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Woodpecker and the World Trade Center

American tragedies near and far, 25 years ago BOB MACKIN Citizen Staff

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One day, a brutal crime. The next, a devastating act of terror. Two American motorcyclists faced both in Prince George 25 years ago. See more coverage on Page 2, Page 3 and Page 4.

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Fall was in the air on Sept. 10, 2001, the first Monday night since Labour Day, when American motorcyclists Matthew Kolbinsky and Stephen McInerney drove into the darkness of the Woodpecker Rest Area near Hixon. Kolbinsky, then 25, was aboard a black BMW 1100 GS, while McInerney, then 26, rode a red BMW 650 Enduro. The friends, who met in high school at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, were on an epic road trip that ran from July 2001 to January 2002, up to Alaska and down to Chile. They began the day by arriving in Prince Rupert on a ferry from Alaska and rode more than 700 km east to Prince George. CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

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CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE Entering the rest area, they passed a departing pickup truck and thought nothing of it. Rest was on their weary minds. Instead, they got none. James Daniel Morgan, a 40-year-old hitchhiker from Washington state, had ambushed and brutally beaten a 74-yearold U.S. Navy veteran from Alaska, James Curtis Hamrick. Morgan left the elderly man’s body along the Northern BC highway on the eve of the deadliest attack on American soil, when al-Qaida terrorists killed almost 3,000 people on the other side of the continent, in New York City, at the Pentagon and in rural Pennsylvania. Around 10:30 p.m., whilehile McInerney set up a tent, Kolbinsky heard rustling in the bush. He assumed it was a bear, for which they had packed repellent spray. Then he found someone else’s bear spray canister on the ground. He found a hammer. And then teeth, which he later realized were dentures. Blood and gooey matter, too. “Then we’re just like, load up everything, we’re getting the hell out of here,” Kolbinsky, who grew up in Hillsborough, N.C., told The Citizen. “We were terrified,” said McInerney, who hailed from Pinehurst, N.C. They couldn’t see anything without a flashlight, so Kolbinsky rode in circles, shining his motorcycle headlight for their safety, until they left. Kolbinsky had a cellphone, but it did not work in Canada. They came across an RV park, where they found the caretaker and called the RCMP from a payphone. “They don’t believe anything we’re saying, right?” Kolbinsky said. “They’re like, but it’s probably deer. We don’t have murders here.” A half-hour went by before police arrived and took Kolbinsky and McInerney back to the scene. One officer had a dog and a handgun; another carried a rifle. “We didn’t know why we needed to go with them,” McInerney said. “We told them what we’d seen, as Matt kind of mentioned that they were a little skeptical or, I think, felt like we were probably exaggerating what we saw. Because what we described seemed unreal and they thought maybe we were not used to

CITIZEN STAFF PHOTO

The Woodpecker Rest Area is located south of Prince George on Highway 97 near Hixon.

being in the woods.” Then the mood changed. Police called for backups. An ambulance arrived. Roadblocks were erected on the highway and yellow crime scene tape around the rest area. An officer told Kolbinsky and McInerney to wait in a trailer with an elderly couple who had also come to camp. Police found eyeglasses, hammers and a folding knife with the blade open. All were bloodstained. There were drag marks in the grass beyond the parking area. Then, almost 60 feet down a slope, amid small rocks and bushes, a path of flattened grass and bent branches led to a man’s body in a ravine. “They were not expecting the scene to be as gruesome as it was,” McInerney said. An officer drove Kolbinsky and McInerney to Prince George and found them a hotel room. By then, it was around 4 a.m. on Sept. 11. The officer told them to get some rest because police would come by to interview them later. “Neither of us could sleep because of this experience,” McInerney said. “We were so shaken by it.” McInerney called a mutual friend in New York City to talk about “this crazy

thing that just happened to us.” Kolbinsky turned on the TV to watch a movie, hoping it would lead to sleep. It was almost 6 a.m. in Prince George and then McInerney flipped the channels. Something big was happening. “I had just spoken to a friend in New York, who lived in Manhattan, within sight of the World Trade Center towers, coincidentally,” McInerney said. “And then we saw the news before the second plane hit. We saw the breaking news, first there being a fire at the World Trade Center, and then the revelation that it was a plane that hit. We watched the second plane hit live. “I felt it was the two most-shocking kind of events of my life happened, several hours apart. One personal and one news event.” They spent the rest of the day shaking. The hotel filled with stranded travellers after the Prince George Airport — like many across the continent — cancelled flights. There were couches and cots placed in hallways to accommodate people who couldn’t get a room. “All everyone was talking about was, of course, these attacks of Sept. 11,” McInerney said. “We didn’t sleep a minute, not a moment. We were back on the phone with friends and family.” His sister lived in Washington, D.C., and a roommate worked at the Pentagon.

So they called to make sure everyone was OK. They stayed a second night in Prince George before a police officer drove them back to Woodpecker to pick up their motorcycles and resume their journey southward. “Homicide shakes Hixon-area residents” was the Citizen headline in the Sept. 12, 2001, edition. In 2026, Kolbinsky is the CEO and McInerney the chief government affairs officer at the Truckee, Calif.-based wind and solar company Sunflow Energy. Prior to joining, McInerney studied Arabic, lived in Egypt, Lebanon and Qatar and spent 12 years as executive director of the non-governmental organization Project on Middle East Democracy “You don’t expect it to happen,” a Woodpecker Rest Area neighbour told a Citizen reporter, “but then, you don’t expect the World Trade Center to blow up either.” All these years later, McInerney said they are bound to be asked about the most harrowing day of the odyssey. “You were riding through Guatemala and Honduras and Nicaragua, did you encounter any dangerous incidents?” he said. “And we’re like, actually, it was in the woods of British Columbia, the only dangerous incident that we really had.” Hamrick, a third-class petty officer in the U.S. Navy during the Second World War, left his Anchorage home on Saturday, Sept. 8, 2001, in a green 1995 Dodge D250 pickup truck that carried a camper and pulled a homemade utility box trailer. Arizona was his destination, where he planned to live with his daughter and undergo back surgery. His poodle, Muffy, was supposed to be his only travel companion. That changed in Tok, Alaska — 144 km from the Alcan border crossing to Beaver Creek, Yukon — when Hamrick felt sorry for a tall, skinny, bearded hitchhiker with unkempt hair who was getting soaked in the rain. The man told him he had been denied entry to Canada because he was short of cash. They got across the border and stopped Sunday, Sept. 9, in Stewart, BC, to stay with Hamrick’s friends.

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

NEWS

PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2026

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE While there, Morgan stole some hammers. The next morning, Monday, Sept. 10, after some minor truck body maintenance, Hamrick and the hitchhiker got back on the road around 11:30 a.m. At a gas station in Smithers, Hamrick told an attendant they were supposed to part ways in Hazelton. But they continued toward Prince George. By early evening, with Morgan at the wheel and Hamrick asleep in the passenger seat, they arrived at the Woodpecker rest stop. Hamrick awoke when the vehicle came to a stop. They went in different directions to find a place to urinate. But Morgan’s mind turned to Hamrick’s cash. He picked up the bear spray and one of the hammers he had stolen and used them on Hamrick. Hamrick fought back. Morgan continued to attack until he tossed Hamrick into the woods, down an embankment.

SUBMITTED PHOTO

American motorcyclists Matthew Kolbinsky and Stephen McInerney were on road trip from Alaska to Chile when they found the body of a murder victim at the Woodpecker Rest Stop.

With hundreds of Hamrick’s American dollars and a two-ounce bar of gold stuffed into his pockets, Morgan got into the truck to flee and passed two arriving motorcyclists, Kolbinsky and McInerney. Morgan abandoned Hamrick’s utility trailer and poodle in Quesnel, later found at a shopping plaza. He finally made it to Vancouver, dumped the truck on Powell Street, near Bryan Adams’ Warehouse Studio, just a few

blocks from the Vancouver Police Department headquarters. After a night in the Downtown Eastside, Morgan boarded a Greyhound bus for Seattle at Pacific Central Station on Wednesday, Sept. 12. He showed U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers his driver’s licence, identifying himself as 1953-born Daniel Walter Schmidt of Chattaroy, Wash. He claimed to be returning from a funeral in Victoria.

Inside the front left pocket of his jeans was a roll of American hundred-dollar bills totalling $2,300. Morgan returned to the bus, which rolled across the 49th parallel into a country stunned by the previous day’s images of the collapsed Twin Towers in New York City. By order of President George W. Bush, flags were lowered nationwide. In Seattle, Morgan bought cocaine, clothes and a car. He paid $1,000 cash for a used Daihatsu Charade threedoor hatchback, drove it to Spokane and got arrested in Pullman for drunk driving. After his release, he went to Idaho, where he gave the car away, and proceeded to hitchhike to Florida. However, he turned around in the Midwest, heading to Denver and eventually Sacramento, Calif., where he had a breakdown and told a police officer on Oct. 18 that he was wanted for a parole violation and said he had killed two people. CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2026

NEWS CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE “That town has always, somehow stopped me,” Morgan exhaled during an early 2002 interview with police officers. “I called it the methamphetamine capital of the world.” That interview, in a jail near San Francisco, with FBI agents George Fong and Tom Anzelmo and RCMP officers Wayne Gordey and Bill Fordy, was where he confessed in detail, on tape, to killing Hamrick and a separate murder in Denver. In November 2004, Morgan pleaded guilty in Colorado to second-degree murder, for which a judge sentenced him to 48 years, minus 927 days served. His mandatory release date is April 12, 2043, but he could be free sooner. A parole board hearing is scheduled for December 2027. Canada sought Morgan’s temporary surrender. The U.S. finally agreed in late November 2025. This led to his Jan. 9 appearance in BC Supreme Court in Prince George as an ailing 65-year-old. Defence lawyer Jason LeBlond told

PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN

Justice Ronald Tindale that Morgan’s heart was weak and he could stand on his own for only minutes at a time. Otherwise, Morgan relied on a wheelchair while in custody in Prince George. Morgan finally pleaded guilty to killing Hamrick. Tindale gave him one day for manslaughter before his return to the Fremont Correctional Facility in Cañon City, south of Colorado Springs. “My son and I live with daily reminders of what was stolen, a future with a loving parent, a grandparent and emotional stability and peace,” Hamrick’s daughter, Candyce Tracy, told Tindale on a speakerphone. “We hope the legal process will finally acknowledge the depth of this loss. Closure is essential to our healing. As the surviving family, we seek resolution, not just for ourselves, but because the dead cannot speak.” Given the chance to address the court, the killer finally spoke. “I’m so sorry,” Morgan said, his voice quivering. “I wish I had more than that. I’m just so sorry.”

U.S. fighter jets refuel at YXS

PRINCE GEORGE AIRPORT/FACEBOOK PHOTO

A U.S. military F-35 fighter awaits refuelling at Prince George Airport on Monday, Aug. 31, 2026. It was one of several jets that stopped at the airport while flying from Alaska to Oregon, the airport authority stated on Facebook.

NEWS

PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2026

MLA Sheldon Clare opens new constituency office The Conservative MLA hopes to increase constituent engagement with the new office MATTHEW HILLIER Citizen Staff

Almost two years after he was first elected to the BC Legislature, Prince George-North Cariboo Conservative MLA Sheldon Clare finally opened his Prince George constituency office in Vanway on Thursday, Sept. 3. The office at 4621 Highway 16 West is planned to be fully staffed with a front desk, office, meeting area and kitchen. Typical office hours will be between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. “It’ll make it easier for people to get the services and help solve problems that they’re encountering,” said Clare. “We have a lot of different problems. One of the things about this riding, Prince George-North Cariboo, it has a microcosm of the whole province. We have urban issues and we have rural

issues. We have WorkSafe, we have ICBC, we have cattle guards, we have water and rangeland disputes. We have it all.” Clare has been without an office in Prince George since his election, but has offices in Quesnel and Victoria. “It’s been a long time coming,” said Clare. “We looked for a place for a while, and when we looked at the little mall here that used to be with the Jolly Market, we saw an opportunity to rejuvenate them all and maybe bring a little bit more business into this area and better support the residents in the rural aspects of the riding.” He said he doesn’t want his office to be political but to solve local issues in a non-partisan way. “This is an office of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of British Columbia. It’s my office. The staff works for me, but it’s not a partisan office,”

said Clare. “It’s not anything political in nature. There’s no politics here. Although many people like to talk politics, we’re here to solve problems and help people.” With Prince George being a hub city, Clare hopes his office in Prince George can do the same and be a meeting place for people in his riding. “There are a lot of communities that are in this riding, which is slightly larger than Switzerland,” said Clare. “The idea of having an office up here is a focal point so people can get direct assistance and that I can hold meetings here when I need to. That gives people an opportunity to have a place that’s not overly far.” The office has received some positive feedback so far “We’ve already had some meetings here, but people seem to think it’s bright, cozy, welcoming. We’ve gone with an idea of not having a boardroom per se, but having a couch and chairs

that are a little bit more welcoming, a little more friendly, a little bit easier to have people relax when they’re telling you something terrible that’s happened to them or when they’re looking for assistance,” said Clare. For Clare, he said that the office will give him greater access and capability to do one of the most important things he considers a Member of the Legislative Assembly should do: to meet and interact with constituents. “If you’re not doing that, you’re not doing your job”, said Clare. “When you become an MLA, your first job is to be connected with your communities, and that’s essential to understand what is driving people, what they are concerned about, what they’re worried about. Housing is a big issue for many people right now, the addiction crisis, crime — there are so many issues. Anyone coming in that door has got a problem, a question, or a solution and we are here to try to help them work their way through it.”

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Brink announces layoffs at Prince George, Houston mills Company unable to access funds from $1.2B program TED CLARKE Citizen Staff

Having already closed its mills indefinitely in Vanderhoof and Houston, the Brink Group of Companies plans to cut back on its Brink Forest Products fingerjoint lumber mill in Prince George on Monday. That will reduce the workforce of the River Road operation from 85 employees to 30 or 32. Another round of layoffs are also on the way for Brink mill workers in Houston and by this week the staff of 12 working at Pleasant Valley Remanufacturing will be reduced to just one employee. That comes after eight positions were cut there in March. Brink’s Specialty Wood Products mill in Vanderhoof has already been indefinitely shuttered. In March, the 85-employee mill was reduced to 45 workers and by May nobody was working there. Owner John Brink says the workforce reductions are unavoidable, especially in the face of 50 per cent tariffs announced by the Trump administration and a lack of support from the federal and provincial governments. In late November 2025, the federal government updated its $1.2 billion softwood lumber guarantee program to provide Canadian companies up to $25 million in loan guarantees from the Business Development Corporation (BDC) of Canada to help them weather the storm of duties and tariffs now handcuffing the industry. Brink applied for the federal program a year ago to help keep his three mills open but he still hasn’t received a response or any of that money, designed to lumber/timber companies cover day-to-day operational costs and maintain cash flow. “There’s nothing more devastating for an operator like me to have to say to the people that worked here, in some cases

CITIZEN STAFF PHOTO

Brink Forest Products in Prince George is down to just 30 or 32 employees from its 400-worker capacity.

up to 40 years, that I can’t do it any longer,” said Brink. “There is no question about that, (the loan program) would protect our companies. That cash from government for jobs is for Brink Forest Products that has been in business for 52 years here in the region. It’s still one of the largest secondary manufacturers and it has been employing 400 people and giving back to the community all along the way. “It’s no handout for us, simply a loan to the banks so that they protect us in terms of, if something that fails, which we won’t. We’ve been making a case to Business Development Corp. and the federal program to protect jobs and in companies that are viable. We’ve never got a nickel from government, no handouts, no subsidies, nothing.” So why has Brink been kept waiting for a loan, more than a year after he first applied for the program? “That is partially because of banks opposing it and BDC not being aggressive enough, in my opinion,” said Brink. “I’ve been told by one of the banks that the program supports the ones that don’t need it, and the ones that need it

don’t get it. “A lot of companies that are going through this as we speak, there isn’t much left of them. It’s just like having a rack of bones, trying to survive with your hands behind your back. It’s trying to survive and keep your people working as long as you can.” Lumber producers that were already paying 45 per cent duties on lumber exports to the United States are now facing a 50 per cent tariff imposed by the U.S. following the breakdown of trade negotiations between the two countries on Aug. 21. The original $1.2 billion federal bailout program, unveiled on Aug. 5, 2025, provided loan guarantees only to softwood producers that were profitable in September 2024. That came a month after the Biden administration doubled the anti-dumping and countervailing duties on Canadian softwood from 8.05 per cent to 14.54 per cent, which increased overall taxes to more than 35 per cent. “The condition for the program was you had to be profitable in September 2024 and anybody that knows the industry, one of the worst periods in the market was late-summer, early-fall of 2024

and no one was profitable,” said Brink, whose market for fingerjoint lumber is exclusively south of the border. The loan guarantee program adjustment that dropped the profit-provision to allow more forest product companies to qualify was made on Nov. 26, 2025, but Brink is still waiting. He says he’s paid more than $100 million in tariffs and duties since 2017 and his company continues to pay $1 million per month at the current 45.16 per cent tax rate. In October 2025, Trump added a 10 per cent national security (Section 232) tariff on Canadian timber and softwood that that pushed the import tax beyond 45 per cent. The U.S. president upped that to 50 per cent after the latest attempts to get a trade deal were scuttled. “Most people can’t pay close to 50 per cent of their revenue in duties,” said Brink. “We are one of the few companies in the forest industry that is breaking even. We aren’t making a lot of money but at least we are breaking even, and we’re now getting to the point where it appears to be no support from either the federal government, from the provincial government or the banks so far.”

PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2026

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, SEPTEMBER 10, 2026

OPINION

Third-party sponsors: The other voices in this election KENNEDY GORDON Citizen Managing Editor

You might think of this Oct. 17’s municipal election in simple terms: People from different backgrounds campaigning individually for your vote, unconnected and unaffiliated. After all, Prince George doesn’t have party politics at the local level. Right? Right. Sort of. The North Central Labour Council of BC and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE. which represents the city’s inside and outside workers) both provide lists of recommended candidates for mayor and council to their members. However, there’s another kind of political organization in the mix this local election: the third-party sponsor. In BC, third-party election advertising is legal, regulated under the Local Elections Campaign Financing Act. A person or organization that wants to advertise for or against candidates, elector organizations or certain issues can register with Elections BC as a thirdparty sponsor. Both are limited to receiving a maximum of $1,429.70 from a single individual and must publicly disclose donations of $100 or more after the election, giving voters an opportunity to see who is helping finance a candidate or organization’s political activity. But third parties are neither candidate campaigns nor traditional political parties. They occupy an interesting

Prince George goes to the polls on Oct. 17. CITIZEN FILE PHOTO

middle ground: they can’t formally work for a candidate’s campaign, but they can spend money and organize advertising to influence voters’ choices. Like with candidates, third-party sponsors must then identify themselves on their advertising and operate within spending and reporting rules. These rules are important because third-party activity can effectively create what could almost be considered a “slate.” Here’s something to know: third parties don’t have to have the approval of the candidate or candidates they’re pushing. Many do, but it isn’t required. Why does it matter? Well, BC already has a formal mechanism for municipal political parties. Other cities have them. Elector organizations can endorse candidates and conduct campaign activities on their behalf. A third-party sponsor operates differently. It can tell voters which candidates it favours while remaining legally separate from those candidates. Under this kind of approach, candidates don’t necessarily have to be members of an organization, agree to work together, share a campaign office or even publicly declare themselves part of a political group.

That isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Municipal politics benefits from competing ideas being presented to voters. Business organizations can argue for development, investment and a friendlier regulatory environment. Labour councils, meanwhile, can advocate for wages, public services and working families. Environmental groups, neighbourhood organizations, housing advocates and other special-interest groups, can push issues that might otherwise receive little attention in a fragmented municipal campaign. In that sense, third parties can make local elections more substantive. Instead of judging a dozen or two of unfamiliar names one by one, voters are offered competing visions of what the city could become. That influence comes with a responsibility. A third-party’s advertisements may represent their slate of preferred candidates as a united group. A voter may interpret this as nine individuals with a shared governing philosophy when in reality those nine candidates have never collaborated even once. Voters deserve to know who is behind a group, what principles guide

its endorsements and whether its preferred candidates actually share those principles. Don’t panic at the thought of thirdparty “slates.” Don’t dismiss them, either. Give them a closer look. Just remember that they are championing their issues with the candidates they are hoping will represent their interests. Consider what’s happening in Prince George. Realtor Jason Luke has announced the creation of the Elev8 Prince George Foundation, which intends to promote eight council candidates and one mayoral candidate under the banner “Prince George must be open for business.” When the announcement was made, the candidates had not yet been publicly identified. The group’s formal announcement will happen after we have gone to press. While goals remain unclear at this time, their initial eight-plus-one list is, in practical terms, a slate: a group of candidates being presented to voters as a preferred choice, and united front for city hall. Voter turnout was barely more than 1 in 4 for the last municipal election. Whether the candidates presented by Elev8 Prince George align with your own ideals, or do not, we hope that all of the discussion around the municipal election leads to significant voter turnout this time around. Once more, general voting day for the election is Oct. 17. Your vote matters in shaping the future of our city.

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OPINION

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2026

What if ‘AI’ actually meant ‘additional intelligence?’ First in a two-part series about the technology that’s changing our lives ELI KLASNER Guest Columnist

I’ve heard there are people in Prince George who want to boycott businesses that use artificial intelligence in their advertising, marketing or communications. I don’t know who they are, and I don’t know which businesses they have in mind. But the sentiment interests me, because I suspect much of the public conversation about AI still begins with a fairly stark choice: embrace it or resist it. I’m increasingly convinced this framing misses the more useful question. What if AI did not have to mean “artificial intelligence” replacing human intelligence? What if, in practical, everyday life, we began thinking about AI as “additional intelligence” — another layer of research, organization, memory, challenge and collaboration that remains directed by the human being using it? That is essentially how I have come to use my own AI assistant. I call the assistant Hiram, a name we arrived at together. The reference is to the biblical character King Hiram of Tyre, the Phoenician ruler who became a partner and collaborator of King Solomon, supplying materials and expertise for Solomon’s great building projects. I liked the metaphor. King Hiram was useful because he brought resources and knowledge to the partnership. And he never replaced Solomon, nor was that ever the point. Developing an advanced working protocol with my AI assistant has taken two years and hundreds more hours of experimentation and modelling than I ever expected. There has been plenty of trial and error, correcting and reminding Hiram of my standards and expectations. Some of those instructions are almost comically mundane: how I want documents formatted, which fonts I prefer

and the margin sizes I use, because, of course, the devil is always in the details. But the other standards that are fundamental and non-negotiable were where real time and energy were spent: do not take control of a project, do not assume I agree with you, do not flatter me into making bad decisions, and always tell me when there might be stronger arguments than the ones I am making. That last point may be one of the most important. An AI assistant is not especially valuable if it simply becomes an endlessly agreeable echo. I want a critical sounding board capable of offering alternatives, identifying holes in my arguments, finding research I may have missed and saying, in effect, there may be a better way to approach the work in front of me. Depending on the day, that might mean helping to develop a presentation, researching a historical question, examining a budget, thinking through a community project, working on correspondence or writing, or simply trying to solve a problem I have not quite figured out yet (there are many). But the human (that’s me) still decides. The point is not to ask AI to do my thinking for me. It is to have more intelligence available while I am doing the thinking. There are practical advantages, too. Hiram is available at two in the morning and at two in the afternoon, seven days a week, without complaint. I can leave a conversation untouched for three weeks and return without apologizing. I can reject 10 suggestions in a row without worrying that I have offended anyone. I can ask the same question five different ways, abandon an idea after an hour of exploration, or simply stop responding. There is no social debt attached to the collaboration, and that creates a remarkably flexible space in which to think. Voice-to-voice interaction adds another dimension. I don’t always have to be sitting in front of a computer, typing a prompt and waiting to read a response. I can be washing dishes, walking around or doing a household maintenance task

SOLEN FEYISSA/PEXELS PHOTO

More and more people are using artificial intelligence tools as personal assistance. But what does that really mean?

while talking through an idea with my AI assistant. For brainstorming, that can make the exchange feel less like operating software and more like an ongoing conversation. Over time, the relationship has also moved beyond conversation. An AI assistant can become an extraordinary recording secretary and librarian. Mine helps me keep track of research, correspondence, project histories, meeting discussions, working drafts and source material across very different parts of my life and work. I have also used AI to help me work through complicated medical records, medication lists and laboratory reports — not as a doctor, and never as a substitute for medical advice, but as an additional set of eyes that can help explain what a document says and identify questions that might be worth taking back to a physician or pharmacist. Just this past weekend, I tried another small experiment. I had created a Google Drive folder for a large set of files stored on my desktop computer, but the files all had inconsistent names. I asked Hiram to find the folder, inspect the archive and standardize the filenames by publication date. I sat at my computer and watched

the names change in real time. That may sound like a very small administrative task, and it was. But it also illustrates a very large shift in what these systems can already do. For most of the early chatbot era, the relationship was simple: ask a question and receive an answer. AI now also has what is known as agency — the ability, with permission, to take certain actions on your behalf within limits you set. Find the file. Rename it. Draft the response. Organize the records. Recently, I’ve been extending agency privileges to my AI assistant to include arranging appointments, managing routine correspondence, participating in live Zoom and telephone conversations and completing the mundane personal administrative tasks that used to take up so much of my leisure time. That prospect is exciting, but it also makes the human role more important, not less. Every increase in capability should be accompanied by clearer rules about authority. What may the AI access? What may it change? What requires approval? What must always remain a human decision? My own experience has made me much less interested in the fantasy of an all-knowing machine that I happily allow to take over my life and my work, and much more interested in building a disciplined user protocol with a tool that helps me live my life and do my work … better. Artificial intelligence describes the technology. Additional intelligence may be a better description of the relationship worth pursuing. The more useful Hiram has become, the more — not less — I have had to remain in charge. Next week, I’ll look at what happens when AI moves beyond conversation and begins acting on our behalf — and why giving a machine more agency makes human judgment, limits and accountability even more important. Eli Klasner writes about community development, civic infrastructure, and the role of culture in building strong communities. Look for Part 2 of this series next week.

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PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN

OPINION Okechukwu focusing on business climate, seniors’ housing in Prince George council run Sea K “The city needs to allocate more budget for seniors in Prince George and see how the city could support more building for seniors and help to subsidize the rate seniors pay for housing. Nobody is talking about that.” Yep … much agree with that statement. Council asks federal minister to extend EI benefits to mill workers Tammy Lopes I’m struggling with the “these workers need special help” framing. These are unionized, well-paid trades workers in jobs the report itself calls high-demand: millwrights, electricians and heavy equipment operators. If the shortage is as acute as claimed, the market should absorb them quickly without an extended EI runway. Regular EI already covers this situation. The enhancements being extended here — waived waiting period, protected severance and extra weeks — go beyond baseline EI and were trade-war relief measures, not standard entitlements. Meanwhile, retail, hospitality and care workers, often in lower-paid, female-dominated sectors, don’t get a city council lobbying Ottawa on their behalf

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when they’re laid off. If the real concern is EI adequacy, !x it for everyone. Extending special treatment to the most employable, best-positioned group in the room isn’t equity; it’s leverage.

the next !ve years. Prince George groundbreaking:

Worth adding: Northwood’s losses won’t stay contained to 300 direct jobs. Mill jobs carry a stronger regional multiplier than most sectors — their loss ripples into the local service economy that depends on those payrolls. A Wisconsin study on a comparable paper-mill region found the county lost roughly 2,300 retail jobs alongside the direct mill losses. Broader research on rural deindustrialization con!rms the pattern: communities losing manufacturing jobs typically lose service jobs, too, since local businesses lose the customer base those wages supported. So “a waitress can !nd another job tomorrow” misses something: when 300 highwage households stop spending here, service and administrative jobs in PG don’t stay insulated — some may be shrinking as a downstream effect of this same closure. James Steidle taking another run at city council Alucard I like the pushback against everrising taxes and spending them on frivolous wants. The idea of local ownership of sawmills won’t work due to the cost to produce lumber being too high. Cash conversion costs are what is closing these mills. Unless the provincial government changes, there won’t be forestry in BC in

Highway west is a disgrace. I drove home last night in a rainstorm, and the water pooling in the many grooves pounded into the pavement by those many trucks was making my car unstable. John Brink laments delay in accessing loan guarantee program waymar10@telus.net

Work begins on North Coast Transmission Line expansion waymar10@telus.net John Horgan wanted to stop Site C dam, he fought against LNG and led the charge to EVs. Where is BC today? Site C is making electricity, LNG is making tax money and the EV policy is stalled. The federal government has given up on an EV mandate. Just wondering if David Eby has seen the light and realized that EVs do not work well in northern climates and maybe that Site C power should go to things that make money — things like new mines and additional gas compressors at Kitimat to export more gas and make more money. A !nal note — those fancy EVs don’t even pay a road tax to drive on BC’s poor highways. The NDP will have really seen the light when they admit that all of the wealth development in northwestern BC needs an upgraded highway from Prince George to Prince Rupert!

There was a 10 per cent reduction in the existing 45 per cent wood-product tariff in the proposed deal that Mark Carney or perhaps Donald Trump walked away from. Given the extreme weakness of the Canadian dollar at 138 Canadian dollars to 100 U.S. dollars, the weakness of the currency should counterbalance the proposed reduction to 35 per cent. But a 50 per cent tariff seems to put Canadian mills at a disadvantage. If we would just get rid of excessive rules and regulations that are strangling all Canadian businesses in many different sectors, maybe the currency would go back to dollar for dollar. Then American industries would not need tariffs to compete against the Canadian peso under Trudeau and Carney. A weak currency is at the foundation of this trade war. Trudeau and Carney devalued the Canadian dollar, not Donald Trump. As a country, we need to look at ourselves and what we have done to a once-strong economy. The Canadian dollar started its plunge in 2015 when Trudeau was elected.

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Cori Ramsay enters council race for a third time MATTHEW HILLIER Citizen Staff

Coun. Cori Ramsay has launched her reelection campaign as she seeks another fouryear term on city council. Ramsay, who was elected in 2018 and 2022, also currently serves as president of the Union of BC Municipalities. In a media release, Ramsay outlined her focus areas if she is elected to another term: • Responsible budgets and infrastructure reinvestment • Safer communities • Locally informed housing policy • A vibrant and resilient downtown • Economic Ramsay resilience • Emergency preparedness • Reconciliation • Transparent and accountable governance She told The Citizen during her campaign launch on Wednesday, Sept. 2 that building financial resilience is one of the key pillars of her platform. “I think the biggest piece of my platform is really financial resiliency and investment in the assets that we have and really planning for the future,” she said. “I think ensuring that we’re financially strong as a city is really important.” Ramsay added that she will also focus on community safety and ensuring Prince George’s housing solutions are rooted in local needs rather than one-size-fits-all provincial policies. She said she has also seen the success of local government advocacy bodies and believes they can help those in Prince George over the next four years. “I think local government is always grassroots, and those advocacy bodies that we have, NCLGA (North Central Local Government Association), UBCM, FCM (Federation of Canadian Municipalities), they’re really rooted in that grassroots structure,” she said. “They bring the issues at home to life and give them a space in, sometimes, a very large political stage that has a lot of competing interests,

and those advocacy bodies should be seen as a benefit. I’ve seen success in our advocacy there.” If elected, Ramsay also wants to encourage “smart growth” and address what she sees as housing sprawl in Prince George. “Our community was built for a population of 200,000 people. We’re not at 200,000 people,” said Ramsay. “The sprawl that we have is really challenging to navigate. We have a ton of infrastructure that needs constant reinvestment, and there’s not a lot of funds to do that. I think that density is a really important tool to achieve that, but it needs to be done smartly. It needs to focus on the official community plan and the engagement that residents put forward as we built that together.” Ramsay also told The Citizen that she wants to re-examine how the city approaches its housing targets. “The housing target orders, and small-scale multi-unit housing, those types of legislation, are not necessarily helping us,” said Ramsay. “We are achieving the housing target order, but at what cost? It doesn’t really give us the ability to look at the frequency with which we’re approving. It’s thou shalt approve, or we’ll send in a special adviser to amend all your policies, and so I think we, we’re achieving our housing target order. We have the ability to be a little bit more picky and ensure that the housing that we’re selecting is really helping us achieve other objectives in the city.” She also believes creating alternative solutions for downtown is a priority and something she wants to work to implement if re-elected. One proposal is creating grant streams for more events downtown between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. to reduce the impacts of crime and vandalism. When asked, Ramsay said one of her proudest moments during her eight years as a public servant was testifying on behalf of local governments across BC in her role as UBCM president during the standing committee on private members’ bills on Bill M216. The bill aimed to speed up housing approvals by requiring local governments to accept development submissions certified by registered professionals without standard technical peer reviews. Election day is Saturday, Oct. 17.

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Tim Bennett seeking a second term on city council Supporting economic growth and investment, First-term city council member and ensuring responformer School District 57 board chair Tim sible financial Bennett has thrown his hat into the ring stewardship and for a second term on city council. making smart Bennett, who has held a seat on council and sustainable since 2022, announced his intention to decisions for the run again at Zoe’s Java House on Tuesfuture Bennett day, Sept. 1. • Priority “Choosing Zoe’s was very purpose2, Growing ful,” said Bennett. “My campaign is built Together: Investing in neighbourhoods around bringing people together, and and infrastructure, supporting housing it’s truly one of those community hubs opportunities and making sure growth is that bring people together. Zoe’s also benefiting the people of Prince George has resilience to respond to some of the • Priority 3, A Safe and Thriving Prince crises we’ve seen over the last year with George: Building safe and welcoming the challenges downtown.” public spaces, supporting a vibrant Zoe’s Java House was damaged by a downtown, investing in recreation, parks, fire that closed several businesses in arts, culture and community life, and Plaza 4 on May 19. It has since reopened supporting families after suffering major damage. In his interview with The Citizen, BenBennett’s campaign is running on three nett said these pillars are important to key pillars: ensuring viable long-term growth. • Priority 1, Strong Foundations: “We know that as our community MATTHEW HILLIER Citizen Staff

grows, we’re going to be welcoming significantly new residents, but we also want to see that our youth and our young professionals stay in the community and want to be part of that community longterm,” he said. During his campaign launch, Bennett said he believes the next four years will be critical to the city’s economy after repeated downturns in both local industry and the broader economy. “The next four years are gonna be tough,” he said. “I think one of the biggest challenges is going to be council is sworn in at the beginning of November. Come January, we have a new budget. Depending on when Canfor completely ends operations at Northwood, we could be looking at a multi-million-dollar hit next budget.” He added that he believes in being realistic about the difficulties ahead and hopes to keep the tax levy below four per cent. “It is my commitment to do everything we can to keep that tax levy as low as we can. I’ve set myself a goal of under four per cent,” said Bennett during a speech.

“That doesn’t sound exciting. It doesn’t sound thrilling, but I believe it’s honest and realistic. We also need to ensure that our city remains an employer of choice here in our community. We know that with a positive corporate culture, this creates natural efficiencies and, more importantly, provides high-quality service to our residents.” Another focus for Bennett is improving downtown and reducing the impacts of crime and vandalism on nearby businesses, something he believes can be done with more investment in the area, events, nightlife and beautification. “I’ve also asked a question numerous times during budget that on nights like Alefest or on nights where Spruce Kings have sold out, we actually see a decrease in the number of calls that evening,” said Bennett. “If we want to address the issues that we see in our downtown and build a vibrant downtown, we also have to make sure that downtown is not rolling up at the end of the workday.” Election Day is Saturday, Oct. 17.

Bird joins Milobar’s new party COLIN SLARK Citizen Staff

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Public Hearing Zoning Bylaw No. 2892, 2014, Amendment Bylaw 3426, 2026 Subject Property: 23705 Camp Road - Electoral Area A Purpose: To permit recreation camp use on two lots. Next Steps: There is a public hearing meeting on September 23, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. via in-person attendance at the Ness Lake Community Hall, 9770 Lakeside Drive, Prince George, BC

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As members continue to leave the Conservative Party of British Columbia, a Prince George MLA says a desire to move away from identity politics and be able to shape a new narrative motivated her to join an effort to form a new party. In August and September, nine former Tory MLAs quit the party to serve as independents due to disagreements with the leadership of Kerry-Lynn Findlay, who won the race to replace Nechako Lakes MLA John Rustad as permanent leader in late May. One of Findlay’s rivals in that leadership race, Kamloops Centre MLA Peter Milobar, left the party on Aug. 14 and announced on Aug. 24 that he and fellow defector Delta South MLA Ian Paton would seek to form a new party in the BC Legislature. In a Friday, Sept. 4 meeting release, Milobar, Paton and three other

defectors — Prince George-Valemount MLA Rosalyn Bird, Chilliwack-Cultus Lake MLA Áa:líya Warbus and Abbotsford South MLA Bruce Banman — announced they were joining together to form a new party. Speaking to The Citizen in her Prince George constituency office after the release went out, Bird said she wanted to be a part of positive change. “You have two options,” she said. “You can sit around and point fingers and discuss what has gone wrong or you can actually try and build something that gives people hope, brings some excitement and possibly a new option for people in the upcoming provincial election, whenever that may be.” However, she stressed that she is technically still an independent MLA as the party is still being built out. The five MLAs, she said, are working on founding documents outlining their vision, mission, principles, values and principles.

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Trudy Klassen launches re-election campaign MATTHEW HILLIER Citizen Staff

Coun. Trudy Klassen is hoping to serve on city council for another four years. The one-term incumbent launched her campaign at Royal Canadian Legion Branch 43 on Thursday, Sept. 3. The Legion was packed with her supporters, including former mayor Colin Kinsley and managing partner at Praxis Solutions, Nicole Fraser, who both gave speeches. For Klassen, the key pillars of her campaign are economic development, fiscal responKlassen sibility, downtown revitalization and collaboration with cities in both the north and across the border in cities like Edmonton. She also told local media that the city needs to focus on attracting more business development and wants to see city services work with business hand in hand to find solutions. “We need to find the savings and we need to build our local economy by having a development services department and economic development services department that says, ‘how can we get to yes for you?’” said Klassen. Klassen also believes that increased collaboration between city hall and local businesses can help improve downtown. “Downtown revitalization. I know that that’s a word that’s been used over and over again … There’s a downtown strategy that we have, but I haven’t seen any real results from it. I think what we would like to do with that is talk to the businesses that are there. It is about relationships and having a city hall and a council that wants to hear feedback from the residents … I know that there are businesses downtown that are doing really well. They have got

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some ideas. Let’s maybe talk to them and include all of them in finding those solutions to bring energy and life back downtown.” Klassen also mentioned the CN Centre’s building envelope as an example of where they can improve fiscal responsibility and that this project and others could be part of a core review to look at potential savings. She also mentioned that during her first term she was displeased with lengthy debates over relatively small council items or budget decisions that she believes distracted from larger, more impactful issues. “This is why we need more information. We can’t be haggling for half an hour over $5,000. That’s not gonna do anything with the budget,” said Klassen. She added that one of her proudest moments serving on council was during the removal of the encampment at Millennium Park in 2023. “When the Millennium Park campground was being decamped, I was there for almost an entire week and I was trying to make sure that the decamp went smoothly, to show my face and to try to put a human face to council. The decision had been made to decamp and I wanted to be sure that our city would not end up in their minds or be a disaster,” said Klassen. Klassen told local media that she was humbled by the turnout to her launch and the support shown by the guest speakers. “Nicole has been such an amazing supporter for me very early on in my term,” said Klassen. “Politics can be lonely, and so it’s very good to have a friend, and so she has been that, and we’ve thought alike on very many things. Then Kinsley started commenting on my Facebook posts and saying, ‘Good job, Trudy,’ and I thought, gee, wouldn’t it be lovely to have him? So I asked him and he said yes, so I was beyond thrilled to have him introduce me,” said Klassen. Election day is Saturday, Oct. 17.

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Reduced spending, lower taxes are Bob Radloff’s priorities the streets.” Radloff commends the current council and its Safe Streets Bylaw for tackling the Bob Radloff says Prince George taxpayissue of public ers deserve a break. safety but he said They’ve been forced to swallow propit needs to be erty tax rate increases that add up to enforced. He’s nearly 18 per cent just in the past three also encouraged years and he doesn’t believe they’ve by province been getting enough bang for their bucks. spending $92 So he’s decided to run for city council million to convert in the Oct. 17 municipal election. the former youth “I’d like to see our city continue to jail on Gunn Radloff grow and I’d like to get some handle on Road to a 72-bed taxes, that have increased at twice the involuntary treatment facility for people rate of inflation for 10 years and that’s not with mental health issues, brain injuries sustainable,” said Radloff. and substance addictions. “Wages are kind of linked to inflation “They committed to 72 beds and we and taxes are going at twice the rate need 200, that’s the honest truth,” said and we can’t sustain that. We also have Radloff. to do something about our downtown, “Look at the Crossroads Brewery, a that’s super critical. No amount of great beautiful investment, millions spent and business plans or anything is going to it just burned down. That individual (who work in the downtown until we address started the fire) is one of those people the elephant in the room, that is the who’s on the streets and can’t be conmental health and addictions issue on trolled, so we think involuntary treatment TED CLARKE Citizen Staff

is a huge part of what needs to happen in this town.” Radloff, 71, has 44 years of experience as a civil engineer whose expertise is focused on design, construction, operation and management of utilities and transportation infrastructure. He worked for the City of Prince George as a public works senior manager from 1992 to 2010, responsible for asset management of water, sewer, parks and transportation. He oversaw planning of the Downtown District Energy System and was project manager of the Boundary Road construction before he opened his own business — Radloff & Associates — in 2011. He also served on the board of Prince George Airport Authority. “I’m familiar with both sides of the city and have worked on both sides of the counter,” said Radloff. “I worked 19 years for the city in senior management. I was responsible for everything, water, sewer, roads, right to engineering, planning, business licences, permits and approvals, so I know that side of the counter.

“I think there are some improvements in processes we can make, largely around giving our city staff more latitude to make decisions,” he said. “I’d like to see some innovative processes at city hall.” Radloff sees a modernized transit system as a key part of the city’s infrastructure and wants the city to explore advances in artificial intelligence and whether that technology for driverless cars can be integrated into the bus fleet. He wants to revisit the capital spending program on facilities and find ways to avoid high-cost maintenance bills like the $15.6 million spent on CN Centre to repair exterior water leaks and the $37 million being spent to fix the 26-year-old Aquatic Centre, a project that will take two and a half years to complete. That, he said, leaves little in the budget to consider items like a performing arts centre. He said finding ways to reduce spending is even more critical in light of the pending closure of Northwood Pulp Mill, which will be a 1.2 per cent hit on the city’s annual property tax revenue.

Shogun Restaurant to close TED CLARKE Citizen Staff

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The Shogun Japanese Sushi & Steakhouse isn’t just a restaurant that serves great food. It’s a show. At Shogun, guests sit in rows surrounding a steel griddle and watch teppanyaki chefs chop and cook their meals while juggling utensils and sauce bottles. Fiery flare-ups follow as flavourful concoctions are squirted onto the hot surface. Unfortunately, the downtown Prince George establishment at the Coast Prince George Hotel on Brunswick Street won’t be around much longer. On Sunday, Sept. 20, Shogun will close permanently. “It wasn’t an easy decision. We have a lot of memories, and we know the community holds a lot of memories,” said Coast Prince George Hotel general manager Andrew Cuthbertson. Formerly owned by APA Hotel Canada, the Coast Prince George Hotel

changed ownership in July when it was purchased by Mundai Hotel Enterprises Inc. Cuthbertson said he was unable to formally comment. On its Facebook page, Shogun posted a message to its customer base of more than four decades. “This was an incredibly difficult decision and one that was not made lightly,” the post said. “Many factors were carefully considered, and we recognize how much Shogun has meant to generations of Prince George residents and to the many guests who have stayed with us at the Coast Prince George Hotel over the years. The owners have decided to share some of the secret ingredients that have kept regular customers coming back for more and have posted the Shogun’s ginger salad dressing and mustard sauce recipes. Starting in October, the adjacent Winston’s Retro-Bar restaurant on the hotel’s main floor will host a Taste of Shogun day each month.

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2026

Family of hit-and-run victim looking for justice The family of Craig Dorey has started a GoFundMe MATTHEW HILLIER Citizen Staff

A hit-and-run that left 38-year-old Craig Dorey with life-threatening injuries has his family searching for answers and community support. Dorey was hit at approximately 12:30 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 9 along the northbound lane of the 1700 block of the Hart Highway. His uncle, Sandy Ellis, who started a GoFundMe to raise funds for the family, told The Citizen that a bystander may have saved Dorey’s life. Ellis said the person was sitting on his back deck when he heard what sounded like a person or animal being hit. He then drove along Hart Highway, found Dorey with life-threatening injuries and phoned emergency services, who tended to Dorey’s injuries and closed the highway. Dorey was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries before being transported to Vancouver for treatment. He remains in hospital, where he has undergone multiple operations and is in an induced coma. Ellis said his nephew has broken bones in his legs, arms and ribs, some of which punctured his lungs. He has also lost his spleen and colon, and parts of his intestines had to be removed. He also has had multiple bleeds in his brain, in addition to other

RCMP PHOTO

The truck shown here was allegedly involved in an early-morning hit-andrun on Sunday, Aug. 9, 2026. Police are asking the public to come forward with any information.

injuries. “They assessed him, and by their observation and the way that his bones were broken, they think he was hit twice,” said Ellis. The GoFundMe was primarily started to support Dorey and his immediate family, who need financial assistance after travelling more than 1,500 km to be by his side in Vancouver. Ellis said Craig’s mother, brother and daughter-in-law are currently staying in Vancouver but rely on hotels and are unable to drive to the hospital, making their stay difficult. “She did find a place where she can stay, but it’s $174 a day. She said it’s about a 45-minute walk because she doesn’t drive either … These funds will go towards everything: lodging, food, anything that can help them out,” said Ellis. The GoFundMe has raised $1,315 toward its $11,000 goal. Ellis said the funds will be essential to keeping family members close by during the crisis. “It’s just more for them. I would really hate if she had to actually leave and travel back to Fort St. John, because she would never forgive herself if she ever had to do that, and then something happened to that kid,” said Ellis. Beyond rallying behind Dorey, the family is also seeking justice as those responsible have yet to be identified. “We were just hoping that the more shares and the more progress this GoFundMe gets, the more awareness is spread. The family’s really concerned about nothing more than his well-being, for sure. But they also would very much like to see whoever was held responsible get brought to justice,” said Ellis. Ellis said Dorey is a father himself and that he grew up with Ellis and his son. “Craig and my son are six months apart. They’re first cousins. They grew up together back here, back home … Craig was basically just like every other kid,” said Ellis. As of this writing, the RCMP have yet to identify the driver of the vehicle that struck Dorey. However, police have released CCTV stills of a truck believed to be involved

SANDY ELLIS PHOTO

Craig Dorey remains in a Vancouver hospital after a hit-and-run left him in a coma with broken bones and various other serious injuries.

in the incident, an early 2000s Ford F-150 SuperCrew. The colour is described as two-tone navy and grey, with aftermarket running boards and oversized tires. “We are currently looking to speak with anyone else who may have witnessed what occurred that evening or who may have dash camera footage of the incident or of the highway conditions immediately preceding

the incident,” stated Cpl. Jennifer Cooper, media relations officer for Prince George RCMP. “You can contact a police officer by calling the Prince George RCMP non-emergency line at 250-561-3300.” Anonymous tips can be called in to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. The RCMP stated that it is not releasing any further details of the case, but the investigation remains ongoing.

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Judge says sentence for local repeat offender would have been harsher had Crown asked ‘Troubled person’ has history of mischief, threats and assault BOB MACKIN

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A Prince George Provincial Court judge told a Crown prosecutor Aug. 27 that he would have sentenced repeat offender Eric James Reid to more time if she had asked for it. The man, born in 1972, was found guilty after a July trial of mischief under $5,000 for scrawling graffiti on a downtown building at 1323 Fifth Ave. between April 3 and 8 with a Sharpie marker. Judge Michael Brecknell agreed with Sarah Grogan’s proposed 300-day sentence, reduced to 90 days because of 210 days of pre-sentence credit. Reid

will be on probation for a year after his release. “Something in the range of 12 to 14 months could well have been justified,” Brecknell said. Brecknell said Reid’s crime was aggravated by his record of convictions for similar offences. He has been convicted nine times for mischief, three times for assault causing bodily harm or assault with a weapon, twice each for breaching court orders and making threats and once for possessing a weapon. Brecknell said Reid has broken a window three times, broken a vehicle windshield and scrawled graffiti on a lamp post. He also damaged the headset of a government worker and hit a patron at the St. Vincent de Paul Society Drop-In Centre. “Mr. Reid is a troubled person. He has had difficulty moving about in the community and maintaining a pro-social

lifestyle,” Brecknell said. “He is a vulnerable member of the community, often being homeless and having to rely on numerous community resources.” Grogan earlier told Brecknell that she spoke with Prince George Regional Correctional Centre officials, who said Reid has acted aggressively in jail through “agitated behaviour, racist comments, disrespectful interactions with staff and behavioural outbursts.” Most recently, on Aug. 25, he allegedly damaged broom handles by throwing them from the fourth floor of the yard. “Mr. Reid has not been undertaking any rehabilitative programming or otherwise while in custody,” Grogan said. Before deciding the sentence, Brecknell heard a community impact statement from Chrisie Berry, executive director of the 450-member Downtown Prince George Business Improvement Association. Berry said the incident,

like many before it, normalizes property damage and undermines efforts to revitalize downtown. She told Brecknell that a 2025 survey found 55 businesses had suffered repeated vandalism, broken windows, break-ins, theft, threats and open drug use, with total losses estimated at $4.5 million. “Each incident adds to the financial burden on businesses, affects the sense of safety felt by employees and customers, discourages the reporting of crime and undermines confidence in the future of our downtown,” Berry said. “Accountability for offences such as this is important, not only for the individual victim, but for the broader business community. It sends a clear message that repeated acts of vandalism against businesses are not victimless crimes, and that the cumulative harm they cause to our downtown is recognized.”

Man shoots hole in his own pants with a shotgun He’ll stay in jail for the crime, which happened almost six years ago BOB MACKIN

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A repeat offender who accidentally shot a hole in his pants almost six years ago with a prohibited shotgun was sentenced to just over 56 months in jail. Jamie Wade Fatum pleaded guilty on the first day of his trial in 2024 to possessing a loaded, prohibited firearm while subject to a mandatory 10-year firearms ban. After delays — including a period when he was at large — Provincial Court Judge Cassandra Malfair rejected his request for a home-confinement sentence and ordered Fatum to spend more time in jail Aug. 27. “After consideration of the principles of sentencing, including the principles of parity and judicial restraint, the nature and gravity of the offences, the personal

circumstances of the accused — and all the mitigating and aggravating factors — I find a fit and appropriate sentence to be a total of five and a falf in years jail,” Malfair said. The Crown asked for five and a falf to six years in jail. Malfair gave Fatum 291 days of credit for time served. On Sept. 11, 2020, Fatum, born in 1992, possessed a loaded, sawed-off shotgun, which he concealed in a pant leg. Along with another man, he took a taxi to the 7-Eleven store on Ospika Boulevard, which shares a building with a liquor store. The other man went into the liquor store, while Fatum went into an alley. “Mr. Fatum adjusted the front of his pants as if he intended to urinate, accidentally setting off the shotgun hidden in his pants,” Malfair said. “The discharge shot pellets, caused a depression in the pavement underneath Mr. Fatum and a hole in his pants.” Fatum cried out, “I almost shot myself,” then fled on foot. He discarded the firearm and its fully loaded magazine in a residential backyard. He was arrested nearby and the firearm was recovered. His DNA was found

on the shotgun, and gunshot residue was found on his face and hands. He was formally charged in May 2023 and pleaded guilty Oct. 21, 2024. He was arrested for breaching bail last December, then released. “The record of proceedings shows Mr. Fatum failed to attend court in January 2026, and an unendorsed warrant was issued for his arrest, which was executed on or about Feb. 17, 2026,” Malfair said. Malfair said Fatum’s crime was aggravated because he had been expressly prohibited from possessing a firearm by virtue of two court orders, and he transported the firearm dangerously and concealed it while in a public place. “Mr. Fatum said he possessed the weapon for protection as part of the gangster lifestyle, which I interpret to mean to shoot or intimidate people he deemed threatening at the time it discharged,” Malfair said. “Mr. Fatum was moving the firearm from one place to another in order to avoid its detection and seizure by police.” Fatum’s criminal history began in 2017,

when he was convicted of intentionally discharging a firearm and sentenced to four years in jail. He also served jail time for possessing drugs for the purpose of trafficking, possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose, possessing stolen property, assaulting a peace officer and obstructing a peace officer. Malfair said Fatum was raised in an intact family, although his parents separated when he was 21. He developed cocaine and methamphetamine habits in high school. Since 2022, he has abstained from illegal drugs but still smokes two cannabis joints a day. A forensic psychiatrist found Fatum is antisocial, requires intensive psychotherapy and suffers from untreated substance-use disorders. He is considered a moderate risk to reoffend. In pre-sentencing reports, Fatum expressed a wish to become a day trader, but he has relied on social assistance since he was released from custody in 2019. Before his 2017 conviction, Fatum worked as a mechanic, although he had no formal training.

PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN

NEWS

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2026

Lawyer switches client’s plea, seeks new judge BOB MACKIN

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The lawyer for a man who pleaded guilty Aug. 26 to stealing liquor, assaulting a fellow inmate and masturbating in a library lobby later withdrew her client’s pleas and will seek a hearing before another judge. Arthur Lavern Nelson Read, 23, appeared in Prince George Provincial Court, where Sigrid Thompson and Crown prosecutor Tanya Campbell-Brown jointly proposed a total sentence of 134 days. With credit for time served, Read would

have spent another 101 days in jail had Judge Michael Brecknell agreed. But Brecknell wanted to know how the Crown formulated the proposal, especially because 90 days would be a standard sentence for an inmate-on-inmate assault. “I want to know a little bit more about what caused the Crown to come up with the numbers they have presented,” Brecknell said. “What concessions were made? What issues were discussed?” The judge gave Thompson and Campbell-Brown the lunch hour to consider whether to let him craft his own sentence or have Read withdraw his guilty pleas

No decision on sentence for fentanyl trafficker BOB MACKIN

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A Provincial Court judge in Prince George reserved her decision Aug. 28 on sentencing a man who admitted to being a mid-level drug trafficker. Cody Allen Stovin, 42, pleaded guilty March 3, 2023, to possessing fentanyl and methamphetamine for the purpose of trafficking and possessing a Taser stun gun without a licence or permit. Stovin also pleaded guilty Feb. 6, 2025, to possessing a firearm and ammunition while prohibited. He was previously found guilty in December 2024 of two counts of possession of fentanyl for the purpose of trafficking after police arrested him and seized drugs April 12, 2022. Federal Crown and defence lawyers jointly proposed a 13-year jail sentence, less 390 days for time served. Prosecutor Heather Pineo told Judge Cassandra Malfair that the Prince George RCMP street crew began investigating Stovin in March 2022 and conducted surveillance on his short-duration meetings, which were believed to be drug transactions. With a warrant, police found Stovin accessing a third-floor apartment April 6, 2022. He was arrested April 12, 2022, after leaving in a taxi. Police seized a set of keys, $1,910 cash from his wallet, $200 from his left pocket

and drug paraphernalia, including a scale and baggies containing 69.95 grams of a fentanyl and caffeine mixture, 5.95 grams of a mixture of fentanyl, a benzodiazepine, caffeine and diphenhydramine, and 1.57 grams of a mixture of fentanyl and caffeine. Using a search warrant, police found more paraphernalia and quantities of fentanyl and ammunition. On Jan. 12, 2023, tracking devices were placed around Stovin’s apartment and surveillance continued into March. Stovin was again observed making numerous short-duration meetings believed to be drug deals, and he was believed to be using Parkview Manor as a stash house. Warrants were executed at Stovin’s residence on March 2, 2023. Police found $1,590 cash in his wallet, quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine in baggies, cellphones, brass knuckles and drug paraphernalia. Provincial prosecutor Kristina King is also seeking a six-month jail sentence, consecutive to the federal sentence, for possessing firearms contrary to a court order. On June 3, Malfair denied a bid by Stovin’s lawyer, Sonia Somal, to have the 2022 charges stayed on constitutional grounds. Malfair calculated that 17 months and 17 days had elapsed from the charges to the conclusion of the trial, which is below the 18-month presumptive ceiling set by the Supreme Court of Canada.

and go before another judge. Thompson chose the latter. “A different judge may have a different view of matters, and even with the arrangements that counsel had made, Mr. Read would be spending time in jail past today,” Brecknell said. Earlier, the court heard that Read was charged with stealing $109.86 worth of liquor from the On The Rocks liquor store in Dawson Creek on March 2. Staff reported the theft eight days later when they reviewed surveillance footage that showed a man taking two bottles of vodka off a shelf and putting them into his pants. The man took another two bottles and concealed them in a coat. On June 26, while incarcerated at the Prince George Regional Correctional Centre, Read was accused of approaching a man from behind and punching him in the head. The two exchanged blows until a third man joined in and the victim was backed into a corner, where he shielded himself. Prince George RCMP were called at 3:30

p.m. July 22 to the Prince George Public Library’s Bob Harkins Branch, where a man exposed his genitals while holding a pornographic magazine and sex toy. Two security guards asked him to leave. Instead, he went under the stairs in the lobby and continued the indecent act. When police arrived, the security guards turned their attention to redirecting library patrons. “It wasn’t as if it was a special hour of the day where children were not going to be coming and going from that library,” Brecknell said. “That library is intended for all citizens, as you said, including children. It’s just lucky that there were no children there.” Campbell-Brown provided the court with Read’s 11-page criminal record, which includes convictions for assault, uttering threats and possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose. At the end of the hearing, Brecknell said it would be useful for counsel to tell the next judge whether Read suffered any internal penalties after the jailhouse assault.

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2026

BUSINESS

PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN

Work begins on the North Coast Transmission Line expansion The project will bring $10 billion in new economic activity and nearly 10,000 jobs when complete MATTHEW HILLIER Citizen Staff

Phase 1 of the North Coast Transmission Line Expansion (NCTL), a longawaited expansion of the electricity transmission line that runs from Prince George to Terrace, broke ground Thursday, Sept. 3 at the Williston Substation. The first phase of construction will focus on a 165-kilometre, 500-kilovolt (kV) transmission segment running from the Williston Substation near Prince George to the Glenannan Substation near Fraser Lake. Premier David Eby made the announcement alongside Tim Hodgson, federal ministers of energy and natural resources, Gregor Robertson, minister of housing and infrastructure, and Charlotte Mitha, president and CEO of BC Hydro. They were joined by members of Prince George city council and representatives of local First Nations representatives, federal and provincial governments and labour unions. When complete, the project is estimated to more than double the availability of clean, low-cost electricity along Canada’s Pacific coast. It is expected to reduce emissions by up to three million tonnes annually, the equivalent of taking one million vehicles off the road every year. The project is estimated to bring $10 billion in new economic activity and create nearly 10,000 jobs for Canadians, with an estimated 1,400 jobs available during peak construction. With the expansion bringing more dollars and watts into the province, the project is also expected to help unlock industrial projects such as the Ksi Lisims LNG facility and ongoing critical-minerals developments in the Golden Triangle. “One of British Columbia’s big advantages here is our clean and globally cheap electricity,” Eby said during a speech announcing the project. “Electricity is a

CITIZEN PHOTO BY MATTHEW HILLIER

Lheidli T’enneh Chief Dolleen Logan speaks to the crowd at the groundbreaking ceremony for the North Coast Transmission Line Expansion on Thursday, Sept. 3.

massive advantage for us if we choose to take advantage of it ... When we use our electricity, we create jobs here at home, producing and distributing the electricity. We create lower-cost products that are more globally competitive, and we reduce emissions associated with climate change.” The project was referred to by many at the event as “generational,” with benefits expected to reach far into the future. “Building big things in the right way to make Canada stronger, to make us more prosperous, to make us more independent and to protect our sovereignty,” said Hodgson. “Because future generations of Canadians will not judge us by what we said today. They will judge us on the nation we build for future generations of Canadians. And that’s exactly why today, why days like today make me, and I’m sure everyone else here, proud to be Canadian.” First Nations from across BC and the North are expected to play a large role in construction of the NCTL. The second phase of the project is being advanced by BC Hydro in partnership with First Nations through the K’uul Power consortium, offering up to 50 per cent equity co-ownership in the

transmission lines. Lheidli T’enneh Chief Dolleen Logan said during her speech at the groundbreaking that local First Nations conducted their own review of the NCTL and its potential environmental impacts and identified conditions that needed to be met for the project to continue. Those include maximizing jobs for First Nations and providing guarantees that impacts on First Nations lands and resources can be minimized. Logan said construction has started in their territories under a non-opposition letter submitted on behalf of local First Nations. She said they expect to conclude final agreements with both BC Hydro and BC in the coming months following resolution of key issues. “We have taken this approach to demonstrate that our nations will take part in the growth of BC and Canada,” said Logan. “We can get major projects built with our consent, and that includes our involvement for long-term maintenance, equity returns and benefits over the entire life of this critical infrastructure. With concerns over an escalating trade war driving Canada to look further inward for energy production, Eby said the

project will have a significant impact on increasing energy sovereignty. “Americans continue to need our power,” Eby said. “The president continues to denigrate and insult the massive contribution that British Columbians and Canadians make to American energy security. The reality is quite significant in terms of the economic impact for Americans and for Canadians. “What this piece does for us is that a mine or a major employer can use BC-produced electricity instead of imported diesel. It reduces the cost of producing whatever it is — gold, energy, it could be anything — this makes it cheaper to produce.” Eby added that the NCTL will help ensure both the province and country can remain globally competitive by producing their own electricity rather than relying on diesel imports. “We’re going to build new mines, new processing facilities, we’re going to build new LNG export facilities. We’re going to transform our forest-product sector with our new electricity,” Hodgson said. “Let’s not get mad, let’s get down and build and make Canada stronger.” The NCTL project is estimated to be complete in 2032.

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Contractors working to prevent wildfires long before sparks fly Forest resilience the focus for Western Forestry Contractors’ Association MATTHEW HILLIER Citizen Staff

For one forestry organization, work to prevent wildfires begins long before the first fire ignites. The Western Forestry Contractors’ Association (WFCA) represents more than 70 independent businesses on the front lines of forest restoration and management across BC. These contractors carry out important forestry work, including thinning forests, managing vegetation and restoration work. The organization was created in 1968 as part of the Association of BC Forest Professionals. The WFCA began as a merger of two forestry organizations in British Columbia: the Society of Consulting Foresters of BC and the Western Silvicultural Contractors’ Association (WSCA). Jeff Lutes, the WFCA co-director of stakeholder engagement and division manager at Blue Collar Silviculture, a Quesnel-based silviculture service company, believes the work contractors under the WFCA do is essential. He explained what some of the resilience and restoration work carried out by contractors looks like. “The targets are either interface zones between urban and rural populations and forests where there is a susceptibility to structural damage from potential fires, and you go into the stands and essentially you’re cleaning them out of fuel sources that can lead to catastrophic wildfire,” said Lutes. “That could damage buildings or populations. “Other areas that this type of work is targeted to are along exit routes and evacuation routes. For example, remote communities where there may only be

one or two evacuation routes out of a particular area.” He added that the recent pine beetle epidemic has made this work even more important. “In the Central Interior of BC and the Southern Interior, one could say there is an epidemic of dead wood in the forests from the mountain pine beetle era,” said Lutes. “Areas that weren’t harvested or clear-cut during that period of time. Those trees stood for as long as they could as dead trees, and then over time the root systems rotted and they’ve fallen over, and you basically have a crisscross mess of fuel landing on the forest floor.” Removing “ladder fuels” is also important. This involves cutting or trimming trees or removing built-up fuel to prevent fires from creeping above the forest floor. This work is carried out not just in Northern BC but across the province, with contractors representing and working everywhere there are trees, including coastal communities and communities on Vancouver Island. However, cleaning out wildfire fuel is far from the only work contractors under the WFCA do. Businesses involved in everything from tree replanting to government advocacy work together under the WFCA banner. Lutes is steadfast in his belief that there is more work to be done to prevent catastrophic wildfire seasons like those seen this year and in previous years. “There is an extensive amount of work that needs to be done,” said Lutes. “I would say it’s in the neighbourhood of $200 million of work that needs to be done on the land base of BC yearly. It is essentially, in the world of wildfire risk reduction, an investment and an insurance policy for the future that will help prevent structural damage that far outweighs that annual cost of impact to the communities of BC.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 21

E 6C I T I Z1E9N T H U R S D A Y , S E P TPERMI NBCEER G1E0O , R2G 02

PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN

REGIONAL BUSINESS

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2026

WCFA PHOTO

Contractors under the Western Forestry Contractors’ Association umbrella work at removing dead tree roots to increase forest resilience.

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE He added that beyond preventing damage to homes, infrastructure and more, wildfire prevention can reduce the impacts of long-term health risks for those inhaling smoke. “It can have an interconnectivity into the health and wellness of BC,” said Lutes. “If you reduce the tendency towards these catastrophic fires, you will reduce the number of days that people are living in severely affected sheds that are causing young people to have greater tendencies towards respiratory issues and senior citizens being affected by respiratory issues, and all of the downstream impacts to

people’s health and wellness can be reduced by this investment.” Beyond preventing damage and improving health, if wildfire prevention and forestry resilience programs are invested in heavily, they can also inject some money back into the forestry industry, Lutes noted. “We do have some people who would say that the province has an-access-to-fibre issue,” said Lutes. “There have been projects that have been done in various parts of the province where there is a derivative that can go to sawmills or can go to biomass plants or could go to the pulp and paper manufacturing base as well. You can create a commodity

out of these risk reduction projects.” He believes that wildfires are an unfortunate fact of life in this corner of the world. However, the work the WFCA does is important to reducing the yearly impacts these fires have. “I think there are examples in the province of work that has been done in risk reduction that did slow fires down,” said Lutes. “I could say in the community of Cranbrook, I know that there was fire risk reduction work done and a fire at some point over the last two or three years slowed down dramatically when it got to the area where that risk reduction work had been done, giving firefighters a greater opportunity to catch up and

get control of the situation.” Lutes added that the WFCA is uniquely suited to tackle issues before, during and after the impacts of wildfires. “We are a diverse group of contractors that have a lot of important skill sets of problem solving short, mid- and long-term necessities to get a lot of work done in a very short period of time,” said Lutes. “I would say the group of contractors that we have in the WFCA, we’re somewhat underutilized in our skill set that can be applied towards this type of work we’ve been talking about. We’re a pretty multifaceted, very intelligent group that’s capable of tackling a lot of different things.”

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2026

COMMUNITY

PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN

What’s happening in PG Sweater Weather Market goes Saturday, Sept. 5 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at CN Centre. This is an outdoor fall market that will see about 100 vendors at the event. This event is free for visitors to attend and be sure to wear your favourite funky fall sweater. Vendors interested in participating can register at www.justsugarcookies.ca Elf - The Musical Auditions go Sept. 5 and 12 with callbacks on Sept. 19. Judy Russell and the Prince George Symphony Orchestra are presenting this production from Dec. 18 to 20 at Vanier Hall and are looking for a diverse cast of about 30 actors. Anyone aged 8 and older, regardless of gender and ethnic background, is encouraged to audition. Potential cast members should be prepared to sing a show tune of their choice. A pianist is available or bring your own backup track. Move – bring tap shoes if you know how to tap. Read – audition material will be provided. Rehearsals begin at the end of September. For more information email admin@jredc.net. Interested individuals can sign up for an audition https://volunteersignup.org/4C8JT Sunflower Festival goes until Sunday, Sept. 6 at Foreman Farms, 1965 Foreman Road every Thursday to Sunday and is presented by Northern Lights Estate Winery. There are photo stations, farm animals, u-cut sunflowers with buy one get one every Friday, Bloom Café, picnic area and playground, hayrides from Thursday to Saturday, remote control car racing and every Thursday is Kids’ Day. Tickets can be purchased by cash, debit or credit on site and for more information or to purchase tickets online in advance visit www. northernlightswinery.ca/sunflower-fest Potato Festival at Huble Homestead Historic Site goes Monday, Sept. 7 on Mitchell Road, 40 kms north of Prince George. Fill your day with tater-themed activities, including games and crafts, heritage demonstrations, and more. Come early to buy heirloom potatoes and garlic from the Huble garden, enjoy a special menu of potato pancakes and lunch options and treat yourself to locally made items at 10 per cent off for the season-end General Store sale. This event marks the shift to weekends-only fall hours at Huble

Homestead. Admission is by suggested donation of $10. For more information visit hublehomestead.ca or call 250-564-7033. Prince George Rock N’ Gem Show goes Friday, Sept. 11 to Sunday Sep. 13 at the Prince George Civic Centre presented by Can Gems Western Canada. Hours are Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. This is a marketplace filled with crystals, minerals, fossils, gemstones, handcrafted jewelry, beads, carvings, lapidary supplies, and unique treasures brought in by vendors from across Canada. Visitors will have the opportunity to meet passionate small business owners, artisans, collectors and rockhounds who enjoy sharing the stories, history and beauty behind the pieces they carry. Entry is $3 per person, $7 per family and those five and under are free. There is a special feature UV Exclusive Event on Friday from 8 to 10 p.m. Experience the brilliance of minerals that glow under ultraviolet light during this captivating after-hours event. RSVP recommended by calling 587-377-5722. Walk-ins welcome. Movie in the Park goes Friday, Sept. 11 at 7:30 p.m. at Heather Road Park, 4833 Heather Rd. Settle in under the stars and enjoy a family-friendly movie on a giant inflatable screen, creating a unique outdoor movie theatre experience for the whole community. This year’s feature presentation is Toy Story 5. The movie will begin at approximately 7:30 p.m., or at dusk, so bring your friends and family and enjoy an evening of entertainment outdoors. Food vendors will be onsite. Free admission. Bring a lawn chair or blanket, get comfortable to enjoy a movie under the stars. This event is presented by the City of Prince George in partnership with Fresh Air Cinema. Ballfield Bash Music Festival goes Saturday, Sept. 12 at Pineview Hall, 6470 Bendixon Road. This is the first annual Ballfield Bash Music Festival. There will be five great bands performing, including B Side Band, North of Stoner, Burner, Off the Record and Rick Stavely. There will be food truck and vendors on site. This is a fundraiser for the Pineview Recreation Commission. For tickets visit www.zeffy.

com/en-CA/ballfield-bash-music-festivalPG Prince George Parkinson’s Superwalk goes on Saturday, Sept. 12 at the Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park beside the picnic shelter near 20th Avenue entrance. Registration opens at 11:30 and walk start is 12:30. A great day to have a walk with family and friends. The Telus Ambassadors are selling hot dogs and drinks. Please support this worthwhile event. To pre-register on-line visit www.parkinson. bc.ca/superwalk. Coldsnap presents Dan Mangan on Saturday, Sept. 12 at 7 p.m. at Knox Performance Centre, 1448 Fifth Ave. The Prince George Folkfest Society is offering this concert as the first of three in the series and begins with two-time Juno Award-winning musician and songwriter Dan Mangan, who hasn’t performed in Prince George since 2010. His performance is a part of his Natural Light Tour. The ninth studio album for Mangan, Natural Light was released in 2025 and marks a return to folk music’s classic underpinnings of political resistance. Mangan sings for his kids, his wife and a society in existential crisis. For more information and tickets visit www. coldsnapfestival.tickit.ca/dan-mangan PWR/UP, Canada’s premier AC/DC tribute concert, goes Saturday, Sept. 12 at 7:0 p.m. at the Prince George Playhouse, 2626 Recplace Drive. PWR/UP are lads with a devilish obsession for AC/DC, bringing all the attitude and power of 1980 when AC/ DC was young and hungry. For more information and tickets visit www.eventbrite. ca/e/pwrup-acdc-canadas-premier-tributeconcert-prince-george Great Northwest Fibre Fest goes Sunday, Sept. 13 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Ramada Hotel, 444 George Street. There will be 28 different vendors geared for fibre arts from all over BC and Alberta. There will be crafting and social gathering places to relax and visit with friends, old and new. The PG Quilters Guild will have a display of their beautiful work and are available to chat about their craft. Sandwiches, snacks and cold drinks will be available for purchase. There is a free draw to win a bundle of goodies donated by the vendors. Admission is free. For more information

visit https://greatnwfibrefest.ca Northern Twisters Square Dance Club New Dancer Lessons start Monday, Sept. 14 at Trinity Church, 1448 Fifth Avenue and goes for 12 weeks. For fun, fitness and friendship sign up and bring a friend. For more information email northerntwisterspg@gmail.com or call Loretta at 250-9649236 or Glenda at 250-563-7743 or find them on Facebook. White Spruce City Chorus Open House goes Tuesday, Sept. 15, Sept. 22, Sept. 29 and Oct. 6 at 6:30 p.m. at Studio 2880, 2880-15th Avenue. This is an all women’s acapella group, a chapter of Sweet Adelines International. Join the group for four Tuesdays of fun, friendships, fabulous harmonies and vocal education. De-stress your life by creating beautiful music. Every voice matters. For more information call Marlie at 778-890-0158 or Pam at 250-613-2073. Pottery Painting Party goes Tuesday, September 15 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at 4260 Chestnut Drive and is presented by Three Mad Potters. Come paint some handmade pottery. We’ll provide a bare pottery item for you to paint and all the supplies you’ll need. Just grab a friend and let your creativity flow. Don’t worry, we will coach you on how to use our special pottery paints. For more information and tickets visit https://www.threemadpotters.com/ paintingparty Recycling 101: everything you need to know about recycling in Prince George goes Wednesday, Sept, 16 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Growing Knowledge Community Compost Garden up at UNBC. This event is presented by REAPS. Confused about what to put in your blue or grey bins at curb? What about other household items... where do they go? From granola bar wrappers, Ziploc bags, coffee bags and more are all recyclable. During this workshop we aim to make recycling simple. Bring your questions and examples to find out where to recycle or dispose of safely. Lanterns Grief & Loss Support goes Thursday, September 17 at 6:30 p.m. at St. Mary’s School, 1088 Gillett Street and is a 10-week program. The mission is to empower children and youth facing

PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN

separation, divorce, loss or other life altering events by providing safe, inclusive spaces for peer connection, emotional support and healing. There is no charge for the program and Lanterns is a non-sectarian organization. Everyone is welcome to attend. For more information and to register call 778-281-3477 or email lanternspg2025@gmail.com Homicide on the Homestead goes Saturday, Sept. 19 at Huble Homestead and registration deadline is Wednesday, Sept. 2. This is a popular murder mystery event where participants will experience an afternoon filled with intrigue, hor d’oeuvres, and prizes. Get dressed in your best roaring 20s clothes and get ready to do some sleuthing. Register before Sept. 2 to get the invitation that includes your character description and costume ideas, then get ready for an interactive afternoon with fellow guests. Space is limited and costumes are strongly recommended. Registration is open now and tickets are $60. Get yours before they’re gone at hublehomestead.ca. Echo-Chamber 1 goes Friday, Sept. 18 and Saturday, Sept. 19 at the House of Ancestors Conference Centre and Café, 355 Vancouver St. This is a two-day event with a line up of artists to shake the walls and light up the North. Day 1 headliner: Cody Lawless, supporting acts: Infectious, The Goomahs, The Cavernous, Deep Trouble, The Verdants, Evangeline, Kristian Janzen. Day 2 headliner: Evil Ebenezer, supporting acts: Lil Godd, Petty Boy Osley, Teo Laza, Caveman Casanova, Atomik, Diego Flores, Tokyogelic, Unknown Persona, Highbryd, Turell, Tennants, 6 Cell, Bioson, Urban Indian, Cold Messiah, J Finch, $Kiir0se, Ezra C, Esobi. Tickets are $40 for early bird, general admission is $75. For all the details visit https://linktr.ee/EchoChamber/PG 46th Annual Terry Fox Run goes Sunday, Sept. 20 from 9 a.m. to noon at Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park. Bring your friends, family, co-workers, teammates and pets to this event. Run, walk or wheel the route that starts at the Bandshell and goes through the park and along part of the route Terry ran in 1979 in the Prince George to Boston Marathon that started it all. Registration begins at 9 a.m. and the

COMMUNITY

FAN HALEN/FACEBOOK PHOTO

Go back to 1984 with Fan Halen, a tribute to Van Halen, on Wednesday, Sept. 23 at CN Centre.

course officially opens from 10 a.m. to noon. Funds raised go to cancer research. Online donations can be made at https:// run.terryfox.ca/princegeorge Jimmy Carr Laughs Funny goes Monday, Sept. 21 at CN Centre at 7:30 p.m. Known worldwide for his lightning-quick wit, dark one-liners and unmistakable laugh, Jimmy Carr remains one of the most successful and best-selling comedians on the planet. A master of razor-sharp humour, he has toured over 40 countries, sold millions of tickets and continues to be one of the most streamed stand-ups of the last decade. Don’t miss Jimmy Carr coming to Prince George this fall. For more information and tickets visit www.ticketsnorth. ca/event/jimmy-carr-laughs-funny/ princegeorge Fan Halen tribute band goes Wednesday, Sept. 23 at CN Centre at 7:30 p.m. Fan Halen sets the stage for a night with Dave, Eddie, Alex and Michael with a true-to-life tribute to not only the band but the spirit of an era. It’ll feel like it’s 1984 all over again, from the look of the band, to the choreography, to the note-for-note reproduction of the greatest rock songs, to the sonic energy of the performance, nothing is overlooked. For more information and tickets visit www.ticketsnorth.ca/event/ fan-halen/princegeorge

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2026

Pop Up Wedding Dress Sale goes Wednesday, Sept 23 from 3 to 9 p.m. at the Ramada Hotel Downtown, 444 George Street. The sale includes new wedding dresses and accessories, including veils, belts, tiaras, etc, for the bride. There are more than 600 designer wedding gowns available from size 2 to 28 all priced between $300 and $1299. That’s up to 80 per cent off regular prices. Regular entry is free but there is an option to get early access VIP tickets. For all the details visit www.facebook.com/events/ weddingdresssalePG Love Starts Today Junk Journal Night goes Friday, Sept. 25 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Spruce Capital Seniors, 3701 Rainbow Drive. The theme is a Tea Party. If you dress up or have something to show off you get a free ticket for the draw. There will be magazines, ink and stamps, paper punches, and pens, pencils, markers and adhesives available on tables for everyone to use. We now have premade, unique, themed bags for simple easy use. Adults are $25. Cost for children ages six to 18 is their age plus $2, so if they are 10 it will be $12. Children five and under are free to enjoy the evening with a parent of guardian. Price includes a Junk Journal Page and a choice of pre-made themed bag to help you create. Reserve a spot by emailing lovestartstoday@gmail.com Live Pro Wrestling presented by Primetime Entertainment goes Friday, Sept. 25 and Saturday, Sept, 26 with doors at 5:45, general bell at 7 p.m. at the Prince George Civic Centre and there are two different shows. For more information and tickets visit www.ticketseller.ca/tickets/event/ live-pro-wrestlingPG The Hip Experience goes Saturday, Sept. 26 at 5 p.m. at CN Centre. This tribute band features frontman Derek Lathrop and the tour is called Ahead by a Century: The Hip Experience. This massive cross-country tour commemorates a decade since The Tragically Hip’s historic and emotional final concert, dedicated to preserving the legacy and “northern gothic” spirit of Canada’s most iconic rock band. Delivering a soulful, high-energy, note-for-note celebration of the music that

defined a nation. For more information and tickets visit www.cncentre.ca/events-tickets/events-calendar/ahead-century/ thehipexperience Drive Thru Fall Community Shred It Event goes Saturday, Sept. 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the PGSS parking lot and is presented by the Northern BC Crime Stoppers as a fundraising event. This is an opportunity to shred personal or important documents, preventing identity theft. Donation is a minimum $10 per bag or box and is not meant for business owners. For another $5 donation enjoy a tasty Mr. Mike’s burger from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. 41st annual Business Excellence Awards goes Saturday, Oct. 2 from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Prince George Conference and Civic Centre, 808 Canada Games Way. There will be 12 awards presented to outstanding businesses in recognition of their work, including customer service, entertainment and attractions, environmental impact, food and beverage, not for profit and community service and lifetime achievement. For more information and for tickets visit https://www.pgchamber. bc.ca/39th-business-excellence-awards First Annual Duck Derby – Racing for Conservation goes Saturday, Oct. 3 at 1 p.m. at Cottonwood Island Park. All purchased ducks will be released into the Nechako River at the mouth of the newly restored Cottonwood Island Side Channel. The ducks will race downstream through the side channel toward the finish line, where a specially designed collection system will funnel them into the Winners Tube. The first three ducks into the Winners Tube will win. First place is $20,000, second place is $10,000 and third place is $5,000. But one lucky duck will be secretly selected before the race and if that duck comes in first the ticket holder will win an additional $50,000. For more information and to purchase tickets for $25 each visit https://scwa.bc.ca/2026-duck-derby/ 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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Northern Twisters round dancing: it really is for the young at heart

CHRISTINE DALGLEISH Citizen Staff

When I was doing research for my story about the Northern Twisters Square Dance Club new dancer lessons I came upon a group shot posted on their Facebook page. My eye kept going to one lady whose happiness radiated from the photo. I tried to look away, I really did, but she was just so filled with joy, I found her face hard to resist. It looked like Julie McGowan had joined the photo session late. I imagined she tried to quietly slip in the side of the crowd but there was nothing quiet about her. McGowan was in a bright pink skirt and white shirt at the Northern Twisters 50s-60s theme night in April and because she looked like such a bright light I thought it might be fun to track her down to see what’s behind that happy smile. I am so glad that I did. Julie is a dancer. Period. She waited until she was almost retired from her teaching job to start square dancing. “I didn’t think I had time to square dance before that,” McGowan said. “I had enough that I was already squeezing into my spare time. I couldn’t afford any more time away from my family. Square dancing had been in the back of my mind and I knew I would like it and that was about 15 years ago.” McGowan said that when she started square dancing she was advised to stick with it and not to do round dancing at the same time, which was typical advice given at that time but McGowan didn’t listen and soon started round dancing as well. “Square dancing sees four couples in a square and when you are one of eight and you took some lessons but you’re not quite sure about it you have all those other dancers to guide you and

get you heading in the right direction,” McGowan explained. “That’s why learning square dancing is so much fun because you can be guided by other people. You’re not going to have a whole square of learners. You’ll always have others in the square with you but when it’s round dancing it’s ballroom and it’s basically a couple and you start with two-step and waltz and you add later rhumba and cha cha and jive and West Coast swing and all kinds of other stuff.” Like-minded people find each other and Julie had taken dance lessons from Gary Dean and his wife over the years. Unfortunately, McGowan lost her husband, Ray, and Dean lost his wife, Barb, years ago but after a time they decided they could still enjoy dancing and decided to dance together. The common thread is both square and round dancing have callers that tell the dancers what moves to make as they move around the dance floor.

NORTHERN TWISTERS SQUARE DANCE CLUB/FACEBOOK PHOTO

This is the photo of the Northern Twisters Square Dance Club that was posted on Facebook on April 21, where Citizen reporter Christine Dalgleish first saw Julie McGowan and her lovely smile. She is second from the left and to her left is Gary Dean, her dance partner. They’re also shown dancing in photos taken by Dalgleish.

Since everyone has learned all those moves they are always in their back pocket when there is ever an opportunity to dance socially and that makes them look pretty cool. “The key with round dancing is that somebody’s telling you what to do so that all the people on the dance floor are doing the same thing at the same time,” Dean explained. “I much prefer being told because when you get up to dance the man is the leader and so that means he is also the choreographer and he has to then decide what moves you’re going to do to this piece of music. Where with round dancing or choreographed ballroom someone has sat down and

listened to the music and created the choreography. You’ve learned all these different moves, somebody tells you what those moves are and you dance it and it fits the music.” When Dean goes out to a social event he said he can remember maybe a dozen moves and putting them together is much harder in a free dance than a choreographed round dance would ever be. “Because there is someone there who is making suggestions for me and that’s the appeal,” Dean added. “It’s very comforting,” McGowan added. “So when we’re dancing and we’ve gone to see the Elvis impersonator or

attended a seniors dance and we get up to dance we look like professionals because between the two of us I know what his lead is and so we end up doing some of the actions we’ve learned from the others and we’re doing it as if it’s been pre-choreographed and really we’re just making it up as we go along.” Both McGowan and Dean admit they prefer the round dancing to square dancing. “The choreographed moves are so perfect in round dancing,” McGowan said. There’s an International Round Dancing organization that sees English as the universal language for the cued steps. The conferences and events that take

place around the world are not competitive. They are an opportunity for people to get together and enjoy themselves, where the focus is only on recreation, music, and community. “And we do travel so we’ve danced in Germany, Japan and the U.S. a whole

lot,” Dean said. In Cham, Germany, they hold an annual Round and Square Dance College, he added. Dean said most of the attendees are at least 20 years younger than they are but it’s still fun to attend such an event that see about 200 people come together. “So you’ve got square dancing in the morning and round dancing in the afternoon and then you’re all together in the evening so you get to know all these people,” Dean said. They go out of town because there is more opportunity to dance alongside others, McGowan added. McGowan believes there are only nine other people in Prince George who are at the Plus level they are at for square dancing so there’s not a lot of opportunity to dance at a higher level here. “So if we want to do plus square dancing and get lots of floor time, with a variety of callers, we have to go to a different town,” McGowan said. “And during the summertime is when they have these festivals,” Dean jumped in. “So this year we went to Waco, Texas for the US National Festival where there was 3,030 dancers and then a week later we went out to Utah and we went there for just round dancing and we did nothing more than take lessons and dance and that was for several days. Then we whipped home and we were home for a day and we drove to Penticton for the national event.” McGowan and Dean teach workshops at the events they attend and they

agreed that’s a lot of fun. McGowan and Dean met me at the Northern Twisters Square Dance Club last dance of the summer and will be attending the new season of dances as well. During the last dance of the summer the couple demonstrated a round dance where Dean was the caller through the magic of a recording. The pair is lovely to watch and it is obvious they know each other very well through the beautiful movements that are completely in sync. What keeps these two coming back? “The music is absolutely freeing,” McGowan said, with a dreamy look in her eye. “When you are dancing to the music you aren’t thinking of anything else and the feeling that you’ve got is just the picture that you’ve got in your mind and when you watch yourself on video you say ‘No, I was dancing way prettier than that!’” We all had a good laugh over that observation. “But it feels so, so, so, so good,” McGowan said. “And it feels like success every single song you dance and you get good enough at it that if you don’t know one of the cues you can fake it.” The levels in round dancing include phases one through six and the couple dances four and five most often and have taken workshops to include phase six cues, McGowan added. All cues are given in English universally. “So I might be dancing with someone I can’t talk to,” Dean explained. “We don’t understand each other’s language for conversation but we understand the language of dance and we get along real well.” To get started reach out to the Northern Twisters Square Dance Club for their new dancer lessons at Knox Church, 1445 Fifth Avenue by emailing northerntwisterspg@gmail.com or call Loretta at 250-964-9236 or Glenda at 250-563-7743.

See a related story on Page 31

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Trucking crash shaped hockey legend Dave Bellamy’s future Trucking crash shaped Prince George hockey legend Dave Bellamy’s future TED CLARKE Citizen Staff

Dave Bellamy was a self-employed logging truck driver when disaster struck and he got himself into a life-changing situation. It happened near the Quesnel end of Blackwater Road in a torrential rainstorm when the soft shoulder gave way under a heavy load and the truck he was driving flipped on its side. He was pinned underneath and suffered a broken leg that put him in a cast from his ankle to his hip for the next six months. At 24 years old, he was the sole breadwinner in a family of five kids and was unable to work, with no other source of income, so Bellamy and his wife Marian came up with a plan as he lay in his bed at Prince George Regional Hospital. They had a friend who worked at a bank. They cooked up a deal to trade the equity he’d built up on his truck for a loan with zero down payment to buy five new International Harvester logging trucks. The deal was approved and that’s how he started Coyote Transport. “Dad always said to me, ‘I had a lot of luck,’” said his oldest son, Eugene Bellamy. “He worked hard, but he always said luck had a large part to do with his success. He readily admitted that.” Dave died at Rotary Hospice House in Prince George on Saturday, Aug. 22. He was 85. He and Marian were young when they met. She was 14 and he was 17 and within a year she was pregnant. Over the next five years they had three more sons, Glenn, Kerry and Kelly (who died at 15 of a brain tumour), and a daughter, Gwen, who arrived right after Eugene. “He did a lot of things for the city and the thing about Dad is he never wanted credit or acknowledgment,” said

SUBMITTED PHOTO

A logging truck crash in 1970 led Dave Bellamy to form Coyote Trucking. The Prince George sports legend died Aug. 22 at age 85.

Eugene. “He worked quietly behind the scenes. Often he’d supply equipment for some of the sport organizations to build up their facilities.” Dave donated his earth-movers and paid his men to work on the original Supertrak BMX Club track at Carrie Jane Gray Park. He utilized his road-building expertise and his most experienced bulldozer operator to build the banked corners on the three-eighths mile oval track for the Prince George Auto Racing Association to help the club to open its current facility in 1985. While working on Canfor contracts, for years he offered to select the Christmas tree that stood on the roof of the Coast Inn of the North and rented a crane to get it up to its lofty perch. Coyote Transport and its stump-todump operation built streets in the Mount Alder subdivision in the north end of the city and completed hundreds of logging projects in and around the city over four decades. The project Bellamy was most proud about was Tyner Boulevard, the road that runs from the UNBC parking lot to Ospika Boulevard. Just before he died, during an extended hospital stay at UHNBC, he asked his nurses if they had studied at UNBC and if they did he was

CITIZEN FILE PHOTO

Dave Bellamy, left, and Gord Flewelling share a moment together in the Prince George Rusty Nuts oldtimers hockey team dressing room at Kin 1. Bellamy played hockey until he was 78.

quick to remind them, “You travelled on the road I built.” Bellamy bought Asgaard Contracting in the early 1980s and at its height, between the two companies, he had close to a hundred direct employees and a hundred more subcontractors working for him. In 2011 he decided it was time to step away from the business and sold off its heavy equipment assets. Coyote Transport is still active and remains a family-owned business with a warehouse and as the owner of timber rights to several woodlots near the city. Bellamy’s first six years were spent on the family farm near Tidale, Sask., until they moved to Willow River, where he was bitten by the hockey bug. He learned how to skate on frozen ponds his dad Delbert had cleared. There weren’t any pucks around but plenty of frozen horse apples and he and his brother Jack used them to learn how to pass and stickhandle. After three years they moved to Prince George to a house at Burden Street and Seventh Avenue and a frozen slough off First Avenue became their rink. By the time he was 12, Bellamy and his brother were organizing games and rounding up players from the neighbourhood to play for the West End Rockets, a team their

dad Delbert coached. They played on outdoor rinks and hit the road for games against out-of-town opponents and made a few trips west to play the kids from Lejac residential school at Fraser Lake. Bellamy was an excellent skater and was considerably ahead of most kids in terms of his hockey development, and he played for the Rockets juveniles and the Prince George Polars high school team. At 16, he became the youngest player for the senior Prince George Mohawks in their inaugural 1957-58 season and he played for the ‘Hawks in the first-ever game at the Prince George Coliseum when it opened on March 20, 1958. Bellamy went on to play eight seasons for the Mohawks. He was a fan favourite and was one of their top scorers and penalty-killers until 1965, when he bought two gravel trucks and formed Dave Bellamy Trucking. He had a contract with Takla Forest Products and his work took him out of town often. Between running his business and raising kids he had no time left no time for playing hockey but stayed involved in the Prince George Minor Hockey Association executive. He coached all four of his sons but not his daughter’s team, one of his

PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE biggest regrets. “I didn’t know that until it was brought up (just before he died), he may not have coached me but he sure taught me,” said Gwen. “I remember being out at the Quinson school rink with my brothers and we’d all be playing hockey and he did have tips and tricks that I would remember.” There were no other girls playing hockey in the city in 1977 and there was considerable resistance within the organization to allow a girl to play on a boys team. Bellamy fought the unwritten policy that kept girls out of the game and with help from Bev Christensen, who also sat on the minor hockey executive, 15-year-old Gwen and another girl were allowed to join a bantam house league team of 13-and 14-year-old boys. That did not go down well with the team’s coach and she rarely saw the ice in games. After a few weeks she was moved to

COMMUNITY another team and had a coach that liked her and she did get to play. When she turned 16 and got her driver’s licence she was the only player on the team old enough to drive herself to practices and would show up at the rink fully dressed in her hockey equipment. “A lot of people didn’t know she was a girl, even some of her teammates, because she would dress at home and go late and put her skates on and go on the ice, and then take her skates off after the game and go home,” said Marian. “We were called terrible parents for allowing this person to drive herself to hockey. We were very proud of her because she did play and she enjoyed it. He was quite proud of her playing hockey.” Dave’s influence on his daughter showed up in a game when an opponent took off on a breakaway. Gwen caught up and lifted his stick from behind, just as he had showed her. She was handed a tripping penalty but it prevented a shot on goal from her opponent.

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“He was a great dad, very patient, very caring and kind, he always listened,” said Gwen. “He always had time for people, you always felt seen and heard.” Bellamy returned to the game in 1975 with the Mohawk Oldtimers and became a regular on the Western Canada oldtimers tournament circuit. In 1986, he and Frank Speed, along with Lorne and Don Delisle, formed the Prince George Rusty Nuts for a tournament in Saskatoon. Bellamy was active in oldtimers tournaments, mostly out of town, and he played and organized the Rusty Nuts for nearly 40 years until he hung up his skates when he was 78. He had hoped to keep playing until he was 80 but lost an eye to skin cancer in 2019 and that ended his career on the ice. Family meant everything to Bellamy. Whether it was family dinners at home or picnics at the cabin/campsite at Nukko Lake he kept the clan together

and loved to see multiple generations gathering in Prince George for reunions at the Moose Hall he and Marian planned at least every five years. Naturally curious, he had a habit of reading newspapers from cover to cover, including the classified ads, and that kept him well-informed on current events and knowledgeable about world affairs. His thoughtful, carefully prepared strategies on project work earned him respect from business associates and he was known for always following through on his promises. He considering the opinions of others and made them feel valued. He loved to engage in conversations with people from all walks of life and put strangers at ease with his friendly and approachable personality, treating people the way he’d want to be treated. A service and remembrance of Bellamy’s life is set for Wednesday, Sept. 16 at 1 p.m. at the Coast Prince George Hotel. CONTINUED ON PAGE 28

Local chorus group looking for four-part harmony singers White Spruce City looks to expand through series of open houses CHRISTINE DALGLEISH Citizen Staff

There’s an opportunity to raise your voice and be heard during the White Spruce City Chorus series of open houses. In four-part harmony this a capella group is looking to expand its numbers from the 20-or-so members they have right now to share the joy of music with the community by hosting open house events during their regular meetings on Tuesdays beginning on Sept. 15 to Oct. 6 at 6:30 p.m. at Studio 2880. “People can come out for all of the weeks or any of the weeks and it’s free singing lessons,” Marlie McCabe, volunteer with the chorus, said. “We’ve been singing in the community for 40 years,” McCabe said.

“And we sing a capella so that means we don’t sing with a piano or anything — we have a pitch pipe, which is a round little instrument like a harmonica — and it gives us our starting note and then Pam Kranz, our director, starts us out. We are fun, very welcoming and we have a special place on the risers for everyone. We are a female chorus and we are open to all.” McCabe started singing in the chorus when she was about 18 years old. “We sing and do choreography and it’s a lot of fun,” McCabe said. It was the singing and dancing that appealed to her about the White Spruce City Chorus. The local chorus is a chapter of Sweet Adelines International, now operating as SingUnited International, which is a worldwide, nonprofit music education organization for women singers that focuses on a cappella barbershop harmony, their website said. “When I was 18 I saw the Sweet Adelines sing and with the choreography and it was like ‘that’s what I want

to do,’ McCabe said. “My background was figure skating and dancing and my mom, Coralie Fitz-Gerald, was an opera singer and my grandma, Margaret Khaylock, sung with the Sweet Adelines years and years ago and it was just really cool.” McCabe stayed with the chorus for about a dozen years, then took some time off to raise her family. “And that was about 30 years ago and I have just come back — this is my third year,” McCabe explained. “My mom also recently returned to the chorus after a long time and so we’re singing together again. The White Spruce City Chorus is a lot of fun and the ladies are wonderful. They are a really good group and there is a sisterly bond happening there and there is definitely a space for every voice.” The four-part harmony includes tenor, lead, alto and bass. “For the open house everyone learns a new song right along with the chorus — the chorus hasn’t learned it

yet, so everyone is learning together,” McCabe said. “And that will be their auditioning song. So they audition to get into the chorus. But the audition doesn’t happen right after the open house so they’ve got lots of time to learn.” The open house series will go from 6:30 to 8 p.m. every Tuesday and then regular sessions continue every Tuesday from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., with the expectation that all members, new and old, will commit to attend regularly from September to June, with breaks in Spring and at Christmas for two weeks. During the open house series the chorus will perform for the participants so they can see what to expect when the group comes together, McCabe added. The White Spruce City Chorus performs several times a year around Prince George. They go to senior care homes, they attend the Downtown Prince George Plaid Friday event and they perform at the Seniors’ Tea at the Civic Centre.

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CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE “And we’ve been known to do a flash mob every once in a while,” McCabe said. “And after chorus we sometimes go to a Tim Horton’s and you can hear us sing there on a Tuesday night.” The White Spruce City Chorus is planning to put on a show later this year that will be a fundraiser for their operating costs. Although McCabe didn’t mention this I thought it was important for our readers to know that in April she was recognized as a Carol Poole Spirit of 26 Award nominee, recognition provided through SingUnited International, for her extraordinary volunteerism as a White Spruce City Chorus member. When I was doing my research, also known as me being just plain nosy, I discovered a former coworker of mine, Melba King, who was recently recognized with her 39-year pin for being a White Spruce City Chorus member. When I messaged Melba

WHITE CITY SPRUCE CHORUS/FACEBOOK PHOTO

The White Spruce City Chorus is hosting a series of open houses where potential new members are welcome to attend. Open houses take place every Tuesday from Sept. 15 to Oct. 6 at 6:30 p.m. at Studio 2880.

to ask if we could talk about her longtime membership she quickly mentioned she would like to include another member of the group, Lyn Solmonson, who is a founding member of the group. That generosity of spirit is what I remember about Melba when she worked with us at

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The Citizen and I am delighted to say she hasn’t changed a bit. Unfortunately Lyn is busy doing other things and declined to join in the interview but Melba made sure we mentioned her as a long-standing — and fun! — member of the White Spruce City Chorus. “Being a member of the chorus is just wonderful,” King said. “Singing for me is something you do for yourself. You raise your family, you do all the good things for everybody else but you sing for yourself.” King’s love of music came from her Dad who was a member of a barbershop men’s group in town about 60 years ago, she added. “And I sang in the church choir and I sang in a high school choir called the Rainbow Choir and Mrs. Mooney was our director and I started that in about Grade 7,” King said. “And music has just always been there and then I had a friend who knew someone who sang in the chorus and she said we should go check it out so we did and we both signed up immediately.” King continues with the chorus for many reasons. “I’ve got friends in the chorus and as I’m getting older I have to make sure that I’m not one one of those people who spends a lot of time on the couch so I play bridge and I sing every Tuesday and I garden and I hang out with my kids and grandkids

as often as they’ll let me,” King laughed. “I try to keep myself busy but the singing — there are some days when you think ‘it’s Tuesday night and I’ve got to get myself off the couch’ but once you’re there it’s just so much fun and I thoroughly enjoy the harmony of barbershop because we don’t have any accompaniment — we are singing a capella — so it’s really something when you hear all four parts and the harmony puts the hair up on the back of your neck. I really quite enjoy it.” King reminisced a bit about the good old days when there was such a thing as the Greyhound bus service, an economical way to travel. The White Spruce City Chorus used to get to regional competitions on the bus. Their region includes Saskatchewan, Alberta and BC. “And those were the best times because we’d have the whole chorus on the bus and we would change seats so you would sit with someone you didn’t always chat with so you got to know everyone really well and that was the best part,” King said. “It was the friendships that you made along the way that stick out. One year we went to a competition in Saskatchewan and we had 32 or 33 people in the chorus that year and we placed first place in small chorus and third place overall in the competition and that was the highest ranking that we ever had and it was just amazing. We went on the bus and it was an excellent time.” King said there’s one thing everyone needs to know about the White Spruce City Chorus. “We’re there for each other,” King said. “If somebody’s sick or in the hospital we visit. We do those meal trains where we all sign up and take turns to provide meals for the person. It’s not just Tuesday night on the risers, it’s all the time and we’re friends and we support each other.” White Spruce City Chorus Open House goes Tuesday, Sept. 15, Sept. 22, Sept. 29 and Oct. 6 at 6:30 p.m. at Studio 2880, 2880-15th Avenue. For more information call Marlie at 778890-0158 or Pam at 250-613-2073.

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Robots run around Prince George Public Library GoGlobal AI Tech is considering opening up shop in Prince George MATTHEW HILLIER Citizen Staff

Dozens of Prince George residents of all ages were left impressed and curious about the future after a robotics demonstration put on by GoGlobal AI Tech. The tech company demonstrated three robots — Unitree G1 Edu, an unnamed service and hospitality robot and a quadruped-based bot named the Unitree Go2 Pro — at the Prince George Public Library from Aug. 25-29. GoGlobal highlighted the applications of the Go2 Pro, which, in addition to many other things, can be used to inspect dangerous spaces and enter buildings that humans otherwise could not. It also impressed crowds with its ability to stand on its front and back legs and quickly run from one end of the demonstration area to another. However, the crowd-pleaser was the G1 Edu, which could speak to audience members, perform several pre-programmed dances, recite information on command and most spectacularly, do a martial arts performance complete with high kicks and a Bruce Lee imitation. Alan Deng, co-founder of GoGlobal AI Tech and owner of Nest Property Management and Real Estate Services, spoke on why GoGlobal decided to stop in and show off these robots in Prince George. “This is a very important industry area for BC,” he said. “This is why we want to bring the high technology here to let people know we can help and the new technology can improve basically everything.”

CITIZEN STAFF PHOTO BY MATTHEW HILLIER

A robotics demonstrator shows off a service robot intended for use in hotels and restaurants at the Prince George Public Library on Friday, Aug. 28.

He added that another aspect of these performances and demonstrations is to get the public familiar with these new technologies and their capabilities so that when they are more widespread, they are more understood. “This lets people know and gives the people the knowledge that these are not here to scare people but to help people do much better, be more efficient, and make life easier,” said Deng. He also emphasized that the robots shown off in the library were simply demonstration models and, in the right hands, can be programmed to do housework, play soccer, run races, box and much more. He added that due to Prince George’s industrial nature, he could see robots like the ones demonstrated becoming mainstays in performing tasks that are hazardous to humans or simply incredibly time-consuming within the next 10 years. To that end, Deng noted that GoGlobal is considering opening up an office in Prince George in addition to the existing one in Vancouver. The company currently has a

temporary storage space in Prince George. Deng said it was exciting to show off the robots to the youth who

attended in Prince George. “Now it’s more for fun,” said Deng. “You can see a lot of the kids here watching. I would like to say this is what I focus on. The more kids that are interested and know these robots and have a good experience with them, the better. I think that is the most important.” Deng also foresees these robots becoming common household objects as the technology advances and becomes more readily available. “When the washing machine and dishwasher were invented, people said they would take jobs and that nobody would do any more work and they will make us all really lazy,” he said. “But right now, everybody everywhere, every family, they have these things. We think about maybe 2030, a lot of robots will be working in almost every family.”

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2026

COMMUNITY

PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN

Hospice celebrates 13 years of Donna Flood A look back at the impact she had on the organization and the community MATTHEW HILLIER Citizen Staff

The Prince George Hospice Palliative Care Society (PGHPCS) is sending its longtime executive director Donna Flood into retirement with a celebration. The society held an open house of appreciation Friday, Aug. 28. Dozens of clients, friends, family members, longtime co-workers and former hospice employees attended. Flood has long been credited with putting hospice on the map and building capacity at the centre, as well as creating and facilitating the development of several programs that have provided compassionate end-of-life care options for members of the Prince George community. According to the society, Flood is responsible for the following achievements, among others: • Replacing agency nursing with a stable, permanent care team and increasing bedside staffing at Rotary Hospice House • Creating dedicated administrative and clinical leadership positions • Launching Home Hospice, providing 24-hour support for people who choose to remain at home near the end of life • Expanding grief, caregiver, family and children’s programs • Introducing the Family and Children’s Grief Camp • Developing innovative dementia support through Connecting Minds Through Compassionate Hearts • Achieving hospice accreditation and appointing Dr. David Shepherd as medical director • Formalizing a memorandum of understanding with UNBC built on mutual commitments to research, learning and student experiences • Strengthening northern,

provincial and national partnerships Flood’s shoes will be filled by Erin Connelly, the incoming executive director, who has worked at Prince George Hospice as operations director for the past five years. Connelly explained why it was important to send Flood off in style. “We really wanted to celebrate Donna’s years of commitment and her passion for hospice,” she said. “She has brought this society so far in her years here and she has worked tirelessly to have hospice be connected with the community, ensure standards are being met, expand programming and be innovative.” Connelly has more than 20 years of experience working for non-profits, but said the Home Hospice program spearheaded by Flood holds a special place in her heart. “Home Hospice is a program that we created with no funding to meet a community need that everyone agreed existed, and it is doing what it set out to do — to support caregivers and to support people who wish to die at home,” said Connelly. “The fact that we’re able to be flexible and do programming that meets community needs and not wait for a grant that matches up with that, and get it moving right away, I think is very special compared to everywhere that I’ve worked in my non-profit career.” She added that Flood has shown her a lot of support during her career at hospice, which has helped her greatly as a leader. “Donna has consistently cared for her staff,” she said. “She asks us if we’re doing OK, how we’re doing that week, and she’s been interested in my ideas, which has meant a lot to me as a leader.” Another attendee at Flood’s open house and retirement party was Tracy Nickel, who has volunteered with hospice for the past 15 years. One thing that struck Nickel about Flood was her care and compassion for both her clients and co-workers.

CITIZEN PHOTO BY MATTHEW HILLIER

Former executive director of Prince George Hospice Donna Flood (left) poses for a photo with new executive director Erin Connelly on Friday, Aug. 28, 2026, in Prince George, BC.

“She’s the one that I can go to for anything,” said Nickel. “If there was ever something that came up, I could always go to her and we would chat about it and get good ideas. She’s someone who just has a brightness to her and a life to her. She’s really for this hospice and for how it can help and reach out to others.” She added that beyond Flood’s skills as a leader, she was also pleasant to work with. “She’s just a bubbly person that gives with her heart and loves with her heart, and that comes out in whatever she does,” said Nickel. Flood told The Citizen that she believes Hospice is in very good hands and is happy to let go of the reins after more than a decade. “I wish for everybody that they could retire in the place I’m at,” said Flood. “I am very happy. I’m excited for the next chapter, but I’m also very excited for hospice. It’s in a really good place; it’s well looked after, and with Erin Connelly stepping in and taking over, it’s in very good hands. So I’m not leaving with any regrets.” She said that heading into retirement, she looks forward to finding out where her passions lie outside of hospice and community work. “Maybe I’m a famous painter and I

didn’t know it,” said Flood. “It’s just a matter of taking the time to sort of figure out where my passion lies now. What do I want to do? Where do I want to focus my energy?” Flood was a nurse for more than 40 years before taking on a leadership role at hospice. She said that during her time as executive director, she has seen extraordinary care and adaptation from her staff in what can often be a difficult and emotionally taxing job. What’s good about hospice is the people that work here,” she said. “It’s the staff, it’s the volunteers, it’s even the community. There’s never this attitude of, ‘That’s not our job.’ If we find that there’s a concern or people need support, everybody pivots and does everything they can to make care happen. I think that’s probably one of the most remarkable things about hospice.” Flood also urged the community to continue to support hospice. She noted that Northern Health’s contribution has declined from 70 per cent to 60 per cent of validated eligible hospice costs. This is the equivalent of funding only six of Rotary Hospice House’s 10 beds. In a press release, Flood shared her final request as executive director with the Prince George community. “Please take care of your Hospice. Buy Dream Home tickets. Become a monthly donor, or give when you can. Shop and donate at our Thrift Stores. Participate in our fundraisers. Speak up for fair funding. When you or someone you love needs hospice, please help ensure we are still here,” she said. “Thank you to every person who trusted me with the care of this organization. Thank you to the families who allowed us into their lives, to the staff and volunteers who carried the work, to the board members who supported the vision, and to the community that never stopped showing up. Hospice belongs to all of you. Please continue to protect it.”

PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN

COMMUNITY

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2026

Northern Twisters Square Dance Club offering lessons Caller Gys Koops wants new dancers to come for lessons this fall CHRISTINE DALGLEISH Citizen Staff

Gys Koops loves square dancing. He knows its origin story that dates back to 1450, he’s traced its roots through the centuries and is more than willing to share it all with whoever will listen. But what I really wanted to know when I went to the last summer square dance held at Knox Performance Centre’s basement at the end of August was his own personal history with square dancing. “We were having supper one night and my wife says ‘hurry up, finish your supper, go get changed, we’re going out’ and I said ‘where we goin’ and she said ‘you’ll see,’” Koops recalled. Lynn Koops used to square dance in her teens, Koops said. And didn’t we all have to square dance in gym class? I did and I kept placing myself in the vicinity of my Grade 8 crush, John McDonald, hoping to allemande left but we never got to do-si-do, (actually spelled dosado) and never swung him as a partner. I think it was because he wanted to be First Trombone in band and I got it instead. But there was never a promenade between us. So disappointing. But I digress. Let’s get back to Gys and Lynn Koops’ origin story that began in 1982. “When we started, if there was a dance within a 200-mile radius we would be there,” Koops said. “We’d lock up the shop at 5:30 and we could be in Williams Lake by 8 o’clock when the music started.” Koops said at first he felt like he had two left feet. “Just like all the guys,” Koops laughed. “I kept thinking it wasn’t going to work. I wasn’t made to dance.”

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Here are some of the members of the Northern Twisters Square Dance Club during the recent last dance of the summer season.

He also noted a lot of guys would talk about being afraid to step on their partner’s toes. “But in square dancing you’re not facing your partner,” Koops said. “Your partner is going to be beside you and of course, the dancing starts in a square and then we get into circles and into lines and everything else but we always start in a square and end in a square.” There’s never a full dance routine to memorize just certain moves – and ultimately there’s 84 of those – if you’re ever so inclined to learn them. But during the beginner lessons offered by the Northern Twisters Square Dance Club you learn things like walking to the music, circle left and circle right where you just join hands and walk to the left or right, promenade and allemande left and right. Once you get those basics down the square dance caller is the boss. “So the dancers have to listen and they have to react to the call,” Koops said. “So we do things like left-hand stars, right-hand stars, courtesy-turns girls, like the ladies chain across and they will join right hands and then give their left to the opposite boy and he will courtesy-turn you.” Well, that sounds like fun and I can

even imagine that in my mind’s eye. And then came the word of advice all boys need to follow. “So when it comes time to promenade where the boy and girl are side-by-side – and the easiest way to explain that is boy’s palms up, girl’s palms down. The boys should walk fairly slowly because the girls are on the outside of the circle so if the boys are too fast and they’re in too big a circle the girls need sprint shoes,” Koops laughed. Koops has his new dancer lesson plans all sorted out – this isn’t his first rodeo – and it’s all geared to be a bunch of fun that is suitable for the whole family. “You start with the basics and keep building it up,” Koops added. “Square dancing has lots of benefits. It gives you lots of energy. It’s physical and mental because you have to listen to the caller, identify the calls and react to them and the recommended pace is a brisk walk and that helps with physical fitness.” The big call out is for men to join the fun, Koops added. “We all have two left feet and that’s perfect — as long as they hold you up,” Koops said. “If you can walk you can square dance.”

The Northern Twisters Square Dance Club has been in Prince George for almost 70 years - if my math is right. They celebrated their 60th anniversary in June of 2017, so this is year 69, right? It’s gone through ebbs and flows for membership numbers and Koops said they lost half their membership because of the pandemic. Then I asked Koops to take me back to something special that happened in the past. “Back in 1995 the Northern Twisters held the provincial championships,” Koops said. “There were 1,140 people that came. We had all three Kin Centres and the sports centre and the lounge and we had half of the Columbus Community Centre. So we had all those spaces with different levels of dance in each.” During that time, considered square dancing’s hey day, all the clubs in the region that spanned from 70 Mile House to the Yukon border helped out in hosting the event and almost every community had a square dance club, Koops added. “I’d like to see more people come out and try square dancing – even if they have do have two left feet,” Koops smiled.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2026

PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN L.O.C.F.

Throwback Thursday: Week of September 10 Sept. 10, 1969: Andrew Cunningham waited patiently in the Prince George Public Library “lockup”. The large playpen in the library was regularly used so parents could freely browse books. CITIZEN FILE PHOTO BY DAVE MILNE

Sept. 11, 1978: Salmon Valley community came together for a community fun day to raise money for a well at the community hall. CITIZEN FILE PHOTO BY DOUG WELLER

Sept. 9, 1995: Prince George hosted the United Nations International Forestry Seminar bringing over 200 people from 32 countries to discuss long term forest planning. CITIZEN FILE PHOTO BY DAVE MILNE

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PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN

Local Sports

Billups reels in marathon win on hilly PG course TED CLARKE Citizen Staff

The hilly marathon course in the Labour Day Classic road race is a significant challenge for flatlanders, and after the first couple of kilometres the reality check kicked in as the group began the long climb up University Way. It was an unrelenting grunt on the approach to the UNBC campus, but it was no big deal for Carley Billups in her rush to be the finish-line ribbon-breaker Sunday, Sept. 6, at the Exhibition Park Ice Oval. Billups claimed the women’s marathon crown after 42.2 kilometres and three hours, 38 minutes, 53 seconds of steady running and the 46-year-old School District 57 occupational therapist still had plenty of gas left in the tank. There’s nothing like winning a hometown race. Billups, a West Vancouver native who’s lived in PG for the past 15 years, set the course record for the women’s marathon distance in the second year the Labour Day Classic has been a marathon race. Billups ran the half-marathon last year and finished second. “It’s a very hilly course, but I just kind of went my own pace up the hills and relaxed into the downhills, and it was good,” said Billups. “That last hill on Foothills (Boulevard) near the end of the race, it felt really long, where you’re almost down and have to go up a big hill. “I felt like I was pretty far ahead once I got into the run, but coming into the race today, I didn’t think I’d win. My best (marathon) time was on a flat course and this was my second-best time, on a hilly course, so I’m happy about that.” This was the ninth marathon for Billups, who took up distance running when she was 19. She’s used to pounding the pavement

CITIZEN PHOTO BY TED CLARKE

Carley Billups of Prince George shows off her hardware after she won the Labour Day classic women’s marathon on Sunday, Sept. 6. Billups finished the 42.2 km course in 3:38:53.

in races much longer than marathons, like the Harrier’s Elk/Beaver 100 km ultramarathon she won three months ago in Victoria. She was on that course for nearly 11 1/2 hours and was fast enough to finish third overall in the combined female/male standings. “That was pretty hard, I could barely walk afterwards,” she said. “We flew back to Prince George that morning and I was walking very slowly getting up the stairs.” Billups had her usual bagel with peanut butter and jam for breakfast and used four honey-based energy gel packets on the course, all at predetermined times every nine kilometres, while gulping down plenty of electrolytes in her water bottles. Early-morning training runs with her standard poodle Rusty got her ready to race. Joining Billups on the medal podium were Fort St. John native Raelle Emboe of Fort St. John (3:53:48) and Prince

George elementary school teacher Amanda Wintemute (4:10:33). It was Emboe’s first marathon. The 20-year-old former soccer player and track athlete at Northwestern Polytechnic in Grande Prairie, Alta. was looking for a different outlet for her athletic tendencies, and finishing second was an encouraging result. The cool, misty fog that greeted nearly 300 runners in the early-morning hours Sunday soon gave way to bright sunshine and summerlike temperatures. “It was a little chilly this morning with that big hill at first, but after the hill coming down, it was beautiful weather and so much fun, with everyone along the sides cheering you, and it was incredible,” said Emboe. “I played soccer my entire life and ran track, and I just graduated college. When I was done with that, I was having this identity crisis because I’ve always competed as an athlete, and I was like,

‘What now?’” Emboe went online and looked up marathons in BC and the Labour Day Classic popped up on her screen. Once she realized Terry Fox competed in the original race in 1973 as a prelude to his Marathon of Hope, when it was known as the Prince George to Boston Marathon, she knew she’d found her race. “What made me want to sign up was the Terry Fox connection,” she said. “That was super cool. I lost my grandma to cancer. I had a lot of fun, definitely something I’ll do again. I think I should train hills a little more, but I felt decently prepared going into it.” Former Duchess Park Secondary School track star Mich Ochieng won the men’s marathon, cooking the course in 2:56:50, also a Labour Day Classic record. On Ochieng’s heels were second-place Decklan Hobbins (3:21:17) and third-place Tyler Downey of Fort St. James (3:21:33). The 51st annual Labour Day Classic also featured half-marathon, 10 - km and five km distances, as well as a kilometre-long kids race. Other medalists in their respective classes were: • Half-marathon women: 1. Ashley Shenk (1:49:28), 2. Sarah Brunschwiler (1:53:11), 3. Breanne Hughson (1:54:20). • Half-marathon men: 1. Johnny Michalchuk (1:39:58), 2. Jordan Bax (1:40:35), 3. Dustin Carlson (1:42:53). • 10 - km women: 1. Courtney Sellers (45:14), 2. Julianne Kucherean (49:19), 3. Karla Reason (52:54). • 10 - km men: 1. Jack Bolton (35:11), 2. Connor Garrison (37:19), 3. Thomas Reed (39:28). • Five - km women: 1. Katie Wismer (45:14), 2. Breanna McCleary (22:47), 3. Karolina Bolton (24:06). • Five - km men: 1. Sam Hopson (19:50), 2. Levi Wilkinson (20:26), 3. Anthony Giannoti (20:42).

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2026

SPORTS

PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN

Oil Kings fill nets at Cougars’ expense in Tumbler Ridge TED CLARKE Citizen Staff

PRINCE GEORGE COUGARS PHOTO

Prince George Cougars defenceman Kaeson Fisher clears the puck out of the defensive zone while playing against the Edmonton Oil Kings in a WHL preseason game in Tumbler Ridge on Sunday, Sept. 6.

It’s only exhibition and the scores don’t matter, right? That’s what the Prince George Cougars have to be thinking right now. The Cats started their WHL preseason over the weekend in Tumbler Ridge, taking on the Edmonton Oil Kings in a two-game set, Friday, Sept. 4 and Sunday, Sept 6 and got spanked 15-1 in the two games combined. Cole Landreville scored twice and added an assist and Jonas Vanicek also had a two-goal outing Sunday afternoon to lead the Oil Kings to a 9-1 victory on Sunday. Kayden Schroeder, Chris Kokkoris, Tyler Potter, Mathew Hauser and Ezekiel Kaebel also scored for Edmonton. Rookie Jonathan Bitoni was the lone Cougar marksman. The Oil Kings scored six times in the second period to take command.

Rail Schollar and Elias Mitrikas combined to make 31 saves in goal for the Oil Kings, who outshot the Cougars 48-31. Cougars starter Alexander Levshyn stopped 23 of 27 shots in 31:16 of game action, while Cole Anderosov blocked 15 of the 20 shots he faced in the second half of the game. Both teams used rookie-laden lineups for the two games. In Edmonton’s 6-0 win on Friday they outshot the Cougars 39-19. Schollar and Ethan Simcoe combined or the shutout. The Cougars will be back on the ice at West Fraser Centre in Quesnel to resume their exhibition schedule on Saturday, Sept. 12 (5 p.m.) to face the Kamloops Blazers. The same teams meet again Sunday, Sept. 13 (5 p.m.) in Kamloops. The Cougars start the 2026-27 season on Sept. 18 and19 at CN Centre against the Penticton Vees.

TWolves come to field with guns loaded in showdown TED CLARKE Citizen Staff

The UNBC Timberwolves did not get the three points in the standings they’d hoped for and probably deserved. But if their game on Sunday, Sept. 6 against the Fraser Valley Cascades proved anything it was the fact the TWolves look ready to compete with anybody in Canada West men’s soccer. They drew a heaping helping of confidence from their 1-1 draw with the Cascades at Masich Place Stadium, a game that just as easily could have ended up a UNBC win. “That is a hard-fought point, I don’t think the score really reflects the game, we had great chances with Trevor (Scott) hitting the post and they got some good saves from their goalie,” said UNBC defender Pipeijn van der Ende. “Overall I’m really proud of the team, we worked really hard and we need to take these positives forward, look at the

negatives and learn from them.” There were plenty of positive signs in their season-opening 2-1 loss to the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack at Masich on Friday, Sept. 4 and the Timberwolves took another stride forward in their development Sunday. That started in goal with first-year ‘keeper Callum Cuthbert, a TRU transfer, who drew his second consecutive start on Sunday. He was vocal on the field directing traffic and when he needed to come up with a big stop the Victoria native delivered. Then there was the TWolves’ German express doing its thing to speed up the activity on the field. Striker Simon Odenthal, centre midfielder Luis Hirsch and winger Luis Beck stood out for all the right reasons, making solid clearances under pressure, connecting on crisp passes that landed at the feet of their teammates and using their footspeed to get open and create scoring chances. “They came in as first-years and they

immediately fit in,” said van der Ende. “Everybody welcomed them and you can see it every day on the field every day at practice and every weekend at the games, they have a huge impact.” The three were able to focus on doing their jobs thanks to a staunch back line formed by Dutch import van der Ende, Korean Hagon Kim, Edmontonian Adam Korduner and Victoria native Koss Nystedt. They supported each other and kept the ball away from the net, limiting the Cascades to four shots on goal. “The game did devolve into a bit of long balls, but we stuck through bit and played hard,” said UNBC midfielder Kosta Adzic, a third year transfer from Trinty Western, suspended for Friday’s game due to three yellow cards carried over from last year. “We’re a hardworking group of guys, defensively really solid, and they squeaked a goal by us on the corner kick, but otherwise we were really solid, not just defensively on the field but tactically we did a lot of prep

for this game and it showed.” UNBC was already leading 1-0 on a James Jordan strike 15 minutes and easily could been up 3-0 if Nystedt and Mehdi Bounaaja had aimed a bit lower with their point-blank shots at the Fraser Valley net defended by Premier League Vancouver Whitecap goalie Matheus De Souza. But it was a still a one-goal game when Fraser Valley veteran forward Nathan Cervo cranked a howitzer at Cuthbert. The ball looked certain to be going in when Cuthbert’s cat-like reflexes kicked out his foot at the last second to deflect the hot shot and preserve the lead. That led to a free kick Callum was ready for it and got his hands on Spencer Mellet’s bullet from 30 yards out. “It was a tough game, both teams deserved something,” said TWolves head coach Steve Simonson, back for his 12th season. “Everyone played their role really well and even the subs that came in.”

PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN

SPORTS

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2026

Goal-scoring woes continue to haunt UNBC women TED CLARKE Citizen Staff

Scoring goals has been a perennial challenge for the UNBC Timberwolves and their lack of offensive finish was obvious on the field at Masich Place Stadium Sunday afternoon when they took on the Fraser Valley Cascades for their second game of the Canada West women’s soccer season. After an encouraging start two nights earlier in their first game of 2026, a 1-0 loss to the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack on Friday, Sept. 4, the TWolves’ scoring woes weren’t their only problem in 2-0 loss to Fraser Valley. In a shaky first half, UNBC struggled to put passes together and gave up the ball too easily and that tilted the field in the Cascades’ favour while they built up a 6-1 shot advantage. One of those shots, off the boot of Cascades midfielder Eesha Mudaliar, sailed high over UNBC goalie Johanna Ratke’s outstretched hands into the net. Mudaliar stripped the ball away andfrom 30 yards out she let it rip to open the scoring just five minutes into the game. It could have been much worse for UNBC if not for goalie Ratke making saves, just like she did in her rookie season in 2025 when she set a new Canada West single-season record with 147 stops. Kicking a dressing room garbage can during the intermission to get his team’s attention would be out of character for UNBC head coach Neil Sedgwick, back for his 10th season at the helm, but he got the message through he wasn’t happy with his team’s first-half effort. Sedgwick had already subbed in first-years Alysa Leclerc, Hannah Rickards and Abigayle Bradley in the first half when forward Quinn Bradley came off the bench for her first Canada West action in the second half and their rookie enthusiasm paid immediate dividends. UNBC maintained ball possession for extended stretches and started getting pressure on the Cascades’ net and even a few more shot opportunities, but none that really

CITIZEN PHOTO BY TED CLARKE

UNBC Timberwolves midfielder Maresha Manulek draws a crowd of Fraser Valley Cascades during their Canada West women’s soccer game at Masich Place Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 6.

pushed goalie Alana Madec out of her comfort zone. “We realized it was all about the energy in the first half and as the team continues to learn they have to know the good performance and the energy

they brought on Friday has to be repeated,” said Sedgwick. “It was a slow start for us for sure. We were very reserved in the first half and that comes from thinking fatigue from two games on a weekend. (Ball

possession) has to be our strength and we’ll see how we can improve it moving forward. It’s still a young squad but they’re finding their way.” Madec’s one-save shutout helped Fraser Valley even its record to 1-1. Third-year midfielder Aimee Glasser was the only UNBC shooter to get a shot on goal. Fraser Valley lost it opener 1-0 to Trinity Western Spartans Friday in Langley, a game decided by a corner-kick header goal from Spartans’ Lianna Holz in added time. Cascades head coach Arianne Adams was relieved to avoid any late-game dramatics on Sunday. “That 1-0 loss was a tough one for us so we had to regroup and get back on track,” said Adams. “UNBC, I’ll give them credit, they’re trying to play out of the back and play out and they did a good job, but we were able to get forward and snag a couple balls and we were able to get couple goals on transition. They had more pressure (in the second half) so getting that second goal was key. “Our back line limited the shot opportunities and it was a good game overall.” Kiana Langston put the game out of reach in the 81st minute on a breakaway. She waited for Ratke to make the first move diving to the turf and tucked the ball around her into the open net. TWolves third-year defender Keeley Read is from Langley and was hoping to send her friends on the Cascades home disappointed. Fraser Valley has six Langley products on the team “It was an unfortunate goal early on but I didn’t think that affected us too much and we didn’t let it get in our heads,” said the 20-year-old Read. “Our first years came off the bench with the energy we need and they really delivered but unfortunately we couldn’t get anything in the back of the net.” The UNBC women return to their home field Friday, Sept. 11 at 5:30 p.m. to take on Trinity Western (1-1), then will face UBC (2-0) Sunday, Sept 13 at noon.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2026

SPORTS

PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN

NHL veteran turns up as guest coach at Cougars camp Brent Burns was there to watch his son Jagger, a Cougars prospect TED CLARKE Citizen Staff

It wasn’t hard to pick Colorado Avalanche defenceman Brent Burns out of the crowd of hockey parents waiting for their sons to emerge from the dressing rooms at the Cougars’ intrasquad game. He was the big guy with the beard and the toothless grin. What brought Burns to Prince George was to watch his 15-year-old son Jagger, a forward, experience his first junior hockey training camp. Jagger was selected by the Cougars in the eighth round of the WHL Prospects Draft, 172nd overall, from Okanagan Hockey Academy. “It’s a big thing for him and all the 2011-born boys — it’s a great experience and it’s been a lot of fun,” said Burns, who brought his skates with him to Prince George and helped instruct some of the training camp practice sessions at CN Centre. “The 2011s are younger and it’s eye-opening, but I will say the vets have been great with the kids and have really helped them, and the organization was great for us as parents. PG did a great job of getting us together. It’s been really good.” Jagger was born June 19, 2011, five days before his dad was traded from the Minnesota Wild to the San Jose Sharks. He’s been around NHL rinks since he was a baby and got into minor hockey in San Jose. He also played in Raleigh, N.C., during the three years, 2022-25, Burns was with the Hurricanes. Listed at five-foot-nine and 120 pounds, Jagger has some growing to do to catch up to his dad’s six-footfive, 229-pound stature, but that will come with time. “He’s always loved it. I never really dragged him to the rink until he

wanted to come, and he’s got that passion for it,” said Brent. “I was that size when I was his age. He’ll get bigger. “He’s got a lot of room to grow on the ice. His game will change. They’re still learning so much, and everything is kind of changing for kids at that age, and I’ll just try to help him in all aspects.” Burns, 41, a native of Barrie, Ont., played minor hockey in Toronto and broke into the junior ranks in 2001 in the Ontario Provincial Junior Hockey League with the Couchiching Terriers. He went the following year to the Ontario Hockey League’s Brampton Battalion. He was drafted out of Brampton 20th overall in 2003 by Minnesota as a right winger. He made the switch to the blueline in his first pro season and in 2017 won the James Norris Trophy as the league’s top defenceman after a 29-goal, 67-point season with the San Jose Sharks. He’s heading into his 23rd NHL season and third with the Avalanche. Rob Rogers went back to his job as a litigation lawyer in Surrey after watching some of the players he scouted bust their butts trying to impress the bosses at the Prince George Cougars training camp. This is Rogers’ eighth season with the team but his first as the Cougars’ director of scouting, having joined the team as its Lower Mainland scout the year after Mark Lamb took on the duties of general manager and head coach. Rogers, 62, became the head scout when Leland Mack left the Cats for an NHL job with the Boston Bruins. Mack held that post for one season, taking over from Bob Simmonds, now the Cougars’ director of player personnel. Rogers says Mack and Simmonds deserve the credit for the scouting decisions the Cougars made that led to most of the 88 players showing up for the three-day training camp that wrapped up Sunday, Aug. 30. “It’s easy to step into because I’ve been here and the team does a

PRINCE GEORGE COUGARS PHOTO

With his big beard and missing chiclets, Colorado Avalanche defenceman Brent Burns was a familiar face as he stood at the bench during a Prince George Cougars training camp practice session at CN Centre. Burns came to Prince George to watch his 15-year-old son Jagger try out for the team.

really good job running the camp,” said Rogers, promoted July 17 from his former position as the Cougars’ senior travelling BC scout. “I was fortunate enough to travel throughout Western Canada to go to all the major events. It takes time and you just keep plugging away and hopefully you get some good players. We have a lot of returning players, 14, but we have a number of players who look like they can compete for a spot in this league, whether it’s this year or next. It’s very positive and we’re happy with all our drafts.” The Cougars’ camp featured some smallish forwards, the likes of Cohen Baker (five-foot-five, 140 pounds), Kadric Mujcin (five-foot-eight, 160 pounds), Cruz Buchanan (five-footfive, 117 pounds) and Jagger Burns (five-foot-nine, 120 pounds) — all of whom are either 15 or 16 and are still in the growth-spurt stage of life. “When I started, Bob told me he got one piece of advice from Eric Brewer, the Cougars’ president and part-owner, and that was we’re allowed one jockey and I take that to heart,” laughed Rogers. Buchanan, the Cougars’

eighth-round pick in 2026, is still only 15 and will have to wait a year before he’s eligible to play in Prince George. He scored four goals for Team Brewer in their 11-3 win over Team Hamhuis in the Rob Charney Cup intrasquad game at CN Centre on Sunday, Aug. 30. “When you’re drafting eight or nine players, you’re looking for the talent, the skating, the compete,” said Rogers. “We want players that compete, and Kadric’s a good example of that and Cruz does that. He needs to do it more often, but it looks like he has the ability to play, ultimately as he grows and keeps at it.” Rogers is a 30-year hockey coach who coached the U16 boys at the 2007 Canada Winter Games in Whitehorse, Yukon. He also scouted for BC Hockey and was with the Spokane Chiefs as their BC scout for 10 years before joining the Cougars. He oversees a staff of 12 scouts, including Simmonds, who has been with the team since 2007. Prince George has had four consecutive winning seasons and most of the players on those teams were Cougar draft picks. However, there were growing pains early in Rogers’ time with the team, when the team was near the bottom of the standings. “With the addition of some new staff and Bob at the helm, we’ve had a good run,” said Rogers. “When you have the misfortune of not doing well, you have the good fortune of having high draft picks, and obviously players like Riley Heidt, Koehn Ziemmer and Carson Carels were good players for the Cougars. “I know the owners are committed to the team and they want to be successful on a continual basis and take out the peaks and valleys, and in junior hockey you do have those valleys at times. But they’re committed to putting a good product on the ice, and that’s what we’re going to continue to try to do.” CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN

SPORTS

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE Cougars centre Lee Shurgot proved he’s physically ready for his fourth WHL season. The 19-yearold from Saskatoon won the team’s Mountain Lion Award for being the most fit Cougar in physical testing on and off the ice during training camp and was presented the award before Sunday’s intrasquad game. Shurgot, picked ninth overall from the Saskatoon Blazers by the Cougars in the 2022 WHL Prospects Draft, capped a strong season with an exceptional performance in the playoffs. He played all 68 regular-season games in 2025-26, scoring eight goals and adding 29 assists for 37 points, and turned it on in the post-season. He ended up fourth on the team in playoff scoring with five goals and five assists in 12 games and was the Cougars’ top faceoff guy in the two six-game series against Spokane and Penticton. The Cougars were in in Tumbler

PRINCE GEORGE COUGARS PHOTO

Bob Simmonds, the Prince George Cougars’ director of player personnel, presents the Rob Charney Cup to Team Brewer centre Jagger Burns, who helped Team Brewer defeat Team Hamhuis 11-3 in the game on Sunday, Aug. 30.

Ridge to open the exhibition season Sept. 4 and Sept. 7 against the Edmonton Oil Kings. The games will be played in the 750-seat Tumbler Ridge Community Centre, close to the school where five children and a teacher were murdered Feb. 10 in a mass shooting that left nine people

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2026

dead. “We’ve done that the last couple years. We’ve been in Edson and Hinton, Edmonton and ourselves, we’ve been in Dawson Creek and now Tumbler Ridge, with everything that happened there,” said Lamb. “They’re building a new school and it’s always nice to go and give some love to those communities.” The Cougars are also scheduled to play two pre-season games against the Kamloops Blazers. The teams will meet Saturday, Sept. 13, in Quesnel at West Fraser Centre and Sunday, Sept. 14, in Kamloops, both at 5 p.m. Prince George Cougars’ 2026 pre-season roster, with birth year in parentheses: Goalies • Alexander Levshyn (2006) • Kole Anderosov (2010) • Chase Miles (2010) Defencemen • Dermot Johnston (2008) • Anderson Reschny (2010) • Kaeson Fisher (2007)

• Cooper Bratton (2009) • Tatum Fouquette (2009) • Ethan Popowich (2009) • Arsenii Anisimov (2007) • Phoenix Cahill (2007) • Jerrett Ross (2007) Forwards • Ryland DeMars (2008) • Kadric Mujcin (2010) • Evan Lynch (2009) • Dade Wotherspoon (2009) • Jonathan Bitonti (2008) • Carson Janko (2010) • Cohen Baker (2010) • Tristan Kriech (2008) • Adam M’hamed (2007) • Jack Finnegan (2008) • Dixon Hartwich (2009) • George Monaghan (2008) • Tre Peck (2007) • Lee Shurgot (2007) • Kayden Lemire (2008) • Dmitri Yakutsenak (2007) • Riley Ashe (2006) • Aiden Foster (2007) • Jett Lajoie (2007) • Townes Kozicky (2008) • Cole Hajt (2009)

WHL announces YouTube deal after exiting Victory+ Fans were concerned after league parts ways with Victory+ TED CLARKE Citizen Staff

Junior hockey fans concerned about the interruption of the streaming service Victory+ that enabled free broadcasts of all games in the Western Hockey League got some good news last week. The WHL office announced it has worked out an interim deal to livestream its games in the 2026-27 season on YouTube. That ends weeks of uncertainty as to how the league would replace its exclusive livestreaming partner for the free service, which started with the playoffs in March 2025 on Victory+.

“The WHL’s audience is growing rapidly. We continue to believe that providing easy access to games is of critical value and importance as we look to expand our reach and deliver WHL excitement to our fans,” said WHL commissioner Dan Near, in an email sent Wednesday, Sept. 2 to media outlets. “By moving WHL regular season games to YouTube on a shortterm basis, we are protecting that access for fans to livestream their favourite WHL club and watch their favourite WHL stars when the 202627 season gets underway Friday, September 18.” The Victory+ arrangement was deemed a great success and allowed fans of teams like the Prince George Cougars to view home and away games. Leaguewide, audiences numbered in the millions over the course of the

CITIZEN FILE PHOTO BY CHUCK NISBETT

Giants forward Cameron Schmidt takes a shot on Cougars netminder Josh Ravensbergen during a 2025 game at the CN Centre. WHL games will be streamed on YouTube this season.

2025-26 season. Teams stepped up their broadcast capabilities, installing cameras around rinks and producing more on-air content during games and intermissions to enhance the fan

experience “While we are disappointed to part ways, our time with Victory+ resulted in remarkable growth and exposure for the WHL as a result of the increased accessibility for fans,” Near said. “WHL clubs pushed forward, investing in their production and exploring new ways to deliver games to fans via our livestreaming product. To this day, we hear accounts from fans who discovered the WHL because of our decision to work alongside Victory+, a company with Western Canadian roots. In today’s changing landscape, accessibility to the product is paramount and we will explore all options to deliver games to WHL fans around the world.” The WHL did not state whether playoff games in 2027 will be available on the Your Tube channel.

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17 Endure 18 Lustrous fabrics 20 Ascribe 22 Soda 23 Abysmal 24 Fairy tale figures 27 Surname of Judas 32 Terre Haute sch. 33 From -- Z

34 Ruckus 35 Element No. 78 38 Recognized 39 Train lines (Abbr.) 40 CBS logo 42 More like Unger 45 Signed over 49 China setting 50 Here (Fr.)

52 Mani counterpart 53 Not naked 54 Darjeeling, e.g. 55 “-- to differ!” 56 Earth tones 57 Buddhist sect 58 Metal boxes

DOWN 1 Golf props 2 Golden State sch. 3 Dorm alternative 4 Dutch exports 5 Actor 6 Long. crosser 7 Spiced drink 8 Inferior

9 Follower of Sigmund’s methods 10 Jr.-year exam 11 Challenge 19 Rejection 21 CEO’s degree, maybe 24 Trendy 25 Visual communication

syst. 26 Protector 28 “Rugrats” dad 29 Late-night host, usually 30 Poetic tribute 31 AAA job 36 Three-note chords 37 British verb ending

38 “Consider this a gift” 41 Old pronoun 42 Diplomacy 43 “La -- Bonita” 44 Cracker name 46 Mazar of “Younger” 47 Idyllic place 48 Uses a shovel 51 Bee follower

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2026

PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN

Life Events Celebration of Life Terry W. Smith

Celebration Of Life Colin A. Blair

September 24, 1936 - August 12, 2026 A Celebration of Life will be held on September 19, 2026 at 11:00 at St. Giles Presbyterian Church 1500 Edmonton Street, Prince George, BC

Saturday, October 17, 2026 11:00 am - 1:00 pm Prince George Golf and Curling Club Re/Max Room We warmly invite you to join us and come together to celebrate the life of our beloved friend Terry. This will be an informal gathering a time to laugh, share stories, reminisce, and remember the many ways he touched our lives. We encourage anyone who would like to share a fa ourite memory, a funny story, or a few words about Terry to do so. There is no need to prepare anything formal - just come as you are and speak from the heart. efreshments will be ser ed a erwards.

Henry Johns

July 7, 1938 - August 17, 2026 Henry Johns passed away peacefully on August 17, 2026 in Prince George, British Columbia, at the age of . enry was born on uly , 19 , in Pleshaw, Poland. hroughout his life, he embraced e ery opportunity to learn, build, teach, and ser e those around him. e was a successful business owner, a talented builder, a dedicated teacher and coach, and a true ac of all trades. is willingness to share his knowledge and lend a helping hand le a lasting impact on many li es. An a id sherman and lo er of the outdoors, enry found great joy in nature and spent countless hours pursuing his passions. e coached multiple sports o er the years, inspiring young athletes and fostering teamwor , discipline, and con dence in those he mentored, including his daughters

n e ne

o ember 11, 1950

uly 2 , 2026

artin was born in Slo enia, and although life too him from Slo enia to Los Angeles and e entually to Prince George, where he raised his family, a part of his heart ne er le his homeland. ay your heart nally be home again in the place you lo ed so much Slo enia.

Honouring

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

artin is sur i ed by his sister Angela on o Andre on o , his brother Ste en Serne aria Serne his children elissa Barnard and onald Serne , and his is two grandchildren, Chloe and Stella, e tended family and dear friends. he Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, ctober , 2026 at he Slo enian all 556 orth echa o, Prince George, BC 2 1A1 at 1:00 p.m.

enry was predeceased by his wife, Ann ohns n e Graham . e is remembered by his longtime partner, aureen otos his daughters, eidi Eric , ohanna, ennifer Cal in , and irstin his cherished grandchildren, Suria, Ellis, Bec e , Linden, Sarah, a enna, Chloe Shem , and predeceased by yleigh and his great grandchildren, Emerson, Chester, ason, Callum and Camdyn. enry will be remembered for his strong wor ethic, resourcefulness, generosity, sense of ad enture, being true to his word, and deep lo e for his family. is legacy li es in the many li es he touched and, in the alues, he passed down through generations. e will be deeply missed and fore er remembered by his family, friends, and all who had the pri ilege of nowing him. As always, we give Henry the last word: To all of you that need a break Be happy as I go out on the lake If others wonder why I am missing Tell them I have just gone fishing. Celebration of Life is an pen ouse on ctober 10 from 1:00 :00 pm at 2 cBride Cres, Prince George, BC.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2026

PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN

Delbert David “Dave” Bellamy May 16, 1941 - August 22, 2026

Mary “Minnie” Meier

October 6, 1937 - Se[tember 1, 2026 It is with immense sadness we announce the sudden passing of our beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, aunt, sister and friend. Minnie was surrounded by her immediate family in her final hours and was able to say goodbye with loving and caring words in a way that only she could do. She was loved endlessly by all who knew her, and in turn, her love for everyone else was unwavering and unconditional. She always thought of those around her before thinking of herself. Minnie’s home was a place for those seeking love, conversation and comfort to which the door was always open. She found most of her enjoyment to be in a good conversation, a difficult puzzle and spending time with her immediate family (also a good daytime soap). Her favorite ways to spend the time were fishing, family gatherings and making perogies.. All of which will live on in her memory. Born in Chelan, Saskatchewan to parents Peter and Helen Chalupiak. She is survived by her sister Rose and brother John, her children Marvin(Bonnie) and Jim(Susan) - grandchildren Heather(Ryan), Pam(Shawn), Mike, Jo(Justin), Josh(Kayla), Becky(Rob) - great grandchildren Emmy, Griff, Connor, Haylen, Norah and Graham. She was predeceased by husband Lawrence and daughter Veronica and infant son Joey. The family would like to sincerely thank the incredible nurses, doctors and heathcare support staff at UHNBC emergency and the Family Medicine Unit who ensured her final moments were full of love and for providing such special comfort and care for her. Funeral service Friday Sept 11, 2026 1:30 pm at Sacred Heart Cathedral, 887 Patricia Blvd. Internment to follow at Prince George Cemetery. We will forever cherish your LOVE, kindness and most of all your smile!! ***May you never travel faster than your guardian Angel’s wings can fly***

Honouring

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

It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Delbert David “Dave” Bellamy, at the age of 85, on August 22, 2026, at the Prince George Hospice House, surrounded by the love of his family. Dave was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, greatgrandfather, brother, uncle, teammate and friend. He will be lovingly remembered by his wife and soulmate of many years, Marian, and his children Eugene (Barbara), Gwen, Glenn (Donna), and Kerry, and his late son Kelly. He leaves behind a family he was immensely proud of: grandchildren Regina (Ma ), Ryan, Leon (Stephanie), Melodee, Davis (Jamie), Kyla (Sanjot), Jamie (Shelby), Cody, Dallas (Michelle), Ronan, and Vivian; great-grandchildren Marshall, Delainey, Bryceson, Kaleb, Violet, and Austin and his chosen grandchildren Liam and Trinity. Dave is also survived by his sisters Linda (Lawrence), Phyllis, and Reta; sister-in-law Carole; nephews Steve (Ann), Jason (Adrienne), Gary (Darlene), Richard, Darren (Chandra), and Jay; as well as numerous extended family members and lifelong friends. Dave was predeceased by his son Kelly his granddaughter KatieMarie; his parents, Delbert and Katheleine; his sister Shirley; his brother Jack; his brother-in-law Bob; his nephew Tom; and many other family members and friends who were dear to him. Born in Tisdale, Saskatchewan, Dave spent his early years on the family farm before moving with his family to Willow River in 1947. It was there, at a very young age, that he met Marian, the woman who would become his soulmate and lifelong partner. Dave developed his passion for hockey early. His first games were

played on a farm pond, where horse turds served as makeshi pucks. At 16, he began playing for the Prince George Mohawks, continuing for seven years. He could hardly wait until he turned 3 so he could oin the old-timers. His love of the game never faded. ave was a coach and e ecutive with the Prince George Minor Hockey Association and was particularly proud of having coached his boys. One of his few regrets was not having had the opportunity to coach his daughter Gwen, whom he championed as one of the first two girls to play in Prince George minor hockey. His hockey career extended far beyond the rink. Dave travelled extensively to play in tournaments, o en oining the rosters of other teams wherever an opportunity arose. Marian affectionately described him as “Have a hockey bag, will travel.” For Dave, hockey was as much about the friendships and adventures as it was about the game. For approximately 40 years, Dave was involved with the Rusty Nuts, a team he helped establish. He remained involved right up until his passing, recently turning over the management duties of a team that had become such an important part of his life. Dave’s working life was equally varied and entrepreneurial. He worked in the sawmill with his father and Uncle Ron, sold life insurance, drove a tow truck, and worked as a clerk for the Pacific Great Eastern Railway. He eventually entered the trucking business a er purchasing two six-yard single-axle gravel trucks. Through hard work and determination, that small operation grew into a fleet and ultimately led to the incorporation of Coyote Transport in 1970. The business would continue to grow, e panding into log contracting, land development, and road building. Yet for all of Dave’s accomplishments, his greatest pride

was his family. No one was ever a stranger to Dave. He took a genuine interest in the people he met and was endlessly curious about the world around him. He could talk knowledgeably about an extraordinary range of subjects, and his curiosity o en led to a story — which, in turn, usually provided an opportunity to exercise his wonderful sense of humour. Dave also had a legendary sweet tooth. His hockey buddies affectionately nicknamed him “O’Henry,” and one of his favourite annual traditions was preparing his Christmas chocolate order directly from the Rogers’ chocolate factory. Among all the places Dave loved, none held quite the same meaning as the family lake property. It was a place where family gathered, memories were made, and Dave could enjoy some of the things he valued most: good company, conversation, laughter, and time together. Dave lived a full life built around family, friendships, hard work, hockey, curiosity, humour, and adventure. He had a remarkable ability to make people feel welcome and valued. His stories, his laughter, his generosity, and his unmistakable presence will be deeply missed. Viewing was held August 28, 2026, 4 - 6 pm at Assman’s Funeral Chapel. A service and remembrance of Dave’s life will be held September 16, 2026, 1 pm at the Coast Prince George Hotel. Dave and his family would like to e tend their hear elt thanks to all of the doctors, nurses, caregivers, and staff at HNBC and Prince George Hospice House for the compassion, care, and kindness they provided to Dave and his family.

Classifieds

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2026

BUSINESS DIRECTORY

PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN

Booking deadline: Friday noon Approval deadline: Monday at noon

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Beer Can Invention: A local businessman named Ben Ginter founded Caribou Brewing Company in the 1960s and is credited with inventing the pull-tab beer can (the Pil’can). Millionaires Per Capita: During the lumber boom of the 1980s, Prince George reportedly boasted the most millionaires per capita in Canada due to its independent sawmills.

MINES ACT PERMIT APPLICATION MINES ACT NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR A PERMIT APPROVING THE PROPOSED MINE PLAN AND RECLAMATION PROGRAM FOR A QUARRY OPERATION Take notice that Vitreo Minerals Ltd. has filed with the Chief Permitting Officer pursuant to the Health, Safety and Reclamation Code for Mines in British Columbia, a proposed mine plan together with a program for the protection and reclamation of land and watercourses related to the Angus Project, a proposed silica sand mining operation, located near Bear Lake:

• Claim Numbers 1060633, 1052136, 1060737, 1072116, 1136935, 1136934, 1114787 • Mineral Titles Map Number 093J08F056C • Cariboo District

The Name: Founded as a fur-trading post named Fort George by Simon Fraser in 1807, the settlement was later named Prince George to honor the Duke of Kent when the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway arrived.Indigenous Roots:

A copy of the permit application, including supporting documentation, is available for viewing at the Vitreo Minerals Ltd. office, located at 110-1323 5th Avenue, Prince George, BC, V2L3L6. Any person affected by or interested in this program has 30 days from the date of publication to make written representation to: Ministry of Mining and Critical Minerals mmd-princegeorge@gov.bc.ca Application information and instructions for submitting comments to the Ministry are also available at: https://www.gov.bc.ca/minesengagement

The area is the ancestral homeland of the Lheidli T’enneh First Nation, whose name translates to “people of the confluence of the two rivers”.

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Mr. PG: The city’s famous goofy giant lumberjack mascot debuted in May 1960. An 8-meter-tall fiberglass and metal version still welcomes visitors at the junction of Highways 97 and 16.

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2026

PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN

LEGAL NOTICE “TAKE NOTICE THAT on 13/Aug/2024 an order was made for service on you of an Appointment to Examine for Discovery (“EFD Appt”) issued from the Vancouver Registry of the Supreme Court of British Columbia in proceeding number M222225 by way of this advertisement. Your EFD Appt sets out that your Examination for Discovery will proceed on November 20, 2026 at 10:00am at the Prestige Boardroom at the Prestige Treasure Cove Resort in Prince George (hosted by All North Reporting, phone: #250-552-1612) located at 2005 Hwy 97 S Prince George, BC. In the proceeding, the plaintiff claims the following relief against you: damages for [2] injuries sustained in a injury on November 13, 2020. You must attend at the Prestige Boardroom at the Prestige Treasure Cove Resort at 2005 Hwy 97 S, Prince George, BC on November 20, 2026 at 10:00am. Failure to attend may result in being held against you LLP or can otherwise be This advertisement is placed byjudgment the plaintiff Slater Vecchio harmful to your position at 10445 trial. Pacific Centre North PO Box whose address for service is: 2 ] 777 Dunsmuir Street 18th[ Floor You may obtain, from the Vancouver Registry,Vancouver, at 800 Smithe Street, BC V7Y 1K4 Vancouver, BC from the Prince Street, Fax or number address forGeorge serviceRegistry (if any): at 250 George Service by faxPrince is not George, acceptedBC a copy the order providing for service by this advertisement.” Email address forof service (if any): service@slatervecchio.com

This advertisement is placed by the plaintiff address for service is: Date: whose 21/Aug/2026 Fax number address for service (if any): [Email 2 ] address for service (if any): Date:

Slater Vecchio LLP PO Box 10445 Pacific Centre North 18th Floor Signature of 777 Dunsmuir Street Vancouver, BC V7Y 1K4  filing party Service by fax is not accepted  lawyer for filing party service@slatervecchio.com For: James A. Richards

GENERAL LABOURER / GRAIN HANDLER $50.29/hr

Prince Rupert Grain Ltd. (PRG) operates a state-of-the-art grain shipping facility on Ridley Island in Prince Rupert. The terminal receives grain by rail and processes, sorts and stores grain for loading onto ships bound for markets worldwide. Qualifications: • Minimum Grade 12 Diploma, GED or equivalent industrial experience. • Must be capable of lifting and stacking 50lbs without assistance. • Class 5 Driver’s License. Assets: • Experienced Locomotive Operators / Conductors. • Fourth Class Power Engineers Certification. • Grain Terminal Operations Experience. • Completion of OH&S training courses such as OFA Level 3, forklift, confined space, WHMIS, fall arrest. PRG provides an excellent compensation package. Currently, this position is paid 50.29/hr, in addition pension, benefits plan, training, and career development opportunities are available.

21/Aug/2026

Slater Vecchio LLP Prince Rupert Grain Ltd. is an equal opportunity employer. Barristers and Solicitors Signature of Submit your resume electronically on our website: Slater Vecchio LLP the plaintiff PO Box 10445 filingPacific party Centre North https://prgrain.ca/human-resources. PO Box 10445 Pacific Centre North 18th Floor 777 Dunsmuir  lawyer for filingStreet party We will only accept PDF files. 18th Floor 777 Dunsmuir Street Vancouver, BC V7YA.1K4 For: James Richards Vancouver, BC V7Y 1K4 Only applicants under consideration will be contacted to Telephone: (604) 682-5111 (if any): Service by fax is not accepted proceed through the hiring process. Slater Vecchio LLP ): service@slatervecchio.com Closing Date: October 1, 2026 Barristers and Solicitors PO Box 10445 Pacific Centre North 18th Floor 777 Dunsmuir Street PUBLIC NOTICE Signature of Vancouver, BC V7Y 1K4 FOREST OPERATIONS MAP REVIEW  filing party Telephone: (604) 682-5111  lawyer for filing party Sinclar Group Forest Products Ltd (Lakeland Mills and U-Haul Storage Center Prince George claims a For: James A. Richards inton Global proposed forest operations map F M , Landlords Contractual Lien against the followI : 3 28, will be available for public review and comment ing person(s) goods in storage at 7087 Bear Rd, from September 11, 202 Slater Vecchio LLP, until ctober 11, 202 . Prince George, BC V2N 5N7 Tel: (236)383-2009. Barristers and Solicitors he F M is valid for three years and may be relied PO Box 10445 Pacific Centre North 2265 Dale Christy $379.10 upon for cu ng road permits to harvest a cutbloc or 18th Floor 777 Dunsmuir Street 1409 James Wessel $552.25 construct a road shown on the F M. It may be accessed Vancouver, BC V7Y 1K4 2232 Cherina Mueller $797.15 comments may be submitted at the following website: Telephone: (604) 682-5111 Forest perations Map gov.bc.ca . 1234 Luke Latana $457.80

LEGAL NOTICE

o discuss the F M with a Sinclar representative, schedule an appointment during business hours, Mon Fri between 8:30am :30pm. Contact Emma Duncan, RPF at 250-570-9245 or emma. duncan@sinclar.com to schedule. ritten comments can be mailed to: Emma Duncan, Sinclar Woodlands, 1515 Nicholson St S, Prince George, BC, V2N 1V7

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If not paid in full, the contents of the locker will be sold online at www.bid13.com starting at 11 am on Monday, September 28th, 202 , until 11 am on Thursday, October 1st, 2026. Winners will be contacted by email at the end of the auction. Room contents are personal household goods unless noted otherwise. Bids will be for the entire contents of each loc er unit.

FOR SALE

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2026

On Sept. 21, 1942, the U.S. B-29• Superfortress, largest On Sept. 7, 1776,the the American bomber usedcraft in Turtle the war by any submersible attempted to nation, flight attach aperformed time bomb toits the debut hull of Britin Seattle, craft ish AdmiralWashington. Richard Howe’sThe flagship, was capable carrying Eagle, in NewofYork Harbor, loads marking nearly equal its owninweight the first use ofto a submarine warfare. at altitudes of 30,000 to 40,000 • 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 wasn’t a popular ruler, and his (March 21 to April 19) As tensions ease subjects refused support. on the home front,their you can onceNew again Amsterdam’s name was changed focus on changes in the workplace.toEarly New York honorworked of the out. DukeStability of difficulties areinsoon York,as who organized itsare capture. returns adjustments made. • On Sept. 9, 1939, moviegoers at the TAURUS (April in 20Riverside, to May 20) A new Fox Theater California, romance tests to the Bovine’s were treated anunattached unexpected screenpatience to the limit. But Venus ing of Margaret Mitchell’s “Gone still with rules Taurean expect to thethe Wind,” shownheart, by theso theater manfindager yourself trying hardwhile to make this as a second feature producrelationship work. er David O. Selznick observed their reactions from the back of the theater. GEMINI (Maywas 21released to Junea20) a The movie few It’s months good time to consider home-related later. purchases. But shop around carefully for • On price, Sept. 10, 1960, Hurricane Donthe best whether it’s a new house na struck theor Florida Keys as afor Categofor the family a new hose the ry 4 storm. The devastating hurricane garden. 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

PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN

feet and featured the first radar bombing system of any U.S. bomber. * On Sept. 22, 1776, Continental Army captain Nathan Hale was executed by the British for spying. Disguised as a Dutch schoolmaster, he had sneaked behind British lines on Long Island and successfully gathered information about British troop movements for the next several weeks but was captured while attempting to return to American-controlled territory. * On Sept. 23, 2016, a small box containing half of author Truman

Capote’s cremated remains, which was part of the estate of his friend Joanne Carson (ex-wife of TV host Johnny Carson), was auctioned in California, 32 years after his death. It received 12 bids and sold for $43,750. * On Sept. 24, 1988, Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson completed the 100-meter dash in 9.79 seconds to win gold at the Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, but his victory was temporary, as he tested positive for steroids three days later and was stripped of the medal. * On Sept. 25, 2015, a California

judge approved former Olympic athlete Caitlyn Jenner’s request to legally change her name and gender designation. * On Sept. 26, 1996, U.S. astronaut and biochemist Shannon Lucid returned to Earth in the U.S. Space Shuttle Atlantis following six months in orbit aboard the Russian space station Mir. She was the first American woman to live in a space station and set a new space endurance record for an American as well as a world endurance record for a woman.

CANCER (June 21 to July 22) A contentious family member seems intent on creating problems. Best advice: Avoid stepping in until you know more about the origins of this domestic disagreement.

LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) You should soon be hearing some positive feedback on a recent business move. Meanwhile, an old family problem recurs, but this time, you’ll know how to handle it better.

CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) Your merrier aspect continues to dominate and attract folks who rarely see this side of you. Some serious new romancing could develop out of all this cheeriness.

LEO (July 23 to August 22) A recent job-related move proves to be far more successful than you could’ve imagined. Look for continued beneficial fallout. Even your critics have something nice to say!

SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) Some surprising statements shed light on the problem that caused a once-warm relationship to cool off. Use this newly won knowledge to help turn things around.

AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) You’re always concerned about the well-being of others. It’s time that you put some of this concern into your own health situation, especially where it involves nutrition.

VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) Ease up and stop driving yourself to finish a certain project on a deadline that’s no longer realistic. Your superiors will be open to requests for an extension. Ask for it.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) Your spiritual side is especially strong at this time. Let yourself be guided by it into deeper contemplation of aspects about yourself that you’d like to understand better.

PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Just when you thought your life had finally stabilized, along comes another change that needs to be addressed. Someone you trust can help you deal with it successfully.

PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN

Homes & Living

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2026

When Summer Says Goodbye: Protecting Your Garden There is a particular sound to a Northern B.C. garden in early September. The bees are still working, the tomatoes are finally ripening, the hanging baskets are putting on one last show—and then the weather forecast suddenly mentions temperatures hovering around zero. For gardeners in Prince George and throughout Northern B.C., that first light frost can arrive with very little warning. One night you’re wondering when those green tomatoes will finally turn red; the next morning you’re staring at a garden covered in frost. But a light frost doesn’t necessarily have to mean the end of the gardening season. With a little preparation, gardeners can protect vulnerable plants and

squeeze several more productive weeks out of the season. The first rule is simple: know what you’re trying to protect. Not every plant is equally bothered by a chilly night. Vegetables such as kale, cabbage, carrots, beets and other coolseason crops are generally much more tolerant of low temperatures. Tender crops—including tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, beans and many annual flowers—are far more susceptible to frost damage. That’s where the gardener’s attention should be focused. Keep an Eye on the Nighttime Forecast In Northern B.C., daytime temperatures can be deceiving. A sunny September afternoon can make

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the garden feel like summer while temperatures plunge after sunset. Check the overnight forecast and pay particular attention when temperatures approach the freezing mark. Your garden may also be colder than the official forecast suggests, especially if it sits in a low-lying area where cold air can collect. The B.C. government’s Frost Protection Guide points out that frost damage can be significant in late fall and that location and local conditions play an important role in frost risk. Bring Out the Blankets When frost threatens, covering vulnerable plants is one of the simplest and most effective things a homeowner can do. Commercial frost cloth is an excellent option, but you don’t necessarily need to make a trip to the garden centre. Old bedsheets, lightweight blankets or other breathable fabrics can also provide protection from a light frost. Place the covering over the plant before temperatures drop in the evening and secure it against wind. Stakes, hoops or overturned containers can help keep the material from weighing down the foliage. And remember to remove the covering in the morning once temperatures rise. Plants need sunlight and good air circulation, and a covered plant can quickly become too warm when the sun comes out. Plastic sheeting can also be used, but don’t allow plastic to sit directly against plant leaves. A simple frame can keep the plastic elevated and provide a protective air space. Give the Garden a Drink Moist soil can also help moderate temperature changes. If a frost is expected, watering the garden during the day can provide some additional protection. The key is timing. Don’t wait until the

temperature is already dropping. Water earlier in the day and allow the soil to absorb the moisture. This isn’t a substitute for covering tender plants, but it can be another useful tool in the Northern gardener’s frost-fighting kit. Don’t Forget the Roots While everyone worries about frozen leaves, the roots deserve attention too. A layer of mulch around plants helps insulate the soil and reduce rapid temperature fluctuations. Straw, shredded leaves, compost and other suitable organic materials can all be useful. Just don’t pile wet mulch directly against plant stems. Give the base of the plant a little breathing room. Potted Plants Are Particularly Vulnerable Container gardening is popular in Northern B.C., but pots provide considerably less protection for plant roots than garden soil. If you’ve been keeping tender flowers, herbs or vegetables in containers, consider moving them into a garage, shed, greenhouse, porch or other sheltered location when frost is expected. Sometimes the easiest frost protection is simply picking up the pot and moving it. Don’t Give Up Too Early The arrival of a light frost doesn’t mean the garden is finished. In fact, many cool-season crops can continue producing well after tender summer plants have surrendered. Kale, cabbage and other hardy vegetables can tolerate considerably cooler conditions and can help keep the kitchen supplied as autumn settles in. The trick is knowing which plants need help and which ones are perfectly capable of handling Northern B.C.’s changing weather.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2026

PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN

Don’t Let Your Gutters Become an Afterthought When was the last time you looked up at your roof gutters? If the answer is “I can’t remember,” you’re not alone. Gutters are one of those parts of a home that are easy to ignore—until they stop doing their job. A properly functioning gutter system plays an important role in protecting your home from water damage. Gutters collect rainwater and melting snow from the roof and direct it safely away from the foundation. When they become clogged with leaves, pine needles, moss and other debris, water can overflow, potentially causing expensive problems. One of the most obvious signs of clogged gutters is water spilling over the sides during a rainfall. That water can soak exterior walls, damage siding and landscaping, and collect around the foundation. Over time, repeated exposure to moisture can contribute to

foundation problems, basement leaks and soil erosion. Clogged gutters can also become extremely heavy. Wet leaves and standing water add considerable weight to the gutter system, placing stress on the gutters, fasteners and fascia boards. In severe cases, sections of gutter can pull away from the house. There are other unwanted guests to consider as well. Debris-filled gutters can become a breeding ground for insects and provide nesting material for birds and rodents. Standing water can also create an environment where mosquitoes thrive. For homeowners in Northern B.C., fall is an especially important time to inspect and clean gutters. Falling leaves, needles and other seasonal debris can quickly accumulate, and winter snow and ice can make an existing problem considerably worse. Ideally, gutters should be

cleaned at least twice a year— typically in the spring and fall. Homes surrounded by mature trees may require more frequent attention. While cleaning, check for loose brackets, cracks, rust, sagging sections and damaged downspouts. Make sure downspouts direct water several feet away from the foundation. If water is discharged directly beside the house, consider adding an extension or other drainage solution. Safety should be a priority. Use a sturdy ladder on stable, level ground, and never overreach while working from it. If your roof is steep, the gutters are unusually high or you are uncomfortable working at height, hiring a professional is money well spent. Gutter guards can reduce the amount of debris entering the system, but they don’t eliminate maintenance completely. They still need to be inspected and cleaned

Property & Strata Management

periodically. A few minutes spent looking after your gutters can help prevent thousands of dollars in avoidable repairs. They may not be the most glamorous part of your home, but when the rain starts falling, you’ll be glad they’re doing their job.

Aspire Realty

1625 – 4th Ave Prince George • 9-5 Monday to Friday

Call to obtain an application and book and appointment to view. 250-596-8150 ext.4

rlpaspirepropertymanagement.ca or email rlpaspirerentals@gmail.com for more info 1800 Upland St. $1,800 2 BED – 1BATH $1,300 1 BED – 1BATH $2,500 3 BED – 2.5 BATH $3,600 4 BED – 3.5 BATH

3965 2nd Ave Unit B $1300/m 2 BED - 1 BATH 5 - 2212 Redwood unit B $1200 plus BC Hydro 2 BED – 1 BATH 840 Irwin unit A$1620 3 BED – 1 BATH

Each office individually owned and operated

111- 2938 Hopkins $1,915.00 plus BC hydro 2 BED – 2 BATH

227 Gillett $1200 2 bed - 1 bath

105 - 2938 Hopkins Rd $1915 plus hydro 2 BED – 2 BATH

206 -2478 Upland St. $1200 1 Bed - 1 Bath

224 - 3033 Ospika Blvd $1650 plus hydro 2 BED – 2 BATH

701 Ahbau St (½ Duplex) $1800 Plus utilities 2beds - 1 bath

105- 506 Gillett St Unit 105 $2100 with GARAGE 2 BED - 2.5 BATH

7009 Irene Road (Ground Level) $1300 Unit A 1 Bed - 1Bath

107 – 2938 Hopkins $1915 plus BC Hydro 2 BED – 2 BATH

7452 Irene Road $2400 3 Beds - 2 Baths

1317 Porter Unit A $1800 3 Beds - 1.5 Baths

102-4144 15th $1100 plus Hydro 1 Bed - 1 Bath

We have office’s covering areas in Quesnel, Terrace, Burns Lake, Valemount, McBride, Chetwynd and Dawson Creek

106-3777 MASSEY DR., $179,900

#206-2217 REGENTS CRES., $209,900

MLS# R3149605

MLS# R3136908

MLS# R3125085

2944 MEYER RD. $324,900 MLS# R3120837

2697 ABBOTT CRES., $455,900 MLS# R3116319

1684 10TH AVE., $649,900 MLS# R3131228

5089 HEADLAND HGTS $869,900

2328-2330 OAK ST., $389,900 MLS# R3116858

7788 THOMPSON DR. $535,000 MLS# R3123294

7491 SOUTHRIDGE AVE $669,000 MLS# R3128318

5101 HEADLAND HGTS $889,900

D SOL T GUS U A N

MLS# R3147042

FOR SALE

908 - 1501 QEENSWAY ST $144,500

D SOL T GUS U A IN

MLS# R3146654

Linda Stacey Property Manager 250-562-6228

Joy Paul Realtor® 778-681-8474

8487 PETER RD. $269,900

2066 ROSS CRES., $260,000

MLS# R3137994

MLS# R3156720

38 RESIDENTIAL LOTS STARTING AT $250,000 $200,000

DIN N E P 905 LA SALLE AVE. $399,900

288 S NICHOLSON ST., $399,900

1753 KENWOOD ST., $419,000

MLS# R3132235

MLS# R3155158

MLS# R3146147

5559 HEYER RD., $599,900

5836 TRENT DR. $609,900

MLS# R3141274

D IN L O S JULY 343-345 QUINN ST., $669,900

MLS# R3157274

7756 N. NECHAKO RD. $899,900

MLS# R3138631

1716 SHADY VALLEY RD., $599,900 MLS# R3149547

PRE-REGISTER AT www.TynerRidgeEstates.ca

SOLD SOLD

MLS# R3126409

D SOL LY IN JU 7825 BEAVER RD. $1,099,990

7614 ST. ANDREW CRT,. $824,900 MLS# R3121976

SOLD

SOLD SOLD

SOLD

SOLD SOLD SOLD

2870 GREENFOREST CRES. $680,000

SOLD SOLD

SOLD

D SOL T GUS U A N

MLS# R3145052

Amit Luthra Realtor® 250-981-9090

Grace Purdey Realtor® 250-612-2238

SOLD

MLS# R3151740

Zaviery Dodd Realtor® 250-649-8097

SOLD

MLS# R3153619

*No extra costs, No upfront fees - Full Service MLS Listing at just 1.95% of sale price if Buyer unrepresented OR represented by Listing Realtor Subject to Minimum of $6,495 OR 2.95% if buyer represented by another Realtor subject to minimum of $7,495.

SOLD

Matt Petkau Realtor® 250-617-8179

SOLD

Mike Hurrell Realtor® P.R.E.C. Managing Broker 250-981-3100 10 yrs MLS Sales Award Winner 2007, 2009-2022

out .95% FULL SERVICE MLS LISTING* Check full listing SERVICE information FREE FULL AT A at MARKET FAIR PRICE MaxSave.ca EVALUATION

SOLD

250-562-6228

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2026

SOLD

PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN

LOTS START AT $230,000 WITH VIEW AND GREENBELT LOTS AVAILABLE.. AVAILABLE. LOTS FOR SALE 2746 PINE ST., $45,000 - MLS $3140749 LOT 2 COLUMBIA RD - 4.15 AC $379,900 - MLS R3152769 LOT 28 5314 HEADLANDS HTS., $339,900 - MLS R3119081

13800 BIG FIR RD., $1,399,900

Lot 6, WESTERN PROPERTIES $219,900 - MLS R2837586 Lot 9, WESTERN PROPERTIES $219,900 - MLSR2837613

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2026

PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN

ENERGY REALTY

THIS WEEK’S PREMIUM PROPERTIES WAKE UP TO THE RIVER EVERY DAY

PRICE REDUCED

DON GOWAN

A perfect combination of privacy, space, and stunning natural surroundings. This custom built, south-facing Westcoast style rancher delivers 3,700 sq ft of living space, all set on a secluded, treed one acre lot.

778.349.4026

don.gowan@century21.ca

8943 NORTH NECHAKO RD MLS# R3150839

$1,049,000 CUSTOM KITCHEN

LOT LINES ARE APPROXIMATE

0.4 ACRES

#32 BIRCH BAY RESORT, FRANCOIS LAKE

309-2550 S. Ospika Blvd

PRICED AT ONLY $129,900

OFFERED AT $359,000

MLS# R3121514

CONTACT ME TODAY!

MLS# R315976

5316 & 5390 SHELLBURN RD MULTIPLE OPPORTUNITIES! OFFERED AT $169,000