Built and Maintained on Diversity
In 1974 George Shields purchased an 11-year-old equipment company with less than 10 employees that supplied construction rentals to the Peace Region. Fast-forward 47 years, and the company has six locations across the Peace Region with over 100 employees.
From its unassuming beginnings, Rentco has always been family owned and people focused. Joan Nellis has fond memories working alongside her family members as she grew up. Today, Joan is CFO and part owner, along with her sister, two brothers and cousin that she worked with growing up and grew a passion for the business with.
Read the full story here:
https://www.cityofgp.com/economic-development/key-sectors/retail-services/built-and-maintained-diversity |
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What makes your business
innovative or unique?
How did your business come to be?
Tell us your story by emailing ecdevinfo@cityofgp.com.
To be considered, businesses must be within Grande Prairie city limits, and have a business license. Please note: Not all submitted stories will be published.
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GPRC Announces Name Change To Northwestern Polytechnic
GPRC announced their name change to Northwestern Polytechnic on December 8.
The new name, Northwestern Polytechnic, was chosen to reflect the history and potential in the distinct communities surrounding the institution's two signature campuses in Fairview and Grande Prairie. A full event to celebrate the new status will be held in March of next year.
Northwestern Polytechnic also announced a partnership with UNBC to offer a MBA program on the Northwestern Polytechnic campus starting August of 2022.
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Economic Update 2021
On December 2, Economic Development Manager, Rebecca Dodd provided an update on key economic indicators, summarized upcoming capital projects and infrastructure, and reviewed survey data from Grande Prairie businesses.
You can watch the full update on YouTube.
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Ernie Radbourne Pavillion RFP Extended To Jan. 31
The Ernie Radbourne Pavilion’s Request for Proposal has been extended to January 31, 2022.
The Ernie Radbourne Pavilion is the central administration building for Muskoseepi Park and provides meeting and event space. In 2020, the Ernie Radbourne Pavilion received 34,000 visitors and year-to-date the facility has received more than 54,000 visitors.
The facility sees high traffic during the summer months and numerous community events are hosted within Muskoseepi Park which poses an opportunity for a favourable return on investment. The 375 square foot kitchen is being leased for $950.00 monthly, including utilities and common area costs, making it an attractive offer for someone interested in growing their business in Grande Prairie.
For more information and to apply, visit: https://bit.ly/3CydSI7
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Wishing You Prosperity in 2022 From The Invest Grande Prairie Team
We acknowledge the past year has been challenging for many within the business community. We admire your resilience and strength, and we wish you well going into 2022.
Our team is available to discuss opportunities and challenges with you, and we would enjoy connecting with you in 2022 to discuss how we can help you achieve your business goals.
To connect with us please email us at ecdevinfo@cityofgp.com. All discussions are confidential.
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Last month, 106 homes were sold in the city, up from the 74 sold in November 2020 and 84 in November 2019. The average residential sale price in November was $333,764, an 8% increase from November 2020.
Year-to-date, 1,326 homes have sold in the City, a 29% increase from the same period last year and a 4% increase over 2019. The year-to-date average sale price was $313,081, steady with the average sale price of $312,751 for the same period in 2020.
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Grande Prairie saw 10 single-family and 5 multi-family housing starts in November, compared to 15 single-family and 2 multi-family starts for the same period in 2020. Year-to-date, housing starts within the city were up 10.8% with 123 starts in 2021, compared to 111 in 2020.
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Regionally, there were 185 single-family and 37 multi-family starts year-to-date of 2021, compared to 106 single-family and 35 multi-family starts for the same period in 2020.
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48 building permits worth over $7.5 million were issued in November 2021, compared to 51 permits worth over $12.1 million in November 2020, a 6% decrease in volume and 37% decrease in value.
Year-to-date, the city has issued 602 permits worth $83 million, compared to the same period last year which saw 636 permits worth $81.3 million.
NEW: The City’s Open Data Portal now includes building permit data. Click on the links below for interactive data showing permit details mapped out across the city.
2021 Data | 2020 Data
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The region's unemployment rate saw a decrease from 7.1% in October to 6.7% in November. Provincially, the unemployment rate saw a decrease from 7.7% in October to 7.2% in November.
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702 Drilling Licenses have been issued in the Grande Prairie region so far this year, compared to 344 in 2020, an increase of 104%. Of the licenses issued to date, 279 are for oil, 410 for gas and 13 for other industry-related wells, compared to 106 oil, 231 gas and 7 for other industry for the same period in 2020.
Completions are up 84%, with 731 completions to date in 2021 compared to 427 for the same period in 2020.
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975 overdimensional vehicles passed through the city in November 2021, up from the 473 vehicles recorded for November 2020. To date, the city has seen a 28% increase in overdimensional vehicle traffic compared to 2020.
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November 2021 settled at $99.07/MWh, representing a 158% increase from November 2020’s settle of $38.44/ MWh and a 3% increase from last month’s settle of $96.35/MWh.
The average price between the on-peak and off-peak for November differed by $32.89/MWh, resulting in on-peak and off-peak prices of $110.10/MWh and $77.21/ MWh, respectively. November forwards traded between $89 and $100 per MWh.
For more details, check out TC Energy's Power Market.
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The Grande Prairie Airport saw 12,936 passengers pass through its doors in October 2021, compared to 7,199 in 2020, an 80% increase.
The average hotel occupancy rate in Grande Prairie was 51.2% for October 2021, while the provincial average was 40.5%. Grande Prairie's occupancy rate was consistent with cities of similar size in Alberta, with Edson leading the province at 84.0% in October.
For additional information on the travel and tourism industry check out the Alberta Tourism Market Monitor.
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Canva Brand Kits: Learn to activate your Brand
Hosted and Presented by: nine10
Tuesday, January 4, 12:00PM-1:00PM
Register here
30 Online Selling Trends in 30 Minutes
Hosted by BusinessLink & Presented by Nicholas Thickett, KO Advantage Group
Wednesday, January 12, 1:00PM-2:00PM
Register here
Level up Series: The Marketing Mix
Hosted by: BusinessLink
Thursday, January 13, 2:00PM-3:00PM
Register here
Facebook- Get Noticed in the Newsfeed
Hosted and Presented by: nine10
Tuesday, January 18, 12:00PM-1:00PM
Register here
Alberta's Economy 2022: What Now?
Hosted by: BusinessLink and Presented by Todd Hirsch ATB
Tuesday, January 25, 2:00PM-3:00PM
Register here
Level Up Series: Social Success
Hosted by: Kelly Doody, Social School
Thursday, January 27, 1:00PM-2:00PM
Register here
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