Grand Prairie is the main city in the northwestern part of the province of Alberta in Western Canada. It is named after the prairie, that was first occupied by the Beaver First Nation bands who started their trade with the North West Company at Dunvegan in the early 1800's. In the year 1910, the Grand Prairie Townsite was sub-divided, and in 1912, it included a post office, a hotel, a land office, and a bank. In the year 1911, the Edson Trail to Grand Pairie from Edson was opened to help settlers reach Grande Prairie. This move led to the development of large scale settlements in the area, moving it further compared to other major farming regions in southern Canada. During the year 1914, Grande Prairie was incorporated as a village by the Province of Alberta. The construction of Highway 43 during 1956 significantly cut down traveling time, which further enhanced Grand Prairie's accessibility and economy. It was incorporated as a City in the year 1958 with an estimated population of 7,600 during that time.
There are some sites within the city for music lovers to enjoy, including downtown bars, like for example the GPRC's Howler's Lounge. There are numerous festivals which happen within the city including summer-long festivals, that are organized and funded by charitable foundations and private individuals. The kind of its music scene has been dominated by punk, emo and metal bands. Amongst the more popular ones comprise the Emerson Drive, The Goodbye Generation, Damn Plastards, Reject, This Conviction and Calculating Collapse. The Douglas J. Cardinal Performing Arts Centre and the Grand Prairie Live Theatre are great entertainment locations to see a reenactment of life's greatest stories.
The city has numerous outdoor recreational areas to enjoy, consisting of various golf courses and parks. One such park, Muskoseepi Park comprises a pavilion, a cafeteria an outdoor swimming pool, and an outdoor parks that transforms into a skating rink in wintertime. One more notable park, Crystal Lake, has a preserved wetland for birdwatching and walking bike paths. The southern part of Grand Prairie likewise has foothills, and the Grande Cache is a well-known site for snowmobilers and hikers all over the place. Kakwa Widland Park is on the Alberta-British Columbia Border, and it is a magnificent and mountainous area called Kakwa Falls, that is considered to be one of the most wonderful falls.
The city's economy is focused around food services, forestry, agriculture, oil, and gas. In today's local Grande Prairie economy still relies heavily upon agriculture, with crops of oats, canola, barley and wheat being produced in the Peace region. Cattle, buffalo and livestock are likewise a staple, and the mild weather condition of the region more than enables the farming culture to prosper always. gas and oil drilling is likewise an ongoing project at South Peace, and it did not begin to happen on a large scale until the late nineteen seventies. The discovery and exploitation of the Elmworth gas field led the city to grow fast until the last oil boom ended in 1981. Forestry is also a major part of Grand Prairie's economy, with large tracts of forest within the Canadian Rockies and the south part of the foothills. Among its biggest employers is the Weyerhaeuser Canada kraft pulp mill. Various major players include Canfor, and the Ainsworth OSB.