2021 Local Headlines
January
- Two people died in a house fire in Paddle Prairie.
- Minor Hockey seasons ended in January, due to Covid-19.
February
- Charges were not laid against a person in Grimshaw, after they were spotted outside the Post Office wearing a KKK Hood.
- Police in High Prairie executed over 100 warrants at Whitefish, High Prairie, Peavine, Gift Lake, and East Prairie.
- The Peace River School Division opened their Central Office in Grimshaw.
March
- 28 people were arrested by Peace Regional RCMP, on 112 warrants over a three day period.
April
- A 19-year-old man from Sucker Creek First Nation succumbed to his injuries after three people were shot at the Joussard Sand Pits.
- The Peace River Fire Department was busy dealing with four separate grass fires.
May
- Peace Regional RCMP begun using eagle feathers, as a swear-on for statements.
June
- Respects were paid in Peace River to 215 children buried at an old Residential School site near Kamloops BC.
- The Sagitawa Friendship Society takes over activities at the Al Adair Center.
- A week-long heatwave came in and settled in the Peace Region. Temperatures near 40 degrees were reported.
- The community of Chateh flooded and part of Highway 58 was washed out. Many community members had to evacuate.
August
- A 44 year-old man was killed in a highway crash, west of Valleyview.
- $35 Million dollars in provincial funds will go towards planning and building the new La Crete Community Health Facility.
September
- Cenovus Energy and Sunwest Aviation brought back regularly scheduled flights to Rainbow Lake residents.
- Emergency crews responded to a fire at Juliette’s Place in downtown Peace River.
- The Alberta Government invested $2.4 Million Dollars into upgrades at Hilliard`s Bay Provincial Park near High Prairie.
- Charges were laid in connection with a fire that claimed a life in Falher.
- Adam Murray takes over from the retiring Paul Bennett as Superintendent of the Peace River School Division.
October
- No injuries were reported at a residential fire near the Peace River Curling Club.
- The Municipal election took place with Elaine Manzer in Peace River, Brian Panasiuk in High Prairie, Crystal McAteer in High Level, Robert McLeod in Manning, Wendy Wald in Grimshaw, and Gord McLeod in Fairview winning their mayor seats
- The Alberta 55+ Summer Games were presented back to the Peace Region. They were postponed due to the Covid pandemic.
- The High Prairie Post Office became the first Post Office in Canada to be a Community Hub.
- High Level and Fairview each received new physicians. A female pediatrician in High Level, and a male family physician in Fairview.
- Abatement, demolition and landscaping of the former High Prairie Health Complex began with demolition happening early next year.
November
- A 35 year-old was killed in Sucker Creek, and a 40 year-old High Prairie man faced charges of first-degree murder, following an incident in Sucker Creek.
- Peace River, High Prairie and Valleyview High School football teams finish the season provincially ranked. Peace River is #9 in Tier 3, while High Prairie at #4, and Valleyview at #10 are in Tier 4.
- Both Peace River and High Prairie football teams play in Provincials, High Prairie for the very first time. Both teams lost in their quarter-final games.
- La Crete’s Post Office was closed indefinitely. The closure was due to lack of staff.
- $2.5 Billion dollars has been earmarked by the provincial government for a carbon-neutral ammonia and methanol production facility in the Municipal District of Greenview.
- The North Peace Hockey League officially cancelled the 2022 hockey season.
- Debate came back on the table in McLennan over what to do with the HW Fish Arena.
December
- Peace Regional Waste Management announced that the “Blue Bag” program will be taking effect in the Peace Region.
- The Peace River School Division is debating about shutting the doors of the public school in Nampa
- Peace Country Co-op began demolition of the old “Mile Zero Hotel in Grimshaw.
- Grande Prairie Regional College in Fairview will be known as Northwestern Polytechnic, come March 2022.
- Record Cold Temperatures blanketed much of Western Canada, including the Peace and Mackenzie Regions, in the latter half of December.
Keith Hopper, Trending 55
