A memorial for those who have lost their lives while experiencing homelessness in Grande Prairie this year is taking place on Thursday, May 30.

The annual Healing Hearts memorial event takes place from 11:30 a.m.- 1:00 p.m. by the train trestle in Muskoseepi Park. The event honours those lost through an elder prayer, traditional drumming and dancing and lived experience speakers.

Everyone is welcome to attend the memorial, whether you have experienced a personal loss or simply wish to show community support.

The City of Grande Prairie Youth Council presented their Grande Prairie Youth Engagement Awards (GP YEA!) to five local businesses, organizations and individuals at their event on Monday, May 6.

Recipients of the awards include:

Voting is now available for youth ages 13-24 to select winners for the Grande Prairie Youth Engagement Awards (GP YEA!) 2019 hosted by the City of Grande Prairie Youth Council.

The GP YEA! are presented annually to businesses, schools and community agencies that illustrate the valuable role community plays in positive youth development in Grande Prairie.

Here are the nominees for 2019:

Public workshops are being held to consult the community as part of the engagement process for the Affordable Housing Strategy.

The workshops include a brief overview of the findings and recommendations from the recently completed Community Housing Needs Assessment, followed by a discussion of the strategies being considered to address  those needs.

Multiple dates and times are available for people to attend. Participants only need to attend one session. The dates and times are as follows:

Thursday, March 21 marks the International Day for Elimination of Racial Discrimination and the City of Grande Prairie is commemorating this day with a free, community event at Teresa Sargent Hall in the Montrose Cultural Centre.

Community members are invited to attend from 1:00 p.m.- 5:00 p.m. for a keynote speaker, presentations by local community groups, performances by local groups Threza Schlenkrich and the Red Feather Metis Dancers and light refreshments.

The Women Of Influence Awards reception took place today to celebrate International Women’s Day and recognize local women who have made a strong impact as leaders, innovators and change-makers in the community.

Three awards were presented: Young Woman of Influence, Trailblazing Woman of Influence and Distinguished Woman of Influence.

The City of Grande Prairie is conducting a Housing Needs Survey to get a better understanding of what types of housing-related supports are relevant to Grande Prairie.

On July 6, the public is invited to join the City of Grande Prairie and the Community Advisory Board on Housing and Homelessness (CABH) for their Annual Report to the Community on Ending Homelessness.

The event is being held at Teresa Sargent Hall in the Montrose Cultural Centre to present the results of Year 3 of Grande Prairie's Five Year Plan to End Homelessness (2015-2019). It is an opportunity to learn more about the Homeless Initiatives in Grande Prairie and the progress that is being made in supporting individuals and families experiencing homelessness in the community.

The Year 3 Report Card (2017-2018) from Grande Prairie's Five Year Plan to End Homelessness (2015-2019) was released today by the City of Grande Prairie and the Community Advisory Board on Housing and Homelessness.

The local plan aims to end homelessness by having people connected to housing supports within three weeks of experiencing homelessness. It works in support of the Government of Alberta's Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness.

On Tuesday, August 7, the newly revamped Recreation Access Program (RAP) is launching a pilot project to bring support for eligible applicants to access the Eastlink Centre.

Formerly known as the Low-Income Recreation Access (LIRA) program, the new program now offers a 75% subsidy on Eastlink Centre memberships and passes for qualifying applicants. To be eligible, applicants must have an income at or below the Low-Income Cut-Off level (as established by Statistics Canada) + 30%. Participants then pay only 25% of the regular fare.