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PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN

Jared Young puts PG on the major league map...Page 35

PG’s next mayor

Garth Frizzell will lead a new-look city council

Mayor-elect Garth Frizzell holds up a campaign sign at his election party at The Exploration Place on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026. The longtime councillor won the election over eight opponents, including incumbent Simon Yu. CITIZEN PHOTO BY CHUCK NISBETT

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2026

NEWS

PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN

Mayor-elect Frizzell says he’s ready to get right to work After his win, he headed out to collect his signs early Sunday morning COLIN SLARK Citizen Staff

At the end of a night that saw him come out on top of the largest mayoral race in Prince George’s history, Garth Frizzell got to work. In his campaign launch, the mayor-elect told The Citizen that there had been some dysfunction amongst members of council over the last term and he wanted to be a part of providing some stability. “Me and my team were up ‘til 3 a.m. this morning taking down the signs as a first gesture,” Frizzell said in a Sunday, Oct. 18 phone interview. “Now the job of learning all the backgrounds and the aspirations and the skills of all these people [the new councillors], that’s where that begins. You get to avoid the dysfunction by having a lot of communication.” Frizzell will be sworn in on Monday, Nov. 2 to a very different council landscape to the one that existed pre-election. By beating out incumbent Mayor Simon Yu and Coun. Kyle Sampson for the mayor’s chair, that guaranteed two familiar faces wouldn’t be returning. Coun. Susan Scott originally announced her plans to run for re-election, but then withdrew. But then councillors Ron Polillo and Tim Bennett were defeated in the council race, leaving just Trudy Klassen, Cori Ramsay and Brian Skakun as the veteran contingent. They’ll be outnumbered by new faces Nicole Fraser, Dan McLaren, Dan Pears, Bob Radloff and James Steidle. While there’s a loss of institutional knowledge, Frizzell said council will “have a really strong group of people” with diverse backgrounds, networks and experiences. Most victorious council candidates and a few who weren’t so successful

CITIZEN PHOTO BY CHUCK NISBETT

Mayor Simon Yu checks his phone during his election night gathering at the Super 8 Hotel moments before results were released and Garth Frizzell was announced as the new mayor on Saturday, Oct.17.

made their way down to Frizzell’s election night party at The Exploration Place. Since then, he said he’s also been speaking with some of them by phone as well. Another visitor who dropped by was Yu, who came to the museum to pass the torch. Frizzell said the pair have “tremendous mutual respect” for each other. “That was a class act,” Frizzell said. “To come in person with his family showed a maturity that I think we can come to expect in Prince George. I was honoured with the way he was really supportive and encouraging. I think the doors are open for a really, really smooth transition.” Hopefully, he said, that process will involve the pair of them sitting down and going over the progress on various files and key issues. However, Frizzell already has experience on a lot of files from his time chairing both the Standing Committee on Finance and Audit and the Standing

Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs, the latter of which he chaired for the last four years. Frizzell also spent time as the president of the Prince George Chamber of Commerce and was a longtime instructor in economics and computer science at the College of New Caledonia and the University of Northern BC. On growth and economic development, Frizzell said there are some pressures that will arrive in the short term, like having a flood of construction workers coming in to build the new acute care tower at the University Hospital of Northern BC and the need to recruit medical professionals for both it and the new involuntary treatment centre for mental health and addictions announced by the province back in July. “Not just transient construction jobs, but permanent jobs, that will drive more housing demand,” Frizzell said. “We’ll have to find ways to make sure that housing exists. I’m not going to shout out ‘boom town, boom time’

right now, but at the same time we’ve had layoffs at both post-secondary and at Canfor, we’ve seen a growth and an expectation of further growth in the mining industry, the oil and gas industry, other resources sectors. “I fully expect that we’ve got some good days ahead and for economic development, that means making sure that when industry’s locating here, they’re looking at ways to develop the community as well.” In the lead-up to the election, The Citizen put out a questionnaire asking mayoral, city council and school board candidates about their stances on several key issues. Of the councillors who were elected, four — Fraser, Klassen, McLaren and Skakun — said they supported the idea of zero per cent tax increases. Frizzell said in the interview that it’s too early to call how the new council’s budget deliberations will go. He said inflation hasn’t stopped and the city will face some tough choices. “We always want to cycle them (taxes) back, reduce them as much as possible, but that means making the decision on what and where the cuts are going to be,” Frizzell said. “You can gain some efficiencies, absolutely, and staff are always directed to find those efficiencies we’re often getting those, but inflation keeps coming.” He said the growth he spoke of earlier would hopefully spread out the tax burden on residents. However, there are some hits coming for residents, he said. The NDP announced in this year’s budget that it was phasing out a $200 northern and rural homeowners tax credit because it was tied to the consumer carbon tax, which has been phased out. Then there’s the tax hit coming from the Fraser-Fort George Regional Hospital District’s capital contribution to the UHNBC acute care tower project. Neither of those factors are because of the city, but Frizzell said they’ll still show up on residents’ tax bills just the same. CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

NEWS

PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN

Provincial election this Saturday CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE One week after election day, on Saturday, Oct. 24, British Columbians will go to the polls in a provincial election. Frizzell said it will be important to connect with whichever party forms government and discuss issues like that tax credit. Conservative incumbent Kiel Giddens in Prince George-Mackenzie, Conservative incumbent Rosalyn Bird in Prince George-Valemount and Prince George-Valemount NDP challenger Carol Bourque all dropped by Frizzell’s election night event to congratulate him. Frizzell said he had also been in touch with Prince George-North Cariboo Conservative incumbent Sheldon Clare, who is running for re-election in the Oct. 24 election along with Bird and GIddens. Frizzell said it’ll also be important to engage the province to make sure the acute care tower project remains on

course and to continue advocating for a helipad to be built as part of it, praising Sampson and outgoing Mackenzie Mayor Joan Atkinson for their work on the file as the chair and vice-chair of the hospital district board. Before the election, Bird pitched the Intergovernmental Affairs committee on an inland port proposal for Prince George that would see the city more fully developed as a foreign trade zone, a military logistics hub, an emergency operations centre and more. No matter who comes out on top in the provincial election, Frizzell said he’s interested in continuing to pursue that idea and the announced logistics hub by Dancor and shipping giant FedEx is a step forward in that regard. “When I was talking to Dancor, it was pretty clear that they’ve been looking into Prince George and strategically planning to be here for at least two years,” Frizzell said. Before the election, it was announced

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2026

that the provincial government had come to an arrangement with Domtar to reopen the Howe Sound Pulp and Paper mill that had been closed a few days earlier. On social media, some municipal candidates wondered why a similar deal hadn’t been reached to keep open Canfor’s Northwood Pulp Mill in Prince George, which is due to shutter by the end of the year. Frizzell said in the case of the Howe Sound Mill, action was taken soon after the closure. For Northwood, he said the closure process is well underway and what the city could do is lobby for increased opportunities for forest companies in the north. He said that council recently spoke with Canfor, which said that it is keen on keeping its Intercontinental Pulp Mill in Prince George open because it produces a type of paper produced nowhere else in North America. On public safety, Frizzell said he

intends to continue to lobby the provincial government to increase the number of Crown prosecutors to reduce the backlog in the court system. He said safety was and remains a big issue that hasn’t been solved. “We’re not going to pretend it isn’t,” Frizzell said. “We’ve got to work together as a team, all nine of us. I’m going to assemble the team and we’re going to work through what the best options are. It goes right from the root causes through to policing and bylaw through to charges and conviction, it’s the whole range of challenges that we’ve got in the city and it’s not going to be solved overnight.” During the campaign, a push for greater transparency was a part of many candidates platforms. This intensified when Yu revealed during a mayoral forum that he had spent around $25,000 of his own money to protect a whistleblower.

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2026

NEWS

Councillors-elect share their vision MATTHEW HILLIER Citizen Staff

Prince George saw a major shakeup at city hall on Saturday, Oct. 17, with a new mayor and a city council that includes five newcomers and three returning councillors. The new council is scheduled to be sworn in on Monday, Nov. 2, at City Hall. Preliminary results show the eight councillors will be Brian Skakun, Nicole Fraser, Cori Ramsay, Bob Radloff, James Steidle, Dan Pears, Trudy Klassen and Dan McLaren. The Citizen spoke with four of five newcomers and three returning councillors on Sunday, Oct. 18, about their plans for the next four years and how they hope to help shape the city.

Trudy Klassen Incumbent Trudy Klassen will begin her second term on council after receiving 8,498 votes. She said she’s confident in the newly elected group. “I’m very pleased at the number of newcomers. I think the residents of Prince George have elected a Klassen very strong council. The expertise they bring to the table is really strong,” said Klassen. Her immediate plans include revisiting the city’s whistleblower policy and continuing her work on BC Rail. “I think the first thing, as I said during the campaign, is that we need to get rid of the whistleblower policy,” she said. “I’ll continue the work I started a year ago on BC Rail, trying to bring passenger rail and shortline freight service back to our region. Hopefully, that grows and is successful.” Klassen also wants to attract more businesses and mining opportunities to the region while making it easier for existing businesses to expand and continue operating. She hopes to encourage greater

regional collaboration among surrounding cities and communities. “What we need is a regional plan and regional co-ordination of assets for each of our communities, extending west to Edmonton, east to Prince Rupert, and north and south. We need a cohesive plan for maximizing the economic benefits of working together,” said Klassen. She believes the new council is well positioned to tackle the challenges Prince George could face over the next four years, specifically citing fellow councillor Bob Radloff’s engineering expertise. Klassen also wants to improve fiscal accountability and make information more accessible to councillors.

Brian Skakun Skakun was re-elected to his ninth term on Oct. 17, receiving 11,537 votes — the most of any council candidate. He said the new council brings a well-rounded set of skills suited to the city’s needs. “Council as a whole is going Skakun to really need to rely on the different skills,” said Skakun. “A lot of us talked during the election over the past few months about our priorities and how well we thought we could work together. It seemed like there was some pretty good unity.” Skakun singled out Radloff’s background as particularly relevant to the challenges facing the city. “He’s worked for the city for 15 years. He knows the ins and outs and the procurement process,” said Skakun. “I think it’s going to be a little tough for our administration to give us reports like they’ve been giving us because we don’t know all the details about building construction and things like that. That’s their job, but with Radloff sitting at the table, he’ll be able to say, ‘Nope, we don’t need to invest in that, or we need to invest in this.’”

Increasing public trust and transparency is another priority for Skakun, who has expressed concern about the number of closed council meetings in recent years. “There’s a reason for closed meetings, but there have been way too many, with way too many things discussed in closed meetings that belong in public,” he said. “Most, if not all, of the candidates were talking about transparency and making more decisions in public. I think there’s a good appetite for that, and if the majority of council wants it, then it’s going to happen.” He also wants to continue pursuing a fair-share agreement between the province and northern BC communities, which he believes could benefit Prince George as mining investment in the region increases. Skakun said he’s looking forward to making his final four years on council memorable and thanked residents for re-electing him.

Cori Ramsay Ramsay will begin her third term on Nov. 2 after receiving 6,682 votes. She told The Citizen she was surprised by the election results. “Typically, with higher voter turnouts, incumbents have historically seen Ramsay greater success. I was shocked to see that some of my colleagues who were running didn’t get the support I expected,” said Ramsay. She’s looking forward to getting to know the five newcomers and working alongside them over the next four years. “My priorities are to learn about my new colleagues, build relationships and understand their priorities,” she said. “Obviously, I want to focus on downtown and improving safety for our residents. That’s a huge part of my platform, so I’m looking forward to diving in with them, learning their priorities and figuring out what we have in common.”

PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN

Ramsay acknowledged that difficult times could lie ahead but said she believes council is prepared to tackle the challenges. “Prince George needs strong leadership. I think we have some challenges ahead,” she said. “We need to plan for what’s going to happen with Canfor and the depreciation that’s likely to hit our tax levy — not this fiscal year, but the next one. We’re going to need strong planning and creative problem-solving. We’ll really have to roll up our sleeves, and I think everyone’s prepared to do that.” She also hopes to use her eight years of council experience to help guide the newcomers and offer support as they settle into their roles.

Bob Radloff First-time councillor and longtime engineer Radloff received 6,661 votes. He said he’s pleased with the range of talent and opinions joining council. His initial plans include meeting with Mayor-elect Garth Frizzell to Radloff discuss his role on council and examining the city’s capital program. “I have some ideas about making the capital program more manageable and changing our operational processes to empower front-line workers instead of relying on a top-down approach,” said Radloff. “Those are two priorities.” He also wants council to provide clearer direction to city administration. “I want it to look like a cohesive city council and a council-driven city, with council setting the agenda for administration and administration delivering on council’s direction,” he said. Radloff believes council needs level-headed members with experience in development, capital projects and intergovernmental relations. CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN

NEWS

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2026

Five newcomers will join three experienced councillors CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE “We need level heads and people with experience in development, capital projects and intergovernmental relations,” he said. “We need federal and provincial funding, and we need to get our own capital and operational costs in order. Those three areas of leadership are critical.” He hopes to bring his own expertise in capital projects and asset management to the council table. “I have quite a long history — probably 40 years — doing nothing but capital and project implementation and asset management, so I hope to bring that experience to council, as directed by the mayor and the team,” said Radloff. He also wants to review capital projects and reassess spending sooner rather than later.

Nicole Fraser Fraser, a newcomer to council, received 10,505 votes, finishing second

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among council candidates behind Skakun. She said she was surprised and pleased by the level of support she received. “Personally, I was beyond shocked by the votes I got. I wasn’t expecting that in any way, shape or form, especially since this was my first time running for council,” said Fraser. “I was really encouraged by the people elected to this council. I think we have some really diverse perspectives, which I’m excited about.” Her first year will focus on reviewing how city hall operates and how resources are used. “My goal is to advocate to my council colleagues that we need to take stock of what’s happening in city hall,” she said. “For example, we could consider a full governance and operational review to see what’s working and what isn’t. We have incredible talent in the organization and in our community, but I think we need to do a better job of

co-ordinating our resources.” Fraser also wants council to engage more with the public and make residents feel involved in local Fraser decision-making. “We need to strengthen our position as council and provide clear direction about empowering the public in decision-making,” she said. “I want to get people excited about local government and help them feel that they have a say, that we get back to them and that we care about their voices more than once every four years.” One of her priorities is strengthening Prince George’s position as the economic hub of the North. “We need to advance our position as a hub of the North. We need to stop

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begging people to come,” said Fraser. “We need to look at what we have and ask people how they’re going to contribute to the future of Prince George and our region. If they’re coming here to extract resources or work, we need to find sustainable ways to move forward. I think we’ve been responding to growth rather than strategically planning for the future.” Fraser also wants businesses and residents to speak more positively about the city and its potential. She said she’s committed to making decisions with the best interests of the entire community in mind.

James Steidle Steidle, a newcomer to council, received 6,663 votes. He said he was surprised by Frizzell’s election victory and congratulated the longtime councillor. CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2026

NEWS

PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN

New mayor and council will be sworn in on Nov. 2 CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE One of his first priorities is laying the groundwork for bringing a community forest back to Prince George. “I’d like to get community forests back on the table,” said Steidle. “It’s going to take time to work with Lheidli T’enneh and the province to get the ball rolling again. Some of that work isn’t in the city’s hands, and it might take Steidle a couple of years. The sooner we get started, the better. I’d like to have that moving before the end of the year.” Steidle also has concerns about the cost of major capital projects and wants to examine whether the city can find more affordable options. “I don’t think we can afford some of these big capital projects,” he said. “I would have taken a closer look at the $30 million we’re spending on the aquatic centre or the $15 million for the envelope overhaul at the CN Centre. These are clear examples of projects where other options might be available to save money.” Like Fraser, Steidle wants to make better use of Prince George’s position as a regional hub and secure more support from the province. Steidle has also been a vocal opponent of demolishing Kopar Memorial Arena. He wants the city to be more careful with spending and make existing infrastructure last longer. “We talked a lot during the election about whether Kopar Memorial Arena should be torn down. I want to bring a perspective of thriftiness and resourcefulness to our existing infrastructure and find ways to make it last longer so we aren’t spending tens, if not hundreds, of millions of dollars on new capital costs we can’t afford,” he said. “I’m a pretty thrifty guy. I come from a

farming background. We’re resourceful and make do with what we have. Maybe we need to move away from the mentality that the moment anything gets 20 years old, we throw it away.”

Dan Pears Pears, another newcomer to council, received 8,386 votes. He told The Citizen he expects the next four years to be interesting, given the range of perspectives around the table. Pears believes his 30 years of experience as a firefighter have given him a useful perspective on problem-solving. “I’m pretty good at taking an objective look at everything,” he said. “That’s how I’ve been trained Pears and what I’ve been doing for 30 years. I think those are probably my main attributes. I’ve always gotten along with everyone I’ve worked with, and I hope that will be the same when I get into the council chambers.” He wants to help bring thoughtful, forward-looking leadership to the city. “Forward-thinking and strong leadership will be key. I think there’s been a little too much reactive leadership in the past. There hasn’t been enough planning for the future,” said Pears. He pointed to the city’s aging water and sewer infrastructure as an example. “Our water and sewer systems are crumbling around us,” he said. “We wait until pipes burst and roads are shut down for a month before we fix them, instead of mapping things out, planning for the future and putting money aside ahead of time.”

Dan McLaren McLaren was not available when The Citizen requested an interview for this story.

NEWS

PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2026

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PG carrying out $390k in playground improvements COLIN SLARK Citizen Staff

Improvements worth $390,000 are currently underway at playgrounds around town, the City of Prince George said in a Monday, Oct. 19 media release. Of that funding, $232,000 came from the Canada Community-Building Fund, $58,000 came from the city’s general infrastructure reinvestment fund and $100,000 came from the BC Growing Communities Fund. At Heather Park, the playground’s fall protection surface has been switched from engineered wood fibre to pour-inplace rubber and two new play equipment items have been added. The playground at Duchess Park had its existing pour-in-place rubber surface repaired. Stirling Park had its fall protection surface replaced with wood chips and wooden edging has been installed.

CITY OF PRINCE GEORGE IMAGE

A new pour-in-place fall protection surface can be seen in this photo of the playground at Heather Park. The City of Prince George is currently working on $390,000 in playground improvement.

For Latrobe Park, the playground’s wooden edging will soon be improved and wood fibre fall protection is in the

process of being installed. The completion date is expected to be in the first week of November.

A new double-bay swing set will be installed early next summer at Latrobe Park.

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2026

PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN

OPINION

Prince George votes for new direction at city hall KENNEDY GORDON Citizen Managing Editor

You’ve delivered a clear message at the ballot box: You want a change in direction at city hall, and you’re willing to put your faith in a new group of leaders to deliver it. The Oct. 17 municipal election brought Garth Frizzell into the mayor’s chair after 18 years on city council, sent five newcomers into the eight council seats and ended the political careers at city hall, at least for now, of some familiar faces. It was the largest mayoral race in the city’s history, and it produced an outcome that should give residents reason for cautious optimism. At this point, our new council looks like a more drama-free bunch than we’ve had over the past four years. It’s a mix of returning councillors and fresh perspectives, a mayor with deep institutional knowledge and a group of newcomers whose professional backgrounds appear well-suited to the challenges ahead. That doesn’t guarantee a smooth ride. But after a term marked by controversy, questions about transparency and visible tensions within council, a fresh start is welcome. The hope is that this new council can spend less time on internal conflicts and more time addressing the issues that matter to residents. Prince George has no shortage of those. A mandate for change The results leave little doubt that voters wanted something different.

Frizzell defeated incumbent Mayor Simon Yu and Coun. Kyle Sampson in a crowded mayoral field. On council, incumbents Tim Bennett and Ron Polillo were defeated, while Susan Scott withdrew from the race after initially announcing plans to seek re-election. Only Trudy Klassen, Cori Ramsay and Brian Skakun are back from the previous eight-member council. Five new councillors — Nicole Fraser, Dan McLaren, Dan Pears, Bob Radloff and James Steidle — will join them when the new council is sworn in on Nov. 2. So this wasn’t just a change at the top. It was a substantial reboot. Voters are right to expect their new representatives to recognize the responsibility that comes with it. Voter turnout improved, too. Preliminary figures suggest 19,057 ballots were cast among approximately 64,314 eligible voters, representing turnout of about 29.6 per cent. That compares with 26.3 per cent in 2022 and 24 per cent in 2018. Final, verified results were not yet available when we wrote this, but the preliminary numbers indicate a meaningful increase in participation. Though participation was up from previous years, an almost 30 per cent turnout is hardly cause for celebration. With the majority of eligible voters still staying home, there is plenty of room to do better. But it’s a step in the right direction. Hopefully, it’s a sign that people are growing to appreciate the greater impact their municipal vote has on their community when compared to

electing their provincial or federal representatives. The next council should treat that participation as an invitation to keep people engaged and bring that number above 30 per cent in 2030.

Useful skills Five newcomers on an eight-member council might sound like a recipe for a steep learning curve. And it will be. There’s a lot to figure out when you first walk into city hall, especially with budget decisions coming up quickly. But political experience isn’t the only kind of experience that matters. Nicole Fraser campaigned on improving internal city hall operations, making better use of existing resources and getting residents more involved in decision-making — and as a former city bylaw coordinator and planner, she understands the consultation process. Dan McLaren, a financial planner, brings his extensive business and financial knowledge to the table. While campaigning on lower taxes, not an easy feat in the face of the city’s Facilities Master Plan, his perspective could help navigate the city’s upcoming budget discussions. Dan Pears spent about 30 years as a firefighter. That’s a career built around assessing situations, solving problems and working with a team under pressure — skills that won’t hurt around the council table as public safety continues to be a major priority. Bob Radloff brings decades of engineering, project management and asset management experience. He knows something about how

infrastructure projects work, what they cost and where things can go sideways. He was also worked for the city. We hope to see all that experience create a strong voice at the council table. James Steidle, an educator, forestry activist and longtime Citizen columnist, wants green space protected, better infill residential development and a community forest. Steidle brings a unique voice and he’s not afraid to advocate for what he believes in. (Steidle’s column won’t run while he’s on council, as per Citizen policy.) These aren’t politicians who’ve spent their careers learning how to win elections. They’re people who’ve worked in different fields and, on paper at least, bring a useful mix of public- and private-sector experience to the council table. That’s encouraging. The returning councillors will have their part to play, too. Klassen, Ramsay and Skakun know the ins and outs of city hall and will be able to help their new colleagues come up to speed, hopefully passing along more good habits than bad. And then there’s Frizzell, who has spent nearly two decades on council, chaired the finance and audit and intergovernmental affairs committees, is the past president of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, and taught economics and computer science at the College of New Caledonia and the University of Northern British Columbia. A collection of impressive résumés doesn’t automatically make an CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

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PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN

OPINION

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effective council. The newcomers will have plenty to learn, and the veterans will need to give them room to ask questions and challenge the way things are being done. Everyone will have to remember that they’re there to represent all taxpayers, not just the ones that align with their own priorities. Slow and steady Frizzell’s victory is interesting for another reason: he didn’t need to be the loudest person in the room to win. His comparatively calm, low-key approach stood out. He wasn’t the flashiest candidate, and his campaign didn’t appear to rely on the same kind of high-profile, social media-driven push that has become common in politics. Frizzell wasn’t starting from scratch. He’s built relationships across the community and developed a network of support that doesn’t necessarily show up in a campaign photo or a social media post. He also developed strong ties to labour and was endorsed for mayor by CUPE and the North Central Labour Council. That kind of support takes time to build. It can’t be manufactured in the final few weeks before an election. People know him, know his work and have had years to decide whether they trust him. His win is a reminder that voters aren’t always looking for the candidate who makes the most noise. Sometimes they want someone who knows the files, understands the community and doesn’t seem particularly interested in putting on a show. There’s something fitting about what Frizzell did after election night, too. He told The Citizen that he and his team stayed up until 3 a.m. taking down his campaign signs. It’s not the stuff of political legend, but it’s a practical way to get started. The campaign’s over, the signs have done their job and it’s time to move on. Frizzell has also talked about the importance of communication in avoiding the kind of dysfunction that marked the previous term. His first priority is to get to know the new

councillors, understand their goals and figure out how they can work together. That’s sensible. And his meeting with Yu on election night, when the outgoing mayor showed up with

decisions about spending and services. The new council will have to decide what their spending priorities are, and what trade-offs might be involved. Nobody likes a tax

This editorial cartoon was created by a human artist using a combination of software and artificial intelligence art tools.CITIZEN EDITORIAL CARTOON BY MICHAEL KAST

his family to offer congratulations, was another positive sign. Frizzell described it as a class act and said he hoped for a smooth transition. Let’s hope that spirit carries into the council chamber. Now for the hard stuff Of course, a promising start doesn’t make the challenges facing Prince George disappear. City taxes will be a challenge for this term. The five rookies will be facing a budget in January that they will have had no input in preparing. This, while facing a report that calls for significant re-investment in the city’s facilities and buildings, plus the increasing costs for protective services. They will also be looking at an unexpected 4.2% tax increase next year to address the loss of approximately $6.7 million in tax revenue with Canfor’s closing of Northwood. Also, as Frizzell has pointed out, inflation hasn’t stopped, and council will need to make some difficult

increase, but nobody likes finding out that an essential service or critical infrastructure has been neglected, either. Capital spending is another big one. Radloff and Steidle have questioned how to address civic facilities and project, while Pears wants to take a closer look at the budget for those projects. Those questions deserve serious consideration. These conversations will be happening at the same time as the city’s Civic Core plan moves forward. At the same time, the city can’t put off maintaining roads, water and sewer systems simply because the bills are large. The challenge is to spend wisely, plan ahead and ensure residents understand how and why their money is being spent. Then there’s the economy. Although Canfor’s planned closure of the Northwood Pulp Mill will hurt the tax base and put pressure on the city budget, there is good news the city can look forward to such as the new industrial complex that will house

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FedEx and the acute care tower at the University Hospital of Northern BC. Additionally, those two new projects and the province’s planned involuntary treatment centre will create demand for housing and workers. Prince George has opportunities to build on its position as the hub of the North, but making the most of them will take planning, cooperation and a willingness to work with provincial and federal governments. Public safety remains another major concern, and Frizzell has acknowledged there’s no quick fix. Transparency and accountability will also need attention, particularly after they featured so prominently in the campaign. These are big jobs. They won’t be solved by a few good speeches or a half-empty promise to work together. We’ll be watching For now, we’re willing to be optimistic. This looks like a balanced council, at least on the surface. There’s a mix of experience around the table, a mayor who knows city hall well and five newcomers who appear to bring a useful range of skills. Voter turnout improved, and the results suggest residents were ready for a change.That’s a solid starting point. But let’s be clear: optimism doesn’t mean giving the new council a free pass. The Citizen will continue to hold this council to account, just as we’ve done since new local ownership took over in 2024. We’ll ask questions about spending, examine decisions, follow up on campaign promises and call out problems when we see them. And when council gets things right, we’ll say that, too. Accountability isn’t about picking fights. It’s about making sure the people elected to represent Prince George do the job residents sent them there to do. Frizzell told voters after his victory that the work starts now. He’s right. He and his colleagues have four years to show that they can deliver what people have been asking for: A council that works together, makes sound decisions and remembers who it’s working for.

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2026

PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN

OPINION This could be the world’s first stair pond Gtomato Yes, this is an incredible attraction. A friend and I visited a couple of years ago, and Kerry is a really nice guy. We stumbled upon this city sanctuary while walking our dogs. We heard the sound of water and followed it, discovering an awesome surprise! Advance voting for provincial election kicks off Fred Vinson After voting in both provincial and municipal elections, I have to say the election of!cials have been top-notch. Give yourselves a pat on the back for the excellent service you provided! Frizzell humbled and excited to be PG’s next mayor Renoguy24 Congratulations, Garth! It was likely that the winner would be someone who had previously served on council, given the advantage of name recognition. However, incumbency did not determine every outcome on council or the school board. I look forward to seeing how the new groups work together to move things forward quickly and effectively. Congratulations to everyone elected, and thank you to all those who put their names forward for mayor, councillor or school trustee. The road ahead will require careful thought and balance to determine which needs are urgent and which wants, if any, the city can afford. We saw a list of maintenance

spending for civic facilities totalling more than $500 million. If that amount were borrowed, the eventual repayment cost could reach approximately $900 million. Councillors need to understand that many members of the public cannot afford further substantial tax increases. Frizzell ready to get to work as Prince George’s next mayor Blathererer There is little doubt that the endorsement from the North Central Labour Council made a signi!cant difference. That said, I believe the right person was elected. In my opinion, the mayor’s primary responsibility is to chair meetings effectively. From what I have seen, Garth has a good understanding of how to do that. He listens and speaks directly to the point, and I believe he will earn the respect of council and city staff. Seven newly elected city councillors share thoughts and goals after election Blathererer I’m a little disappointed that Zukowski fell short. Otherwise, the results appear to offer a good mix of experienced and new representatives with a variety of perspectives and opinions. Hopefully, this will lead to productive and respectful debates as they work through some dif!cult decisions in the months and years ahead. Renoguy24 To the new mayor and council, congratulations. Please make it a priority to avoid using the Alternative Approval Process

(AAP). I believe this process undermines the important democratic principle of the secret ballot. Finding instructions on how to register opposition, completing the paperwork and ensuring the documents have actually been received by the city can be enough to discourage many people, particularly those who are less comfortable with technology, from participating. Furthermore, the process does not provide ballot secrecy, since residents use it speci!cally to oppose a proposal. Look at how the process is used across the province, and you will see that it rarely prevents spending. We elect a council with voter turnout below 33 per cent, then expect thousands of residents to complete burdensome paperwork to trigger a referendum on signi!cant spending. Be the council that refuses to use this workaround to avoid a more direct democratic choice. Capling shifts to provincial Greens in Prince George– Valemount Renoguy24 Proportional representation is clearly needed so that people can feel their votes matter. Conservative candidates have frequently won in Prince George ridings, sometimes with more than 50 per cent of

the vote, but that can leave more than 40 per cent of voters feeling unrepresented. Election results and pie charts often reveal a disconnect between the distribution of votes and the seats awarded. Depending on the number of candidates, a riding can be won with less than 40 per cent of the vote. In an extreme example involving !ve evenly matched candidates, someone could win with just 21 per cent, leaving the vast majority of voters without their preferred representative. The Green Party is the only party that has expressed support for moving to proportional representation. Previous referendums were poorly designed, in my opinion, and seemed to offer the illusion of choice. Many people could not support a change without knowing which speci!c proportional system was being proposed. Tell voters which system is being considered and provide an alternative if concerns arise. Consider voting Green!ese ladies! It’s easily the best part of my week!

Share your views on our stories at pgcitizen.ca

P PR R II N NC CE E G GE EO OR RG GE E C C II T T II Z ZE EN N

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2026

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Ward or what: Is it time for a new electoral framework? Most municipal councillors in BC are elected at large MATTHEW HILLIER Citizen Staff

The municipal election has raised questions among some Prince George residents about whether the city would be better served by a new electoral framework. That framework is a ward system, which is currently used by only one municipality in the province: the District of Lake Country. However, Lake Country uses a hybrid model, with four ward councillors and two at-large councillors. Prince George currently operates under an at-large system, meaning the mayor and all councillors represent the city as a whole. A ward system allows city councillors to represent specific electoral areas. Municipalities are typically divided into wards, with the number depending on their size and population, while the mayor continues to represent the city at large. Surrey used a ward system until 1957, while Vancouver voted to eliminate its system in 1935. Prince George has never used a ward system. Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick all have multiple municipalities that use ward systems. If Prince George wished to switch from its current at-large system to a ward system, the municipality would need to pass a bylaw change approved by the provincial lieutenant-governor-in-council. A public referendum on the change is also an option, but it is not required to make the switch. Christopher Adams, an adjunct professor at the University of Manitoba who holds a PhD in political science from Carleton University, discussed the advantages of the ward system used in his municipality. “The advantage of a ward system is that you have councillors who are elected and are very attuned to issues in their local area,” said Adams. “I’d say that’d be the real advantage for moving

CITIZEN FILE PHOTO BY COLIN SLARK

The 2022-2026 Prince George city council meets in a photo taken earlier in 2026. A new council was just elected at large, with the top eight vote-getters being elected.

in that direction.” Adams said his experience analysing local politics has shown him how a ward system can give communities with different socioeconomic circumstances a voice through councillors who understand their specific needs. He added that the system can encourage greater candidate engagement during elections because candidates need to canvass and campaign only in their own wards, leaving more time to interact with local constituents rather than focus on the city as a whole. Adams also believes the system can increase voter turnout. “One of the drivers of voter turnout, whether it’s federal elections or other elections, is a feeling that your vote counts,” said Adams. “If you feel your vote counts, then you’re more willing to go out and cast a ballot. I think that drives up some of the turnout in wards where you don’t have a shoo-in candidate, where there’s a real competition going on.” Jason Morris, a senior instructor in UNBC’s Department of Political Science, also discussed what Prince George might look like if it were divided into wards. Morris said Prince George’s layout could give it an advantage over other municipalities considering the system. “The way Prince George is laid out may lend itself to a ward system,” said

Morris. “We have distinct communities. Those could be the Hart area, Downtown, College Heights, Peden Hill or the Bowl. This would bring some guaranteed geographic equity because voters would always have a dedicated voice at city hall. It could enhance local accountability.” Morris agreed that a ward system could make campaigns more accessible, lower campaigning costs and encourage a more diverse and engaged pool of candidates seeking council seats. However, he noted several potential drawbacks. “If Prince George were to have a ward system, there’d certainly be a case against it, and one of those cases could be that ‘not in my backyard’ syndrome, but also some logrolling,” said Morris. “We could have some regional infighting where councillors are going to prioritize local projects in their ward at the expense of citywide strategic priorities. I think there could also be a voter lockout if, for instance, you have an ineffective or unresponsive ward councillor; you would only have one representative to turn to instead of eight.” Morris also said adopting a ward system could confuse voters and create additional administrative work for the city when preparing for election day. “The status quo means we have a much simpler ballot that everyone in the city is voting on the exact same slate

of candidates, and so those administrative matters don’t have to be dealt with to hold and host the election,” said Morris. However, Morris said a properly implemented ward system could make political engagement more accessible during a municipal election such as Prince George’s 2026 race, which featured 27 candidates for mayor and council, as well as 17 candidates running for school board. “It makes sense for this present Prince George election that we could be facing an overwhelming ballot, and by that I think I mean that voters may face a massive list of 20-plus candidates and have to select nine,” said Morris. “That could lead to lower voter awareness or even ballot or election fatigue.” Morris said the fundamental difference between the two systems comes down to citywide representation versus neighbourhood representation, with implications for voters and municipal policy. “The core trade-off comes down to a citywide outlook versus neighbourhood representation,” said Morris. “The at-large system is going to require councillors to think about Prince George as a single unified community, while a ward system is going to guarantee that distinct areas like the Hart or College Heights always have a voice at the council table.”

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2026

NEWS

PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN

Two new Prince George trustees joining school board CITIZEN STAFF

Newcomers Jake Skakun and Don Sabo will join three returning trustees on the next School District 57 Board of Education after winning seats in the Saturday, Oct. 17 municipal election in Prince George. The five elected Prince George trustees will join Tianna Klein, who was acclaimed as the trustee for the District of Mackenzie. In the Robson Valley, incumbent Bob Thompson earned 248 votes to stave off the competition from Lianne Abbott, who received 196. Skakun, whose father, Brian, was re-elected to Prince George city council in the same election, finished second among the five successful candidates, receiving 6,427 votes, or 11.6 per cent. Sabo narrowly secured the final seat with 4,310 votes, or 7.8 per cent, finishing just two votes ahead of incumbent Erica McLean. Incumbents Sarah Holland, Shar McCrory and McLean were also re-elected. Holland led the race with 6,593 votes (11.9 per cent), followed by McCrory with 4,534 votes (8.2 per cent) and McLean with 4,308 votes (7.7 per cent). The results mean incumbent trustees Craig Brennan and Cory Antrim will not return. Brennan, who was elected in 2022, previously served as board chair. He finished sixth with 4,004 votes (7.2 per cent), while Antrim placed eighth with 3,498 votes (6.3 per cent). Seven other candidates were in the

Prince George trustee race and were not elected, including Samantha Hermanson (3,821, 6.9 per cent), David Low (3,407, 6.1 per cent), Monica Peacock (3,396,

6.1 per cent), Laurie Dillman (3,382, 6.1 per cent), Sara Patterson (2,939, 5.1 per cent), Lisa Mitchell (2,820, 5.1 per cent) and Barb McNab (2,269, 4.1 per cent).

The new SD57 Board of Education is scheduled to be sworn in at its inaugural meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 10. — With files from Ted Clarke

Voter turnout near 30 per cent, an increase over 2022 election COLIN SLARK Citizen Staff

Unofficial results for the 2026 municipal election in Prince George showed a small but noticeable increase in turnout compared to the 2022 race with almost 30 per cent of eligible voters casting ballots. That’s the best turnout since the 2014

election, where just over 37 per cent of voters went to the polls. According to CivicInfoBC, a nonprofit dedicated to operating an online information hub for local governments across British Columbia, there were an estimated 64,314 eligible voters for the 2026 election and 19,057 votes cast. If those figures are correct — final,

verified results had yet to be published when this article was written — that’s a turnout of about 29.63 per cent. • In 2022, 15,310 of 58,289 eligible voters cast ballots, a turnout of 26.27 per cent • In 2018, 13,184 of 54,852 eligible voters cast ballots, a turnout of 24.04 per cent

• • •

In 2014, 19,710 of 53,229 eligible voters cast ballots, a turnout of 37.03 per cent In 2011, 15,266 of 52,495 eligible voters cast ballots, a turnout of 29.08 per cent In 2008, 16,946 of 52,122 eligible voters cast ballots, a turnout of 32.51 per cent

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Hospital board to survey candidates on helipad MATTHEW HILLIER Citizen Staff

The Fraser-Fort George Regional Hospital District voted at its final meeting of the term on Thursday, Oct. 15, to survey provincial election candidates about their positions on building a helipad as part of the acute care tower project at University Hospital of Northern BC (UHNBC). Vice-chair Joan Atkinson (District of Mackenzie) said she had spoken with chair Kyle Sampson (City of Prince George) that morning, and they agreed the project was a top concern for Prince George and the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George. Atkinson said they felt it would be worthwhile to survey political parties and candidates about their support for a potential helipad at the hospital, particularly because regional district residents will make a substantial financial contribution to the project. Early work on the $1.6-billion project is well underway. A new parkade opened in November 2025, and the Northern Interior Health Unit relocated to the former Bay store at Parkwood Place in September. Site preparation for the tower was scheduled to begin Monday, Sept. 14. As part of this project, the City of Prince George and Fraser-Fort George have been lobbying the provincial government to include a helipad so that patients can be taken directly to the hospital instead of having to land elsewhere and transport them. However, two days after they issued a joint statement on the matter, Infrastructure Minister Bowinn Ma told The Citizen that Northern Health determined an on-site helipad wasn’t feasible, but the government was committing to building one elsewhere. During the Oct. 15 meeting, Sampson said it was important to maintain momentum on the project and garner support from those who could be elected to the legislature. He clarified that the regional district’s

NEWS

goal was not to present its position to candidates but simply to ask for theirs. Early in the discussion, Director Simon Yu (City of Prince George) recused himself. During a recent interview with CKPG News about his bid for re-election as mayor of Prince George, Yu was asked whether he had a conflict of interest concerning the acute care tower because he owns properties near the site. Director Cori Ramsay (City of Prince George) advocated for sending the question to provincial party leaders as well as individual candidates. Director Dannielle Alan (Robson Valley-Canoe) asked whether there was precedent for a regional district becoming involved in provincial politics in this way. Chief administrative officer Chris Calder said he believed the initiative was unprecedented, but the regional district was not accustomed to having a megaproject underway during a provincial election cycle. Director Brian Skakun (City of Prince George) said it was important to emphasize the need for the province to recruit staff for the tower, particularly given recent staffing shortages in communities across the regional district. Director Lara Beckett (Chilako River-Nechako), chair of the regional district’s board, said she was uncomfortable putting the question to provincial candidates during an election and believed the board had already made its position clear. Director Art Kaehn (Woodpecker-Hixon) said he would not be comfortable proceeding without background information explaining the project, as many candidates and party leaders might not be familiar with its details. A motion to send the question and background information to candidates in all three constituencies, as well as provincial party leaders, passed with only Beckett opposed. The motion also called for the regional district to publish the responses during the week leading up to the provincial election.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2026

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2026

PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN

Election roundup: Results from rural, regional vote COLIN SLARK Citizen Staff

• • •

All incumbents running for re-election for the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George’s rural electoral areas won their races on election day on Saturday, Oct. 17. While most rural electoral areas reported results in the evening, results for two of the areas — Robson-Valley Canoe and Crooked River-Parsnip — didn’t come in until Sunday, Oct. 18. However, in Mackenzie and McBride, incumbent mayors were unsuccessful in their re-election bids while Valemount’s election was cancelled due to all of council getting acclaimed. Here’s how the races broke down for each of the rural electoral areas as well as in Mackenzie, McBride and Valemount. Candidates with names in bold were elected.

Village of McBride mayoral race • • •

•

• • • • • • • •

•

Lara Beckett (incumbent): Acclaimed

Electoral Area D (Tabor Lake-Stone Creek) • • • • • •

Ken Schinkel: 185 votes Robert Verkalk: 105 votes Perry Slump: 67 votes Darrel Schultz: 44 votes Book Buksa: 31 votes Scott Broughton: 28 votes

Electoral Area E (Woodpecker-Hixon) •

Art Kaehn (incumbent): Acclaimed

Electoral Area F (Willow River-Upper Fraser Valley) • • • •

Gary Jamieson: 115 votes Caroline Brandner Olson: 71 votes Joe Rositano: 38 votes Kathleen Bosiak: 24 votes

Sharon Glover: 163 votes Meagan Ryan: 163 votes Glen Frear (incumbent): 153 votes Cassandra Johnson: 144 votes Rick Schafer: 136 votes Tina Bennett (incumbent): 109 votes Jasper Bender: 101 votes Kat Vickery: 81 votes

Village of Valemount’s acclaimed mayor and council

Victor Mobley (incumbent): 271 votes Greg Austman: 78 votes

Electoral Area C (Chilako River-Nechako) •

Cody Yetter: 164 votes Erik Antypov: 61 votes Gene Runtz (incumbent): 61 votes

Village of McBride council race

Electoral Area A (Salmon River-Lakes) •

School District 57 trustee): 266 votes Kathleen Westergaard: 143 votes Amy Coates: 129 votes Janice Nelson: 128 votes

SUBMITTED PHOTO

The Village of McBride, BC, the Robson Valley and the Fraser River are seen in this photo taken from the side of McBride Peak.

Electoral Area G (Crooked River-Parsnip) • •

Jerrilyn Kirk (incumbent): 43 votes David Szucsko: five votes

Electoral Area H (Robson Valley-Canoe) • •

Dannielle Alan (incumbent): 238 votes Joe Kolida: 52 votes

District of Mackenzie mayoral race • •

Pete Kyllo: 1,048 votes Mike Hendrickson: 84 votes

District of Mackenzie council race • • • • • • • • • • •

Viktor Brumovsky (incumbent): 783 votes Kyle Tapper (incumbent): 685 votes Karl Peet: 674 votes Martin Delasabonniere: 614 votes Ken Gawryluk: 599 votes Jayson Minion: 542 votes Jesse Wright (incumbent): 525 votes Joan Atkinson (incumbent mayor): 515 votes Cassandra Jones: 378 votes Jeff Close: 332 votes Rachael Weber (previously

Mayor Owen Torgerson (incumbent) • Rachael Fraser • Donna Hamilton • Shanon Manahan • Zac Ruttiman The rural directors will be sworn in alongside Kyllo, Yetter, four representatives from the City of Prince George and a Valemount representative the first Fraser-Fort George board meeting of the term on Thursday, Nov. 19. Normally, Torgerson would join the board as Valemount’s representative, but he is currently suspended from his duties as he faces prosecution for a charge of sexual assault. Torgerson has yet to be tried in court. Before the election, Mayor Simon Yu, Coun. Kyle Sampson, Coun. Brian Skakun and Coun. Cori Ramsay represented Prince George on the board. However, Yu and Sampson were unsuccessful in their mayoral bids and mayor-elect Garth Frizzell will assume a role on the board. It’ll be up to the new Prince George city council to determine who else will join Frizzell.

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2026

Former federal candidate Jodie Capling shifts to provincial Greens in Prince George-Valemount

British Columbians go to the polls in a snap election on Oct. 24 COLIN SLARK Citizen Staff

When Jodie Capling ran for the Green Party of Canada in the 2025 federal election, she said she wanted to give voters in Cariboo-Prince George-Omineca a chance to vote their conscience. As she runs for the Green Party of British Columbia in Prince George-Valemount in the ongoing provincial election, Capling told The Citizen in a Thursday, Oct. 16 interview that she feels much the same. Capling, who lives and works in Williams Lake as a yoga instructor and functional health coach, said she was originally looking to run for the party in her local constituency of Cariboo-Chilcotin, the district that Conservative Party of BC Interim Leader Lorne Doerksen has represented since 2020. However, she was set to be out of cell service for a week and was worried that she would be unable to get the signatures needed to be on the ballot. That led to another candidate, Douglas Gook, flying the party’s colours. Arriving back from her trip a couple of days early, Capling said she saw a barrage of emails from the party looking for people to step forward for races in the north. “I thought ‘you know what?’ The people in Prince George-Valemount deserve a chance to have one more person who stands for a party that represents their values,” Capling said. “There’s a great group of volunteers up there, they collected all the signatures and managed to get me as Green Party

representative on the ballot.” The district spans from Prince George in the northwest to the Alberta border in the southCapling east, including McBride and Valemount. She said that during last year’s federal election, campaigning derailed her life and she realized that she needed to set aside time for her personal needs and her family’s needs. Because of that, she said she would not be actively going out on the campaign trail and would likely have volunteers in her place at any events that are held, though she recognizes that it’s not the ideal approach. In this campaign, she said she felt that cost of living, health-care shortages, climate change and resiliency and the state of the province’s democracy are the top issues facing BC. On that last item, she said she agrees with the Green Party’s platform promise to shift BC to a proportional representation-based electoral system if elected rather than the current first-past-the-post system. She pointed to the recent election in Quebec as an example of the problems with first-past-thepost where the Parti Québécois received 28 per cent of the popular vote but 46 per cent of the seats in the National Assembly. Regarding cost of living, she said the Green Party has promised to boost BC’s minimum wage, expand the $10 a day child-care program, introduce rules around vacancy and rent controls, building more affordable homes and tackling rising commercial rents.

For health care, she said the party believes that mental health is part of physical health and should be more widely covered under the public health-care system. Capling added that the party would increase funding for nurses, improve the province’s nurse-to-patient ratio and seek to reduce the bureaucracy so that externally-trained doctors can more easily get registered to practice in BC. She said while she hadn’t been following Green Party Leader Emily Lowan too closely before the election, she thought she had done a good job of articulating the party’s policies and mobilizing the team to campaign after a short-notice snap election call.

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When asked what she would seek to do for Prince George-Valemount specifically if elected, Capling said that as someone who lives elsewhere, she would throw herself into the role completely if elected and be open to the opinions, ideas and needs of the district’s residents. “I would like to encourage and invite everyone to get out and vote,” Capling said. “I mean, if they vote Green, wonderful. And if they come and vote for someone else, great. I think with some of the disappointment in government, people might feel a little apathetic or overwhelmed by all the elections that are going on right now, but at this point, it’s so critical for people to come out and get their voices heard.”

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2026

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PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN

Bourque touts community connections in run for NDP COLIN SLARK Citizen Staff

A born-and-raised Prince George health-care worker says her experience on the job and in the community makes her the right choice for Prince George-Valemount in the upcoming provincial election on Saturday, Oct. 17. Carol Bourque, a health information management co-ordinator with Northern Health who said she still lives in the neighbourhood she grew up in, is running for the BC NDP against incumbent Conservative Rosalyn Bird, OneBC’s Mitchell Lukoni and the Green Party’s Jodie Capling. She told The Citizen in a Monday, Oct. 19 interview that she felt like the last time she was deeply involved in the community was when she worked for the Central Interior Native Health Society, now known as Soonats’ooneh Health Society, 32 years ago. “I still have those connections in the community,” she said. “The people have gotten a bit older, but they’re still out there … and I just want to give back. What better way to do that than to be a voice for the people and advocate?” She said she’s running for the NDP because the party believes in equality

for every British Columbian, no matter their race, colour, religion, belief, ability or gender. This year’s election came two years before the next mandated date as set out in BC’s fixedterm election legislation. NDP Leader David Eby said he needed a stronger mandate to fight back against the trade war Bourque launched by U.S. President Donald Trump and boost his party’s slim majority in the BC Legislature. However, he’s also been called opportunistic for calling an election after the Conservatives’ former leader, Kerry-Lynne Findlay, just resigned after months of turmoil. Bourque said she thought it was a good decision for Eby to call the election given the slim majority. “We’ve had some members who have been sick and we’ve had to rely on them to vote, because otherwise the Conservatives are trying to upend all the decisions that we’re trying to make, so we need a very strong mandate,”

Bourque said. Bourque said she wants to protect health care, affordability and the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, better known as DRIPA. The Conservatives said DRIPA puts property rights in danger after court decisions like the one in a case regarding lands along the Fraser River in Richmond brought forward by the Cowichan Tribes. However, Bourque, who is Indigenous, said there’s been a lot of misinformation on the file. “Just because you may have property rights on Indigenous land, nobody’s coming to take it away from you,” she said. “It’s yours. It’s just part of an acknowledgement that your land is on Indigenous land and that’s the reality, right? We’re not taking it away from you. We just want that acknowledgement. That’s a part of reconciliation.” In Prince George-Valemount, she said she wants to put a greater emphasis on “homes that people can actually afford,” adding that the NDP had done a good job of keeping rents in check. On forestry, she said American tariffs are “ridiculous” and the province needs to keep taking a stand against Trump, including by continuing to keep U.S.

liquor off of store shelves. Before the election, Bird quit her party to sit as an independent, then joined CentreBC and finally re-joined the Conservatives once the writ dropped. Bourque said she’d heard and seen online that “people are very unhappy and they just don’t have a lot of confidence in somebody like that.” On election night, both Bird and Bourque went to the Exploration Place to congratulate mayor-elect Garth Frizzell after his victory. Bourque said she wanted to show her support “because when I win this election, I will have to work with him.” If elected, she said she hoped the NDP would work with the City of Prince George on wraparound services for mental health and addictions, including looking at taking advantage of the treatment centre at Baldy Hughes. “I’m very transparent, I’m genuine,” Bourque said about why people should vote for her. “I have a strong voice. I’ve been through a lot in my life. I’m very resilient. Being born and raised in Prince George gives me a unique perspective on the issues here, especially with health care.” Election day is Saturday, Oct. 24.

Grocery store chain confirms customer info leaked CITIZEN STAFF

Prince George grocery store customers have been told their personal information was accessed through a breach of the More Rewards program. The loyalty rewards program for customers of Pattison-owned grocery stores was hit by what the company described as a cybersecurity incident in an email sent out Friday, Oct. 16. Pattison operates four Save-On-Foods and one Buy-Low Foods stores in Prince George. In the email, which went out to customers across the province, the company said its team discovered unauthorized activity on one of its servers

and “took immediate action that day to shut down the server and launch an investigation with a third-party cybersecurity expert.” “The incident was quickly contained, and we are in the process of notifying the appropriate authorities and privacy regulators,” the email stated. The company confirmed that names and, where provided, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses and dates of birth stored in the More Rewards database were accessed. “Based on the information available to us, no other personal information (e.g., passwords, credit card data, or transaction history) was accessed, and your More Rewards account remains

secure,” the email said. Customers were also warned to be cautious of unexpected communications requesting sensitive information or directing them to click links or open attachments. “We will never contact you for sensitive information such as your password, verification codes, banking or payment card information, Social Insurance Number, or security question answers,” the company stated. The email advised customers to verify suspicious requests using contact information they know to be legitimate. Customers with questions can contact customer service at 1-833-690-1146.

CITIZEN FILE PHOTO

Customers of Prince George’s four Save-On-Foods and its one Buy-Low foods store learned their My Rewards accounts were hacked.

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P PR R II N NC CE E G GE EO OR RG GE E C C II T T II Z ZE EN N

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2026

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IIO clears PG officers of wrongdoing in 2025 death Concerns raised over RCMP’s possible misinterpretation of IIO’s jurisdiction MATTHEW HILLIER Citizen Staff

The Independent Office of Investigations (IIO) has cleared Prince George RCMP officers of wrongdoing in the death of a man suffering from a drug overdose. However, the IIO has raised concerns that the RCMP may have misinterpreted the office’s investigative jurisdiction in this case. The incident took place on the morning of Monday, Aug. 25, 2025, when a neighbour’s noise complaint brought officers to the deceased man’s home. Upon arrival, officers determined that the noise was coming from the bedroom. They later determined that the man was suffering from a toxic drug overdose and had sustained self-inflicted injuries. According to an IIO public report, officers partially forced open the bedroom door and began speaking with the man, who was under the effects of the overdose. The man then confronted the officers while holding what they believed to be an axe. The object was later determined to be a broken table leg with a metal bracket still attached. The man then closed the door. Officers continued attempting to communicate with the man for the next 40 minutes. During that time, officers also used a ladder to try to see into the bedroom through a broken window but could not see the man. However, they noted blood on the room’s walls. Officers then attempted to force open the bedroom door but found it blocked. They called for a drone to be sent into the room through the window, but when it arrived at the scene, its battery was dead. Officers subsequently broke down the door and entered the room, where they found the man unresponsive. Despite life-saving efforts by paramedics and RCMP officers, the man was declared dead.

The autopsy report listed the cause of death as “mixed drug toxicity (cocaine, quetiapine and diphenhydramine).” Multiple sharp-force injuries to the man’s head and limbs were determined to have “not caused or contributed” to his death, and there were “no significant internal injuries.” The IIO noted that it was not initially contacted following the man’s death. A family member notified the office on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025, prompting an initial review of the case. Evidence considered in the case included: • Statements from three civilian witnesses, three paramedics and six police officers who witnessed the events • Police Computer-Aided Dispatch and Police Records Information Management Environment records. • Audio recordings of 911 calls and police radio transmissions. • Video recordings from police officers’ body-worn cameras • Scene photographs and videos • Emergency Health Services and fire department records • RCMP policies and notes, as well as the autopsy and toxicology reports The IIO does not require RCMP officers whose actions are under review to provide an account. In this case, the three officers involved in the response declined to participate in IIO interviews. In the report, IIO Chief Civilian Director Jessica Berglund stated that she did not believe there were “reasonable grounds to believe that an officer may have committed an offence under any enactment.” As a result, the matter will not be referred to the BC Prosecution Service for consideration of charges. However, Berglund said the RCMP may have “misinterpreted the IIO’s investigative jurisdiction in this case.” She added that, under the Police Act, the IIO must be notified immediately of any incident “where it appears that a

person may have died or suffered serious harm as a result of the actions of an officer or detention guard, whether on or off duty.” The legislation does not require suspicion of criminality on the part of an officer or even evidence that force was used. Police presence and some degree of involvement in an incident involving serious injury or death are sufficient to require notification to the IIO. As a result, the IIO believes important evidence related to the case was lost. This included material evidence such as the object held by the deceased, which police initially described as an axe but which was more likely a table leg. The inability of IIO investigators to examine the scene shortly after the incident and to seize, examine and document all relevant evidence may have compromised the investigation and the reliability of its conclusions.

IIO PHOTO

The Independent Office of Investigations (IIO) looks into incidents involving police that result in injury or death.

1685 3rd Ave. Prince George, BC

250-563-6637 www.booksandcompany.ca

That feeling when you cross the finish line and realize you still have ten laps to go

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2026

NEWS

P PR R II N NC CE E G GE EO OR RG GE E C C II T T II Z ZE EN N

Back to jail for drug trafficker who breached house arrest Tyler Alexander Paterson was originally sentenced last December BOB MACKIN

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A Prince George resident found guilty last year of possessing cocaine, fentanyl and fentanyl Bromazolam for the purpose of trafficking was returned to jail for almost 11 months after he breached his conditional sentence order twice. Tyler Alexander Paterson was sentenced last December to two years less a day in the community followed by three years probation. The first 18 months are under house arrest. In October 2022, an RCMP officer in Vernon stopped Paterson to investigate an alleged assault of a

passenger. Police found 27.07 grams of cocaine, 21.71 grams of fentanyl and 1.78 grams of fentanyl mixed with Bromazolam, a dangerous addictive substance that is resistant to naloxone, the emergency medication used to temporarily reverse overdoses. The drugs were packaged for street-level trafficking and the estimated value was $4,835. Police also seized pepper spray, cash, three cell phones and a notebook containing trafficking records. In an Oct. 7 judgment, BC Supreme Court Justice Greg Koturbash said Paterson breached his conditional sentence order twice. First, by giving a conditional sentence supervisor a false residential address. Then he was found outside his residence while he was supposed to be serving a house arrest. The Crown sought Paterson’s return to jail. Paterson’s defence

lawyer asked for a 90-day suspension — 45 days for each breach — and proposed serving the remainder of the sentence at a different address while under electronic monitoring. Until his pre-sentence jailing, Paterson lived in Prince George with his girlfriend and helped care for her child. But, shortly after he was sentenced, the Ministry of Children and Families banned Paterson from having contact with the woman and her child. He continued to live in the home under house arrest for a time. That did not breach the order, but it did contravene the contact prohibition, Koturbash wrote. Paterson moved and provided his supervisor a new address. When his employer emailed the supervisor to report Paterson’s absence from work, police visited the address. The occupants did not know Paterson and said he never lived there.

“Another employee of Community Corrections also witnessed him out during his house arrest some distance from the location that he claimed to be living,” Koturbash wrote. Paterson was arrested on June 10 and remained in custody. The judge said that a conditional sentence “cannot become probation by another name.” Rather than terminate the entire conditional sentence, Koturbash decided 450 days, less the 119 spent in custody, was just and proportionate. He suspended the conditional sentence order for 331 days and directed Paterson serve that portion of the unexpired sentence in custody. “His history of non-compliance and the deliberate breaches in this case, which struck at the core of the sentence, leave me with little confidence in his willingness to comply going forward,” Koturbash wrote.

Crown asks judge to put dealer behind bars for 12 years BOB MACKIN

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A Crown prosecutor asked a BC Supreme Court judge to send a Williams Lake drug dealer to jail for 12 years. During a Friday, Oct. 9 sentencing hearing, prosecutor Parveen Bachra said an RCMP expert had deemed Jasbir Singh Pawar, 49, a “higher mid-level trafficker” and the quantity of drugs seized was substantial. Pawar was convicted last fall of seven counts of possessing fentanyl, cocaine, MDMA, methamphetamine and cannabis for the purpose of trafficking. “There are no mitigating factors,” Bachra told Justice Julianne Lamb. “With respect to the aggravating factors, the Crown submits that firstly, the nature of the substances seized in this investigation are aggravating. With respect to

MDMA, cocaine, and methamphetamine and fentanyl, they’re all Schedule I drugs, dangerous and addictive. However, fentanyl is immeasurably worse.” During a May 13, 2021 RCMP traffic stop at a Husky gas station in Williams Lake, officers discovered 279.9 grams of cocaine in Pawar’s vehicle. The next day, RCMP officers conducted a search of Pawar’s bedroom and found 527.9 grams of cocaine, 4.84 kilograms of dried marijuana, 21.4 grams of MDMA, 83.6 grams of methamphetamine and 204.6 grams of psilocybin. They also found cash, phones and common drug-dealing paraphernalia, such as a scale and score sheet. The estimated value of the drugs seized was between $86,000 to $369,000, depending on whether it was sold at the ounce level or in bulk. “Just the quantity of pills alone

could have potentially caused a number of fatalities in the community had it been dispersed to users in the community,” Bachra said. Bachra provided reports and data from the B.C. coroner about the death toll from fentanyl overdoses and emphasized “the wide-ranging and damaging consequences which flow from trafficking.” In a pre-sentencing report, Pawar acknowledged selling drugs to supplement his income and feed his own addictions, ”but there doesn’t seem to be any further details on that,” Bachra said. Pawar’s criminal record includes a June 2019 sentencing to 66 months in jail for possession for the purpose of trafficking after a 2016 bust. He had also been jailed in 2011. In 2023, The Citizen reported that Pawar’s 2015 Volkswagen Golf was

surrendered to the civil forfeiture office, which netted $4,738.62 after selling the vehicle. The director of civil forfeiture had deemed it an instrument of unlawful activity. Criminal charges against Pawar had not been approved at the time. Pawar’s defence lawyer, William Jessop, said the appropriate sentence would be six years. “Mr. Pawar is not a wholesale drug trafficker operating at the kilo level, nor is he the operating mind of a sophisticated drug trafficking operation,” Jessop said. Jessop said his client accepts responsibility for his conduct, “but also recognizes that his relapse and his use of substances precipitated this offending in 2020 and 2021.” Pawar was drinking daily, using cocaine and meth and has a longstanding prescription for Percocet. Jessop said he managed to gain sobriety in 2023.

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2026

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RCMP say shooters targeted wrong Dawson Creek home MATTHEW HILLIER Citizen Staff

An early morning shooting that targeted a home in Dawson Creek is believed to have been a case of mistaken identity. Dawson Creek RCMP report that at approximately 4 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 14, several shots were fired into a home on the 1600 block of 108 Avenue. The vehicle involved in the shooting is described as a red pickup truck with a large white or grey box in the bed of the vehicle. Five people were asleep inside the home at the time of the shooting, police reported. RCMP believe that the shooters mistook the home for another and that this residence was not the intended target. “Investigators are asking those in the area to check their video surveillance or dash cameras for any further sightings

RCMP PHOTO

Dawson Creek RCMP are asking those with any information or footage of the red truck seen in this photo to come forward. RCMP believe the truck was involved in an early morning shooting that took place on Wednesday, Oct. 14.

of this vehicle or those who may have been involved,” stated Cpl. Jennifer Cooper, RCMP spokesperson for Northern BC.

Police officer unable to wear duty belt denied disability benefits BOB MACKIN

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The Veterans Review and Appeal Board has upheld a 2019 Veterans Affairs Canada decision to deny disability benefits to a 50-year-old RCMP officer who required surgery after suffering a severe abdominal injury. The unnamed officer had been with the force since 2008. While working as a general duty officer with the Quesnel RCMP in 2016, he experienced severe abdominal pain and distention to the point that he could no longer put on his duty belt. He also developed a fever, chills and severe pain. His family doctor referred him to a surgeon. A CT scan revealed a perforation in the large intestine. The officer underwent two emergency

surgeries, used a colostomy bag for four months and later had surgery to reverse the colostomy. “I am currently on a gradual return-to-work plan with limited hours. A possible hernia will always be a concern if and when I return to full duty,” he said in his submission. He was diagnosed with perforated diverticulosis, but Veterans Affairs Canada determined the condition was not directly related to his work. In a July appeal decision published in October, the board agreed that physical activity and compressive clothing or equipment caused him pain and discomfort. However, it found insufficient evidence to establish a direct link between his condition and his RCMP service.

Those in the home were not injured during the shooting. Those who witnessed the incident or have video surveillance, including

dash camera footage, that captures the incident or suspect vehicle are asked to call the Dawson Creek RCMP non-emergency line at 250-784-3700.

The Child Development Centre is proud to present the return of

Kris Kringle December 11, 2026 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM Civic Centre - 808 Canada Games Way Join us for a festive lunch, auction, guest speaker, contests, and prizes all in support of the Child Development Centre of Prince George & District The Child Development Centre of Prince George and District Heart • Hope • A helping hand

Scan for Tickets

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2026

REGIONAL

PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN

Randy Thompson says ‘It’s not easy being Green’ Garlic farmer is running for the Green Party to represent Prince GeorgeNorth Cariboo TED CLARKE Citizen Staff

Randy Thompson is uniquely qualified as the Prince George-North Cariboo candidate for the BC Green Party. He has a green thumb. The 69-year-old West Quesnel farmer owns and operates Oddball Garlic Company. He and his wife, Patti, have been growing garlic and selling honey-garlic sauces and seasonings for nearly three decades. They also grow vegetables on their farm and promote local food production, agricultural resilience

Thompson

and the idea of communities becoming more self-sufficient. “Green is my favourite colour, and, as Kermit the Frog said, ‘It’s not easy being green,’”

said Thompson. Thompson has served two years on the BC Greens’ provincial council and ran for the Prince George-North Cariboo seat in 2024, earning 4.3 per cent of the vote to finish fourth. Originally from Richmond, Thompson began his working life in his family’s construction business. He went to school to become a chef and later worked in radio broadcasting and the film industry. Now working for the City of Quesnel, he

also gained an understanding of the challenges facing the decimated BC forest industry during his years as a truck driver for Arrow Transport. “The NDP promised a bunch of things and didn’t do them. They were going to protect a bunch of things and didn’t do that either,” said Thompson. “The Old Growth Strategy was supposed to be adopted by them, but they didn’t do any of it. You kind of lose faith after a while if you get enough promises that don’t come through. “The NDP used to be more like the Greens in the old days. They were much more environmental. They’ve just turned into another party again. The BC Green Party isn’t going to split the left. They are the left.” Thompson said the fears of forestry workers in his riding who

believe the Greens want to shut down the industry to protect the environment are totally unfounded. He wants to get across the point that current harvesting methods are unsustainable. He said there are ways to keep mills operating and protect jobs by shifting away from clearcutting to selective harvesting and commercial thinning of second- and third-generation growth for value-added products. Other measures include protecting large old-growth forests, promoting longer rotations between harvests and banning raw log exports. He also believes laws and enforcement should be strengthened to punish bad behaviour, particularly in the forestry and mining sectors. The election is on Oct. 24.

Transportation, infrastructure and economy are top priorities for Sheldon Clare as he seeks re-election PG-North Cariboo incumbent puts his faith in interim leader TED CLARKE Citizen Staff

A singing voice is not required for the job as Prince George-North Cariboo MLA but to try to highlight his concerns over the state of the Highway 97 bridge in Quesnel, Sheldon Clare put his vocal chords to the test. To the tune of London Bridge is Falling Down, in April 2025 Clare, who is the incumbent Conservative candidate in Prince GeorgeNorth Cariboo, sang about the advanced deterioration Quesnel River Bridge in the Legislature. The goal of the tune was to remind everyone of the need for a new bridge for the proposed Quesnel

North-South Interconnector. “That’s an expensive project but it would alleviate a lot of issues,” Clare said. “There are significant Clare structural concerns. No one on the Lower Mainland would put up with the condition that bridge is in and we shouldn’t be putting up with it either.’ The Prince George-Cariboo North electoral district covers a vast 33,861 square-kilometre area that’s bigger than Switzerland and includes the southern and western parts of Prince George (stretching south to Williams Lake.) “Up in the Cariboo, transportation is a huge issue, the roads

are frequently in terrible shape and despite efforts to try to make that better, there are lot of things going on that need to be fixed,” he said. “ The cost of living and how the NDP government has handled the economy is an overriding issue the Conservatives plan to tackle, according to Clare. He said a forensic audit of each government departments is needed to get to the bottom of the province’s forecast $13.8 billion budget deficit for the 2026-27 fiscal year and find ways to rein in spending to reduce the BC’s $183.4 billion debt. Finding ways to expedite mining permits and revive the forest industry to make mills profitable and get people back to work also high on Clare’s to-do list. Repealing the province’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

Act (DRIPA) legislation is also a priority. Clare landed in hot water for his comment in a Conservative Party of BC private chat group discussion. In that social media post referring to municipal politicians, Parksville mayor Mike Butler quoted American founding father Benjamin Franklin, saying: “We must, indeed, hang together or most assuredly, we shall hang separately. Clare quipped: “There’s a good number that need hanging.” Political columnist Rob Shaw posted Clare’s statement publicly on Sept. 18 and Clare promptly issued an apology. “Anybody who knows me knows there’s no way that I’d be advocating for anything that they’re saying,” Clare said. The election is on Oct. 24.

P PR R II N NC CE E G GE EO OR RG GE E C C II T T II Z ZE EN N

REGIONAL

Education reforms a must for BC NDP candidate

TED CLARKE Citizen Staff

Northern BC deserves a bigger slice of the provincial pie, and Denice Bardua, the NDP candidate for Prince George-North Cariboo, wants the chance to give the people of her riding more from their government in Victoria. Bardua works three days a week for School District 28 (Quesnel) as secretary for the Indigenous education department. She’s been involved in public education for more than 20 years and sees Bardua firsthand the balancing act school administrators must perform to stretch budgets and keep programs intact. “Children are our future, and every child in BC deserves the chance to learn and succeed. What I’m hearing is that families in the North are working very hard to keep up with groceries, housing, fuel and everyday expenses,” said Bardua. “In Northern BC, we need to attract and retain qualified teachers and provide better support for students who need help, particularly in our more rural and remote schools. The Conservatives are planning big budget cuts to education, just like they did before, closing schools and fighting with teachers. The NDP is building new schools and upgrading existing ones.” Originally from Port Coquitlam, Bardua worked in Cranbrook for the Ministry of Children and Families before being seconded to Quesnel to address a foster care issue. She decided to stay. She and

her husband raised two children who went through the Quesnel public school system, and they’re currently the primary caregivers for their teenaged grandson. Schools receive provincial funding based on enrolment, but Bardua said that general rule doesn’t work for Northern BC schools, especially in rural areas where resources often aren’t available. “The funding formula needs to change,” she said. “Down in Vancouver, there aren’t children sitting on a bus for an hour and a half to get to school. Education in the North is different. If you get funded a certain amount and that doesn’t even buy the fuel for the buses, where’s that money coming from? Education lacks funding, and we need to do better.” She said universal $10-a-day daycare for working parents is a must and advocates for educational assistants to work with children in daycares and early childhood centres to get their education off to a good start. “I just have a strong sense of community,” said Bardua, a former president of CUPE Local 4990, which represents school workers in SD 28. “I’ve been out there talking to folks, and they’re not happy with so many things.” BC has had 21 sawmills close since 2023, and four pulp mills, including Northwood in Prince George, have closed or been indefinitely curtailed during the same period. Quesnel River Pulp in Quesnel began a two-month curtailment on Sept. 4 that affects 90 workers. Bardua said a re-elected BC NDP government is committed to protecting the forest industry through a new $120-million Forestry Jobs Protection Fund. The election is on Oct. 24.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2026

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2026

COMMUNITY

P PR R II N NC CE E G GE EO OR RG GE E C C II T T II Z ZE EN N

What’s happening in PG Huckleberry Band goes Friday, Oct. 23 from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Legion, 1116 Sixth Ave. Huckleberry is a four-piece band that plays fan-favourite country and rock music while they bring high energy. They also perform original songs from life’s nuggets. The band includes John Heroux, vocals and guitar; Darrel Randahl, vocals, lead guitar and keys; David Shields on drums and Greg Hoare, bass and vocals. Come for the music and dance the night away. $20 at the door. October Junk Journal Night goes Friday, Oct. 23 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Spruce Capital Seniors, 3701 Rainbow Dr. Presented by Love Starts Today, the theme will be Halloween. Anyone who dresses up or brings an item to display will get a free ticket for the night’s draw. Magazines, ink and stamps, paper punches and pens, pencils, markers and adhesives available for everyone to use. Workshop costs $25 for adults and fee for children ages 6-18 is their age +$2. Children five and under are free to enjoy the evening with their parent or guardian. Prices include a seat, a Junk Journal Page, and your choice of a premade themed bag to assist you with your journal. For more information and to reserve your spot email lovestartstoday@gmail.com Discovery Day at UNBC goes Friday, Oct. 23 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Prince George Campus. Whether you’re planning your post-secondary future, considering a career change, or just curious about campus life, Discovery Day is the perfect opportunity to experience UNBC firsthand. There will be guided campus tours, interactive learning activities, faculty meet-and-greets, Indigenous spaces, student services and information available on more than 70 degree programs. There will be prizes, snacks, music, and more. Free admission and free parking. Christ Our Saviour Church Craft Fair goes Saturday, Oct. 24 from 10

CITIZEN FILE PHOTO BY CHUCK NISBETT

Vendor booths are arranged on the floor of the arena at CN Centre for last year’s Studio Fair. It returns Friday, Oct. 30 to Sunday, Nov. 1.

a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 25 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Enjoy some early Christmas shopping. Have a bite to eat and shop the many vendors on site. Halloween Spooktacular goes Saturday, Oct. 24 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at Beaverly Community Park, 9875 S. Heights Road. Come walk through the spooky trail where you may find some of our haunting volunteers lurking about. Kids can visit the treat table to receive a candy bag. Play games and enjoy a free hot chocolate by the fire. Don’t forget to dress up. Fireworks will begin at 7:30 p.m. DP Todd Craft Fair goes Saturday, Oct. 24 and Sunday, Oct. 25 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at DP Todd Secondary School, 4444 Hill Avenue. There are more than 100 vendors featuring their homemade local goods for sale. Get started on holiday shopping early. Huble Homestead’s Halloween Spooktacular goes on Saturday, Oct. 24 from 3 to 8 p.m. All ages can enjoy crafts and activities, magic shows, the haunted maze, graveyard, hot drinks and snacks in the General Store. Family admission is just $10, and the brave at heart can tour the House of Horrors for $4 per tour. Tour tickets on sale in advance online starting Oct. 14 and a limited number will be available at the door. Huble Homestead Historic Site,

located 40km north of Prince George, just off Highway 97 on Mitchell Road. For more information and tickets visit www.hublehomestead.ca BC Old Time Fiddlers’ Family Dance goes on Saturday, Oct. 24 from 7 to 11 p.m. at the Senior Activity Centre 425 Brunswick St. Live music will be performed by members of the local club for old-time fun dances, including Two-Steps, Waltzes, Polkas, Butterfly, Schottisches and others, as well as some called Group Dances. Tickets at the door are $10 for adults and free for kids under 18 if they bring their parents. Ice cream bars included and coffee, pop and chips by donation. Everyone is welcome. Backyard Ultra Lite goes Sunday, Oct. 25 at 9 a.m. at the Caledonia Nordic Ski Club, 8141 Otway Road. This is a fundraiser for the club’s race teams and sees athletes take on two classes recreation in solo and relay teams and Almost an Ultra – last runner standing competition. For more information and to register visit https://zone4.ca/register. asp?id=41936&lan=1&cartlevel=1 Creepy Choir Drop In goes Thursday, Oct. 29 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Knox Performance Centre,1448 Fifth Ave. Have you ever wanted to just sing with Nove Voce for fun?

Are you tempted to sing along in concerts? Do you love harmony and part singing? Do you want to improve your music reading and singing skills? Join us for a night of Halloween classics, costumes not mandatory but encouraged. For tickets visit www.eventbrite.com/o/ nove-voce-choral-society Studio Fair 2026 goes Friday, Oct. 30 to Sunday, Nov. 1 at CN Centre is presented by the Community Arts Council of Prince George & District. This is Northern BC’s finest professional artisan fair that offers more than 100 vendors from across Canada selling their wares so patrons can get started on finding that perfect present ahead of the holiday gift-giving season. On Friday Studio Fair goes from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $10 and children under 12 are free. All admission proceeds go directly to Studio 2880’s arts programs. Please bring non-perishable food items for the local food bank. Halloween at the Prince George Legion goes Friday, Oct. 30 at 8 p.m. featuring the Chevys. This will be a Rockabilly Spooktacular event featuring Dennis Smith, standup bass/vocals; Brad Martin, drums/vocals; and Tim Yule, guitar/vocals.$20 at the door. The Great Canadian Roadtrip goes Sunday, Nov. 1 at 7 p.m. at the Prince George Playhouse featuring Doc Walker, Michelle Wright and Jason McCoy. This show brings together three of Canada’s most celebrated country music icons for an unforgettable evening of stories, songs, and shared memories. Fans will hear the personal stories and inspirations behind beloved hits while enjoying stunning visuals and heartfelt performances that celebrate Canada’s rich country music legacy. For tickets visit www.ticketsnorth.evenue.net/ greatcanadianroadtrip CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2026

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE Maggie Corbett and Chiao-Rou Liu in Concert on Sunday, Nov. 1 at 3 p.m. at the Prince George Conservatory of Music, 3555 Fifth Ave. This is violin and piano for an afternoon performance featuring music by Mozart, Respighi, Amy Beach, and Paganini. Admission is $20 or pay-what-youcan at the door. Love Food Hate Waste: Tips for Reducing Food Waste at Home goes Thursday, Nov. 5 at 5:30 p.m. at the Prince George Public Library and is presented by REAPS. Reducing food waste is critical because it saves money, conserves precious natural resources, fights climate change and helps feed people in need. Join us in looking at tips in planning meals, shopping with a strict list and storing items correctly to extend their freshness. This is a free event. Pioneer 50+ Curling Bonspiel goes Friday, Nov. 6 to Sunday, Nov. 8 at the Prince George Golf & Curling Club, 2601 Recplace Drive. The event includes a buffet dinner, cash prizes and the bonspiel that has an open format. Registration deadline is Nov. 4. For more information and to register call Tenille at 250563-0357 ext. 2 or email curling@ pggolfandcurling.com or register online at www.pggolfandcurling.com/ Pioneer-SR-Curling-Bonspiel A Whole Yacht of Funk goes Friday, Nov. 6 at 7 p.m. with doors open at 6:30 p.m. at Knox Performance Centre, 1448 Fifth Ave. This event is presented by the Big Enuff Big Band as their season opener. Performances will include Earth, Wind, Fire, Chicago, Stevie Wonder, Billy Joel and more. There will be seating on the floor and in the balcony, as well as a dance floor and the cantina will be open to serve refreshments. For more information and tickets visit www.showpass. com/a-whole-yacht-of-funk Coldsnap presents Blue Moon

JOSH HASKINS PHOTO

The Big Enuff Big Band brings A Whole Yacht of Funk to Knox Performance Centre on Friday, Nov. 6 at 7 p.m. with doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Marquee on Saturday, Nov. 7 at 7 p.m. at the Knox Performance Centre,1448 Fifth Ave. Blue Moon Marquee writes and performs original compositions influenced by anything that swings, jumps or grooves. A.W. Cardinal (vocals/guitar) and Jasmine Colette a.k.a. Badlands Jass (vocals/ bass/drums) have played for crowds at jazz clubs, Lindy Hop dance halls, folk venues, blues haunts, hospitals, prisons, markets, motorcycle joints, dive bars and prestigious festival stages. For more information and tickets visit https://coldsnapfestival. tickit.ca/events/34912-coldsnap-presents-blue-moon-marquee Art Show & Sale goes Saturday, Nov. 7 and Sunday, Nov. 8 from noon to 9 p.m. at the Prince George Golf & Curling Club, 2601 RecPlace Drive. This is a fundraiser for the blind curlers in Prince George and features artwork from local artists Rick Mintz and Dave Dunsdon. There is a silent auction and all proceeds from that and 20 per cent of the artwork sales will be donated to the Blind Curling Association. St. Mary’s Craft Fair goes Saturday, Nov. 7 and Sunday, Nov. 8 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 1088 Gillett Street in the gym. This annual holiday fair features all kinds of handmade crafts and baked goods including knitwear like

toques and scarves, wooden toys, and even 3D printer toys. The concession will have a delicious selection of hot dogs, hamburgers, homemade soups, egg muffins and pies. The Winter Gathering goes Saturday, Nov. 7 and Sunday, Nov. 8 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the House of Ancestors, 355 Vancouver St., hosted by the Vendor Vault. Celebrate the season, shop local. Enjoy cozy vibes, unique local finds, and festive holiday energy in a warm, family-friendly atmosphere. From handcrafted gifts to artisan creations, discover beautiful treasures made with care by talented local makers. Admission is free. Dead of November goes Saturday, Nov. 21 at 6 p.m. at Omineca Arts Centre, 369 Victoria St. There will be four bands performing, including Vaegon, Tombstone, Plagued by Fire and LOWR Lich of Willow River. This is an all ages show. $20 at the door. BC Old Time Fiddlers’ Family Dance goes on Saturday, Nov. 28 from 7 to 11 p.m. at the Senior Activity Centre 425 Brunswick St. Live music will be performed by members of the local club for old-time fun dances, including Two-Steps, Waltzes, Polkas, Butterfly, Schottisches and others, as well as some called group dances. Tickets at the

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door are $10 for adults and free for kids under 18 if they bring their parents. Ice cream bars included and coffee, pop and chips by donation. Everyone is welcome. Over 30s Day Party goes Saturday, Nov. 28 from 4 to 9 p.m. at Ignite, 1232 Third Avenue. Step back in time and dance your way through the 80s and 90s as the DJ spins all the club anthems. Expect epic light shows, retro visuals, giveaways and a nostalgic atmosphere. This is a 30+ clubbing experience, friends 25+ are also welcome. ID at the door. Last entry is 6 p.m. For tickets visit www.beyond30events.com/event/80s-90s-over30s-daytime-clubbing-prince-george/ Craft & Chat at the main branch of the Prince George Public Library goes every Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m. in the magazine corner, second floor, where fibre artists are invited to bring their latest projects to share, vent frustrations, brag about successes, get and give help and join in lively discussions. Snacks provided. This event is in partnership with Great Northwest Fibre Fest. Myeloma Support Group goes every third Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m. at Commonwealth Financial, 575 Victoria St. Everyone is welcome who has been diagnosed, those who are caregivers, family members and friends. Wheelchair accessible parking at the back of the building. For more information call Viv Lougheed at 250-981-2618. Trivia Night at Nancy O’s goes every other Wednesday at 8 p.m., 1261 Third Ave. Book a spot by calling ahead at 250-562-8066. Open Mic at Nancy O’s goes every other Wednesday from 8 to 11 p.m. If you’ve got an event coming up email us at news@pgcitizen.ca to offer details including name of the event, the date, time and location, ticket price and where to get them and a little bit about what’s happening, too. LOCF

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2026

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PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN

Is there a poltergeist haunting Books and Company? Nothing like a story about a book-chucking ghost to get you in the Halloween spirit CHRISTINE DALGLEISH Citizen Staff

When you hear that a building’s resident ghost is part of the conversation during every new employee’s orientation, you know you’ve found something good to write about ahead of Halloween. That’s what I was told when I sat down with Kayli VanderMeer, who has worked at Books & Co. for the past 15 years. Tobey is a poltergeist with an attitude who has been known to throw books off the store’s shelves. These aren’t books toppling over or sliding off the shelf. They’re books being tossed as if someone has thrown them — sometimes at customers, too, one employee said. Orientation goes something like this. “So we have a ghost. His name is Tobey, he’s a poltergeist and he throws things,” VanderMeer said with a smile. “Back when I started, we had the crazy hours — until 7 p.m. during the week, 9 p.m. on Thursdays and 10 p.m. on Fridays — so there were a lot more instances at night when you’d get a spooky feeling and that kind of stuff. Once I started taking on more management duties, about four years in, and doing renovations and different projects, I would be here late at night. I’m a night owl, so I’d be here until midnight or so. It was always at night when I’d get those strong feelings. “During the day, you’ll see books fly off the shelf, and that was always Tobey’s fault. We’ll have customers come in, see a book on the floor and say, ‘Oh, Tobey!’ It’s really great to hear someone who doesn’t work here say that!” Back in her early days, VanderMeer went to talk to Jim Brinkman, the original owner of Books & Co.,

CITIZEN PHOTO BY CHRISTINE DALGLEISH

Kayli VanderMeer, manager at Books & Co. in downtown Prince George, does a reenactment of when Tobey the ghost was watching her from around the pillar in the heart of the bookstore.

which opened in 1993. VanderMeer had an office upstairs when she first started managing the store. During that time, she renovated the office, pulled up the old carpet and spent a couple of nights working up there until 1 or 2 a.m. “So I was up there one night with the door closed, and there was nothing really going on around there because it’s tucked away in the corner,” VanderMeer said. “I had this feeling I was being watched. The door was closed, and I had the strongest feeling that someone was standing just on the other side of it — the strongest feeling. I opened it a few times, and there was no one there. I was calling out into the space, but there was nothing there. That went on for a couple of hours, and I was thinking,

‘Huh, what’s going on?’ “So the next day, I asked Jim, ‘Have you ever felt like the building’s haunted?’ because we talk about Tobey all the time, but I wanted to know. Jim said, ‘Oh, yeah. I lived up there for a while when I first bought the place, and I woke up one night, opened my eyes and there was this face right over top of me.’ “I said, ‘Well, that’s terrifying!’ He said it wasn’t menacing. It was just ominous, you know, just lurking.” “And it’s the same thing with Tobey,” VanderMeer said. “It’s never been a menacing vibe. It’s always just ominous and lurking. Tobey’s just lurking.” I think we need a T-shirt that says, “Just lurking at Books & Co.” I’d buy it. It could be our inside joke. “A couple of years ago, I was

working late one winter night, and I had a very strong feeling that Tobey was peeking around the pillar over there. It got to the point where I finally said, ‘Tobey, you’re not welcome here right now. You need to go away!’” VanderMeer said. “Then I got a message from our caretaker, who asked if I was OK because he lives downstairs and had heard me yelling at the ghost. Those are my strongest indications, and at times, when it’s dark, your eyes will see things.” VanderMeer left it at that, and in the next breath, I was invited to visit the “very creepy basement.” Who could resist? “Our electrical room feels like the Paris catacombs,” VanderMeer said. CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

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Manager leads a tour of the store’s spookier sections

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE “I brought an electrician down there for the first time, and, yeah, we were both very scared. When we first opened the door, we both took a step back. I asked, ‘Are you up for this?’ We looked at each other, and I said, ‘We can do this.’ Then we turned on the light, and it was very underwhelming. It was fine. After that, he started talking about his own ghost stories without being prompted, and that’s how that went.” This is an old building, VanderMeer added. “I have been here for a long time, and I think I’ve seen every single room now, but I always find new rooms.” Whatty what now? “I am always finding new rooms,” VanderMeer confirmed. “When we were renovating after COVID, I found a room behind a bookshelf. It was filled with boxes from the furniture store that used to be here. There were some of their old records and stuff.” I asked VanderMeer if she’d had similar experiences outside Books & Co., because she seemed to have a kind of spidey sense when it came to the place. “I don’t think I’ve had specific ghostly vibes, but I do have personal beliefs that energy sticks around at times,” VanderMeer said. She said she played in the woods a lot as a child. “Being alone in the woods, I think there’s always a feeling, a very spiritual vibe to them, so that would be the closest thing I can think of,” she said. She has worked in other places late at night, too. “But I’ve never felt vibes like here,” VanderMeer said. “Never felt like this — this is an inhabited place. Maybe it’s because this is such a people-centred place and that’s the vibe it carries with it. This place definitely holds an energy that’s unlike a lot of other places I’ve worked or visited. It’s

CITIZEN PHOTO BY CHRISTINE DALGLEISH

This is the stairwell that leads to the basement at Books & Co. in Prince George.

just not the same.” It’s an excellent point — it’s always very people-y at Books & Co. “There are always interesting things happening, and there are always interesting customer interactions,” VanderMeer said. “So that makes sense to me, that it would be a thing. It’s not treated

as sacred here — it’s just a fact of being here — that the energy is around.” Darlene Shatford of Top Drawer Yarn Studio, located above Books & Co., popped into the office and said it’s no big deal when she comes in some mornings to find yarn on the floor. “We just say, ‘Oh, the ghost was

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here,’ when the yarn is on the floor,” Shatford said. “In my office, too, we have yarn stacked up, and, yeah, there are some days I’ll come in and it’s on the floor. There’s just no explaining it — it’s just spilled out everywhere!” And that was the end of that conversation. We wandered around the store a bit more, with plenty of showing and telling. I chatted with the women at the counter and was shown the bookshelf where much of the activity takes place, the bookshelf in front of the hidden room and the mysterious door leading to the catacombs in the basement of Books & Co. VanderMeer is a see-for-yourself kind of tour guide, so I had to be the first to open the door to the electrical room and then step into the body — er, the boiler room — where I saw something I wasn’t prepared for. There were old-timey handprints rendered in charcoal on the wall, but not before I got a look at Dehlia, the bisected mannequin. She is something else. I love seeing what lurks at the bottom of a shadowed stairwell, around a blind corner or in the farthest, darkest corner of any basement space, and VanderMeer’s tour did not disappoint. She described other experiences people have reported, including hearing footsteps on the stairs, hearing the electronic beep of the coded lock when nobody else is around, and finding books that have apparently been damaged by Tobey. There is so much going on in that building, and I’m grateful to VanderMeer for sharing a few of its secrets with us. There’s no backstory on this guy, Tobey, so he remains a mystery ... at least for now. Readers, does anyone know anything they’d care to share? Lemme know!

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2026

COMMUNITY

PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN

Second annual Purple Lights Night Campaign begins in Prince George MATTHEW HILLIER Citizen Staff

The second annual Purple Lights Night Campaign launched in Prince George on Thursday, Oct. 15, encouraging residents and businesses to light up their homes and storefronts in purple to raise awareness of intimate partner violence. The campaign runs until Oct. 30. Organized by the Prince George Violence Against Women in Relationships (VAWIR) Committee, the initiative coincides with Domestic Violence Awareness Month and Purple Thursday, an annual awareness day held on the third Thursday of October. The campaign kicked off at City Hall, where Coun. Susan Scott read a declaration of support and the Purple Lights Night flag was raised. Committee members and partner organizations also connected with residents and local businesses, sharing educational materials and resources for survivors and their families. Kendra Kurisu, program coordinator with the Ministry of Women and Gender Equity, said residents and businesses can participate by displaying purple lights, placing information in storefront windows or changing their porch lights to purple. The campaign has already received support from several local landmarks. Mr. PG is flying a Purple Lights Night flag, while the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) has illuminated its campus pyramid skylights and bookstore in purple. Tanvi Guhagarkar, executive director of the Northern Women’s Centre, said the lights offer a simple way to start conversations about intimate partner violence. Wearing purple and discussing the issue with colleagues, customers and community members can also help raise awareness. Guhagarkar said the kickoff event attracted interest from UNBC and College of New Caledonia students, who asked questions about the campaign and how they could get involved. The discussions highlighted the importance of helping young people understand

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Mr. PG is planning to fly a Purple Lights Night campaign flag for the next two weeks.

the impacts of violence in their communities. Kurisu, a former RCMP officer who specialized in high-risk domestic violence cases, said intimate partner violence remains a significant concern in Northern BC. She noted its impact on police resources and community support services, emphasizing the need for more open conversations about an issue that often goes unreported. While police statistics indicate domestic violence rates have stabilized since 2024, Kurisu said frontline agencies are experiencing approximately 25 per cent increases in calls. She added that public awareness movements and high-profile

cases can encourage survivors to come forward, although intimate partner violence remains underreported and can be under-prosecuted. Organizers also emphasize that prevention must begin with education, particularly among children and young people. Guhagarkar said schools, families and community organizations all have a role in teaching consent and helping young people recognize the difference between healthy and unhealthy relationships. She also stressed that abuse is not limited to physical or sexual violence. Financial control, isolation from family and restrictions on personal autonomy

can also be forms of abuse, even when there are no visible injuries. Throughout October, the VAWIR Committee is hosting additional workshops and events to promote awareness, education and support for survivors. Residents interested in displaying purple lights at home can email vawirpg@ gmail.com to request small LED light strips or purple light bulbs. Donations to support the campaign can also be arranged through the same email address. For more information about the campaign and upcoming events, visit www. northernwomenscentre.com.

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2026

UpLift! eyes Valemount mural festival in May 2027

KEVIN GIBSON

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The organizers of Jasper’s UpLift! mural festival are working to bring the event to Valemount in May 2027, but its size and exact dates will depend on the funding and local partnerships they can secure. Logan Ireland of UpLift! said the non-profit has spent five years building its Jasper mural festival and is now seeking support to bring it to Valemount. The proposal is personal for the organizers, as Valemount welcomed Jasper residents during the 2024 wildfire evacuation. “When the wildfire hit Jasper, Valemount gave our people refuge and community when we needed it most,” said Ireland. “We think that strengthened the bond between our communities, and we’d love for UpLift! Valemount to

be another way of continuing that relationship.” Ireland said conversations with Valemount residents and artists since the fire have revealed interest in a festival shaped by the community. In Jasper, organizers have seen the murals bring artists and residents together, build community pride and give visitors public art to discover throughout the year, he said. The proposal remains in its early stages. Ireland said UpLift! presented the idea to Valemount council in August, seeking feedback and a letter of support for a public art grant application. Council provided the letter, but there is currently no funding or operating agreement between UpLift! and Valemount. UpLift! plans to submit its grant application this fall, accompanied by letters of community support. Through the fall and winter,

organizers intend to seek sponsors and partners, identify suitable walls and obtain permission from their owners. The number of murals that can be painted will depend on how much money is raised. One grant Ireland is pursuing is through the Columbia Basin Trust’s Public Arts Program. He told Valemount council the application was due at the end of September, and council approved a letter of support. Ireland also mentioned other potential grants, including funding through the Columbia Kootenay Cultural Alliance, but did not say UpLift! had applied for those. He said a local organization, such as the Valemount Arts and Cultural Society, could apply for funding on the festival’s behalf because UpLift! is registered in Alberta. If funding comes together, an artist call and selection process would follow between January and

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March 2027, along with the development of mural concepts. Organizers hope to hold the Valemount festival in May, immediately after UpLift! Jasper, allowing the two events to share equipment, artists and coordination efforts. Walls, dates and the scale of the event have yet to be finalized. Ireland said residents and businesses can help by offering a wall, sponsoring the festival, volunteering or writing a letter of support. UpLift! said it has already received supportive letters from Valemount businesses, organizations and artists, as well as council. More information is available at passport.upliftfest.ca/valemount. Those interested in participating can contact Ireland at logan@upliftfest.ca or 780-852-8382, or email oliver@upliftfest.ca. This article originally appeared in The Rocky Mountain Goat.

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2026

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New series focuses on challenges of sports in the north Erica McLean’s work can be seen on TELUS Optik now and on YouTube Nov. 24 CHRISTINE DALGLEISH Citizen Staff

Prince George storyteller Erica McLean, is premiering her new docuseries called Narrative North Sport: Changing the Narrative as part of Telus StoryHive Voices program. Erica McLean, who lives in Prince George, is from the Gitxsan First Nation and grew up on reserve in Hazelton. She is an Indigenous leader, an author and was just re-elected as an SD 57 trustee. “This story has really been developing for so many years,” McLean said. CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

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Erica McLean’s docuseries called Narrative North Sport: Changing the Narrative features young Northern BC athletes.

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Erica McLean is now thinking about another season CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE “First with my experience in working in education and being involved in the sport world for so long and then at the urge of people in the community who had said this could be a really good opportunity and I have always wanted to explore visual story-telling. It’s an opportunity to be creative and to be a story teller and I like to think of this project as me developing my Indigenous story telling roots in that I am trying to bring people along in the real experience of what I am trying to share here.” The docuseries consists of six mini episodes built around the powerful idea that people in northern and remote communities have never lacked talent but have often lacked access to the same resources and opportunities as those who live in bigger urban centres. The series explores what it takes for athletes in rural and remote communities to reach higher levels of competition. “The broader idea and intention of this is what I get to witness so often in my sport world,” McLean said. “We talk so much about how we have ‘less than’ in smaller communities and northern cities. We have a lot of deficits in comparison to urban centres and yes, that may be true but there are also a lot of strengths that our smaller communities and cities have and that’s the other side of the coin that I really wanted to draw attention to because I like to think of myself as the person who kind of challenges the norm or the narrative a little bit and invites people to see things through a different lens. That’s what I hope to do with this project about the sport world in general.” McLean starts the docuseries with two episodes telling her story of movement and sport becoming her connection to the land and to her Indigenous culture, she added. “But I really had to give myself permission to do that,” McLean said. “And I wanted to share this because I believe there are so many youth who do the same thing — if we don’t speak our language or if we don’t participate in

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Erica McLea, uses weightlifting as a way to encourage youth to follow their dreams and know they can succeed through hard work and determination.

our traditional dance groups there’s this perception if I don’t do that then I am not Indigenous enough. So the reason I wanted to share these stories is to take up that space and remind people that we have to give ourselves permission to define what Indigeneity and what connections to culture means for us.” After those first two episodes McLean then goes out into community to talk about the joys and sense of community experienced through sport, she added. “And how we have amazing, passionate leaders out there so I interviewed some sport leaders, some athletes who they themselves care so much about this work and they might be amazing athletes on the (basketball) court but they are also leading in differing ways in our own community so really wanting to draw attention to that next generation of leadership and what it looks like today,” McLean said. “And then, of course, true to my nature I always want to end with the optimistic hope and that call to action so in the final episode I interview two amazing young athletes and leaders in Prince George who talk about what they want to do, where they want to take their sport and the advice they would offer younger athletes because like I mentioned – sure we have a lot of challenges to build, grow and maintain sport in smaller communities but these athletes are doing it. They are showing up every day. They just see this as their reality and they are just going to keep showing up in the best way they know how and they are doing amazing things and I am really just wanting to draw

attention to those hopeful and optimistic stories of these young athletes in Prince George and in the northern region.” But that’s not all. Telus StoryHive Voices program will also extend the adventure by offering funding for seasons two and three of a docuseries. So when I asked McLean if she would consider continuing with the series at first all I heard was her laughter on the other end of the phone. “Thank you so much to Telus StoryHive and a huge shout out to my program manager Erin Shaw because I struuuuuuggled,” McLean chuckled. “I struggled to complete this project. There are many roles that I have and hats that I currently wear so it was a lot of competing priorities and meeting the deadline and, of course, trying to figure out it all out took a lot of learning for sure.” And after saying that she continued. “I would absolutely want to explore

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and develop the idea for a season two and continuing on and I share with folks all the time that I hope this is an audition because I look at this project and I think there is so many things I want to fix. There’s so many things that aren’t even close to perfect but again going back to the idea that we make the conversation exist so we can make it better along the way so that’s my hope — that we can continue this and it will only get better. The story is what matters the most here and I really hope folks go and check it out.” You can watch the full series now on TELUS Optik TV Video on Demand channel 9 and Stream+. Catch the full series on STORYHIVE’s YouTube channel starting November 24, 2026. Since 2013 StoryHive has supported thousands of creators across BC and Alberta, investing over $74.8 million in production funding, training, mentorship, and distribution on TELUS Optik TV and online channels.

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2026

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Prince George Symphony ready for adventurous new season On the schedule is Elf: The Musical, with Judy Russell’s Enchainement Dance Centre CHRISTINE DALGLEISH Citizen Staff

The Prince George Symphony Orchestra is ready for its new season of live entertainment as we all settle into the winter months. The symphony has its Mainstage performances, family concerts, chamber socials and will ring in the holiday season with a brand newto-you production of Elf: The Musical, which will be a collaboration with Judy Russell’s Enchainement Dance Centre. “I’m proud of the variety of concerts we offer at the PGSO – we have different concert series like the Mainstage, which is the full orchestra and then we have the chamber socials which is a smaller group, more intimate, sometimes a string quartet or a woodwind quintet, so much few players and then we have our family concerts, which are completely geared towards young people and families,” Hall said. “I am very proud of the different offerings we have for different segments of our community — there is something for everyone we hope.” During the Mainstage performances at Vanier Hall the season starts with Wavelengths on Sunday, Oct. 25 at 2 p.m. This concert features Canadian cellist Cameron Crozman who performs for audiences all over the world. Performed during the show is music by Rimsky-Korsakov, Saint-Saens, Debussy and Borodin. This event offers orchestral flair showcasing the celebratory Russian Easter Overture, energetic Cello Concerto No. 1, Petite Suite, and Polovtsian Dances. The Roots Beneath will take place on Saturday, Nov. 21 at 7:30 p.m. Rooted in nature, art and literature comes the music of Gimon,

CITIZEN FILE PHOTO

Michael Hall, music director at the Prince George Symphony Orchestra, talks about the symphony’s upcoming season and all it has to offer.

Respighi, Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff. The music grows into an impressive finale of Rachmaninoff’s second piano concerto featuring Carter Johnson, an international competition-winning pianist. Discover Mendelssohn will take place on Saturday, Jan. 30 at 7:30 p.m. “This is a different type of concert than the usual,” Hall began. “And what I really love about this is the purpose of this sort of format is to pull the curtain back of Mendelssohn’s Italian symphony.” So if you don’t know much about the piece Hall will be talking about it during the first half of the concert, he explained. “We have visual elements, so pictures of Mendelssohn and all the things the influenced him,” Hall said. “He took a trip to Italy, of course, and that’s why it’s called the Italian symphony and he’s a bit of a painter so we’ll show some of his pieces — everything that informs the listener about what makes this

piece so great. So we’ll play musical examples by the whole orchestra, so we’ll perhaps look at the first movement and we’ll compare this scene to that scene and then the orchestra will play just a little bit of it so the audience can get familiar with what these scenes are and how they work together. So we kind of take it apart a little bit.” Then after the intermission the Prince George Symphony Orchestra will play the entire symphony from top to bottom, he added. “And I just love it because I think if you know a little bit more of the music I think that it can only enhance your enjoyment of it,” Hall said. “Sure you can just sit and enjoy classical music, enjoy the music and the melodies, the musicians on the stage and all that we do and that’s wonderful but I also think there’s an element of the more you know how it works, why it was composed, what was Mendelssohn thinking about when he composed it, all these little facts lends

themselves to full enjoyment. I also think it’s a great concert for someone who maybe has never gone to a concert because there are some preconceived ideas about classical music — ‘it’s stuffie and it’s not for me, I don’t know anything about classical music so why would I go?’ and I hear this all the time and that’s fair and so this is the type of concert where if you just want to stick your toe in the water and see what it’s like. I think it’s a great way to give it a try.” The PGSO has been doing discovery concerts just like the upcoming Discover Mendelssohn for the last five years, Hall added. The next concert is something the PGSO hasn’t done in at least 10 years and that’s called Rated Prince George — PG Goes to the Movies on Sunday, March 7, 2027 at 2 p.m. “It’s the first concert where we’re going to perform music from the movies,” Hall said. At times during their Pops in the Park concerts the symphony will perform Broadway music or movie music but it’s not been done as a Mainstage concert, he added. “We’ve never dedicated a whole concert to the great soundtracks of movies so this is a bit of change and again I’m expecting a great turnout because it’s another example of music that you may not expect from us – it’s music that’s a little more popular, just think Star Wars and Pirates of the Caribbean. In fact, right now I’m looking at a bunch of options and the choices are just incredible and I’m trying to narrow it down from all these movie soundtracks that are available for orchestra. So right now I’m trying to figure out which should we do and which should we leave out. It’s going to be a really popular and familiar and exciting music that we’re going to play for our audience members.” CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

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PG’s outdoor fun lasts right into fall

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Ruby VanBieken, 3, and her brother Ryker, 5, enjoy the mud-flinging action with their family during day two of the 2026 PG Mud Bogs by Bearded Boggers event at Nitro Motorsports Park on Sunday, Sept. 27. While the kids were wearing ear protection for the event, they may need earmuffs this weekend. Fall weather is expected to feel a bit more like winter in the days ahead, with daytime highs just above zero Friday and Saturday with the possibility of snow flurries. CITIZEN PHOTO BY CHUCK NISBETT

New schedule includes a diverse mix of performances CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE The final concert in the Mainstage series is called Trailblazer that takes place on Saturday, May 8, 2027 at 7:30 p.m. that features groundbreaking music by Nobles, Mozart and Beethoven. This season finale celebrates artistic courage and features Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante in E flat that showcases experimental freedom, while Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 will star PGSO’s own Katherine Peter on violin and Calvin Yang on viola. And we have to talk about Elf: The Musical as this is a brand-new adventure for the PGSO “We’ve worked with Judy before and two years ago we did Sweeney

Todd and that was really the first official collaboration between the PGSO and Judy Russell’s Enchainement Dance Centre although of course as everyone knows every second year we do The Nutcracker with Judy so it’s not like we haven’t worked with her before,” Michael Hall, PGSO music director, said. He added that presenting Sweeney Todd with Judy Russell was a wonderful experience. “It was thrilling, it was demanding, there was a lot of moving pieces for that musical as we had the orchestra on stage as well as the singers,” Hall said. “So we wanted to do something again and the questions was what do we do? We thought Christmas

time would be a good time and then we thought about Christmas musicals and we eventually settled on Elf because we wanted something light hearted, up lifting and fun and family friendly for the holidays.” Hall said he thought Prince George would be open to a production like this because when he went to attend concerts ahead of the holidays last year everything was sold out and organizations who started out presenting one performance ended up adding more to meet demand. “Everybody was really eager, it seemed, to go out around the holidays and take in a show,” Hall said. With Judy Russell taking the lead

everyone involved was convinced it would be well received by the Prince George community, he added. “And we are thrilled that we landed on Elf: The Musical as our collaboration this year,” Hall said. “It’s always great to work with Judy, she’s so professional and has so much energy and all the people she has on her team are just fantastic and it’s going to be just so much fun to do.” There will be five shows including Friday, Dec. 18 at 7 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 19 at 2 and 7 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 20 at 2 and 7 p.m. For more information and tickets to all the symphony shows visit https://pgso.com/

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2026

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Beautiful BC calendar a boost for BC Children’s Hospital Prince George artist Rick Mintz is doing his part CHRISTINE DALGLEISH Citizen Staff

Rick Mintz, Prince George artist, strikes again. It’s old school, but we appreciate a good calendar to mark special events on specific dates - a trend I’m looking to revive despite all the smartphones in the world doing it electronically. Put pen to paper to keep track of your dates. You know, like how knitting and crocheting have made a comeback? Pickling and canning? Making your own jam? Quilting? Let’s make it cool to have a hardcopy calendar at your fingertips again. To make it even more appealing, let’s turn the calendar into a fundraiser for BC Children’s Hospital and feature original paintings created on canvas by Mintz, just as he has done for years. It gets even better: Mintz takes it one step further by putting the original paintings up for sale, with the proceeds also going to BC Children’s Hospital. The theme for the 2027 calendar is Beautiful BC, and Mintz has spent the past two years exploring the province, taking photographs of many of the images featured in the calendar himself. He started the series by painting Mount Robson and went from there. “We went to Prince Rupert and then over to Vancouver Island,” said Mintz. On the way back, he stopped in Witset, formerly known as Moricetown. It’s a funny little story about how Mintz got involved in fundraising for BC Children’s Hospital. “I really have no connection to BC Children’s Hospital other than the fact that, years ago, Rob

CITIZEN PHOTO BY CHRISTINE DALGLEISH

Rick Mintz has created his 2027 calendar with the theme Beautiful BC. This is his annual BC Children’s Hospital fundraiser and so far he’s raised more than $25,000 for the cause. He’ll will be at Studio Fair again this year to sell his fundraising calendar.

Mitchell from the radio station asked me to help with the golf tournament we used to run as a fundraiser,” said Mintz. “So when he left, I took over the golf tournament, and then COVID came along and that was the end of it. I tried to get it going again afterward, but I had no volunteers. They had all done it for 13 or 14 years, and they were done.” In the meantime, Mintz had taken all these photographs along the Cariboo Highway and, out of the blue, decided to try his hand at painting. “I’ve always made a calendar for my family, mostly using my own photographs, so I decided to make one to sell, with the idea of donating the proceeds to BC Children’s Hospital,” said Mintz. “That first year, I sold 157, and I was absolutely shocked. I could see there was room for this to happen.”

So he kept going. He’s realistic about his customer base. “When I’m at Studio Fair, if somebody comes by and they’re 40 years old or younger, I know I’m not selling. If somebody comes by and they’re 50 and up, I know I’ve got a good chance,” Mintz said with a laugh. Over the years, Mintz has consistently charged just $20 for each calendar. He likes to keep things simple. Nowadays, his calendars are so popular that he has sold more than 400 in each of the past two years and hopes to do the same again this year. All told, he has raised more than $25,000 for BC Children’s Hospital and continues to fundraise because more than 4,000 children from the Northern Health region visit the hospital each year. Mintz talked about his relationship with the fundraising

facilitators at BC Children’s Hospital. “Right off the bat, I got so much help from the hospital when I started this project,” said Mintz. “No matter what I need, all I do is send off an email, and I get balloons. They even send me a new shirt every year,” said Mintz, pointing to his Small But Mighty shirt. “It’s a big help. Two years ago, I had 10 calendars left over that I hadn’t sold, so I sent them to the hospital and told them to give them to the mothers of children staying there. One mother actually emailed me because she was so thankful. That was kind of neat.” Every year, Mintz hears from people buying calendars about their connections to BC Children’s Hospital. “Their kids have been to the hospital, their grandkids have been there, or they themselves were patients when they were children,” said Mintz. “Some people don’t even want the calendar. They just hand me cash to donate because it’s for such a good cause. There’s a financial planner in town who gives me $200 every year and only wants two calendars. My friend in Saskatchewan always wants 10 calendars and gives me $300. So there have been about $2,000 in cash donations on top of the money raised through calendar sales. Prince George is a very generous community.” Mintz’s calendars are available at Studio 2880, Omineca Arts Centre, Books & CO, and the Central BC Railway & Forestry Museum. He sells the most at Studio Fair, which will be held at the CN Centre from Oct. 30 to Nov. 1 this year. You can find him among the local non-profits on the concourse level, tucked away on the right-hand side just after you round the first corner. Don’t worry — you can’t miss him. He’s the tall guy with the great smile!

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COMMUNITY

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2026

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NATASHA LEPINE PAINTING

Natasha Lepine’s Preoccupied depicts her husband looking out at the ocean while storm watching in Tofino. Lepine said the piece carries a sense of melancholy, leaving viewers to wonder what the subject might be thinking.

Artist brings BC’s hidden landscapes to Quesnel gallery KHUSHI ARORA

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Young Métis artist Natasha Lepine invites viewers to look beyond BC’s familiar landscapes and reflect on the places, histories and stories that might otherwise go unnoticed. Lepine is bringing this perspective to the Quesnel Art Gallery through Naakatwayihtamihk/Reflect, an exhibition that invites viewers to consider some of British Columbia’s hidden landscapes. Long before Lepine began travelling the backcountry with oil paints in tow, she was drawn to places other people overlooked. “I like to go out and go through backcountry roads and then find a landscape that I think is underappreciated in itself, and then try to show it some love through my artwork,” Lepine said. As a child, she would draw beneath windowsills and kitchen tables — spaces she felt were unseen and deserved love. Years later, that instinct remains at the heart of her work as a plein-air oil painter. “I would describe myself as a plein-air oil painter, which means I like to go out and paint on location,” Lepine said. Naakatwayihtamihk, a Michif title that Lepine said means “reflect,” brings together landscapes from across BC, including the Cariboo, Okanagan and Pacific Northwest. The exhibition

focuses on the natural beauty and deeprooted history of the province through plein-air oil paintings and interviews with locals. “British Columbia is such a huge province and most of it’s empty and it is filled in with these spots that we would never see if we’re just driving on the highway,” Lepine said. For Lepine, painting the land is also tied to identity. She traces some of her connection to nature to her Métis heritage and to generations before her who lived and worked closely with the land. Her heritage is woven throughout the exhibition, with some works incorporating Métis symbolism. One piece depicts a bison with a Métis sash behind it. At the exhibition’s opening, Lepine recalled a visitor asking about the “beautiful red string” in the painting, giving her an opportunity to explain the sash and its historical uses in the Red River Settlement. “I think it’s important to show all these different aspects, all these different cultures, not just because it looks beautiful visually, but that it’s educational,” Lepine said. “It gets people’s minds kind of going and wondering and being curious, and that’s so important at any age.” Lepine also shared that she has experienced discrimination after identifying herself as Métis, making visitors’ curiosity about her culture particularly

meaningful. “It makes me feel very hopeful,” she said. “There are people out there that just want to know. They want to learn. They want to appreciate.” Lepine moved from Wells to Quesnel in 2008 as a teenager and initially wanted to leave the small city. She imagined moving to Vancouver and making it big as an artist. She spent time in Prince George and more than a year in the Lower Mainland before realizing how much she had taken Quesnel for granted. “While I was there in the Lower Mainland, I realized how much I truly took Quesnel for granted as a city,” Lepine said. Eventually, she returned, became involved in the local art community and discovered how substantial Quesnel’s visual and fine arts community actually was. Although Lepine had made art for as long as she could remember — including drawing Pokémon and anime characters as a child and later experimenting with acrylics — oil painting did not become part of her practice until 2023. She also spoke about a turning point in her life. A few years ago, she represented Quesnel as an ambassador for BC Culture Days, with each ambassador choosing a mentor. Lepine collaborated with Peter Corbett, a late oil painter from Wells. Working with Corbett marked her

first experience with plein-air painting outside her usual routine. “Something opened up with him where I felt like, this is how I want to work in the long run. This is what I want to do with the skills that I’m learning with him,” Lepine said. Corbett later died of cancer, Lepine said, and she struggled to paint afterward. Colours did not feel right, and she was disappointed with her finished work. But she remembered Corbett’s philosophy: “You just have to paint even on the bad days.” Lepine explained that stopping completely would not help her through the difficult period; she had to keep working through it. “He’s right, always is and always will be,” Lepine said. Whether it is a backcountry pond, a changing river, a night sky or a landscape altered by wildfire, Lepine hopes visitors leave the gallery paying closer attention to their surroundings — and remembering that those places may not always look the same. “Hold on to the place that they see in that moment,” she said. “Try to kind of take a picture mentally.” Naakatwayihtamihk/Reflect is on display at the Quesnel Art Gallery until Thursday, Oct. 29. The gallery is located at 500 North Star Rd. and is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2026

PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN

Throwback Thursday: Week of October 22

October 22, 1969: Installation of a storm sewer got a little more complicated when city work crews broke a water main nearby. Upland Village and Sherwood Court apartments were only without water for a few hours. Citizen File Photo by Robertson.

L.O.C.F.

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October 24, 1979: The CN yards undertook an expansion program with the intention of improving rail traffic. Citizen File Photo by Tim Swanky.

October 22, 1999: The $9.8-million Hart Middle School project was well underway. When finished the school had roughly 750 students in Grades 6 through 8 with the hope of reducing overcrowding at Kelly Road Junior Secondary School. Pictured from left was carpenter Al Mathews, project manager Ken Saski and carpenter Jim Hembling. Citizen File Photo by Brent Braaten. October 26, 2009: Daniel Stratton, 12, and Stefanie Stratton, 9, were able to take advantage of the first snowfall of 2009 on Oct. 25. “Frosty” wasn’t expected to survive to Tuesday with rain and a high of 5 on the forecast. Citizen File Photo by Brent Braaten.

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Local Sports

Jared Young puts Prince George on MLB map New York Mets starting first baseman well on road to recovery after injury TED CLARKE Citizen Staff

Ever wonder about the conversations Major League Baseball first basemen have with opposing batters between plays when they reach base? Jared Young provided some insight. The day before leaving Arizona to fly home to Prince George for a Thanksgiving weekend visit with his family, the 31-year-old New York Mets first baseman was asked about those conversations on the diamond. It turns out players want to know: Where the heck is Prince George? “It comes up quite a bit. At Citi Field and a lot of other stadiums, it comes up on the board and it’ll say where you’re from,” said Young. “One of the good things about first base is you talk to a lot of people, and it’s pretty funny how many conversations I’ve had about Prince George at first base, kind of describing to people where it is. “I’m really proud to be from there. It’s something I take a ton of pride in.” While it’s rare for a Canadian to make it to the big leagues — just 24 players who started the season on a major league roster were born in Canada - before Young came along, it was unheard of for a Prince George Youth Baseball product to have the opportunity to make a name for himself playing among the best of the best. He’s the only professional baseball player Prince George has ever

produced. Considering the city’s

in New York, the biggest baseball

became an everyday MLB starter in MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PHOTO

Jared Young heads off the field after he hit a pair of doubles for the New York Mets in a 7-3 win over the Kansas City Royals on July 9, 2026 at Citi Field in New York. It was Young’s 31st birthday.

cold climate and short, three-month youth baseball season, that makes him a freak of nature. And while he’s the first Prince George player to make it, a bunch of kids in the city are following his career, and Young thinks he won’t be the last. “If it wasn’t a baseball town before, I hope it sure can be now,” he said. “Maybe it will be now.” Like Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper, one of the winningest coaches in NHL history, Young has put Prince George on the map as one of the city’s most famous faces ever — maybe even more so than Mr. PG. Young makes his living playing

market there is. It simply doesn’t get more intense than that. The Mets drew 2.7 million fans to Citi Field this season, and their television audience over the course of a 162-game season reached 40.5 million. Considering he plays first base, where a high percentage of defensive plays end up, that’s a lot of screen time for Young. “There’s just a lot of eyes. It’s a big market, and we’re supposed to win. When we don’t, they hold us accountable,” said Young. “They expect to win. It comes with the territory. It’s part of the game.” For the first time in his 10-year professional baseball career, Young

2026. He made the Mets’ 45-player roster in spring training and played 103 games, a total that would have been higher if not for injuries. He missed six weeks from midApril to late May with a torn meniscus in his left knee that required surgery. Then, with 10 games left in the season, Young suffered the most serious injury of his career during a Sept. 17 game in New York against Philadelphia. In the sixth inning, he collided with Mets pitcher Nolan McLean as both tried to field a weak grounder hit by Phillies batter Justin Crawford. CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2026

SPORTS

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Young sees his ‘good year’ as a serious stepping stone CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE Young lunged toward the bag, trying to barehand the ball with his right hand, as McLean leaped to avoid him. McLean’s knee struck the side of Young’s head with full force as he jumped. Young was knocked unconscious and suffered a concussion, but he made a quick recovery and was feeling much better the day before boarding his flight to Prince George. He expects to be ready for the start of spring training in February. “It’s getting a lot better. There’s been progress, and it’s been a couple of weeks now, so it’s nice that things are getting back to normal,” said Young. “It’ll take some time. I’m having some hearing issues, but hopefully it’ll all be good in due time.” He still has no memory of the incident beyond what he’s seen in replays. “It was a pretty typical game day. We practised and had a night game, and I remember my first at-bat and the first couple of innings,” he said. “Then the next thing I knew, I was coming around in the hospital with (wife) Julia, the trainer and one of the doctors. It was strange. At about 11 p.m., my normal brain came back. I knew it was the end of September, we were playing the Phillies, and I wondered why my ear hurt so much. “Most of the time, when something like that happens in baseball, it’s nobody’s fault. It’s just a strange play that probably will never happen again.” While it was a tough season for the Mets, who had hoped to return to the playoffs and replicate their 2024 campaign, when they reached the National League Championship Series, Young emerged as one of the team’s bright spots. After seven years in the Chicago Cubs organization and a half-season stint with the St. Louis Cardinals’

Triple-A team in Louisville, Young left midway through the 2024 season to play in South Korea for the Doosan Bears. That December, he joined the Mets on a one-year contract and spent most of 2025 with their Triple-A team in Syracuse. This year, the Mets cycled through a platoon of players at first base in an attempt to replace Pete Alonso, who signed as a free agent with Baltimore. The left-handed-hitting

Young quickly rose to the top of the group. He was not only one of the team’s best hitters but also provided exceptional defence. He made just five errors in 89 games at first base and proved his versatility by covering the outfield corners as well. Young slashed .266/.330/.429, with nine home runs, 82 hits, 39 RBIs and three stolen bases. His .303 batting average with runners in scoring position led the team, while

NEW YORK METS PHOTO

Jared Young runs the bases in a game against the Washington Nationals on Aug. 16, 2026 at Citi Field in New York.

his .759 on-base plus slugging (OPS) ranked second among Mets players. “It was nice to get consistent playing time and kind of be able to run with it a little bit,” said Young. “I know there’s a lot more in there, and I really wish I could have played better throughout the year. I’m going to say that every year. “I know there were about 10 games left when I got hurt, and I wish I’d been able to play those 10 games. It was kind of a strange end to the season, not your typical injury and not something I wanted to define my season.” The Mets went 74-88 in the National League East and finished fourth in the division, but they closed the season strongly, posting a 27-22 record after the Aug. 1 trade deadline. “At the end of the year, we kind of showed the team we can be. We played a lot better when everyone got healthy,” said Young. “The combination of superstars like Bo (Bichette), Francisco (Lindor) and Juan (Soto), along with the young guys playing really well, makes it a pretty deep team. I think the pieces are there to be a great team, and I’m just looking forward to next year.” On a team with an annual payroll of $347 million, Young was a bargain at $1.015 million. New York can retain him on the roster at that salary for two more seasons before he becomes eligible for salary arbitration. “It was a good year, and I want to use it as a stepping stone because I know there’s more in there,” he said. “I think I can be a great player in this league, and I think I showed a little bit of that this year. Now it’s about taking that next step, being more consistent and spending more time on the field. “Granted, with how much time I missed and having surgery in the middle of the year, I’m pretty proud of how I played and proud of how I battled through some stuff.”

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SPORTS

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2026

Cassie Keeping joins bodybuilding big leagues

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Decade-long focus on her sport leads to a title on a Vancouver stage TED CLARKE Citizen Staff

In the eyes of the bodybuilding world, Cassie Keeping is now a certified professional. After years of strict dieting, exercise and rest, decades of weight training and physical fitness activities, and a lifetime of healthy living and learning how her body responds to exercise and nutrition, the 37-year-old Prince George native has earned her pro card. Keeping captured the International Fitness and Bodybuilding Federation (IFBB) women’s wellness Open Class D pro qualifier on July 25 in Vancouver. Earning her pro card is a life-changing accomplishment, one she hopes will lead her to bodybuilding’s ultimate stage: the IFBB Ms. Olympia competition in Las Vegas. “It’s been a 10-year journey,” said Keeping. “Now I’m a very small fish in a very big pond. The standard of athlete is so high that it’s basically like going up against Arnold Schwarzenegger. Those are the people who have their pro cards in the IFBB Pro League. It’s the only federation that leads to the Olympia. It’s the NHL, the gold standard of bodybuilding. It’s so hard to qualify.” Keeping lives in Perth, Australia, where she works as a wellness coach. To prepare for competition, she went through a 20-week dieting phase leading up to her first show, the Western States event in Australia, where she won the wellness class. She followed that up with a fourth-place finish at the Australian national amateur championships in May. “It’s very competitive, and there are only two chances a year there

TWIXPIX PHOTOGRAPHY

Prince George native Cassie Keeping, left, reacts after winning the International Fitness and Bodybuilding Federation (IFBB) women’s wellness Open Class D pro qualifier July 25, 2026 in Vancouver.

to get your pro card,” said Keeping. “The calibre of athletes grows over time, and it’s gotten quite competitive over there.” In the wellness category, the emphasis is on the lower-body physique — hips, glutes, thighs and calves. Judges look for an hourglass figure with a well-toned upper body, with the back and shoulders smaller than the lower body. “They want an asymmetrical look. They want a strong upper body, but not one that’s intentionally disproportionate. They don’t want the upper body to be too dominant,” said Keeping. In the week before a show, she avoids eating any fat for eight days, subsisting on oats, egg whites, chicken, salad, steak and vegetables for supper, and a couple of pieces of fruit to achieve a lean look, all while drinking copious amounts of water.

“You basically deplete your body, and then when you add carbs and salt back in, all of a sudden you jump on stage and you look jacked,” she said. “You don’t cut your calories right away. You do it slowly and steadily, then see how much weight you lose over four to six weeks. You keep cutting calories so your body weight goes down, or you add extra cardio to burn more calories than you’re putting into your body.” Although she grew up running and still loves it, Keeping can’t do it while preparing for a show because she risks depleting her muscles too much, and her restricted diet won’t allow her to replace what she loses on a run. “I come from a performance-based background where you eat to fuel performance, but with bodybuilding, you need to fuel

fat loss,” she said. “When I was in track, I never had to worry. I could just eat what I wanted. I look fat now compared with what I was when I was on stage.” Keeping weighed 155 pounds at her show in Vancouver. Less than a month later, during her visit to Prince George, she had added 11 pounds to her five-foot-seven frame. The cycle of weight loss and severe nutritional restriction can be detrimental to overall health, especially for female bodybuilders, who sometimes experience interruptions in their menstrual cycles. “It can be a very unhealthy sport if you don’t have a good coach in your corner and if it’s not done professionally,” said Keeping, who follows the advice of her online coach, Scott Goble, in Melbourne. CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2026

SPORTS

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Parents travel to Vancouver to watch bodybuilder compete CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE “I know some girls who compete and have a coach who has no idea what they’re doing, and the only reason they want to compete is to look good in a bikini. If that’s your ‘why’ for getting on stage, you will absolutely crumble when things get tough. I don’t think it’s a sport women should get into until they’re older. “My first show was when I was 27, and I think having that performance-based background and growing up with an emphasis on being as strong as I can be meant the aesthetic part was always an afterthought, not something I was chasing.” Her parents, Carly and Kevin, were in Vancouver to watch her compete. For her mother, it was the first time she had seen Keeping on stage at a bodybuilding show, but not the first time she had watched her daughter captivate a crowd. Keeping often grabbed the spotlight growing up in Prince George as an accomplished gymnast and track star, foreshadowing her decorated career as a college sprinter in Michigan. She joined the Prince George Gymnastics Club at age three and competed until she was 16, then turned her focus to athletics with the Prince George Track and Field Club. That led the Prince George Secondary School graduate to a scholarship at Simon Fraser University. After a year at SFU, she transferred to Siena Heights University, an NAIA athletics program in Adrian, Mich. Keeping was a sprinter at Siena Heights from 2009 to 2013 and was a seven-time All-American as a 400metre and hurdles specialist. She set a school record in the 4 x 100metre relay and was inducted into the Siena Heights Hall of Fame this year, before the private, 110-yearold school closed permanently this

TED CLARKE PHOTO

Cassie Keeping got together with her dad Kevin during a visit to Prince George on Aug. 22, 2026, a month after she captured her pro card status as a bodybuilder.

past summer. After graduating with a degree in criminal justice, she became a personal trainer and nutritionist. After college, Keeping returned to Prince George and needed an athletic pursuit. Injuries sustained while running track meant more time in the gym recovering, and she got into CrossFit before local coach Kara Roberts introduced her to bodybuilding. She was immediately hooked. “I don’t know if it was the challenge of trying to master everything about the sport, because there are so many dimensions. There’s not only the performance in the gym, but also nutrition, posing and the years it takes to build the appropriate amount of muscle,” said Keeping. “It’s not something I could just go and be good at, like some of the sports I did growing up. “It just ignited something inside me, and I fell for the whole journey. I think it was the fact that the training was really hard and that it

takes a special person to dig deep when you’re eating only 1,000 calories a day and have to hit 12,000 to 16,000 steps. It’s a very different process.” Anabolic steroids, which help build muscle tissue when combined with exercise, have long been associated with bodybuilding. Their use is banned in natural, drug-tested associations, but they are widespread in the professional and open divisions of the IFBB Pro League and at Olympia competitions, where there is no routine drug testing. Keeping does not use steroids, which are prohibited in the IFBB natural pro wellness division, where competitors must complete a mandatory three-year drug-free period. She does take peptide supplements - chains of amino acids that attach to muscle receptors and help build protein. If she qualifies for the Olympia competition, she vows to compete without using steroids.

“I’m built for power and speed. I can clean and jerk 90 kilograms. I’m a very strong female,” she said. “We live in this industry and world where fitness has gotten completely muddled. People want quick fixes. They think it takes a year to achieve a physique like mine, but I’ve been lifting weights since I was 15 and competed at a high level in track and field. I’m very fortunate to have had a very positive influence throughout my life when it comes to training and the gym.” After 13 years in CrossFit, Keeping has focused exclusively on bodybuilding for the past two years while pursuing her pro card. Now that she has earned it, the plan is to ease off the throttle a bit. She and her husband, Alex MacPhail, an electrician, have lived in Australia or Bali for the past eight years. They want to start a family, which will keep her off the bodybuilding stage for at least the next two years.

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SPORTS

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2026

Jett Lajoie lifts Cougars to shootout win in Kelowna TED CLARKE Citizen Staff

Officially, Jett Lajoie is still looking for his first goal of the WHL season. Shootouts don’t count for personal statistics but they sure do for the team results, as the 19-year-old Prince George Cougars left winger reminded his teammates Saturday night in Kelowna. Lajoie scored the only goal of the shootout, burying a shot between the legs of Kelowna Rockets goalie Harrison Boettiger to cinch a 4-3 victory — the first road win of the season for Prince George. Lajoie has been snakebit this season trying to replicate the magic of his second WHL season, when he scored 21 goals in 2025-26, and so far he’s been held to two assists through nine games. But he was the hero on Saturday and his teammates came out to mob him, knowing he guaranteed a happy

bus ride home to Prince George. Peyton Shore made 37 saves to earn his second victory since joining the Cougars in a trade from Red Deer. The Rockets Lajoie outshot the Cats 40-22. The Cougars got down 2-0. Goals from Colton Lien and Jakub Frolo put the Rockets in the driver’s seat after one period, but the visitors came back with a Bratton fury late in Period 2. Tre Peck scored his first goal since his two-goal effort in the opening game of the season.

His third of the year came on a Cougars power play, 15:14 into the second. Less than a minute later, rookie defenceman Cooper Bratton scored his first WHL goal. The 17-year-old from Moosomin, Sask., has played just nine games over the past two seasons since being selected by the Cougars in the second round, 41st overall in the 2024 WHL Prospects Draft. The Cats’ power play struck again with 18 seconds left in the second period and Minnesota Wild draft pick Kayden Lemire potted his first of the season to give the Cougars 3-2 lead heading into third period. Eli Barrett tied it for Kelowna 12:52 into the third, forcing overtime for the third-straight game for the Rockets, who beat Portland 3-2 in OT Friday night. Five of Kelowna’s nine games this season have gone beyond the 60-minute time limit. Both teams had chances on overtime.

Spruce Kings improve to 7-3-0-0 KYLE ANDERSON Spruce Kings

Dominic Szczygiel and Charlie Spencer each scored twice and Cody Arnold made 34 saves as the Prince George Spruce Kings defeated the Langley Rivermen 5-1 on Saturday night at the George Preston Arena. The win improved the Spruce Kings BCHL record to 7-3-0-0 and they moved into a tie with Chilliwack for second place in the Coastal East Division. Szczygiel opened the scoring for the second straight game as he beat Karsen Chartier with a wrist shot at 3:52 after Vincent Croteau rushed the puck to centre ice and found Max Mahoney, who slipped it to Szczygiel for the finish. Just under three minutes later, the Spruce Kings cycled the puck nicely in the offensive zone, as Michael Denney and Daniel Podvalov were able to find Rhett Tubello, who scored his fourth of the season to make it 2-0 at 6:50. The

Spruce Kings were outshot 16-11 in the period but killed off both penalties taken. The second period was a long and wild frame that lasted 50 minutes, 37 seconds of real time and the Spruce Kings scored three times as the teams combined for 45 penalty minutes. Spencer scored at 10:53 while the teams were playing 4-on-4, going top shelf on Chartier to make it 3-0. The Kings and their league-leading power play went 2-for-4. Szczygiel scored his second of the night and sixth this season, deflecting a Ryan Wachtel shot past Chartier to make it 4-0. Spencer got his second of the game on the power play two minutes later as Nick Bianchi found him off the rush and he snapped it bar-down to make it 5-0. The Rivermen cashed in a power-play chance midway through the third period to cap the scoring. The Kings started their weekend trip with a 3-2 win Friday in Surrey.

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Lajoie came close on a backhander that hit off Boettiger’s glove and dropped near the goal line before it was covered. Shore got his blocker in the way of a breakaway shot from Rockets winger Cole Braunhausen late in the five-minute OT. In the shootout, Shore denied Frolo, Braunhausen and Tomas Poletin. Dmitri Yakutsenak and Peck were stopped by Boettiger in their shootout attempts. Lee Shurgot, the Cougars’ leading pointgetter, had three assists. Defenceman Arsenii Anisimov contributed a pair of assists. The win evened the Cougars’ record at 3-3-0-0, while Kelowna dropped to 4-2-2-1. The Cougars were set to host the Vancouver Giants Tuesday and Wednesday at CN Centre, then will prepare for a weekend (Friday and Saturday) doubleheader at home to the Tri-City Americans.

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PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2026

PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN

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ACROSS 1 Off-white 5 “Star Trek II” villain 9 Yoga pad 12 Lopsided win 13 -- the Great (kid-lit detective) 14 Yucatan “Bravo!” 15 Lead singer of Matchbox Twenty

17 Present location? 18 Most devious 19 Den fixture 21 ICU worker 22 No-frills 24 Big cheese 27 Warm-up run 28 Kitten calls 31 -- Jima 32 Noshed

33 Slangy denial 34 Arrears 36 Roast VIPs 37 Hereditary unit 38 Jazz legend Vaughan 40 Concerning 41 Prefix with violet 43 Social blunders 47 Egg -- yung

48 Workplace invitations 51 Sharing word 52 Sciences’ partner 53 Coup d’-54 Messy room 55 Diner dish 56 D.C. baseball team

DOWN 1 Blunders 2 “Neato!” 3 July birthstone 4 Says 5 Shoelace snarl 6 Deli choice 7 -- premium 8 Tree houses

9 Frenzied gathering 10 Lotion additive 11 Libretto 16 QVC alternative 20 Energy 22 Foul up 23 Ice and Bronze 24 Auction action 25 Have bills

26 Pitiful tale 27 Magazine for docs 29 Pallid 30 That ship 35 Pitch 37 Lincoln Center’s David -- Hall 39 Indian prince 40 U.K. fliers

41 Sci-fi vehicles 42 Lummox 43 “Gee whiz!” 44 Greek salad cheese 45 Part of Q.E.D. 46 Swift jets 49 -- pro nobis 50 “Dynamite” band

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2026

PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN

Life Events Ian Dennis Wellman

Frank Siegrist

September 29, 19 7 - September 2 , 2026

November 4, 1949 - October 9, 2026

Ian passed, four days short of age 89, at Hospice ouse during his favorite time of the year, hunting season. Ian was born in Vancouver and later lived in Fort Langley.

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Frank Siegrist, a beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend.

He is survived by his wife, Jeanelle Degagne, and her family. is children regory ellman of ilner, C, and his daughter, Abby Tom Smolik of urnaby, C granddaughter, egan Smolik of ancouver, C Ian s sister, Iris Sanders of rince eorge, C his brother, Les ellman Nytza of hite Rock, C ., many nieces and nephews, the Carver family, many friends, the Coffee ang at ine Center Steve, erne, en, ack, and others. Ian s early years were in trucking, namely C ony press, C Transport, and wan Transfer. e retired from North Central lywood in 199 . e then spent 22 years as a handyman at eritage Surgical ouse on 7th and ancouver St. in . e are thankful for nurses and staff at the 2nd and rd floors of N C for 90 days of your helping care for Ian. Special thanks to r. arred and assistant, elly, r. ampole and assistant, Leslie, r. . eddes ospice ouse, Carol and Sharon Rutherford of Salmon alley for support this last year, Rhonda all of race emorial of anderhoof, C, for arrangements and warm caring, our wonderful neighbours for the beautiful floral arrangements, food, treats, and cards of condolences. To my children, who were by my side, Thank you all. No service by Ian s request.

Frank will be lovingly remembered by his wife, Janice, and his children, Samantha (Paul) and Tyler (Tanya). His greatest legacy lives on through his family and his cherished grandsons, Ryan and Daniel, who brought him immense pride and joy. He will also be deeply missed by his beloved dogs, Freyja and Seena, who held a very special place in his heart. In his final years, Frank found great comfort, companionship, and happiness in his beloved dogs, Freyja and Seena, whose unconditional love brought warmth to his days. Above all, he cherished the love and support of his wife, Janice, and his family, who remained an important part of his life. The time spent with those closest to him brought him comfort and joy, and the love they shared will forever be treasured. Frank leaves behind a lifetime of memories and a lasting place in the hearts of those who loved him. Though his passing brings sadness, the moments shared, the bonds formed, and the love he gave will continue to be treasured by his family and friends. He will be remembered with warmth, affection, and love. A Celebration of Life was held on October 17th. Thank you to those who attended and shared memories and honoured Frank’s life. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations to Luvs Northern Rescue, an organization close to their hearts in recognition of the comfort and companionship Frank found in his dogs.

Scan here to view View local Obituaries online

Paddy (Patrick William) Clarke

ay 2 , 19 9 - August 21, 2026 Paddy Clarke of Parksville, BC, died of surgery complications on August 21st, 2026, in Royal ubilee ospital in ictoria at age 7. addy was born as atrick illiam Clarke on ay 2 ,19 9 to atrick Francis Clarke and Stella ary llen Clarke nee Courtney in urnaby, C. eloved husband, father, and grandfather, addy was an avid outdoorsman, SAR volunteer, and an active member of his church. ell-known as an endlessly entertaining and down-to-earth fellow with a lively sense of humour, addy was welcoming, kind, and generous to everyone. All were welcome at his table or on his boat. If the boat was nearly lost at sea or barely visible due to biting swarms of insects, that just made for a more colourful story around the table later. A er graduating from igh School in urnaby, addy served several years as a mechanic in the RCAF at various bases in astern Canada. Returning to C, he married the love of his life, ary lizabeth Liska, in 196 and they raised their family in rince eorge. A er working for 0 years in the local pulp mills, addy at ary s instigation moved to be near the ocean on ancouver Island, where he enjoyed a pleasant retirement including a second career as a baker with his beloved wife of years. e is sorely missed by all who knew him. addy s wife ary, son avid, and brothers alter and Courtney preceded him in death. e is survived by his sister Nora, alter s wife va, son rian ndie , and grandchildren Rebekah mother ailene , lizabeth, and Theodore, first cousins osephine, acqueline, aureen and anny, as well as numerous nephews, nieces, and cousins in estern Canada and the ritish Isles in addition to friends too numerous to mention. Services were held at the Catholic Church of the Ascension in arksville on October 17th, with local arrangements and memorial by ates emorial Services.

PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN

LIFE EVENTS

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2026

43

Celebration of Life celebration of life for Travis Betke at The Elder Citi en ecreation building, 2 th ve., Prince George on Saturday ov 2 , 2 2 from pm- pm

Michael Leonard Moore

19 Jul 1949 - 25 Oct 2017 Mike, Love you forever. Missing you always. You are in my thoughts every day. Love, Helen

In Loving Memory of

David Colin Fanshaw

October 27, 1939 – October 5, 2026 With heavy hearts, we announce the passing of David Colin Fanshaw of Prince George, BC, at age 86. Born in Prince George, David was a longtime automotive dealer, husband, father, grandfather, and family man. He shared 64 years of marriage and 68 years together with his beloved wife, Sharlene. He enjoyed fishing, the outdoors, and family time at their cabin on Bednesti Lake. David is lovingly remembered by his wife, Sharlene; daughter, Jodi Blight Corrigan; grandchildren, Cole Blight (Mik Price) and Danielle Corrigan; son, Scott Fanshaw (Chantal); grandchildren, Jacob and Halle; sister-in-law, Judith Jackson; nephew, Jason Fanshaw (Carrie); and great-nephews, Caden and Hunter. He is also survived by his sisters, Hilda Cassie and family, and Sandra Springman (Doug); as well as many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents, Colin Fanshaw and Anne Fanshaw; his brother, Ted Fanshaw; and his niece, Andrea Fanshaw. He is now reunited with them and his beloved pets, Dusty, Birkley, and Musa. Family and Friends Gathering Nov 7, 2026 at The Falls Golf Club (2pm-5pm) in Chilliwack. Forever loved and deeply missed

Honouring

those who have touched our lives email: frontdesk@pgcitizen.ca or call 250.562.2441

Ellen ‘Bernice’ Resch

November 7, 1929 - September 29, 2026 It is with the heaviest hearts and profound sadness we announce the passing of Ellen ‘Bernice’ Resch at the age of a er a brief and chaotic illness she is now at peace. Born in 2 in illarney Manitoba, the eldest daughter of Gordon nderson and Helen Bea e she spent the first eleven years of her life in Manitoba on the family farm before moving to ancouver with her mother father and younger sister Marian. She would tell the story of moving in the dead of winter from rural Manitoba to a very large and very rainy ancouver, this was both e citing and very confusing for a prairie girl. She married and had her si children, the pride and joy of her life. The family moved from ancouver to Prince George and finally settled in amloops in . n 2 they moved into their house on icola street and she later bought it in where she remained until her passing. She was beloved by so many throughout the years and those who walked through her door regularly; family, friends, and friends of family always felt welcomed in her home knowing they could stay as long as they wanted to or needed to, she never turned anyone away. My grandma is so loved and will be so missed. f you knew her, you knew she was the absolute best. She is survived by her beloved sister Marian. Her children Lynda, Brian, Gayle, Jim and Joanne. Her grandchildren Susan, Brittney, icole, Lorne, onnie, Jamie, Shayne and Jamie. Her great-grandchildren James, Gabby, Sam, Ma , llie, Sophia, Mason, Chloe, Tanner, Callie, Tristan and her three great-great grandchildren as well as her dog Mit i. She is pre-deceased by her mother Helen ( ) father Gordon ( ) and son Billy ( ) as well as her many dogs and cats throughout the years. nyone who knew my grandma knew how warm, tough and funny she was. She deeply cared about her family and was always a safe and welcome place to land. She was a life long baker, lover of cookbooks, lover of owers, shopping (a sale loved to see her coming) reading and gossip. veryone would always comment on how spry, sharp and witty she was for being such an advanced age. e re so grateful we had so many years with her.

Brent Douglas Goerz

February 12, 1968 - October 6, 2026 It is with immense sorrow that we announce the passing of Brent Douglas Goerz, who died unexpectedly but peacefully on October 6, 2026. Born February 12, 1968 in Calgary, AB, Brent spent the majority of his childhood on a farm in Snow ake, MB where he was raised in the Mennonite faith. He attended Providence Theological College, then earned a BSW from the niversity of Manitoba, and later his MS from UNBC. Around 1990, he moved to Prince George to start his social work career. ver the many years he worked at MCFD, orthern Health, and in private practice, Brent was known for his ceaseless drive to make lasting positive change, empathy, adventure, and an incomparable talent to connect on a personal level with everyone he met along the way. Brent is survived by his adoring wife, llison McDonnell, his loving parents, Harry and Dolores, and his siblings, Byron and Deb ( vi). He leaves behind his children oah, Jakob (Micayla), iver ( my), his cherished chosen son and daughter, Jackson and rika, as well as his precious dog, Pumpkin. He is predeceased by his beloved eldest son, Ba ter. He will also be greatly missed by his grandchildren, lijah, loise, and ugust; nephews, Harry, David, Spencer, and Preston; nieces, Savannah and inley; and innumerable aunts, uncles, cousins, friends and colleagues. celebration of life will be held Saturday, ctober th at PM at estwood Community Church, 2 5 spika Boulevard South, Prince George, BC. livestream will be made available as well. eception to follow. n lieu of owers, donations can be made in his name to ew Beginnings Men Shed, mineca rts Council, C, and any First esponders charity of choice.

Celebrate those special moments

t her re uest there will be no service and in lieu of owers please consider a donation to orthern Hope Dog escue Society in her name as she was a life long animal lover. e learned a er her passing that she would carry with her newspaper clippings, notes and obituaries from over the years that she would look at fre uently, we hope this would make her proud. Sunrise on the day she was born and sunset on the day she passed

email: frontdesk@pgcitizen.ca or call 250.562.2441

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      286   

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Soonats’ooneh Community Health Centre

Formerly Central Interior Native Health Society

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5th of November 2026 6:00pm to 7:00pm Please enter through 385 George Street The meeting will be held on the second floor. Please contact (250) 614-2031 if you require any assistance. In order to attend virtually, contact info@ s as e or phone: (250) 614-2031 Please RSVP by 29 October, 2026 Providing Service since 1993 Everyone Welcome

CASH FOR GOLD & SILVER Coins, jewelry, nuggets, bullion sterling, etc. Also buying entire COIN COLLECTIONS Todd 250-864-3521

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PLEASE RECYCLE THIS NEWSPAPER

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PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN

* On Nov. 2, 1986, Norwegian distance won • On runner Sept. 7,Grete 1776,Waitz the American hersubmersible eighth Newcraft York City attempted marathon, Turtle to finishing 26-mile, course attach athe time bomb to385-yard the hull of Britmore a mile ahead of theflagship, secondish than Admiral Richard Howe’s andEagle, third-place in themarking race. in Newwomen York Harbor, In 1988, she for the ninth time, the first usewon of a itsubmarine in warfare. something no other marathon runner • On Sept. 8, 1664, Dutch Governor Peter Stuyvesant surrendered New Amsterdam, the capital of New Netherland, to an English naval squadron under Colonel Richard Nicolls. Stuyvesant hoped to resist the English but (March wasn’t a21popular ruler, his ARIES to April 19) and Some subjects refused their support. New flashes of ARIES ire might erupt as was changed to youAmsterdam’s confront anname unusually bewildering New York in honor of the Duke of situation. But you should be able to keep who organized its capture. yourYork, temper under control as you work through • Onit. Sept. 9, 1939, moviegoers at the Fox Theater in Riverside, California, TAURUS (Aprilto20 May 20) screenThe were treated anto unexpected marriage ‘twixt the arts and practicality, ing of Margaret Mitchell’s “Gone with which excel the Taureans Wind,” shown by at, the once theateragain manhighlights enjoyment of much ager as ayour second feature while produc-of the er week. However, you need watch David O. Selznick observedtotheir anyreactions sudden from urgethe to back splurge. of the theater. The movie was released a few months GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) Even with later.plusses apparently outweighing all the • On Sept.you 10, 1960, Hurricane Donthe minuses, still might want to na an struck the Florida Keys as atoCategodefer important decision make surerythat you The havedevastating all the facts you 4 storm. hurricane need. ultimately killed more than 350 people along its full path, including more than 150 in Puerto Rico and the mainland United States, and the name “Donna” was later retired. • On Sept. 11, 1971, teen idol Donny Osmond earned his first solo No. 1 hit with “Go Away Little Girl.” For years afterward, the singer admitted he would “apologize for my career, for all of the cheesy music I was a part of,” but eventually came to terms with it and said to himself that the music “was great for what it was, people loved it, it was incredibly successful — why should I feel bad?” • On Sept. 12, 1952, residents of Flatwoods, West Virginia, while investigating a possible UFO crash, encountered a creature they described as 10 feet tall with glowing eyes and claw-like hands. Skeptics, however, dismissed their “monster” as likely an owl. • On Sept. 13, 2007, the United Nations adopted the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which defined the rights of Indigenous peoples to their respective ways of life and prohibited discrimination against

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2026

45

had accomplished. * On Nov. 3, 1900, the first U.S. auto show opened at Madison Square Garden in New York, with automakers displaying 160 vehicles. Since early internal combustion engines were noisy, noxious and quite jarring, potential buyers of the period, not surprisingly, tended to favor steamand battery-powered models. * On Nov. 4, 1842, Abraham Lincoln, then a struggling lawyer, married Mary Todd at her sister’s home in Springfield, Illinois, after a two-year courtship and previously broken engagement that some historians

believe was linked to Lincoln’s history of depression. * On Nov. 5, 1968, Republican Richard Nixon defeated Vice President Hubert Humphrey in one of the closest presidential elections in American history, by less than 500,000 votes. Due to third-party candidate George Wallace’s strong showing, neither Nixon nor Humphrey received more than 50% of the popular vote. * On Nov. 6, 1988, Soviet scientist and human rights activist Andrei Sakharov embarked on a two-week visit to the United States, during which he petitioned the American government

and citizens to support Russian leader Mikhail Gorbachev’s policies of glasnost (political openness) and perestroika (economic reforms). * On Nov. 7, 1996, former NFL running back and Heisman trophy winner Mike Rozier narrowly survived being shot three times in his hometown of Camden, New Jersey, by Louis Pierce. Pierce was originally convicted and sentenced to life in prison, while maintaining his innocence and claiming he’d been incorrectly identified, but was released on $50,000 bail after serving 20 years of his sentence.

CANCER (June 21 to July 22) One or two problems might threaten to derail otherwise smoothly running situations at work or at home. But a few well-placed words should help get things back on track quickly.

LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) Be careful with how you handle a workplace matter that seems out of place in the schedule you’ve prepared. Before you act, one way or another, find out who set it up and why.

CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) If you’re stuck in one of those “the Goat knows best” moods, you might want to ease up and try listening to what others have to say. You could learn something.

LEO (July 23 to August 22) This could be a good time for all you LEOs and LEOnas in the spotlight to open your generous Lion’s hearts and share the glory with those who’ve helped you accomplish so much along the way.

SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) Your entertainment aspect is strong this week. Besides providing a wonderful break from everyday obligations, sharing fun times brings you closer to those you care for.

AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) A new challenge is getting closer, so you should now be out there showing facts and figures to potential allies to help persuade them to rally to your support. Good luck!

VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) Before investing time or money (or both) into a questionable matter, you might want to get advice from someone who has been there and knows these situations better than you do.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) Having a weekend fun fest? Your friend or relative who’s down in the emotional dumps could perk up if you find a way to include them in your plans.

PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Getting a head start on holiday plans could help free up some time later for you to spend on other projects. Meanwhile, a colleague has some ideas that you might find worth discussing.

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2026

PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN

Homes & Living

Beat the Chill: Why You Should Install Christmas Lights Early As temperatures drop and daylight hours shrink across Northern British Columbia, Christmas might still seem a long way off. But installing outdoor Christmas lights early can save time, improve safety and help homeowners get ahead of the winter weather. Avoid the winter hazards One of the biggest benefits of early decorating is avoiding the dangers of icy ladders, snow-covered roofs and freezing temperatures. October and early November can offer more comfortable working conditions than December, when snow and ice make outdoor tasks more challenging. Northern BC weather is unpredictable, so choose a dry, calm day and use proper ladder safety practices. Never climb onto an icy roof or stretch beyond your reach while

installing lights. Get ahead of the holiday rush The weeks before Christmas are often packed with shopping, baking and family commitments. Installing lights early means one less job to worry about when the holidays approach. It also gives homeowners time to plan their displays, test light strings, replace burnt-out bulbs and organize timers without rushing. Whether decorating rooflines, trees or shrubs, getting started early makes the process more enjoyable. Brighten the darker days Northern BC residents know how dark and gloomy late autumn and early winter can feel. Outdoor Christmas lights add colour and warmth to neighbourhoods, creating a welcoming

atmosphere during the longest nights of the year. For many families, putting up lights early is also a simple way to embrace the holiday spirit and enjoy the season a little longer. Check your equipment Before plugging in your display, inspect light strings, extension cords and connections for damage. Use products rated for outdoor conditions, follow manufacturers’ instructions and connect lights to ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI)protected outlets. Keep electrical connections clear of snow and standing water, and avoid overloading circuits. Installing lights early is more than a festive tradition; it is a practical way to prepare for winter. With a little planning, homeowners

can finish decorating before heavy snowfall arrives and spend December enjoying the results rather than battling the cold. Sometimes, the best time to get into the Christmas spirit is before winter truly sets in.

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47

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48

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2026

PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN

TO THE PEOPLE OF

PRINCE GEORGE

Thank you. Truly. While this election didn’t end the way I’d hoped, I’m incredibly grateful for everyone who supported me, encouraged me, challenged me, and took the time to be part of this campaign. I am especially grateful for the extraordinary opportunity I’ve had to serve Prince George for the past eight years. In 2018, I was a 25 year old guy with a lot of energy, a lot of ideas, and a genuine desire to make a difference. Prince George took a chance on me. Since then, I’ve had the privilege of serving our community, working alongside some incredible people, building lifelong friendships, tackling important issues, and learning a tremendous amount along the way. I haven’t gotten everything right. I’ve made mistakes, learned lessons, and grown a whole lot over those eight years - but I’ve always cared deeply about this city, and I’ve given the work everything I’ve got. I wouldn’t trade those eight years for anything. This campaign has been an incredible experience, too. I’ve knocked on thousands of doors, had countless conversations, listened to your ideas and concerns, and met so many wonderful people who care about Prince George and its future. I’m proud of the campaign we ran. I am proud of the ideas we brought forward, the positivity, and the people who came together to make it happen. To my campaign team and volunteers and donors… you guys kick ass. No

one campaigned better than you, and I don’t even know how to properly thank you. You gave so much of yourselves to this campaign. Your time, your energy, your ideas, your hard work, and your belief in me. The long days, late nights, endless phone calls, door knocking, sign waving, and all the little things that most people will never see. You showed up, again and again, and gave it everything you had. I’m so incredibly proud of what we built together, and even more grateful for the friendships, the laughs, and the memories we’ve made along the way. You’ve given me something I can never repay: your time, your encouragement, and your belief in me. I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people in my corner and to share this with. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. I love you guys.

thought about running for office, and I hope I’ve made you proud.

important responsibility of leading our community.

To my unbelievably incredible fiancée, Karissa, and Shayden… I love you so much. Thank you for your love, your patience, and for being in my corner through all of this. I know this journey hasn’t always been easy, and I know there have been sacrifices along the way - I am so grateful. You’ve given me so much love, encouragement, and perspective, especially on the days when I’ve needed it most.

To my colleagues Susan Scott, Tim Bennett, Ron Polillo and Simon Yu, thank you for your commitment and service to Prince George and for the time and energy you’ve given to our community. Putting yourself forward for elected office is no small thing, and each of you has brought your own perspectives, experience and ideas to the table. I’ve learned something from working alongside every one of you… I’m grateful for the work we’ve done together and the contributions you’ve made to our city.

To my employer, the Komatsu Family and Pacific Western Brewing… thank you. I’ve been blessed with an incredibly accommodating, understanding, and supportive employer. Thanks for having faith in me and giving me space to serve our hometown community.

I love all of you.

To everyone who voted for me I’m genuinely humbled by your confidence and support. Thank you for putting your faith in me - what an incredible feeling to be given the gift of your vote - I don’t take that lightly, and I am forever grateful for your kindness and support. To my family… I don’t even know where to begin. To my mum and dad… you guys are the freaking best. Thank you for always believing in me, encouraging me, and being there through every high and low. You’ve been my biggest supporters since long before I ever

My siblings, Jeff, Courtney, and my sister-in-law Kristin, my nieces and nephews, my great big extended family, and the people closest to me… thank you for always putting up with the craziness, cheering me on, and reminding me that there’s a whole lot more to life than politics. To my best friends, my closest people, and those very special people in my life who might not technically be family, but absolutely are to me… you know who you are. You’ve been there through the good days, the tough days, the ridiculous days, and everything in between. You’ve listened to me vent, made me laugh when I’ve needed it most, kept me grounded, and reminded me to enjoy the ride. Some of you have been beside me since long before politics, and others have become such an important part of my life along the way. I genuinely don’t know what I’d do without you. I love you guys, and I’m so damn lucky to have you in my life. I would like to congratulate Garth Frizzell on being elected Mayor, along with the newly elected City Council. I wish Garth and Council every success as they take on the

To our newly elected Council, congratulations and welcome. I wish you all the best as you take on this responsibility and work toward the future of Prince George. I’ve said throughout this campaign that Prince George isn’t broken. We have challenges, absolutely, but we also have incredible people, tremendous opportunities, and a community worth believing in. An election result doesn’t change any of that - and it certainly doesn’t change how much I love this city. Prince George is my home. It’s where I’ve built my life, my career, my friendships, and my future. I don’t know exactly what comes next, but I know my love for PG isn’t going anywhere. I still believe Prince George’s best days are ahead of us. Thanks for believing in me too. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for eight remarkable years. It’s been an honour.

Kyle Sampson Prince George City Councillor, 2018–2026

kylesampson.ca

/SampKyle

@SampsonKyle