‘Some great successes’: Grande Prairie Mayor on new police service, health care and more

Jackie Clayton on Alberta Primetime Jan 6, 2026

Grande Prairie Mayor Jackie Clayton joins Alberta Primetime host Michael Higgins to discuss a new program to improve health care in the region, the transition to a new police service and more.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Michael Higgins: The recently launched Northern Alberta Medical Program will see future doctors studying in Grande Prairie.

To what degree do you see this strengthening your city and region?

Jackie Clayton: Health care has been a priority for our community and our region for a long time, like many areas of Alberta and across Canada. We’re very fortunate for the launch of the Northern Alberta Medical Program training another 30 physicians in rural surroundings each year.

It’s a great initiative, really increasing that opportunity for physicians to be trained where they potentially work. We know that when you learn somewhere, you typically stay there. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting these students. They are very engaged. They’re involved in the community. They’re happy to be in a rural area, and it’s really going to be a key to success.

Northern Alberta launched first, and southern Alberta in partnership with [University of Calgary] will launch this year I understand. It’s a great addition to Alberta’s need for doctors.

MH: In terms of access to health care, where do things stand in efforts to draw more doctors to Grande Prairie?

JC: We spent a lot of time working on attracting and retaining physicians. We worked hand in hand with AHS on the attraction and retention of specialists. With the regional hospital being such an asset to this community, we wanted to make sure we had the proper people in place. We attracted almost 24 to 30 new specialists in the last year. Once they get here it’s about making sure they’re engaged, getting their families involved in the community.

We started an ambassador program where we do appreciation events, but also we fast track their partners or their family into the community by finding out early on what their needs are. Whether it’s through recreation or culture, making sure they are engaged in and understanding the needs of living in a northern community. That Ambassador Program and the work we’ve done as a council has been key to not only attracting but retaining healthcare professionals in the last few years.

MH: Speaking of council, you approved the 2026 budget in late November. It contains a 4.3 per cent tax increase.

What does that outcome say about the financial challenges facing your municipality?

JC: As you’re aware, every single thing costs more every single day. It’s no different for municipalities. Our utilities cost more. The gas to put in the snow plows cost more. Everything costs more, from buying a fire truck to buying a pickup truck. With that, costs have gone up.

We’ve done a great job over the past 10 years of keeping a below rate of inflation increase. On average over the past 10 years, our increases have been well below the rate of inflation. This one includes 1.9 per cent for fast tracking our Grande Prairie Police Service. So the services outside of public safety are below the rate of inflation, but with that opportunity in front of us to be able to fast track our police force there was some upfront costs that required a bit of a tax increase.

Those will stabilize over the next few years, but it was a decision that council didn’t take lightly, as increasing taxes is not something anybody likes to do. The compounding of the increase of cost to operate a municipality and then fast tracking the opportunity with the Grande Prairie Police Service put us at where we were.

MH: On that point of the transition from the RCMP to a new police service, how close are you to it becoming the police service of jurisdiction?

JC: As of today we have approximately 55 sworn-in members. There is another class of recruits being trained that will be finished their training in March. The police of jurisdiction date for the Grande Prairie Police Service to be the police of jurisdiction, is October 22 of this year. That’s just over a year ahead of schedule. We’re slowly increasing that force, and we will be ready to be the police of jurisdiction in October this year.

MH: How much of a road map do you see this now being for the Alberta government’s goal of a provincial police service?

JC: There’s a combination between municipal police services, what the province is looking to do with the sheriffs and the Provincial Police Service, as well as the RCMP to serve the needs of all communities of all sizes. In our situation it was about having that mid-sized city police service, having local oversight and local input.

Now having gone through it we know it’s not without some heavy work and heavy lifting that needs to be done. However, to be ahead of schedule, to see the significant numbers of recruitment that were in front of us- every time there was a recruit class put out, there was hundreds of applicants. We’ve seen some great successes. We will know if this was the best decision once we are the police of jurisdiction.

Once the community understands the police service is accessible for conversations to talk about local solutions and local problems. We are still working hand in hand with the RCMP for this transition. It’s going as smooth as it can. I’m very thankful for the work the RCMP is doing in this transition. We’re really just looking forward to jurisdiction in October.

MH: The October 2025 municipal election saw a new council voted in, and your return for another term in the mayor’s chair.

What was the dominant theme during the election that your council will take into 2026?

JC: It’s a great question. In municipalities there appears to be a lack of information. Finding that sweet spot where residents can get the correct information. Social media can build their own stories and getting the correct information in front of people when people are so busy on a daily basis, from their jobs to their family to their hobbies, it’s really hard to get the correct information in front of people.

There’s a lot of conversations I found during the election that need to happen, and it’s really just correcting what people think is happening within a municipality and really providing that right information. Finding ways to get information to people is a constant struggle.

The other piece is working hand in hand with the other levels of government, and that becomes more important every single day. Establishing strong relationships, collaborating with your municipal partners and really finding better ways, not only to increase your revenue, but to keep systems running efficiently and effectively for a cost that’s affordable to all.