Grande Prairie

Grande Prairie is a city of over 63,000 people (2016) in Peace River Country, Alberta.

Understand
Grande Prairie was named for the large prairie which lies to the north, east, and west of it. In the 18th century, the prairie was occupied by bands of the Dane-zaa (Beaver) peoples, who began trading with the North West Company at Dunvegan in the early 19th century. In 1880, a Hudson's Bay Company post called La Grande Prairie was established 15 miles (24 km) northwest of the present city.

In the late 19th century, the prairie was settled by Cree and Iroquois from around Jasper and Lac Ste. Anne. When 17 townships were surveyed for homesteading in 1909, a land rush soon followed, with many settlers arriving over the Edson Trail. The trail from Edson to Grande Prairie was opened in 1911 as a means for settlers to reach the Grande Prairie area. It was nothing more than a tract of clear cut bush and forest, and thus was a very difficult route for many settlers, especially during wet weather. Because of this, large scale settlement came late compared to other major farming regions further south in Canada. By 1912, the town included a bank, hotel, post office, and land office, making it a district metropolis.

It was not until the arrival of the railway in 1916 that farmland quickly expanded as waves of settlers came into the Peace region. This drove up Grande Prairie's population past 1,000.

Settlement continued unabated even into the 1930s during the Dust Bowl era because the Peace Region was able to escape the severe drought conditions that plagued the Canadian Prairies further south at the time.

During the Second World War, the US and Canadian military establish Grande Prairie as a part of the Northwest Staging Route for the construction of the Alaska Highway from Dawson Creek to Alaska. Grande Prairie was a major stopover point for military aircraft during the war.

In the late 1950s, its population grew further as oil and natural gas exploration was underway in the Peace Region, especially since the first major discovery of oil further south in Leduc near Edmonton in 1947 and the construction of a large pulp mill in the early 1970s.

The construction and paving of Highway 43 in 1956 cut down on the travel time by road significantly, further enhancing Grande Prairie's accessibility and economic status. The town was incorporated as a city in 1958. At that time, its population was approximately 7,600.

The opening of the Procter & Gamble kraft pulp mill in 1972 and the discovery of the Elmworth deep basin gas field spurred an economic boom. Grande Prairie's population went from just over 12,000 in the early 1970s to over 24,000 by the time the oil boom went bust in 1981.

Grande Prairie has a diversified economy. Major industries include oil and gas, agriculture, forestry, and food services.



Climate
Grande Prairie has a northern continental climate typical of northwestern Alberta and northeastern British Columbia, classified as humid continental. Winters are generally very cold with some mild spells. Summers are often fairly cool to pleasantly warm in the daytime, but nights can be cool despite the long summer days typical for its latitude. Hot days over 30 °C (86 °F) are rare, occurring on average only two to three days a year, which is not unexpected this far north. Winter conditions can vary tremendously from year to year. Winters have been known to be mild enough to produce "brown Christmas" conditions, where little or no snow may fall until after Christmas due to unusually mild early winter conditions.

By car
It is at the intersection of Highway 43 (part of the CANAMEX Corridor) and Highway 40 (the Bighorn Highway), approximately northwest of Edmonton. Grande Prairie is a major centre for travellers wanting to connect to the Alaska Highway.

By bus

 * Operates a route between Grande Prairie and Edmonton including stops in Valleyview, Whitecourt, and Mayerthorpe. Travel time to Grande Prairie from Valleyview is 2.75 hours, from Whitecourt is 1.25 hours, and from Edmonton is 5 hours.
 * Bus service from Monday to Friday between Fort St. John and Grande Prairie with stops in Dawson Creek, Hythe, and Beaverlodge. Travel time to Grande Prairie from Fort St. John is 2.75 hours and from Dawson Creek is 1.75 hours.
 * Bus service six days per week between Grand Prairie and Edmonton with stops in Valleyview, Fox Creek, and Whitecourt. Travel time to Grande Prairie from Edmonton is 5 hours.
 * Bus service six days per week between Grand Prairie and Peace River including stops in Grimshaw and Fairview. Travel time to Grande Prairie from Peace River is 2.5 hours. Route temporarily suspended.
 * Bus service six days per week between Grand Prairie and Peace River including stops in Grimshaw and Fairview. Travel time to Grande Prairie from Peace River is 2.5 hours. Route temporarily suspended.

Get around
The city is most easily managed by rental car.

Grande Prairie Transit offers a small bus network that serves most parts of the municipality. The bus system consists of five routes. These routes run on a 30-minute basis during peak hours and hourly the remainder of the day. There is reduced service on weekends and statutory holidays. Fares are $2 for adults, and $1.50 for children, students and seniors (Jan 2018).

The city offers the non-profit, independent Disabled Transportation Society (DTS), which has specialized transport services for individuals with disabilities.

Events

 * Live music can be found in several downtown bars and intermittently at all-ages locations such as Tito's Restaurant and the GP Curling Club.
 * Summer-long music festivals: Grande Prairie has a wide range of local music genres including country, Reggae, Metal, folk, and rock.
 * Cultural venues include Revolution Place (a concert hall and hockey rink — the local AJHL team, the Grande Prairie Storm, plays there), the Grande Prairie Museum, the Art Gallery of Grande Prairie, and Second Street Theatre.
 * Professional musical theatre: "Broadway Live Broadway".