The County of Grande Prairie is once again looking at addressing issues in Clairmont, and have asked for more information before making a decision.

Chris Zwick, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The County of Grande Prairie is considering changes in areas of Clairmont to get the whole hamlet on the same addressing grid.

County council is seeking more information on costs before making a decision on re-addressing properties in the hamlet. That follows a request for decision from Director of Planning and Development Nick Lapp at the Aug. 24 regular council meeting to look at either fixing some of the irregularities that have arisen with growth or undertaking a comprehensive re-addressing of the county land south of Hwy. 43.

The issue, said Lapp, is the current system uses the Clairmont address grid north of Hwy. 43, while the Grande Prairie grid is used south of the highway. There are historic reasons for this having to do with the postal and telephone systems, he added.

It has been a source of confusion for residents and businesses regarding municipal boundaries and services since the hamlet’s boundaries expanded south to the city line in 2007, and even more so as Whispering Ridge, Westlake Village, Windsor and industrial parks to the south, east and west have developed.

The area includes 1,015 homes, 268 non-residential properties and 173 vacant lots on seven sections of land (4,500 acres), said Lapp.

He also pointed out a public engagement survey on the subject in 2021 indicated 89 per cent of the 551 respondents were opposed to address changes, which partially led to a change in the initial recommendation from administration.

“We’ve also reconsidered our earlier recommendation for re-addressing everything to Clairmont. We think in terms of the current conditions, previous feedback from the public, which was significant … It’s not as critical anymore. It’s kind of working,” he said.

Several councillors did however wonder if it may be time to “bite the bullet” and get everything on the same grid once and for all.

Coun. Karen Rosvold said she realized it may cost but getting the job done to alleviate the ongoing confusion may be worth it.

“I think at some point it’s going to end up getting done, and so the longer we wait, the more people it affects. So, if we had done it two years ago, it would be significantly less people that it would be affecting,” she said.

Coun. Brian Grant wondered if the sentiment of the previous survey may have changed since then.

“If we’re going to clean it up, clean it up,” he said. “But I do get that it’s a big issue for a lot of the public and a lot of other residents aren’t really happy about it.”

Lapp said that was unlikely though.

“My sense is I don’t think it has changed. If anything, it has solidified, because we’ve added significantly more people since,” he said.

Coun. Brian Lieverse pointed out the survey was quite definitive.

“I think looking at the survey that was at 89 per cent is a really resounding message from our residents,” he said.

 Named roads

Lapp also took council through several of the irregularities causing confusion in the hamlet, mostly because of curving roads on the grid, that could be solved by naming the street, instead of using grid numbers.

For instance, 107A Ave., 94 St., 113 Ave, and Twp. Rd. 725 are all along the same curved stretch of road that flows through the community from Hwy. 2 and curves north around Clairmont Lake, past the Lakeview seniors’ complex. This could become the Clairmont Parkway.

The curved road leading directly past Lakeview is also confusing as 94 St. becomes 116 Ave. as you drive around the curve. This could become Lakeview Drive, or whatever is decided.

“It’s a challenge when you’re addressed on a grid, and so we have a few areas where avenues meet avenues and things that are a little bit weird,” Lapp said.

Reeve Amanda McDonald asked who would be tasked with naming the streets when the time came, but Lapp said he wasn’t entirely sure at this point.

She also said she would like to know more specifics about who is going to be affected.

“I guess I would really want to understand how many people that is going to affect. I mean, changing your address is a big (deal), and we’re talking about companies with letterhead, with all of that stuff. That’s massive expenses, companies having to change address,” she said.

Council voted to table a decision and directed administration to gather more information about the costs as well as public engagement opportunities for street naming to an upcoming meeting. In addition, councillors would like to see a draft Municipal Addressing Bylaw and addressing standards for review and consideration.

By Chris Zwick, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Original Published on Sep 04, 2026 at 10:27

 

This item reprinted with permission from   Town & Country News   Beaverlodge, Alberta

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