TODD WHITCOMBE UNRAVELS THE RED TAPE – PAGE 10 COLDEST NIGHT OF THE YEAR GOES ONLINE – PAGE 6
PRINCE GEORGE
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COUPLE MARKS 65TH VALENTINE’S DAY – PAGE 14
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$2.00 Your community newspaper since 1916
Thursday, February 11, 2021
PGCITIZEN.CA
PRINCEGEORGECITIZEN
NO TAX INCREASE FOR 2021 ARTHUR WILLIAMS Citizen staff
City council voted Monday night to keep the city’s 2021 tax requisition the same as last year.
CITIZEN PHOTO BY JAMES DOYLE/LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE
PIANO MAN Barney Bentall performed on stage last week to pre-record his performance for Coldsnap’s Coldstream livestream show.
Hospital thrift shop goes online
CHRISTINE HINZMANN Citizen staff
Closing the non-profit thrift store and gift shop due to the pandemic wasn’t easy. The University Hospital of Northern BC
Auxiliary was unable to continue to raise funds that purchased medical equipment and supported student bursaries at the College of New Caledonia and the University of Northern BC when safety protocols were set in place.
The gift shop located in the hospital lobby continues to be closed as access is restricted at the hospital due to the ongoing threat of the coronavirus. There was a time in the summer when See FUNDS on page 5
By a 6-3 vote, council approved using more than $3 million of its $6.1 million Safe Restart Fund grant to offset a proposed two per cent tax increase for the year. Coun. Kyle Sampson, who proposed the motion, said the feedback from the public has been clear – residents don’t want a tax increase this year. “There are people who are really struggling,” Sampson said. “It’s about buying some time and giving businesses and residents a break.” However, Sampson said, he fully understands that using one-time funding to offset operating costs means council will face tough choices next year to keep the tax increase manageable. “This is a one-time fix,” he said. The move leaves roughly half the Safe Restart grant remaining to manage other costs associated with the pandemic, he added. Sampson’s sentiments were echoed by Mayor Lyn Hall and councillors Brian Skakun, Terri McConnachie, Frank Everett and Murry Krause. McConnachie called the decision a “no-brainer.” “We’re in the middle of a global pandemic and we need a break,” she said.
See HARD on page 5