Quick Facts
Grande Prairie and Area
The Real Estate Investment Network, a division of Cutting Edge Research Inc. of Calgary, Alberta, has selected the Grande Prairie as one of the top 10 Alberta places to invest in.
City Population
- 44,631 (2005 Census)
- Population Demographics
- Grande Prairie serves a market area of more than 250,000 people within a 200 kilometre radius, about a two hour drive.
City Land Area
City's Annual Budget
Taxes
- The City levies approximately $53 Million annually, which includes the Provincial education requisition
- Alberta does not have a Provincial Sales Tax - The Alberta Advantage!
- Summary of Taxes
Location
- 455 kilometres northwest of Edmonton - a Grande Prairie Advantage! Click here to view maps showing Grande Prairie's location in several contexts.
Our Economy
Grande Prairie has a very diverse economy. An abundance of resources range from forestry and agriculture, to oil and natural gas. The region was built on agriculture and the agricultural economy continues as one of our leading economic sectors. Discovery of the Elmworth/Deep Basin fields resulted in substantial petroleum and natural gas development in our area, which continues to this day. Forestry is alive and well in the Peace Region. Grande Prairie boasts four major forestry companies located in or within a 15 minute drive of city centre including: Weyerhaeuser Canada Ltd., Canadian Forest Products Ltd., Ainsworth Lumber Co. Limited, and Risley Manufacturing.
Major Economic Sectors
- Agriculture
- Forestry
- Oil and Gas
- Retail Services
- Service Industry
- Regional Facilities include the Grande Prairie Regional College, the Queen Elizabeth II Hospital, Northern Addictions Centre, Grande Prairie Young Offender Centre, Crystal Park School, Grande Prairie Little Theatre, Centre 2000, Crystal Centre - our premier sports, entertainment and convention facility, and the Grande Prairie Regional Airport.
Transportation
- $1.4 Billion North/South Trade Corridor, Alberta's top road construction priority - scheduled for Fall 2007 completion. Major portions of the Highway 43 twinning project between Grande Prairie and Edmonton has been completed.
- Grande Prairie is on the route to the Alaska Highway.
- Bighorn Highway (40) connects with the Yellowhead Highway, just east of entrance to Jasper National Park.
- Air Canada and West-Jet offer daily flights to major centres in Canada and around the world. Swanberg Air offers direct flights to Calgary and Vancouver. Peace Air offers service to destinations throughout Alberta.
- Daily Greyhound Bus Services to regional communities and major centres
- City Transit Service
Education & Health Services
Grande Prairie offers quality education, including Crystal Park School, which integrates special needs students into their regular school programs. Both the Public and Catholic School Districts offer English and French Immersion education. Private schools and a French speaking school are also available. The Grande Prairie Regional College offers degree and diploma programs. The original college building was designed by renowned architect Douglas Cardinal. In 1989 the College doubled in size with the construction of a $30 Million addition completed by Field Field & Field Architecture - Engineering Ltd.
The Queen Elizabeth II Hospital is our regional hospital and provides comprehensive services. MRI on location. The Northern Addictions Centre also serves the entire northern region.
Recreation & Culture
Numerous parks and open areas and a balanced variety of recreational and cultural facilities and programs. Grande Prairie is a regional cultural centre with a world-class art gallery, conservatory of music, and two modern live theatres. Crystal Centre offers superior facilities for hosting events, from entertainment to trade shows to sports and everything else in between! Muskoseepi Park runs through entire city from north to south. There is also a waterfowl refuge located in Crystal Lake. The Grande Prairie area is nesting grounds for Trumpeter Swans. The Trumpeter Swan is the symbol of Grande Prairie.
Shopping
- Prairie Mall - regional shopping centre with retail space, food court, restaurants, and movie theatres
- City Centre - contains many speciality shops and is the city's centre for business
- Gateway Power Centre which includes Wal-Mart, Totem Building Supplies, Odeon Cineplex, Staples, Future Shop Ltd., Visions Electronic Superstore, London Drugs, and Save-On-Foods, Home Depot and numerous other retail shops and service providers
- Costco - Located nearby Gateway Power Centre
- Numerous other shopping centres, malls, and speciality retail shops.
Visitor Information
Please check the Northern Visitor tourism website for accommodation, attraction, recreation, leisure and culture information for Grande Prairie and area.
