Homeowners on rural properties in Grande Prairie can now add secondary suites or backyard suites to their land after City Council approved a Land Use Bylaw amendment on August 31, 2026. The change applies to the Agricultural District (AGRSA) and Country Residential District (RCRSA), which are part of the Rural Service Area annexed from the County of Grande Prairie in 2016.
Secondary suites are additional dwelling units attached to a principal home with separate entrance, bathroom, and cooking facilities. Backyard suites are accessory buildings containing a separate dwelling unit. The new rules recognize that rural properties often have different servicing arrangements, such as private wells and sewage systems, larger lot sizes, and different development patterns than urban neighbourhoods.
Under the City of Grande Prairie’s Land Use Bylaw, a parcel of land can still have a maximum of two dwelling units, including a secondary or backyard suite. The change expands housing options in the Rural Service Area while maintaining development standards appropriate for rural areas.
This latest amendment builds on the City’s ongoing efforts to increase housing supply. In June 2024, Council passed changes allowing secondary suites in semi-detached dwellings and expanding density limits in neighbourhoods. The Grande Prairie area has a rental vacancy rate below 2 percent, and the City has implemented programs to expand housing options and support workforce attraction.
Alberta municipalities have the authority under provincial regulations to develop land use bylaws allowing secondary suites, and the City of Grande Prairie has now extended those permissions to rural properties for the first time.
