/Julie’s son Kevin. (update: The new DQ opened December 21st, 2024).


December 2023: This year will be known for its sugar shortage, both white and brown sugar. Rogers have been on strike since September 28 over issues of wages, benefits and it is evident at most grocery stores in the Peace Country, with many shelves empty. Rogers Sugar has been operating the Vancouver refinery at reduced capacity and says it has enough raw sugar on site to continue to do so until May 2024.More info

GRANDE PRAIRIE NEWS - 2023
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