Local Scoop

Grande Prairie has quite a lively musical and artistic scene, with many festivals and concerts being held during summer. There is also a film festival happening in early May every year, with 5 days of the best films being broadcast and awards given. 

If you would rather spend your days in the outdoors, there are many parks on every side of the city. One of those is Muskoseepi Park that extends throughout the whole length of Bear Creek. There is a great bike trail throughout the park and almost the whole length of it is beside the creek. If you’re in the area, you can stop by for a swim at Ernie Radbourne Pavilion, a nearby outdoor swimming pool during the summer, and an ice rink in the winter. 

Heading to the northeastern part of the city, you will come across Crystal Lake, where there are preserved wetlands where many birds nest. You can stop by here for some birdwatching, or walking and biking tours around the lake. On the east side of town, there is Evergreen Park, home to the annual Grande Prairie Stampede event. Here, you can sit down for a meal at the restaurant, or visit the many events like agricultural shows, rodeos, horse racing, chuckwagon races sportsman and RV shows.

As a winter land, snow sports are practiced regularly here, especially downhill skiing and cross-country skiing. In fact, Grande Prairie’s Nitehawk is the only North American natural luge track certified for international events. During wintertime, you can head down to Wapiti Nordic Ski Club south of the city and enjoy more than 22 miles (35 km) of classical and skate skiing tracks, as well as 2.8 miles (4.5km) of nightly lit tracks. These tracks are also suitable for hiking, running and mountain biking during summer and most of them are dog-friendly, so you can take your pet for a walk outdoors. 

One of the largest facilities in Grande Prairie is the Eastlink Centre, a 450,000 sq ft (42,000 m2) health and fitness centre that is home to two indoor pools, a splash park, a lazy river, waterslides, and a surf simulator. Additionally, the centre includes a weight room, squash and racquetball courts, holds fitness classes, a daycare service, a multi-use basketball court, a summer outdoor 5,000 sq. ft. concrete skateboard park, and has other amenities to offer to its visitors.

Four school districts operate schools within Grande Prairie, with 18 public schools throughout the city. Besides the high schools with alternative curriculums, Grande Prairie has 5 other high schools: Grande Prairie Composite High School, St. Joseph's Catholic High School, Ecole Nouvelle Frontiere, Charles Spencer High School and Peace Wapiti Academy. Post-secondary education is provided by Grande Prairie Regional College.

To move around the city, locals mostly rely on a car, but there is also a public transit system, and a rail service connecting a few neighbouring cities to Grande Prairie. There is also an intercity bus line.