One of City Council's responsibilities is to advocate for the needs and desires of City residents and stakeholders to both the Province of Alberta and the Federal Government.
In 2026, Grande Prairie City Council advocacy priorities include:
2026 Primary Advocacy Priorities
Advocacy Goal: A provincial review of distribution regulations that leads to an equalization model and more equitable cost sharing across Alberta to address affordability, attract investment, and catalyze economic development.
- Current electrical distribution rates are highly unequal across the province, which negatively affects affordability for our region's commercial and industrial businesses, and residents and holds back economic development.
- In 2025, the average Grande Prairie household will pay over $1,400 in electrical distribution charges annually, compared to an average of $408 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.
- Industrial facilities in the ATCO service area pay up to $319K annually in distribution fees, compared to up to $152K in the Fortis service area.
- 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.
Advocacy Goal: Increase efficiencies in the regional transportation network to enhance connectivity, enable economic growth, strengthen investment into the region, and improve safety.
- 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: Improved rail service and work in collaboration with Invest Northwest to advance regional economic corridors and infrastructure to support investment.
- Air Service: Work with local airlines and other levels of government to ensure robust air services are available for residents, working with Invest Northwest to advance connectivity, investment, workforce attraction and economic growth.
Advocacy Goal: Secure federal funding and policy support for infrastructure, housing, transportation, and rail initiatives that support Grande Prairie's growth and regional economy.
- Advocate for federal investment in major infrastructure and housing projects, improved recognition and support for regional rail service, and expanded dedicated rail rate eligibility for forestry products, similar to existing agricultural rates, in partnership with the Canadian Rail Advocacy Alliance (CRAA).
Advocacy Goal: Advocate for attraction and retention of health care professionals through streamlined licensing processes and funding supports.
- Operational funding for a fully functioning cardiac care unit
- A catheterization lab at the Grande Prairie Regional Hospital
- Continued funding for local health care training, and continued support for the Northern Alberta Medical Program (NAMP)
- Supporting Maskwa Medical Centre’s application for a Clinical Alternative Relationship Plan (ARP) to enable alternative physician compensation models that support the delivery of care to targeted patient populations.
Advocacy Goal: Grande Prairie supports Northwestern Polytechnic (NWP) in their advocacy goals as the institution is a crucial enabler of community and business growth.
- Expanding Skilled Trades, Engineering and Health Technology programming
- Infrastructure funding for the Northern Edge Technology Centre
- Predictable and sustained funding to meet education and training needs for residents and businesses
2026 Secondary Advocacy Priorities
Issues that are important and valuable to the community but are secondary to primary priorities. These items may have less immediate alignment with provincial priorities, require longer timelines for execution, or depend on future policy or funding developments.