In Monday’s meeting (Oct. 19), Grande Prairie City Council voted to build a new Activity and Reception Centre in the Smith neighbourhood. 

The location is alongside Park Road, just south of Rotary Field. Another location, in the Cobblestone neighbourhood next to Riverstone Public School, had also been proposed and discussed. 

The new facility is hoped to “provide inclusive, affordable, accessible recreation opportunities for all members of the community. The ideal facility will serve a diverse range of recreational and leisure needs.  

“This facility will also act as a potential reception centre for City response to a large-scale emergency or disaster, adding to the municipal inventory of facilities available for disaster response throughout the region.” 

$4 million in funds for the project will come from ICIP-COVID 19 Resilience Stream from the province, with the City paying $800,000, as required by the grant. 

In the same meeting, representatives from the Grande Spirit Foundation presented to City Council to share future plans of the land nearby and express concern of the Activity & Reception Centre site in the Smith neighbourhood.