Reach

Proverbs 15:15

Many folks eat their hearts out, suffering from the contagious "If Only" disease. Its germs infect every slice of life.

If only I had more money.

If only we owned a nicer home.

If only we could have children.

If only he would ask me out.

If only I had more friends.

The list is endless. Woven through the fabric of all those words is a sigh that comes from the daily grind of discontentment.

As summer heats up, so do our opportunities to enjoy lakes, pools, and all things water-related. But with fun comes responsibility. That's why Drowning Prevention Week is making waves across the region from July 20–27, bringing free, family-friendly events and activities to raise awareness and build water safety skills that save lives.

Northwestern Polytechnic (NWP) is pleased to announce a new addition to the Spartan Controls Northwestern Centre for Industrial Automation & Innovation, thanks to a $250,000 boost aimed at enhancing and supporting the student experience.

Recognizing the value of peer-to-peer interactions, teamwork, and community-building, AltaGas has committed to establishing the AltaGas Collaboration Corner within the leading-edge 15,565 sq ft facility.

The City of Grande Prairie is proud to announce the upcoming construction of a Jumpstart Inclusive Playground at Lions Park, made possible through a Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities (Jumpstart) gift and support from the City.

Jumpstart Inclusive Playgrounds are designed to remove physical and social barriers to play, ensuring children of all abilities can enjoy shared spaces. With features like double-wide ramps, roller slides, the We-Go-Round and the Sway Fun Glider, these thoughtfully designed play areas promote active, imaginative and inclusive play.

The City of Grande Prairie is experiencing a surge in housing construction not seen in a decade, with $55.1 million in residential building permits recorded by the end of June 2025, representing over 230 new housing units in various stages of construction. It is anticipated that over 700 housing units will be started by the end of the year based on submitted development permit applications for larger multi-family developments.

The campground report is sponsored by Happy Trails Campground and Cabins.  

North of Grande Prairie  

Happy Trails Campground and Cabins (https://htcampground.com)  

July 3 –  60 sites 

 
Moonshine Lake Provincial Park (shop.albertaparks.ca)  

July 3– CLOSED DUE TO WILDFIRE 

Dunvegan Provincial Park (shop.albertaparks.ca)  

July 3–  35 sites 

The City of Grande Prairie is calling on residents to get involved as volunteers for the upcoming 2025 Special Olympics Alberta Summer Games, taking place July 11–13.

Company works with the Farming Smarter Association as it searches for options other than the century-old Russet Burbank variety

Russet Burbank has been the go to potato variety for Canadian farmers and consumers.

This year, McCain Foods in Chin, Alta., has entered a corporate partnership with the Farming Smarter Association to explore the viability of other varieties in its food processing plant for farmers to consider.

Farming Smarter is using one of its commercial plots to do a research trial growing four varieties using six treatments.

One-time grant from Alberta government to help applied research associations upgrade equipment, facilities and infrastructure

Alberta’s government has provided a one-time grant of $3.2 million to 12 applied research associations across the province.

This capital funding will enable the research associations to upgrade equipment, facilities and infrastructure.

With the additional funding, the research associations will be able to address pressing capital equipment issues.

A reminder to be monitoring water sources on a regular basis right now.

With temperatures increasing across the prairies livestock producers should be on the lookout for blue-green algae in dugouts, lakes, and reservoirs. 

Blue-green algae are naturally occurring bacteria that can be present in water bodies and commonly occur during calm, hot weather in water bodies with shallow, slow-moving, or still water that has sufficient nutrients.