Grande Prairie Regional College

About Grande Prairie Regional College

... time.” Its main values are: Student-Centered, Integrity, Respect, Accountability, Innovation, and Passion.

Campus: Facilities, Residence and Location

As a response to the community and industry demand, GPRC gives students a broad range of facilities to better meet the students’ needs. They include: Fully equipped double gymnasium, Fitness centre, Climbing gym, Bookstore, Library holdings (60,000+), 500 Seat Douglas J. Cardinal Performing Arts Centre, Howlers - Licensed student lounge, and Pillars cafeteria & Bernie’s coffee bars.

Students who plan to live in the campus can go to the Fairview College Campus Residence. It has 513 residence beds in 135 self-contained furnished apartments. There are accommodations for students with families and single students. The residence is in the eastern part of the main campus near Bear Creak. Its fully-furnished apartments can be divided into four types: sixty-two 4-person units, eleven bachelor units, two wheelchair accessible units, sixteen 5-person units, and eight family housing units. Amenities include: oven and refrigerator, tables, chairs, couches, love seats, closets, dressers, beds, study desks or work stations.

Student Services and Student Life

The Grand Prairie College Student Association represents the interests of the student body and the greater community. Its vision is to promote student success and empower them to shape their educational future. Some of their services include: Howlers Lounge (Entertainment, Pool tables/video games, TV’s, The Corner Store, Stamp/Bus Tickets, Campus Activities, Alcohol Awareness Program, Student Volunteer Centre, Recreational Events, Clubs, Student Health/Dental Plan, Student Handbook, Student Discount List, Photocopy service including color, Fax Service, Microwaves, Job Board, Lost & Found, Food Bank, Awards/Bursaries, Board Room Bookings, and Student Grievances

The Varsity Team of GPRC is known as “GPRC” Wolves. They belong in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC), and they compete in the following sports: volleyball, swimming, soccer, cross-country running, curling, basketball, and badminton. The most well-known team is the Wolves Men’s Volleyball Team, which has a tradition of winning in the ACAC.

Academic Programs

Grand Prairie offers 13 diploma and certificate programs. It also has an International Education Centre which gives students courses in English as a Second Language, and it has collaborative programs with the University of Alberta for bachelor degrees in Science (Agriculture or Food Business Management), Bachelor of Science (Agriculture). Some of its degree areas include: Academic Upgrading, Agriculture, Apprenticeship Programs, Arts and Education, Business and Commerce, College Preparation, Computing Science and Technology, Continuing Education, Drama, Music, Visual Arts, and Design, Engineering Programs, Human Services Programs, International Education, Nursing Education, Office Administration, Physical Eduction, Sciences, Trades, Trades Preparatory, Trades, Pre-Employment, and Transitional Vocational.

Off-Campus Living

Students who plan to live outside the campus can take advantage of GPRC housing services. They include: Off-Campus Housing lists, Apartment Directory, Newspaper Classifieds, and Accomodation Wanted Ads.

Grande Prairie Information

Grande Prairie is the main city in the northwestern part of the province of Alberta in Western Canada. It is located on the southern edge of the Peace River Country. The city of Grande Prairie is one of Canada's fastest growing cities.

Major industries include oil and gas, agriculture, forestry, services, and technology. Grande Prairie is one of the most economically diverse cities in Alberta outside Edmonton and Calgary. Due to the fact that Alberta has no provincial sales tax and that Grande Prairie is fairly close to the Alberta-BC border, there is a high number of shoppers from British Columbia. Hence, it is not unusual to see a large number of vehicles with BC license plates in retail and mall parking lots in Grande Prairie.

Grande Prairie has a northern continental climate typical of Alberta and northeastern BC. Winters are generally cold with some mild spells. Summers are often fairly cool to pleasantly warm in the daytime, but nights can be cool despite the long summer days typical for its latitude. Hot days over 30°C are rare, occurring on average only one to two days a year, which is not unexpected this far north. Winter conditions can vary tremendously from year to year.