An Outdoor lover’s dream!
June 22, 2015 12:00 pm Leave your thoughts
Hello friends,
This week I thought I would share some of my adventures in Grande Prairie and the surrounding area where I have spent the past month experiencing the many events and activities the region has to offer.
To give you a bit of a background, Grande Prairie is located approximately 500 km north of Edmonton and has a population of 55,032 according to the 2011 census. It lies in the southern portion of the Peace River County with aspen parkland to the north and boreal forest to the south. Home to wide ranging cultural events such as the Stompede, highland games and street performer’s festival this city is anything but quiet! It is no surprise then that I have found Grande Prairie to be a diverse, vibrant city with a strong sense of community.
Two weeks ago the Grande Prairie Stompede came to town. Boasting chuckwagon races, a midway, concerts and of course the rodeo, this is an event that came highly recommended. After going to the parade and chuckwagon races I can see why. You don’t truly appreciate how fast the races are until you are standing beside the track and feel the pounding of the horse’s hooves as they cross the finish line. It really highlights the strong agricultural influence in the Grande Prairie region.
The other wonderful thing about Grande Prairie is that it is an outdoorsmen’s paradise. There are so many campgrounds and provincial recreation areas to explore within a few hours of the city. Recently, I went camping at Saskatoon Island Provincial Park which lies 20 minutes west of Grande Prairie. There, I found numerous hiking trails surrounded by lakes home to trumpeter swan nesting grounds. Nearby at Wembley is the new Phillip J. Currie Dinosaur Museum which opens in September. I cannot wait to go see it! Just a little further down the road is the Saskatoon Mountain View Point. It provides a magnificent view of the area with the forest fading into the farmland of the northern prairie.
If you are in the mood to leave the rolling prairies for the southern boreal forest then Highway 40 down to Grande Cache is a must! The scenery is absolutely stunning with winding rivers and rolling foothills. Along the way, there are numerous provincial recreation areas to picnic or camp at. On my way to Grande Cache I stopped at the Sheep Creek Provincial Recreation area for some lunch and hiking along the Smoky River. It certainly does seem that life is better here. As you drive further down the pavement you pass along the forestry timberlands in various stages of regrowth. It was interesting to witness the evolution of the woodlands from seedling trees to mature forests. As I drove, I reflected on the obvious care taken to encourage healthy forest ecosystems through sustainable forest management practices. 
The next time you hear from me, I will have just returned from the PACWEST conference in Whistler where I will be busy networking and learning more about the pulp and paper industry.
So long for now!
Amy MacTaggart