Advocacy Goal: Have the Province conduct a comprehensive review of distribution regulations to establish an equalization model and more equitable cost sharing to improve affordability, and support investment and economic development across Alberta.

• Current electrical distribution rates are highly unequal across the province, which negatively affects affordability for our region's residents and holds back economic development. 
• In 2025, the average Grande Prairie household will pay over $1,300 in electrical distribution charges annually, compared to an average of $385 in other larger urban centres. 
• Not only does this impact property owners on their monthly utility bills, it impacts them through their property taxes. In 2023, the City was charged $2.4 million in electricity distribution fees alone, which made up about 36% of the City’s total electricity bill.
• Provinces like British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba have equalized electricity delivery rates across their provinces recognizing the interconnectedness of the system and the general benefit to all of having a connected system.
• In 2022, the City put forward a resolution to Alberta Municipalities asking members to support advocating for a similar approach in Alberta. The resolution passed with the support of 88% of members. Rural Municipalities of Alberta supported the resolution as well.

View our Distribution Rates Backgrounder here. 

Advocacy Goal: Enhanced rail capacity, improve road networks, and expanded air services to better serve residents and the region.

• Road: Continue to work with regional partners to advocate for the construction of the Highway 40X Connector, enabling economic development and investment opportunities through a robust transportation network. 
• Rail: The federal government should mandate that rail companies release data on car fulfillment statistics to better understand demand, efficiencies and opportunities to increase shipments.
• Air Service: Work with local airlines and other levels of government to ensure robust air services are available for resident, supporting connectivity, investment, workforce attraction and economic growth. 

Advocacy Goal: Grande Prairie believes supporting NWP in their advocacy goals is a crucial enabler of community and business growth. 

• Expanding Skilled Trades programs and increased Health Education
• Ongoing funding for several Targeted Enrolment Expansion (TEE) grants which expire in 2025/26
• Improved speed and efficiency for Ministry program approval processes. Approval times currently average 106 days, far above the 20-40 day department standards.

Advocacy Goal: Have the Province review and increase the 911 levy to fund local services. 

• Grande Prairie provides Fire Dispatch for 47% of the land area of Alberta. 
• Currently the 911 levy on cell phones is $0.95. By increasing this levy, our region's first responders can be better supported, modern 911 systems can be maintained, managed and Albertans can be kept safe. 

Advocacy Goal: Adequate, available and affordable housing for seniors and improved wait times and access to appropriate long-term and continuing care placements.

• Additional transition beds announced in April 2025 at the QEII Ambulatory Care Centre will increase acute care bed capacity at the Grande Prairie Regional Hospital, but, additional capacity is needed in continuing and long-term care for individuals who require levels of care. 

Advocacy Goal: Attracting and retaining more health care professional, increasing access to funding for local training and providing more front-line health services for residents.

1. Attraction and Retention of Health Care Professionals

• Grande Prairie, like most other Alberta communities, faces a shortage of health care professionals across a variety of fields.
• The City is advocating for increased focus and funding on attracting health care professionals to the city.

2. Local Training of Physicians

• The Province has been studying the expansion of physician training in rural Alberta, with Northwestern Polytechnic identified as one of two sites where training would occur.
• The City is requesting that the Province continue to support this initiative and provide the resources required to make it reality.

3. Cardiac Care Unit for Grande Prairie Regional Hospital

• The Grande Prairie Regional Hospital Foundation has been raising capital funds for a fully functioning cardiac care unit and a catheterization lab at the GPRH.
• The City is advocating that AHS commit to the operational resources required for this project.

Advocacy Goal: Sustainable provincial funding for Fire Medical Response services provided by the Grande Prairie Fire Department and other municipal departments across the province. 

• The Grande Prairie Fire Department (GPFD) responds to mid and high acuity medical emergencies in a “Medical First Response” capacity when EMS is known to be delayed greater than 15 minutes.
• GPFD has noted a significant increase in the time on task required to fulfill the medical response role.
  • In the past two years, the average EMS ambulance wait time in a First Response situation has increased from 6 ½ to 11 minutes, a 70% increase.
  • There were notable improvement in EMS delivery during Q2 2023 when numerous Calgary/Edmonton EMS resources were staged in GP and region during wildfire activity. However, MFR responses have begun increasing again since Q2 2023, mostly due to additional time-based MFR requests.
  • Wait times for EMS and the related GPFD time on task is again increasing to historical highs.
  • The City is currently not compensated for fulfilling these EMS functions.
• In late 2022, the Alberta EMS Provincial Advisory Committee released its final report on how to address the growing demand for EMS across the Province.
  • Several of the recommendations included greater use and integration of MFR resources and a call to develop a funding model to support municipalities who participate in the program.
  • The City submitted a resolution to Alberta Municipalities last fall requesting provincial compensation for MFR. The resolution passed with 96% support.

Advocacy Goal: 

• A dedicated funding stream, including increased funding for FCSS, addictions, housing & homelessness, recreation/culture infrastructure and transit that will support regional service centers who continue to provide services that benefit the entire northwest region.