In his Editorial July 14, 1914, Wm. C. Pratt asks “Will the town be a permanent one or are we justified in building substantial buildings?” Pratt says that the “queries are now practically assured, as the railway now held leases on land approaching Grande Prairie”, thus “the future of Grande Prairie City as a thriving metropolis is assured.” Grande Prairie had avoided the fate of other towns which were bypassed by the railway and were either relocated or abandoned. He mentions at the end how busy Grande Prairie was with new settlers and inquiries. 130 homestead entries, 23 timber permits, 10 grazing rentals issued and 2 gold dredging leases granted by the Dominion Land office. 492 letters had been received and 700 written.
Written & researched by Kathryn Auger.