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OUTLOOK2015 Prince George The Volunteer City

Mackenzie?? Why

Photo Credit: Alex Pytlowany

If you are looking for a good paying job and would like to buy a reasonably priced house then Mackenzie is where you want to be. Mackenzie is a welcoming community that has so much to offer - check us out! DIANE SMITH Community Development/Human Resources Manager DISTRICT OF MACKENZIE PH 250.997.3221 | FX 250.997.5186 | diane@district.mackenzie.bc.ca | www.district.mackenzie.bc.ca

OUTLOOK - Prince George Free Press - Celebrating 100!

April 2015

What’s Inside 2015 4 Mayor Lyn Hall ....................................................... 4 W.G. Gillett - Prince George’s ﬁrst mayor .................. 5 Read all about it - at the library ................................. 6

UNBC celebrates 25 years ................................... 7 CNC goes digitial .................................................... 8 Chamber changing perceptions ................................ 9

IPG drives growth ................................................... 12 NDIT talks commodities ..................................... 13 Interest shown in regional district ............................ 14 The New Ice Age - one year later ...................... 15

Theatre North West focuses on community ...... 16 Y executive director learns in Africa ......................... 18

Outlook - On the Cover

Teresa MALLAM/Free Press The closing ceremonies for the 2015 Canada Winter Games were a feast of colour, among them the maple leaf. The games were a rousing success and now the city focuses on celebrating its 100th anniversary.

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OUTLOOK - Prince George Free Press - Celebrating 100!

April 2015

Prince George - volunteer city marking 100 years of existence in central B.C. It’s a landmark year for the City of Prince George. It was 100 years ago that Prince George became a city. “For the past 100 years, volunteers have built this community,” Hall said at the civic appreciation dinner in March. “And they continue to rise up to give their talents, skills, energy, time, and knowledge to make this city a great place live, work, and play.” In a recent survey of volunteers in the province, Prince George ranked the highest in B.C. with 62 per cent of the population volunteering in one way or another. Along those lines, Hall proclaimed Prince George the ‘Volunteer City.’ A logo has been developed that can be used by community groups, organizations and businesses, alongside their logos when they undertake volunteerrelated initiatives. “It has been a real privilege to be mayor and a council member during this historic year for Prince George,” he said. “Not only did we just go through the 2015 Canada Winter Games, which was a success, but we’re transitioning right into the 100th Bill PHILLIPS/Free Press birthday of the city … It’s absolutely an unbelievable Mayor Lyn Hall at one of several city birthday parties in March. The photo on the left shows downtown 100 years ago and downtown today. time.” Lheidli T’enneh Chief Dominic Frederick has “We’ve been working on it for a few years. All is good, from what we can see and also wished the city a happy birthday. “We do have a good relationship,” he said. it can only get better.”

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OUTLOOK - Prince George Free Press - Celebrating 100!

April 2015

W.G. Gillett Remembering Prince George’s first mayor as the same can be approved by property owners. • The immediate grading of George Street to a permanent grade, and the building of suitable sidewalks thereon from the railway to Connaught Hill, and the grading and opening up and the building of sidewalks on all streets that will be of ooking back at our city’s early history it’s amazing to me how much of a the greatest benefit to the citizens generally. connection we have with the City of Nelson, B.C. Nelson was incorpo• Encouragement of the establishment of a wholesale and warehouse district rated in 1897 with John Houston as its first mayor. That would be the with proper street and trackage facilities. same John Houston who published our first newspaper, the Fort George • The building of two public schools and a high school, and asking the governTribune, in 1909. Prince George’s first mayor, W. G. Gillett, was elected on May 20, ment to furnish the necessary funds for the two public schools, as recommended 1915. Previously, Gillett was, you guessed it, mayor of Nelson. by the Superintendent of Education previous to incorporation. A monument on Vernon Street in downtown Nelson honouring John Hous• Public ownership of public utilities, including water, light and power. ton still stands. And so does the beautiful • Exemption from taxation for all improve1909 courthouse, designed by F.M. Rattenbury ments. (architect of the Parliament Buildings and the • The insistence of an early building of a Empress Hotel in Victoria, B.C.), built by one railway station for the City, regardless of locaWilliam George Gillett. The courthouse feation. tures Douglas fir for the interior, marble quar• The name of the City to be Prince ried from Gillett’s own site in Kaslo, and a roof George. constructed of slate from the west coast. • The payment of union scale wages for all Gillett also built the much smaller Nakusp city work whether done under contract or Courthouse, completed in 1910, still standing otherwise. and listed on the register of Canada’s historic • All city work to be done by residents of places. Prince George in preference to outsiders. Born in Twillingate, Newfoundland in 1870, • Fair distribution in the purchase of all Gillett left his home province in 1891 to find supplies. work as a carpenter, eventually ending up in • A clean and orderly city. Nelson, where he established his contracting • The building of a City Hall, Police and Fire business and served as an alderman from 1901 Hall combined, on a site to be chosen by the to 1905, and then mayor from 1906 to 1907. rate-payers. Gillett moved to Vancouver in 1910 and • To ask the Dominion Government to erect built another famous building, the Denman a permanent Post Office and Customs Office Arena, formerly located at Georgia and Denbuilding man, completed in December 1911. It was the • To assist in the establishing of a City Hosfirst artificial ice rink in Canada and one of the pital. largest indoor ice rinks in North America, seat• To ask the Provincial Government to erect ing 10,500 people. Imagine a building twice the a Court House and a Land Registry Office size of our CN Centre, constructed entirely of in the City to meet the requirements of the wood. The arena was home to the Vancouver district. Millionaires ice hockey team, and played host • To secure all lands now set apart for Park for their Stanley Cup win in 1915. The arena purposes to become the property of the City burned down in 1936. for Parks and Recreation Grounds. Needless to say, Gillett was a very successful The City of Prince George’s website notes contractor. An April 2000 article in NewfoundPhoto courtesy of The Exploration Place that W. G. Gillett was the only mayor in the land’s ‘Downhome’ magazine by John Gillett Prince George’s first mayor, W.G. Gillett. history of British Columbia to have personally (his grandson perhaps?) mentions how in one signed a bank note for a loan necessary to sucyear alone Gillett built 27 buildings. He built “one of the largest bridges over the cessfully run Prince George (as a new city it didn’t yet have any revenue). Columbia River at Revelstoke” and “many government wharves on the Queen In 1916 Mayor Gillet ran for provincial politics representing the Liberals. HowCharlotte Islands.” ever, the newly created Fort George electoral district was won by Conservative At some point Gillett ended up in northern B.C. Likely he hoped to prosper as W.R. Ross, who only defeated Socialist candidate John McInnis by seven votes. the place we now call Prince George was booming. Much has been written about Gillett became sick with pneumonia and died in Vancouver on September 11, the rampant land speculation that took place with the coming of the Grand Trunk 1917. Pacific Railway, completed in 1914, and the battle over where the train station Author Valerie Giles described how Gillett’s successor, Mayor H.G. Perry, paid and town would be located. Gillett owned land and was criticized for his role in tribute to Gillett on learning of his death in her recent book “Remembering… A these matters. However, he easily won election as our first mayor, and his election celebration of Prince George’s storied past”. While Perry didn’t always agree with platform, printed in the May 21, 1915 Prince George Herald, included a plea for Gillett’s policies he said “….I feel sure that the citizens of Prince George would the early building of a train station, “regardless of location”: agree that in his death, the city has lost a great friend and an enthusiastic supMayor Gillett’s platform: porter.” • The immediate installation of sufficient fire protection for the business section Gillett’s obituary was carried on the front page of the October 3, 1917 Western of Prince George. Star newspaper in Corner Brook, Newfoundland under the headline “Successful • The inauguration of a permanent water system for domestic consumption and Newfoundlander Dies in British Columbia.” for fire protection, funds for which are to be provided by the sale of bonds as soon Gillett Street is named for former Mayor W.G. Gillett.

Jeff Elder Chair, Prince George Heritage Commission

April 2015

OUTLOOK - Prince George Free Press - Celebrating 100!

Read all about it - at the library Prince George Mayor Lyn Hall is still experiencing hurt feelings about the Prince George Public Library. “The mayor is still sad we didn’t cut some toilet paper to open the new washrooms last year,” chief librarian Janet Marren says. “He felt that would have been more appropriate than a ribbon.” The opening of the new washrooms may Allan Wishart have been the most welOutlook 2015 come news at the library last year, but there was lots more going on and plenty of plans for the future. In fact, planning is one of the main focuses of the library this year. “We want to update our strategic plan,” Marren says. “The current one runs from 2011 to 2015, and by the end of the year, we will have Library 2020 in place. “We’re looking for a clear vision for the library, and we’ll be talking to stakeholders and launching a public survey. We want to hear from as many people as possible, because the library belongs to everybody.” Communication coordinator Andrea Palmer says the public input is important, because that’s how the library knows what its clients feel are the needs. “Things get done because the public expresses the need for them. That was one of the things we kept hearing, was that we needed new washrooms. Now we have them.” Marren says the process is already underway for the new strategic plan. “We’re looking at the current plan, seeing what’s still valid from it. We know a new entrance is still high on the list, as well as some other things which are in the current plan.” The new entrance to the downtown branch has been in the works for some time, and Marren says she is looking forward to some more of the groundwork being laid this year. “I am looking forward to the report to City Council on the cost estimates. That will be key in deciding what happens.” Palmer says one of the things identified in the current strategic plan was opening

Allan WISHART/Outlook Prince George Public Library chief librarian Janet Marren, left, and communications coordinator Andrea Palmer at the Knowledge Garden.

another branch, and they have looked at a couple of different ways of doing that without necessarily having a new building. “We opened a pop-up branch of the library at Pine Centre during the Canada Winter Games, and got a lot of traffic through it. These are people who might not come downtown that often, so having a branch there helped them.” Marren added they also did a lot of surveys with the people who came to the pop-up branch. The branch was created partly because the second floor of the downtown branch became an athletes’ area during the Games. The library is also helping with the city’s centennial this year, as well as celebrating a milestone of its own. “The 60th anniversary of the library in Prince George is June 22,” Marren says. “We are planning a birthday celebration of some kind around that date.” Knowing that people in Prince George love finding out more about the history of the city, the library has taken a step into technology to help, Marren says. “In July, with support from the 100th Anniversary Committee, our downtown walking tour will be available as an app, so people can take the tour whenever they like.”

“Be Your Own Kind of Beautiful. “ Toni Nelson: I was inspired to get into this business because of my past customer service experience. The defining moment for me came while dress shopping. The sales person had trouble getting me anything in my size and when I pointed out a dress I wanted to try, I was told “ those dresses are for small women, you won’t fit that!” Right then and there I knew this is why we need to get into the business. Every woman should feel beautiful and wonderful in her own skin. We had to change how women shop for themselves. In many industries customer service has fallen by the wayside, so we picked up that old fashion flavour and made it the backbone of how we operate.

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hte n her-daug This mot ed into the fashio er p h it m e has ju feet. N g ith both world w ese up-and-comin h t m f fro one o tias hale fashionis or the hills of rive Rodeo D ta Monica. San rgians rince Geo nd P l a e r e a “We’r ncourage here to e ﬁdence in the on inspire c en of PG! the wom mped at e ju i n o T Julie and give Park Avenu h. o chance t ir personal touc he t l e r a App

Julie Thomas: Toni and I love to help our women feel conﬁdent and share in the love of what makes a fashion-shopping experience enjoyable. My past experience of walking into the stores, looking around for 10 minutes with no assist, is over. We strive to make your shopping experience amazing. In the past, Park Avenue has been known as a mature, formal shopping experience. We took the great parts of the past and injected our bright and bubbly personalities for formal to meet fun, Facebook te stimonial funky and hip new age women. We want our women clients to know your size; shape, age and style shouldn’t pigeonhole your experience. We can take our excitement to I was lookin g fo for an even r a formal dress inspire your fashion experience. t What we want is for our ladies to feel comfortable and beautiful. We try on everything that hits the ﬂoor to dress our customers from experience. When you step out of your dressing room, it will feel like a dream. We won’t sell you something that doesn’t make you feel beautiful. Our customers tell us they feel comfortable shopping at Park Avenue and trying what we suggest ... We’re no pressure, just clothes!

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OUTLOOK - Prince George Free Press - Celebrating 100!

April 2015

UNBC celebrates 25 years I moved to Prince George to take on the role of President at the University of Northern British Columbia because I saw an institution with a great foundation and full of potential. Your university is celebrating 25 years since its creation in 1990, an initiative that was launched by 16,000 northerners demanding local access Daniel Weeks to a first-class university. Over President, UNBC those 25 years, you’ve witnessed UNBC flourish: we’re one of BC’s research-intensive universities; we’ve produced more than 11,000 graduates who are becoming the leaders in communities across the North; and today we’re in second spot nationwide in our category in the annual Maclean’s Magazine University rankings. All of this does not come easily. It requires the dedication of our faculty, who are leading researchers, outstanding teachers, and who are providing exceptional service to their communities. It requires staff who are fully committed to the task at hand, and carrying out operations as effectively and efficiently as possible. It requires donors who are willing to provide funding that supports student successes, critical research capacity, and service provision. Most importantly, it requires students who have a passion to learn in the North and stay in the North, to see our region continue its evolution as the economic heartbeat of this province. We face challenges of course. We are seeing astonishing demographic changes. In 2014, roughly 5,000 students graduated in northern B.C. according to data from the Ministry of Education. By 2020, that number is projected to dip to just 3,100. (These changes are not unique to northern B.C.; across the province that figure stood at 64,000 in 2014, projected to dip to 43,500 by 2020.) This comes after a 15-year period during which northern B.C. lost almost 35 per cent of its enrolment in school districts. The local school district alone closed 24 schools over the last decade. Given that we attract some 70 per cent of our students from

the North, this is a significant concern. I refuse, however, to be deterred by a set of statistics. Rather, I see opportunity on our horizon. Complex issues that are UNBC president Daniel Weeks important for Canada and the world are playing out in northern B.C.: sustainable resource management, energy production and export, health care delivery, climate change, First Nations communities and cultures, international trade, economic development, biodiversity, food security, and the availability of fresh water. The list goes on, and I believe UNBC is positioned to maximize on the research and investment opportunities that will accompany these issues. Over the coming months UNBC will articulate a shared vision for our preferred future and a set of solid action plans to achieve it. Now, perhaps more than ever, we need the support of our communities, stakeholders, and champions to secure a prosperous future for UNBC, as our fates are closely intertwined. We must be a University of first choice, and a preferred institutional partner for those wishing to be part of the future of northern B.C. And we must reach into the south of the province and beyond and provide academic pathways to our region. By working together we can create a prosperous and rewarding future.

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OUTLOOK - Prince George Free Press - Celebrating 100!

Taking initiative - digitally at the College of New Caledonia If students canâ€™t get to a school, bring the school to the students. Starting in September, the College of New Caledonia will be delivering courses to outlying campuses by real-time video. The Digital Delivery Initiative came about as a result of two trips CNC President Henry Reiser made. One was to Fraser Lake. â€œThere were two young mothers out there,â€? Resier said, â€œwho asked about access to post-secondary education.â€? The school was in the process of downsizing the satellite campus in the town, but Reiser remembered a trip he made to India. â€œWhile I was in India, we had real-time conversations with Ottawa on a number of issues, The quality of the transmissions was really good.â€? So CNC started looking into the possibility of delivering course to the outlying areas digitally, and decided it was feasible. Northern Gateway donated $250,000 to the project, and TransCanada added another $150,000. The program will start in September 2015 with plans for four credit courses to be delivered with the existing videoconference equipment, while the new technology is being installed. The January 2016 term will see four courses using the new technologies in Quesnel and Prince George. The installation includes classroom renovations, developing a user-friendly interface portal for students and teachers, and training in the use of the system. As well, a number of demonstrations will be held in the community, allowing the public to see how the initiative will work. The second year of the pilot project will see an expansion to Burns Lake and Fort St. James as well as an expansion to 10 courses. The third year will bring Mackenzie and Vanderhoof online and provide at least 14 courses. Feedback for the program will be ongoing. In the first year, instructors and

CNC President Henry Reiser, left, and Catherine Pennington of Northern Gateway sign an agreement in February which will see Northern Gateway donate $250,000 to the new Digital Delivery Initiative at CNC.

learners will work to continuously develop and improves the service. In the second and third years, a consultant will be brought in to complete a formal evaluation

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OUTLOOK - Prince George Free Press - Celebrating 100!

April 2015

Chamber changing perceptions One of the most exciting transformations underway in Prince George is the change in how our city is perceived. This shift has started from within, with residents expressing passion and pride for not only what Prince George is today, but also what it can be. There is a real sense of optimism in both the business and broader community about economic development in northern and central British Columbia. This optiCindi Pohl President, P.G. Chamber of Commerce mism is evident in the stories people share about the city, and in the desire to see our local, home-grown businesses succeed. Nowhere is this Prince George positivity more apparent than in the virtual community of the Hell Yeah Prince George Facebook group. This group started a little over a year ago as a forum to promote the positive aspects of our city. Today, the group has more than 24,800 members, who are involved in not only talking about what makes Prince George a great place to live, but also taking action to make the community even stronger. Hell Yeah P.G. is part of broader trend to â€œtake backâ€? our cityâ€™s image, and tell a different story about Prince George. The message of this story is confident and hopeful: people can make the lives they want here. Last fall, the Prince George Chamber of Commerce surveyed its members about the top priorities and challenges for businesses in our community. The results indicated that most businesses want to expand. However, challenges and barriers to expansion and growth were also identified. The recruitment and retention of talent was a key theme. Closely tied to this issue is Prince Georgeâ€™s image and reputation outside the city. Transforming perceptions of our city from within is the first step towards changing how outsiders view Prince George. The more we can share positive stories about ourselves, the more opportunities we create for others to discover these stories and perhaps learn something new about the community; something genuine that goes beyond negative headlines. As a result, people living in the Lower Mainland, in other provinces, or outside

Prince George Chamber of Commerce president Cindi Pohl

Canada will encounter a Prince George that is vibrant, diverse, and economically thriving. They will see a place where people have chosen to be because of all the opportunities that are available to them. In this way, we all have a role to play in transforming Prince Georgeâ€™s image, and attracting the people we need to continue to build our community. This past winter we had an incredible opportunity to share Prince Georgeâ€™s story to a national audience through the 2015 Canada Winter Games. Athletes, coaches, and visitors from across the country left with their own positive stories about the city and the people who live here. The pride radiated by individuals and the community as a whole was inspiring and infectious. We now have an opportunity to keep that momentum going. We can continue to foster that sense of pride, and share that far and wide. The Chamber sees the commitment to developing a positive self-image continuing in Prince George. Our municipal leaders, the business community, and residents are all working towards this goal. This will help us continue to grow, and ultimately attract more people and businesses to Prince George.

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April 2015

OUTLOOK - Prince George Free Press - Celebrating 100!

Photo Credit: Our member, Kris Foot

Buy local? Bank local. Local banking arrived in north central British Columbia in 1946 when Prince George & District Credit Union was founded. A short time later, community credit unions were also established in Vanderhoof (NVCU) and Quesnel and people began to bank locally. Fast forward to 2004, the three organizations - Prince George Savings, Nechako Valley Credit Union and Quesnel & District Credit Union formed Integris, an amalgamation-ofequals and a first-of-its-kind in BC. In 2014, Integris celebrated our 10th anniversary and at that milestone, we looked back fondly at a decade of building our region and serving the people that call ‘here’ home. Integris Credit Union is owned by,

and accountable to our members. We have grown with the region and as a result, we have more than profit to share with you. Imagine bank profits shared with you – Integris isn’t ‘just another bank’. We have evolved into a

communities here in Integris Country. In 2014, Integris contributed over $300,000 to our region by way of shared profit and staff volunteerism. This figure represents more than 20% of net income. Nope … not ‘just

responsive, regional financial institution providing the best in personal & business banking, personal & business insurance and tailored financial plans as unique and individual as the people we serve. Unlike the big banks, we are stakeholder driven striving for a balanced approach to our triple bottom line (people, planet, profit). This means reasonable dividends and responsive service for members, a living wage and benefits for staff and stronger, more vibrant

another bank’. As we reflect back on a decade of building here together, we want to share a recent example of what makes Integris unique. We left our tracks as an Official Community Partner of the 2015 Canada Winter Games and a Presenting Sport Sponsor (Alpine Events at Purden Ski Village). Integris left our legacy in the form of hundreds of race gates/ flags distributed to Northern BC Mountains enabling alpine events throughout the region for years to come. Further, a large number of Integris staff donned their ‘green jackets’ and became part of the much-loved volunteer cadre that brought the Games to life. Integris also partnered with UNBC and other partners to fund a Sustainability Manager position. Emily Harrison’s leadership ignited her team and resulted in a number of significant achievements, which

included providing 18 days of free public transit in PG at Games time and achieving carbon neutrality! The 2015 Canada Winter Games enabled Integris to form stronger ties with First Nations, Purden Ski Village, the Two Rivers Gallery, The City of PG and many other businesses and individuals. These connections form a rich regional network and this is how we build here together. Looking ahead, Integris will continue to champion people and place. We will enhance our partnerships with UNBC, CNC, Hope Air, the Exploration Place, YMCA of Northern BC, Canadian Cancer Society, Big Brothers Big Sisters, The PG Iceman, the Frozen Warriors, Youth Sport, Youth Leadership, St. John Hospital Auxiliary, GR Baker Memorial Hospital, Riverside Place, Nechako View, PG Hospice Society, Neighbourlink and Communities in Bloom just to name a few. Integris will continue to encourage staff to be the best they can be. To our members, we pledge to provide the most responsive and responsible financial institution possible. You have comprehensive financial and insurance needs; Integris exists to meet those needs in a way that no one else can or will. We help you buy/build your home, grow your business, insure all that matters, make savvy investment decisions, while partnering with you to plan your life out ‘here’. At Integris, this is what we live for!

April 2015

OUTLOOK - Prince George Free Press - Celebrating 100!

Photo Credit: Our member, Kris Foot

April 2015

OUTLOOK - Prince George Free Press - Celebrating 100!

IPG helping drive growth Prince George’s position as the largest city in one of the fastest-growing regions in the country has enabled its strong economic growth over recent years, with the Prince George economy growing at nearly twice the rate of the B.C. economy annually between 2010 and 2013. With more than $160 billion of resource and resource related projects underway and planned in northern B.C. over the coming decade, the city Heather Oland is well positioned for continued Initiatives Prince George economic growth during 2015 and beyond. Initiatives Prince George had an amazing opportunity to share this story of growth and opportunity with local residents and the nation during the 2015 Canada Winter Games. We spoke to more than 4,200 people who visited our booth in the Northern BC Career Zone tent that was set-up in the Festival Square during the entire 17 days of the Games. Our primary goal was to highlight the over 400 careers posted to moveupprincegeorge.ca that are available in a range of sectors as a result of the strength of the local economy. Many people we spoke with were surprised that at the end of 2013, only 11 other cities in the country had a lower unemployment rate than Prince George and that throughout 2014, Prince George remained consistently well below the provincial and national unemployment rates and above the employment rates. This means that a higher percentage of our population is engaged in the workforce and there are more employment opportunities available here than elsewhere. While a low unemployment rate and high economic growth are undeniably positive, they can create challenges for small and mid-sized businesses that are ready to capitalize on the growth in the city and the region. Prince George businesses are rising to this challenge in a variety of different ways: they are completing certifications to compete for procurement opportunities with large scale resource projects; they are developing comprehensive

I studied for some time in Vancouver and then came here to study at CNC and explore the real Canadian lifestyle. Throughout my time at CNC, I’ve made many friends and hung out with local people, and enjoyed my homestay experience. I also got some help from the International Education Department with picking my university transfer courses and introducing me to volunteer opportunities. I am grateful to everyone who has helped me so far. – Yang Yang international student

The College of New Caledonia has served the needs of students in B.C.’s Central Interior since 1969 and offers a full range of Career, Technical, Vocational, and University Credit programming. CNC campuses are located in Burns Lake, Fort St. James, Mackenzie, Prince George, Quesnel and Vanderhoof. • Human Services • Business & Management • Health Sciences • Technology & Industry • Trades

human resource plans to manage workforce needs; they are creating websites so that customers can more easily find their business; they are starting to use e-commerce platforms or exploring international markets; and they are expanding into new and bigger facilities. But whatever form business development takes, Prince George businesses are growing and new businesses are also investing in the city. Proof of the success of local businesses is found in the results of 154 face-to-face interviews conducted by Initiatives Prince George with local businesses across all sectors of the economy. Of those businesses, 52 per cent said they were increasing their Heather Oland product’s market share; 35 per cent said they had expansion plans and, of those, 72 per cent said their expansion plans are in Prince George. Given that 76 per cent of new jobs and capital investment in a community comes from existing businesses, the fact that Prince George businesses are expanding, hiring, and investing is what holds the most promise for the future growth of our city. Thank you to Prince George businesses for driving economic growth in our city and we look forward to working with you to further facilitate this growth during 2015.

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OUTLOOK - Prince George Free Press - Celebrating 100!

April 2015

Commodities markets have an impact on northern B.C. economy The boom in northern B.C. is not over but it has slowed somewhat. Recent fluctuations in global commodities markets have had in impact on northern B.C.’s energy, mining, minerals, transportation and forestry sectors. The downturn in the energy sector has forced analysts to cut their outlook for Canada’s economy in 2015, which will have ramifications for Janine North the development of natural gas and CEO, Northern Development associated LNG infrastructure in B.C. On the mining and minerals side, the north has absorbed the closure of coal mines in Tumbler Ridge and Chetwynd in the past year, as well as a temporary shuttering of the Endako moly mine near Fraser Lake. A drawdown in copper prices has also affected spending and employment at some of the region’s mines. Although uncertainty abounds for B.C.’s energy and metals markets, 2015 is shaping up to be a strong year for B.C.’s forestry sector. U.S. housing demand reached approximately one million units in 2014, which represents a near doubling since the market collapse of 2009 that saw only 550,000 units built. Lumber output in the B.C. interior is expected to increase slightly to 11.2 or 11.3 billion board feet in 2015 and 2016 before permanent declines begin in 2017 due to the availability of merchantable timber in the wake of the Mountain Pine Beetle epidemic. Despite the uncertainty in commodities markets, there’s no shortage of investments being made in the region. Dubai-based DP World recently announced intentions to buy the Fairview container terminal in Prince Rupert for $580 million, signaling northern B.C.’s trade advantage with direct access to ports in Asia and a rail and road corridor into central Canada and the U.S. Midwest. In late February, Imperial Metals shipped its first truckload of copper concentrate from its newly built Red Chris mine near Dease Lake. Red Chris is the second new major metal mine built in B.C. in the last decade. The first was Thompson Creek’s Mt. Milligan mine located between Fort St. James and Mackenzie. On the clean energy side, in December the province green-lighted the construction of a third hydroelectric dam on the Peace River. Site C will cost $8.8 billion to build (inclusive of a contingency fund), and will generate a significant amount of economic activity in the Peace region for the next several years. The timing for the project could help offset job loss experienced in Tumbler Ridge due to the downturn in the coal sector. Elsewhere in the province, AltaGas commissioned its Volcano Creek run-ofriver hydroelectric project two years ahead of schedule in November 2014. The project is AltaGas’ second clean energy facility to tie into the Northwest Transmission Line, joining nearby Forrest Kerr. In the northeast, the Meikle Wind Energy Project began construction in January. The $400 million project will provide 185 megawatts of energy capacity to the grid using 61 wind turbine generators located northwest of Tumbler Ridge. Also in the northeast, Canfor announced in 2014 plans to build two new pellet mills in Fort St. John and Chetwynd, which will support new jobs in those

The region needs to be better equipped to respond to boom and bust cycles

Northern Development Initiative Trust CEO Janine North

communities. West Fraser has also commissioned a rebuild of its 100 Mile House sawmill, marking a vote of confidence in the long-term health of the south Cariboo forest sector. On the LNG side, the region still awaits final investment decisions on export terminals. Petronas’ Pacific Northwest LNG has signaled that it may make a decision on its Port Edward project as early as this summer. Elsewhere, Royal Dutch Shell’s recently announced $70 billion takeover deal of BG Group could have impacts on this province where both companies have projects proposed in the northwest. Overall, 2015 will be a year of uncertainty for resource-based communities that are reliant on or closely tied to energy, metals and minerals sectors. That uncertainty will be offset this year in communities that are diversified or have the benefit of a strong forest products sector. However, the region continues to be reliant on resource industries and therefore vulnerable to global market forces more so than metropolitan regions such as the Lower Mainland. That means communities throughout central and northern B.C. will need to be better equipped and more flexible to respond to boom and bust cycles from a variety of sectors now and into the future.

April 2015

OUTLOOK - Prince George Free Press - Celebrating 100!

Lots of interest in region Art Kaehn Chair, Regional District Fraser-Fort George This year is an exciting time in our region. Prince George is celebrating its 100th anniversary and has just finished hosting the nation with a highly successful Canada Winter Games. These events give us much to celebrate, but they are not the only reason we feel that good things are in store for north-central B.C. The economies of our four municipalities, including Prince George, Mackenzie, McBride and Valemount are steady, with unemployment rates low and the average house prices in all four municipalities showing an increase over 2014. Total building permit values for the Regional District are fairly consistent year to year, with 2014 bringing a total value of $20.5 million for building permits. We are seeing continued interest in our region for commercial and industrial investment. The resource sector continues to drive much

of this activity with forestry, mineral and oil and gas exploration projects throughout the north. At present, there are six different natural gas pipelines proposed through our region, along with two proposed oil pipelines. These projects are at varying stages within the environmental assessment and approval process and are subject to changing market conditions. We will continue to watch how these projects progress. Other proposed projects, including the Graymont lime plant and quarry just east of Prince George and a year-round tourism attraction for the Valemount Glaciers, show there continues to be active interest in our region for a wide variety of investments. Over the last few years, the Regional District has worked with McBride and Valemount and other communities within the Robson Valley to develop a plan to identify economic opportunities for the Robson Valley as a single economic unit, rather than separate independent communities.

Together, we created a marketing and implementation program to promote those sectors that are most likely to be influenced through local efforts. The focus is on attracting independent professionals and active retirees, tourism, agriculture, forestry and senior government services. We launched the “Robson Valley Region” economic marketing program (www.discoverrvr.ca), and have been actively promoting opportunities in the region. It is still early days, but we are encouraged by the reaction the program has received and the cooperation it has generated within the communities of the Robson Valley Region. Overall, we feel there is good reason to be optimistic about the outlook for our region. We continue to watch for trends within the global economy that so heavily influence the resource sector. However, we know our economy continues to diversify and that will continue to serve us well as we continue to grow and prosper.

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OUTLOOK - Prince George Free Press - Celebrating 100!

April 2015

The New Ice Age The Prince George Cougars, one year later The 2014-15 season may be over for the Prince George Cougars, but the work doesn’t stop in the front office. “This is our first real off-season,” says club president Greg Pocock. “Last year, when we bought the team, we had to hit the ground running, so it wasn’t a normal offseason.” Pocock and his partners, including former Cougars Dan Hamhuis and Eric Brewer, officially purchased the team from Rick Brodsky on April 30, 2014. “I wasn’t expecting it would take so much time and effort,” Pocock admits. “But I have no regreets. Allan Wishart “I’d do it again in a Outlook 2015 heartbeat.” Vice-president of business Andy Beesley had a slightly better idea of what to expect, having worked with several lower-level clubs. “I knew the job from the start, but I was surprised at the depth of rebuilding the club off the ice. “We had to rebuild from square one.” That started with a new slogan, A New Ice Age, which was introduced at the same event which introduced the new owners. Pocock says he took a look at the large crowd which turned out at the CN Centre that day, and was perhaps a little worried. “I had not addressed a public crowd of that size before. I prefer to be a very private person. “Luckily, Andy had walked me through what to expect.” Beesley says that first media conference was the first pleasant surprise of the new regime. “It went off better than I expected. I wasn’t sure what the reaction of the fans would be, and to have that many people come out at lunchtime on a weekday was a real motivator for all of us.” From there, it was on to a season which, for the first time in four seasons, didn’t end when the regular season did. Playoff hockey was back at the CN Centre, and while the Cougars lost in five games to the Victoria Royals in the opening round, the stage had been set for the future. “We projected what the average attendance would be when we were doing our first bugetting,” Pocock says. “We consulted a lot of other people, and came up with what I thought was a conservative projection of 2,800 fans per game. “That was pretty much where we ended up, but in our Allan WISHART/Outlook 2015 heart, we felt we could do better.” Prince George Cougars president Greg Pocock, and the rest of the staff, is ready for a busy Beesley agrees. off-season. “Attendance was up 68 per cent, which was the highBeesley says some of those ideas come from other teams in the WHL. est not just in the Western Hockey League, but in the “Nobody wants to see a team suffering on the business side, because that hurts whole Canadian Hockey League. We still have a long way to go with ticket sales, the whole league. though.” “On the ice, everybody wants to see their team win. Off the ice, they want to One item which is already being worked on is the schedule for next season, he see everybody succeed.” says. While the curtain came down on the first season of the new ownership on “This past season’s schedule didn’t do us any favours. Half of our games were April 4, Pocock says they’re still busy. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and it’s tough to build support that way. “The next big event is the Bantam Draft of May 7. Our scouts are at a number “We’re working very hard to make sure there are improvements in the schedof different events, assessing players for us to consider. ule for next year.” “We want to have a postseason session with everyone to break down the seaAnd while events like Opening Night and Teddy Bear Toss were successes, son and analyze it, but we can’t find the time.” Beesley says there are ways to improve those, and Pocock agrees. He smiles. “I have a whole binder of ideas in my office,” he says. “How can we improve, “We’ve got a lot of balls in the air right now.” what can we do to make things better?”

OUTLOOK - Prince George Free Press - Celebrating 100!

April 2015

TNW focus on community Moving forward, Theatre North West will become an even bigger part of the local community, says Jack Grinhaus, producing artistic director. “We’re working on having more community involvement and partnering with other groups that connect in some way to central themes of our plays. And we want to showcase local talent as much as possible – for example, Teresa Mallam we’re putting on a play by Betsy Outlook 2015 Trumpeter (Highway of Fears), we’ll be displaying local art in our lobby, and bringing in local choirs.” Grinhaus said TNW will still bring in talent from other parts of Canada but they will also look carefully at the talent pool here in Prince George not only when it comes to hiring new actors but also with set builders, lighting and sound technicians, and backstage crew. “This gives locals a chance to learn new skill sets with a professional theatre company and they can use those skills later on in their careers.” TNW has already partnered with some groups and that trend is expected to continue into the future, he said. “We partnered with Two Rivers Gallery, so we’ll have a rotating display of artist’s work in the foyer for people to admire during intermission or after the play. Next season we have a play about art and what it means and so we’ll have art works from Two Rivers Gallery, Studio 2880 and Groop Gallery gracing our walls. It’s a good way to introduce local artists – and keeps it fun and interesting for theatregoers who can have discussions around the art.” Local choirs will also be invited to perform. Last Christmas, theatre-goers were treated as they arrived to caroling by the Cantata Singers, and TNW looks forward to having School District 57 Tapestry Singers perform. The community will also be “tapped” on a regular basis for valuable human resources, experts and advisors who can add authenticity to upcoming plays, Grinhaus said. “When we’re preparing for a new play we’ll look for groups that relate in some way to the central theme. For instance, with our next play The Secret Mask

(April 23 to May 13), it deals with dementia, so we asked people from the local Heart and Stroke group to come and talk with us about what it’s like for recovering stroke people when they try but can’t communicate with others. We heard from this one 88-year-old man who had survived 13 strokes, three big ones and 10 little ones. That was amazing to us.” During the run of this play, there will be a table set up in the lobby with informational pamphlets and representatives from the Heart and Stroke group, he said. In their outreach work, TNW staff will help mentor a high school group called SONAR in Fort St. James that is developing a theatre program. They also plan to build on their Tours and Talks program in which artists, actors and behind the scenes cast members go into schools to facilitate drama workshops. Other ideas for growing the city’s only professional theatre include making full use of the space, utilizing and repurposing the building between plays for events such as book sales, musician’s recording studio and – weddings? “Yes, we have a couple who will be married on stage and they will have the reception at the church so that is kind of different for us,” said Grinhaus. “ Asked about TNW’s current finances, Grinhaus says his experience working in theatre in Toronto where “every arts groups fought for every dollar” taught him not only how to get a piece of the pie but not to focus or become frantic about money. “There are always fundraisers and other things you can do. This is a very giving and generous community and they always come through for us – that’s the history with Theatre North West and it’s still true today. The lobby renovation got done only because the community got behind us and supported it. Local building suppliers really helped us out – I’d pick up the phone to see about things like flooring, materials or table and chairs, and we’d get donations or discounts. “Everyone we asked helped us out.” Volunteers who billet actors and help in various capacities with productions are a valuable core support group, said Grinhaus. And patrons have responded

CONTINUED ON PAGE 17

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OUTLOOK - Prince George Free Press - Celebrating 100!

April 2015

and finding local talent FROM PAGE 16 well to changes in TNW’s decor (such as replacing plastic chairs with comfortable, padded seating) and direction. Management wants TNW to appeal to a wider audience. “We are a true regional professional theatre company,” said Carli Staub, director of marketing and development. “People come here from Quesnel, Williams Lake, Mackenzie, Vanderhoof and other places and we want to encourage that. We want to appeal to a wide diversity of people. One of our mandates is that the theatre must be accessible to as many people as possible.” Ticket prices reflect that, she said. Ticket prices remain low – one of the lowest in Canada, says Staub, and there are new group rates available. “Our ticket prices don’t reflect the cost of putting on the show which includes professional actors’ fees and other costs. Revenues from ticket sales are only 35 per cent of the budgeted amount, so it gets subsidized. Our sponsors, donors and fundraisers help with the overall cost of the production.” Making the theatre experience enjoyable and affordable has been a goal of Grinhaus since he arrived at TNW over a year ago. “There are things that happen like inflation and rising costs for utilities and so on but we want to keep the price of tickets as low as we can so more people can experience the shows. The price shouldn’t be the reason why people don’t come to the theatre.” Teresa MALLAM/Free Press For more information on upcoming Theatre North Theatre North West staffers Carmen Lodge (lower left), Carli Staub, John Reilly, Jack Grinhaus, West plays and events visit www.theatrenorthwest.com. Melissa Glover, Hayley Tucker and Anne Meeson brainstorm over a script.

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OUTLOOK - Prince George Free Press - Celebrating 100!

April 2015

Y learns from Africa trip A trip to Ethiopia in March reminded Amanda Alexander of what the first letter in the YMCA stands for. “The focus was on ‘young’ people,” the executive director of the YMCA of Northern B.C. said of the trip. “The global YMCA looked at countries that were Allan Wishart in a state of readiness to take the next Outlook 2015 step in expanding their Y’s, and the YMCAs of B.C. signed an agreement with Ethiopia.” It was not her first trip to Africa, as she had made a trip outside work to Kenya and Tanzania in 2001.” “Ethiopia felt very safe to me,” she said. “The people were very grateful for the Canadian support.” The need for programs for young people was brought home to her one day. “We were leaving the compound of the children’s centre we were at in Addis Ababa, and we saw some children outside gong through the trash, looking for food. We were told Addis Ababa has about 100,000 street children, many of them orphans. “That really put the needs there into context.” There are 10 branches of the YMCA in Ethiopia, and they provide a number of services, some familiar, some perhaps not so. “They provide recreation and gym services,” Alexander said, “as well as schooling and vocational training. They work with the young people on trades like metalwork, tailoring and hairdressing. “Programs like that are ay the root of the ‘Y’ aspect of the YMCA. We manifest it more (in Prince George) with our childcare and 0-6 programs.” The trip was part of the Global Operating Partners meeting held in Ethiopia between the country’s YMCA and the global partners. The meetings examined things like supporting sustainability and the accountability of the funding received. Alexander said one of the biggest things to do was keep an open mind about what was needed.

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“We wanted to validate their experiences and give them more tools for the toolbox, as it were. We were looking less at new programs and more at what needs to be done to further what they are already doing. “We want to help Photo Courtesy of Amanda Alexander them take the next Ethiopian children go through their exercises at the step.” Addis Katema YMCA site in Addis Ababa. Alexander enjoyed the trip, especially when the students at one of the schools put on a special show. “It was like a Cirque de Ethiopia,” she said. “The skill levels of the youngsters was amazing, especially considering how sketchy some of their equipment was.” The trip also provided the Canadian YMCAs with a chance to improve some of that equipment, which Alexander says involved quite a process to transport, and even more of one after it was installed. “The real challenge is the maintenance of the equipment. One of the members of the Ethiopian Y will be in Calgary in the fall with a a list of what they need for the maintenance.” She enjoyed the trip, but says it was nice to get back to Prince George. “There are so many levels of appreciation coming back to Prince George. I think one of the biggest was the realization, after being in a city like Addis Ababa, of just how close we are to nature, and how quiet it is in Prince George compared to large cities.”

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