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Editor's Notes

• #3: My 1st glimpse of our fair city was though the dusty window of a transcontinental greyhound bus that chugged it’s way from Winnipeg, MB to Prince George in the year 1990. Immediately after disembarking from that sore, tired bus, I was warmly introduced to what Prince Georgians affectionately call the smell of money, the fragrance of finance. My first impression was that PG was not a pretty place. As soon as I disembarked I was introduced to what Prince Georgeons affectionally calll the smell of money. But it was functional. Red green. Oasis and respite
• #4: Needless to say, my initial impression of PG was not, was not, “Oh, she/this is such a not a pretty place.” However, 1st impressions are often flawed, and although I was young and opinionated, I had the wherewithal to look though the metaphorical pulp mill haze to see a very functional place.
• #6: You see I was drawn here to plant trees and PG became an oasis away from hard work and a difficult remote bush camp existence because this is were I spent my rare days off. The quirky stilted library offered mental respite. The 3 theaters, 2 arcades and a plethora of downtown pubs, bars, and night-clubs provided a place to unwind. Nourishment was given by an assortment of eateries. My favourites were the quirky Mr. Jakes, The original Kelly O'Brian's on Brunswick, and the TajMahal where Indian food came in mild, medium, or nuke me. The latter representing a week long regret on a tree planting block.
• #7: You see I was drawn here to plant trees and PG became an oasis away from hard work and a difficult remote bush camp existence because this is were I spent my rare days off. The quirky stilted library offered mental respite. The 3 theaters, 2 arcades and a plethora of downtown pubs, bars, and night-clubs provided a place to unwind. Nourishment was given by an assortment of eateries. My favourites were the quirky Mr. Jakes, The original Kelly O'Brian's on Brunswick, and the TajMahal where Indian food came in mild, medium, or nuke me. The latter representing a week long regret on a tree planting block.
• #8: You see I was drawn here to plant trees and PG became an oasis away from hard work and a difficult remote bush camp existence because this is were I spent my rare days off. The quirky stilted library offered mental respite. The 3 theaters, 2 arcades and a plethora of downtown pubs, bars, and night-clubs provided a place to unwind. Nourishment was given by an assortment of eateries. My favourites were the quirky Mr. Jakes, The original Kelly O'Brian's on Brunswick, and the TajMahal where Indian food came in mild, medium, or nuke me. The latter representing a week long regret on a tree planting block.
• #9: You see I was drawn here to plant trees and PG became an oasis away from hard work and a difficult remote bush camp existence because this is were I spent my rare days off. The quirky stilted library offered mental respite. The 3 theaters, 2 arcades and a plethora of downtown pubs, bars, and night-clubs provided a place to unwind. Nourishment was given by an assortment of eateries. My favourites were the quirky Mr. Jakes, The original Kelly O'Brian's on Brunswick, and the TajMahal where Indian food came in mild, medium, or nuke me. The latter representing a week long regret on a tree planting block.
• #12: In 1994, after completing Forestry School and away for 3 years, I returned to PG to work at local Forest Consultant Company, IFS. I even turned down a job in NW Ontario that would have paid more and kept me closer to home so I guess you could say that by then, something about PG was already in my blood. My goal was to work here for 2 and gain some work experience and go back to school. Instead, I fell in love with an affordable house, my wonderful wife Terri, 2 awesome kids, and more holistically – a home. I came for 2 and stayed for 20, a common PG tale. Red green. Oasis and respite
• #13: When I think of PG at present, I am drawn to what we have lost and what we’ve gained. It is true we’ve lost a few movie theaters, Bubba Balloos and it’s ball pits, the radical Sandblast event where sking sofas and cutbanks met , & a few great places to grab a bite like the Log House restaurant or Roselle's or Niner’s Diner. As well My heart and my cowboy boots long to 2 step once more at the Cadillac ranch, a PG icon if there ever was.
• #14: We’ve also made great gains: The Multiplex and the PG Cougars, Theater North West, UNBC, the NSC, Books & Company, The Cancer Centre. There are also some fab new eatieres: Nancy O’s, Copper Pig are 2 of may favourites, not to mention a very strong Farmers Market and local food community. And even though we’ve lost some great citizens and leaders, we’ve also picked up amazing human capital to solve core problems and get things done
• #15: We’ve also made great gains: The Multiplex and the PG Cougars, Theater North West, UNBC, the NSC, Books & Company, The Cancer Centre. There are also some fab new eatieres: Nancy O’s, Copper Pig are 2 of may favourites, not to mention a very strong Farmers Market and local food community. And even though we’ve lost some great citizens and leaders, we’ve also picked up amazing human capital to solve core problems and get things done
• #16: When I think of the future of PG I have 3 hopes. First, I hope we have a return of people playing and living in the downtown core. If you do come out, downtown after dark, you will notice that the vibrancy that was once on display in the 80’s and 90’s has dampened. My wife and I did this recently, after a meal at Nancy O’s. We reflected on how quiet it was and how we remembered a much livelier PG night-life. Summerfest and the civic plaza concerts of the CWG showed us all what it can be once again. To do this, we will have to reverse the trend of plummeting social capital that has plagued NA communities since the peak in 1950’s. Daunting, but if not here, then where? NYC and Times Square. Nest of porn halls and drugs now it teams with tourists.
• #17: For my 2nd hope, I recognize that Hedy Fry’s crosses are not burning on our lawns and we are not the haven of crime that McLean’s magazine made us out to be. But there is no denying that not everyone feels safe on our streets and until that happens, we have work to do. And that work will not come from just adding more police officers to our streets. It will come from the vigilance of the individual citizen, that’s you and me and everyone from our community inside and outside of this room, who grabs the courage to ask themselves what they could do to make PG a safer, more welcoming place and & then doing just that. Us being here tonight is a positive contribution to this wish. The more people that live and play downtown makes the core safer for everyone. Reducing and extinguishing the criminal element is key.
• #18: My third wish is for PG to grow into it’s diversity. A diverse economy that is more resilient to the ups and downs of resource industries will render our town less susceptible to criminal elements. A growing tech industry and a blossoming entrepreneurial and small business community is a solid foundation for this.
• #19: The dedicated bike lanes and fledgling cycle community culture as well as the growing appreciation for transit are a great start. But diversifying our transportation network is key to our future prosperity. I long for the day were people don’t shake their heads or shake my hands when I tell them I cycle commute regularly down the hart hwy, where for 500m there is neither a bike lane nor a shoulder. Instead, because of an established cycle infrastructure and fully a developed cycle culture this intimidating and in-miinotirty way to get about will simply seen as routine.
• #20: We also need work at social diversity. I am proud of how far PG has come. We have had women civic councillors and women mayors and the business community has shown great gender diversity as well. How the organizers of the CWG reached out to the LT Nation to encourage them to take a host role is equally refreshing. But there is more work to be done to engage youth, alternate sexual orientations, immigrants, and first nations and people of color. Diversity brings complexity and challenge and we should stand up strait and pay attention to it. However, diversity is also a tremendous, untapped resource and the next century will belong to those that best are able to harvest the gifts of diversity by overcoming the difficulties that come along side it. I think we are up to the task.
• #21: Nearly 25 years ago I first met PG and although it was not a cute meet, I fell in love. I have made this community my home despite all that we’ve gained and lost to get to where we are today. But I’m more interested in the future. By boosting the vibrancy of our downtown core, by addressing crime, and by increasing our capacity to harness diversity, we can surely go from a great place to live, work, & play to the best place
• #22: Prince George is an outstanding, cutting edge place to live and I am proud to be a part of its past, its present, and its future.
• #23: Prince George is an outstanding, cutting edge place to live and I am proud to be a part of its past, its present, and its future.