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Thursday, July 8, 2021
PGCITIZEN.CA
Key figure in parkade scandal retires from city
PEPPER TREE HAIR STUDIO PHOTO
The Pepper Tree’s Orange Shirts were offically approved by Phyllis Webstad who created Orange Shirt Day. A local Indigenous family-owned business has created its own Every Child Matters shirt to raise awareness and funds for the Orange Shirt Society.
Hair studio creates Orange Shirt inspired by family history HANNA PETERSEN
Shannon Wright is a Gitxsan Hereditary Chief and she co-owns the Pepper Tree Hair Studio with her mother Nyanna Wright, a matriarch who’s traditional seating name is Salaxlilp.
The shirts feature the salon’s logo which was designed by Nyanna and partly illustrated by Gitxsan artist Michelle Stoney. In 2018, Wright and her mother completely gutted and renovated the salon to turn it into a platform that showcases not only the business but also their rich heritage and culture.
During this period, they also redesigned the salon logo. “We wanted it to incorporate and encompass who we are as business owners, but more importantly who we are as Indigenous people,” said Wright. The logo features a tree that also resembles people intertwined together in a circle. “The people represent family, community, and nations,” said Wright. “The circle means that we’re all one because it incorporates everybody and the base of the tree goes into a leaf which represents healing of the nations.”
The circle is also a reference to the Pepper Tree being a Green Circle Salon which means they recycle everything and send as little as possible to the landfill. “Also as Indigenous people it’s important for us to be caretakers of the Earth,” added Wright. When the news broke in May that the remains of 215 children were found in unmarked graves at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School, Wright and her mother wanted to do something to create awareness. See ‘IT’S BEEN on page 4
Acting deputy city manager Ian Wells has retired from the City of Prince George. Acting city manager Walter Babicz told city council last week that Wells had retired from the city. “After a long and distinguished career with the city, Mr. Wells has retired as of last week, your worship,” Babicz said. “We thank him for all of his service and all of his great work in the development community and other work in the city.” Wells’ career with the city spanned decades. He previously served as the city’s manager of real estate services and the general manager of planning and development, before being appointed acting deputy city manager following the departure of former city manager Kathleen Soltis. Wells was a key figure in the development of the city’s downtown parkade that went millions of dollars over budget. City council approved an initial $12.6 million budget for the project. The final cost of the project came to $34.16 million – $22.46 million for the parkade, $597,138 to connect the parkade to the city’s district energy system, and $11.1 million for water and sewer upgrades in the area, and other off-site works. Emails obtained by the Citizen through a Freedom of Information request show that Wells was a key point of contact between the city and parkade developer A &T Project Developments. Emails sent in July 2018 from A & T Projects Development to Wells warned the project would be $7 million over budget. Deanna Wasnik has been appointed the acting director of planning and development, Babicz said.