The Government of Alberta has approved an annexation of land by the City of Grande Prairie from the County of Grande Prairie that will provide the municipality another 896 hectares of land comprising various lot sizes surrounding the community.

An application by the City, which was endorsed by the County of Grande Prairie, received approval by an Order in Council on Wednesday. Landowners had requested to be included in the annexation.

The lands have been identified in the Inter-Municipal Development Plan (IDP) as future expansion areas for the City. A financial arrangement regarding taxes has been approved by the government. Included in the lands is the future home of Grande Prairie’s new hospital on the City’s north end.

“We are delighted this application has been approved,” says Mayor Dwight Logan. “This is an important step in addressing our continued pressing need for additional residential, commercial and residential land.”

With development continuing at its current pace, Grande Prairie still faces a shortage of land for future growth.

“We are pleased to see this process complete,” says County Reeve Everett McDonald. “We look forward to ongoing discussions with the City to resolve growth-related issues in the region.”