Prince George Citizen June 12, 2025 by Prince George Citizen

Council approves two resolutons to send to UBCM

COLIN SLARK Citizen Staff

Prince George city council approved two resolutions at its Monday, June 9 meeting to be forwarded to the Union of BC Municipalities for consideration at the organization’s 2025 conference being held in Victoria this September.

The UBCM is an advocacy group made up of representatives from regional districts and municipalities across British Columbia.

Each year during its annual conventions, delegates vote on resolutions that call on the UBCM to advocate on their behalf on various topics.

With a June 15 deadline for submitting resolutions, council considered three at the June 9 meeting: one brought forward by Mayor Simon Yu, one brought forward by councillors Trudy Klassen and Brian Skakun and a third forwarded by the city’s Standing Committee on Intergovernmental Relations.

The mayor’s motion builds on discussions held by the intergovernmental affairs committee earlier this year about getting the province to compensate local governments for medical calls responded to by fire and rescue services.

The draft text of motion said that agreements between municipalities and BC Emergency Health Services regarding pre-hospital medical care provided by fire and rescue services expired in 2010 and the province’s investments and staffing levels in emergency care have not kept pace with growing demand.

“Therefore be it resolved that UBCM petition the province to finalize agreements with BC municipalities as soon as possible and include a funding component to compensate local governments providing emergency medical services and pre-hospital care through their fire and rescue services for related costs including, but not limited to, medical supplies and training,” the motion said.

During the June 6 meeting, Yu said the city’s spending on medical calls is not sustainable and support is needed from the provincial and federal governments.

Coun. Garth Frizzell, the committee’s chair, said that due to time constraints they might not have been able to get the motion properly forwarded to council in time and thanked Yu for his assistance.

Coun. Cori Ramsay said that while previous similar resolutions have been considered by UBCM, this one is different enough that it’s worth submitting. She told her colleagues that with the number of resolutions being sent to the UBCM, it’s worth checking what work the organization has done previously to make sure duplicate items aren’t being submitted.

Coun. Brian Skakun said some resolutions sent to the UBCM are specific to small geographic areas rather than being province-wide concerns.

The motion passed unanimously.

At the May 26 council meeting, Klassen and Skakun gave notice that they wanted their colleagues to consider forwarding a resolution to the UBCM convention making it easier for local governments to terminate the employment of officer-level positions.

Under BC law, municipal council and regional district boards must have two officer positions: one in charge of a local government’s corporate administration and one responsible for its financial administration.

Local governments can and usually do also appoint a chief administrative officer though it is not required.

BC’s Community Charter currently states that a council must vote with a two-thirds majority of all council members, not just those present, to terminate an officer.

In a report discussing their motion, the councillors argued that there are

flaws with the process.

“Council relies in part on municipal officers for information, and officers’ job security depends in part on council’s decisions,” the report said.

“Yet, section 152(2)’s two-thirds vote requirement for termination allows a minority of council members to maintain an officer, shifting governing power from the majority to a minority. This contradicts voter expectations of majority rule.”

They further argue that officers control the flow of information to a council and wield significant influence but might be incentivized to prioritize a minority of councillors who support them.

The councillors also brought up the suspension review process for these positions, saying that requiring it at the next meeting after a suspension is too short an assessment process, potentially necessitating a hasty or poorly informed decision.

Speaking at the June 9 meeting, Skakun said that most of the items considered by council are decided with a simple majority with only a few exceptions. For such important positions, he said he doesn’t think a supermajority should be required.

He clarified that he was not bringing up the item because of concerns with any city officers or officers in other municipalities.

Ramsay said this type of decision is the biggest that a council can make and having a higher threshold makes sense.

She said these decisions don’t just require a supermajority, but for all councillors to be present to make a decision that could have major consequences for the city.

Coun. Ron Polillo said he wasn’t comfortable with lowering the requirements for council to fire its only direct employee, the chief administrative officer, and that he hasn’t seen any indication that the current process isn’t working.

He added that he doesn’t think the resolution was likely to be adopted by the UBCM.

Klassen said it’s rare to have councillors missing meetings since they can call in virtually if they cannot be physically present.

She said she sees the matter as being able to represent the people who elected them.

Frizzell said he had similar thoughts to Polillo and Ramsay. In most cases, he said, the difference between a majority or supermajority is only a single vote and he agreed with Ramsay’s point about requiring attendance for major decisions like this.

Coun. Tim Bennett pointed out that the process to hire a new officer is a long and expensive one and such a decision cannot be taken lightly.

Yu offered an amendment to change the motion to instead require a majority of all council members, not just those present.

The amendment passed with Ramsay, Polillo and Bennett voting against. The amended motion was defeated with only Skakun, Yu and Klassen voting in favour.

The final UBCM resolution approved for submission continues the city’s work on human trafficking and intimate partner violence.

Last July, council approved a motion calling intimate partner violence and human trafficking an epidemic. In May, the city became the first local government to join the Human Trafficking Prevention Network of British Columbia.

This resolution, if passed, would see the UBCM call on the province to declare gender-based violence, intimate partner violence and human trafficking an epidemic and update BC’s Action plan to Combat Human Trafficking.

Council’s motion passed unanimously.

CITIZEN PHOTO BY COLIN SLARK

Prince George city council adopts the agenda at its Monday, June 9 meeting on the second ﬂoor of city hall.

Advertsing in local media maters, council determines

COLIN SLARK Citizen Staff

After more than 90 minutes of discussion, Prince George city council rejected a proposal to reinstate the advertisement of public notices in The Citizen by a margin of six to three at its Monday June 9 meeting but passed another motion calling on staff to prioritize local media over American platforms.

Councillors Brian Skakun and Trudy Klassen gave notice they were bringing several related motions at the May 26 council meeting.

The councillors’ original motion called for up to $100,000 of annual public notice advertising to be reinstated in The Citizen as well as redirecting 50 per cent of ad money spent with Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, towards local media outlets.

In 2022, BC’s provincial government amended the Community Charter to remove a requirement for local governments to place public notices in a newspaper running at least once a week.

After that, Prince George city council passed a bylaw stating that the city only had to place notices on its website and social media accounts.

In the lead-up to the June 9 council meeting, Citizen owner and publisher Cameron Stolz said that the newspaper played no role in the councillors bringing forward the motion.

However, he said that advertising with all local media outlets would align with another motion passed by council on May 5 prioritizing spending with local suppliers when possible.

Speaking at the meeting, Klassen said she was inspired by previous discussions about spending more of the city’s money locally and that she thought the council of the day had gotten it wrong when they moved away from placing notices in the paper.

She highlighted a Citizen editorial talking about the benefits of advertising in a paper of record — public notices published in the paper end up getting archived and form part of the city’s historical record.

The city’s manager of legislative

services, Ethan Anderson, said the city already archives its public notices online and that those notices could also be added to Prince George’s open data website.

He added that some records are stored inside a fireproof vault.

City manager Walter Babicz said the city has a records room for items that need to be archived and there is also a digitization project for important documents, which is still ongoing.

In response, Klassen said there have been items that were missed that might have been caught had there been a continued paper record.

She used the construction of the new Fire Hall No. 1 as an example, saying that the discovery of a former landfill at the chosen location added to the complexity of the construction as well as the infamous downtown parkade project that went over budget.

“I know it’s expensive, but I think that it pays for itself in the value that it provides to citizens,” Klassen said.

“We’re not just caring about our bottom line, we’re trying to make sure that we have transparent government that is accessible and serves the needs of the public.”

Coun. Kyle Sampson said he disagreed that the projects Klassen brought up were not related to the

While he agrees that public notices need as much coverage as possible and that can’t be accomplished just with social media posts, he said he’s not sure that publishing notices in The Citizen is the best method going forward.

This, he said, is an opportunity to rethink how the city sends out public notices to all local media outlets. However, he was concerned about redirecting money from the legislative services department for advertising purposes.

Coun. Ron Polillo said the city had a similar, lengthy conversation on the same topic around two years ago.

He said that in 2024, Prince George spent around $6,600 with Meta. This year, the city has spent just over $1,000.

placement of public notices and said that the motion should be called what he said it really is — a subsidy for a single private business.

He argued that placing public notices on the city’s website is already a transparent process and the city has already seen engagement from its current advertising strategy, citing the participation in Official Community Plan public hearings earlier this year.

Placing print ads is obsolete and that’s why the province changed the legislation, Sampson said, though he clarified that he does not think The Citizen itself is obsolete.

Referencing his motion prioritizing local procurement earlier this year, Sampson said the city spends with Meta (Facebook) because that’s a place where it knows residents can be reached and ultimately doesn’t cost the city as much as traditional advertising.

Coun. Tim Bennett said that the last time this debate came up, there were two simultaneous conversations about the importance of local media and of holding councillors responsible for their decisions.

He said the local quality of reporting in Prince George is high, with electing colleagues in other communities across the country struggling to get the media to cover their meetings.

In promoting the CityFest event earlier this year, he said the city got more than 415,000 impressions on Meta and advertised with The Citizen and Pattison Media as well.

As a former member of the local media, Polillo said the topic is important to him but he believes the motion was flawed because it only focused on one outlet, did not reach all the audiences the city wants to reach and does not represent efficient spending with taxpayers’ dollars.

He encouraged his colleagues to defeat the motion and put this issue to bed forever so they can focus on more pressing issues.

Coun. Brian Skakun criticized his colleagues for not sending any emails or asking him questions regarding the motion before the meeting.

The city already subsidizes developers when it builds infrastructure, projects like the George Street parkade and single-source contracts, he said.

He said that with Meta blocking Canadian news content and harvesting data from its users, he doesn’t think the city should be spending a single cent with them.

Skakun also praised The Citizen for its investigative work, saying that if the paper were to close, it’s unlikely that other outlets in the city would fill the void.

CITIZEN PHOTO BY COLIN SLARK

Members of Prince George city council discuss a proposal by councillors Brian Skakun and Trudy Klassen to reinstate the placement of public notices in The Citizen at the Monday, June 9 Prince George city council meeting.

Media plays an important role, city councillors agree

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

Coun. Garth Frizzell said the city needs good reporting and op-eds, whether they be congratulatory or critical.

He said he doesn’t want to see tax dollars go to Meta CEO Mark Zucker berg, saying that using the company’s platforms is an evil we accept to grow the city’s presence.

Because of the way Meta handles copyright, he said, there are concerns about ownership of the items the city posts on Facebook and Instagram.

He said he agrees with the overall message, but he wasn’t going to support a direct-award motion. Instead, he sug gested that the city might want to think outside the box and support things like journalism scholarships and diverse media options.

Coun. Susan Scott said she was struggling with the part of the motion directing $100,000 in advertising to Citizen both because it was a direct award and because she was concerned with the impact on the legislative services budget, which funds public notices.

Anderson said that the year before the notices were discontinued from The Citizen, the city spent $160,000 with the paper. He said that because some notices are statutory, even though there’s a $100,000 budget in the motion, he would be required to keep spending if required notices kept coming up.

Coun. Cori Ramsay said that in the last three years, around $600,000 was spent on advertising and public notices. More than half of that was spent with The Citizen and around $13,000 was spent with Meta.

She said she was visiting the Senate in Ottawa when the Online News Act was passed and told people near her that it would have an outsized impact on northern BC because people use social media to connect over large distances. The act was the piece of legislation that required search engines and social media platforms to compensate news outlets for content they use. In response, Meta blocked Canadian news

The City of Prince George uses Meta’s Facebook for a lot of its communications with the public.

of its size and spending more on the subject could be a good thing.

Klassen’s amendment was carried.

The main motion on restoring public

The Citizen failed by a vote of six to three, with Klassen, Skakun and Yu voting in favour.

After that, council discussed the second motion regarding reducing advertising with Meta by 50 per cent and redirecting those funds to local outlets. Director of administrative services cautioned against removing Meta from the city’s communications toolbox, especially given the limited amount of money spent with the company.

Communications manager Claire Thwaites said the city can reduce its spending with Meta, but there might be consequences with items like surveys and events where the city doesn’t have a lot of funds to promote them.

She said a recent survey on parking, which was the most responded-to in the city’s history, had around half of respondents come from Facebook.

Sampson said he would prefer to see council ask staff to prioritize local outlets rather than direct specific spending.

from constituents in the lead-up to the meeting that they would not find value, being concerned about the impact on the legislative services budget, the overall low amount of money being spent on Meta and other potential budget impacts.

Speaking more on the item, Sampson said what he heard from the motion’s proponents that night was about the value of The Citizen rather than the issue of transparency he felt the motion had raised.

If the issue is whether the city should subsidize local media, he said that should be a separate conversation. However, he said he was open in future to creating a procurement process where media outlets can make the case for how they’ll help public notices reach their audience.

Since 2013, he said, around $625,000 had been spent with Pattison media, around $1.4 million with The Citizen and around $580,000 with Vista Radio. Since

lic notices to be placed in a newspaper was removed, the city’s spend with The Citizen was below the $25,000 threshold required for it to be listed in its annual statements of financial information (SOFI).

That same year, the city’s spend with Pattison Media was also below the threshold while the spend with Vista Radio was listed at $52,320.81.

The 2024 SOFI has yet to be released. After listening to her colleagues, Klassen moved for the part of the motion directing up to $100,000 from the communications budget to The Citizen to be struck, as funding for public notices instead comes from the legislative services budget.

Mayor Simon Yu said that Prime Minister Mark Carney wrote in his book that institutional power cannot exist without social license, which is helped by the media.

He said Prince George has a small communications department for a city

Ramsay said she was worried about losing the ability to advertise job postings through Meta and Yu said he wasn’t sure if this was the right forum to send a message that a Canadian alternative to Meta is needed.

Both an attempt to amend the motion and the main motion were defeated. On the main motion, Skakun, Frizzell and Bennett were the only councillors to vote in favour.

A third motion would have required the city to start publishing an annual transparency report on its advertising spending was carried, with only Ramsay voting against.

A fourth motion that would have required the city to hold a town hall on returning advertising to The Citizen was contingent on the first motion passing and was therefore not considered.

After the consideration of the motion, Sampson put forward a motion calling on staff to prioritize local media and deprioritize American platforms like Meta. That motion passed.

Teacher guilty of sexual assault to be sentenced this fall

After his conviction, Brendan Boylan argued that his case took too long to get to trial

BOB MACKIN

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The Prince George teacher found guilty of sexual assault in late 2024 lost his bid Tuesday, June 3 to stay the charge against him on constitutional grounds.

Brendan Tomas Boylan claimed his right to a timely trial was breached when it took 16 months longer than allowed by the Supreme Court of Canada.

BC Supreme Court Justice Simon Coval ruled that 26 1/2 months of delays were due to the defence and other circumstances he called unavoidable.

“This leaves 20 months from the indictment to completion of the trial, which is well under the 30-month Jordan ceiling, in which defence has not shown to be unreasonable,” Coval said in an oral ruling.

The charge against Boylan was sworn Nov. 19, 2020 and the trial ended Sept. 27, 2024. He was convicted last Nov. 20 when Coval ruled the Crown proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Boylan refused to stop having sex with the woman he lived with in 2018 after she told him to stop. Instead, he forcibly held her down on the bed, causing her injury.

Boylan denied the allegations, but Coval found his testimony “implausible, not credible and untruthful.”

Boylan argued that the time period from the charge to the end of his trial was 46 months and nine days, which exceeded the 30-month presumptive ceiling in BC Supreme Court, as set by the Supreme Court of Canada in 2016. That precedent-setting case is so named for Barrett Richard Jordan, a BC man accused of drug trafficking in 2008.

“Mr. Boylan submits that he and his counsel tried to expedite the trial

process wherever possible, and that it was the Crown’s lack of diligence which caused the case to markedly exceed the reasonable time requirements,” Coval said.

“The Crown submits that, at its core, this was a straightforward oath-versusoath case between the complainant and accused, with a small amount of relevant evidence from some collateral witnesses. It says the vast majority of delay was caused by defence.”

Coval noted the first 4 ½ months of delays between Boylan’s first appearance in December 2020 and arraignment in May 2021 were due to repeated defence adjournments.

The Crown also accused the defence of remaining in Provincial Court for more than a year despite having no intention to run a trial in that court, delaying preparation of pretrial motions, being unavailable for hearings and withdrawing and revising applications.

“It further argues for two discrete events that caused unforeseeable and unavoidable delays,” Coval said.

The complainant was unavailable for the first four months of 2022 due to giving birth to a baby. There were repeated underestimations of court time, due to the additional issues and evidence raised by Boylan’s lawyer.

Boylan exercised his right to have the case against him heard in BC Supreme Court instead of keeping it in Provincial Court in April 2022.

The Crown had sought a trial date sometime in 2022, but an eight-day trial was scheduled for April 2023, which suited defence counsel availability.

The trial began, but was put on hold until the end of July 2023.

Defence conceded delay of 4 1/2 months to resubmit an application for information about the complainant’s sexual history after the initial one was insufficient.

The trial continued for five days in January 2024, but more time was needed. It resumed in April, but the defence made another application for information about the complainant’s sexual history.

Coval noted that the defence lawyers were unavailable for two months last summer.

The case finally closed in September. A three-day sentencing hearing is scheduled to begin Sept. 8 in Prince George. Coval ordered a pre-sentencing report about Boylan be delivered by Aug. 25.

Lawyer Jon Duncan represented Boylan at trial, but Boylan represented himself in the constitutional challenge with assistance from Duncan associate Hazem Osso.

Boylan told Coval at the end of the June 3 hearing that he would be represented by Duncan’s firm at the sentencing hearing.

After the November conviction, Boylan was listed in the BC government online registry of teachers as having signed an undertaking not to practice “pending resolution of a matter before the commissioner or a hearing panel under Part 6 of the Teachers Act.”

Boylan leaves Vancouver court in this ﬁle photo. The Prince George teacher’s bid to have his charge of sexual assault stayed due to the length of time it took for his case to go to trial was denied by a judge, meaning his conviction stands.

NOTICE OF

Annual Financial Reporting

There will be a report on the Regional District’s Statements of Financial Information on Thursday June 19, 2025 at 1:30 pm at the Mackenzie Recreation Centre, 400 Skeena Drive, Mackenzie BC.

The meeting will be live streamed on rdfg.ca.

View the report online at rdfg.ca, or in-person at 155 George Street, Prince George BC by making an appointment at 250-960-4400.

For more details visit rdffg.ca/2024SOFI

CITIZEN FILE PHOTO BY BOB MACKIN, LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER

Brendan

City releases annual report; Here are some highlights

COLIN SLARK Citizen Staff

On Friday, June 6, the City of Prince George released its 2024 annual report. The report outlines its financial statements, major events and accomplishments, infrastructure and provides usage statistics for city facilities and utilities.

While The Citizen has already reported on many of the elements highlighted in this report, here’s a rundown of some of the highlights from the report, received by city council at its Monday, June 23 meeting.

Garbage collection

The report said that the city collected around 16.1 million kilograms of garbage in 2024, representing an average of 602 kg per household.

This is down from the 611.22 kg average per household from 2023 and the fourth year in a row that the average has gone down. In 2024, the city collected garbage from 26,667 properties. However, a graph in the report also shows that the total weight of collected garbage increased from 2023 to 2024.

Water consumption

Prince George used 10.7 billion litres of water in 2024, with a per capita average daily water consumption of 403 litres. That’s down from the 11.3 billion litres of water consumed and the 425litre average daily per capita consumption reported in 2023.

Transit

Transit ridership in 2024 was pegged at 1.9 million trips, up from 1.7 million in 2023. That’s the most trips taken since before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, when around 2.3 million trips were recorded in 2019.

The city’s bus fleet was said to travel an average of 5,963 kilometres a day in 2024, up from the average 5,896 km recorded in 2023.

Municipal facilities and venues

The city registered 438,968 visits to both the Aquatic Centre and the Canfor

Leisure Pool in 2024.

The report does not list the exact number of visits to the pools from previous year, but a graph indicates a slight increase from 2023.

For residents with limited incomes, the city offers discounted access to both its pools through the Leisure Access Program.

In 2024, 2,567 residents accessed the LAP and those members visited the pools 20,877 times.

That’s a slight increase from the 2,334 LAP memberships recorded in 2023 and a bigger increase from the 16,173 times members visited pools that year.

The report said that the CN Centre, other community arenas and sites at Exhibition Park were used for around 37,500 hours by 80 organizations and 1.6 million visitors in 2024.

In 2023, those sites were used for around 35,000 hours by 75 organizations and 1.5 million people.

The city’s parks, sports fields, outdoor facilities and school gyms were booked more that 800 times for more than 300 different user groups in 2024. The report estimates that around 20 per cent of the city’s population participated in programs offered by rental agreements with user groups.

Prince

George Public Library

Though the city doesn’t directly run the Prince George Public Library, the report offers some statistics from that organization.

As of 2024, the library had 62,726 card holders, up from 60,228 in 2023.

That year, the library had 191,196 total visits, loaned out 707,287 items,

had 364,730 website visits, held 1,443 public events that more than 43,000 people attended and added 18,573 physical volumes to its shelves.

All of those figures are increases from 2023, except for the number of additions of physical volumes.

Tourism Prince George

Similar to the library, the City of Prince George does not directly run Tourism Prince George but some key statistics from the organization are provided.

In 2024, the city saw around $65.4 million in hotel room revenue.

Tourism Prince George engaged 7,918 visitors, had around 1.27 million social media views, had 98,000 website visits, distributed 13,147 guides and maps and supported 37 events.

Road and sidewalk work

The city reported that it rehabilitated almost 60 lane kilometres of roads and more than 5.5 kilometres of sidewalks in 2024, as well as installed 845 metres of sidewalk.

Building permits

Prince George issued 417 building permits worth $267,129,465 in 2024.

While that’s the second-lowest total in the last five years, it is the highest dollar value in that same time frame.

Capital projects

Prince George spent $50,256,128 on 100 capital projects in 2024.

Of that total, $784,928 was spent on disposing of old assets, $14,278,110 was spent on new assets, $32,715,396 was spent on renewing or replacing

old assets and $2,477,694 was spent on upgrade existing assets.

Reserves

At the end of 2024, Prince George had $178,329,548 in its various financial reserves, almost $10 million more than the $168,976,846 it had at the end of 2023.

Here is the amount remaining in each of those reserves in order of most to fewest funds:

• Lease-in lease-out legacy fund: $35,441,170

• Sewer utility: $24,777,042

• Water utility: $22,298,099

• Endowment: $16,378,411

• BC Growing Communities Fund: $13,169,339

• Downtown off-street parking: $10,336,406

• Canada Community-Building Fund: $9,925,046

• Capital expenditure: $7,575,498

• General infrastructure reinvestment: $6,169,402

• Solid waste services: $4,458,494

• Mobile equipment replacement: $4,347,504

• Northern capital and planning grant: $4,018,885

• Road rehabilitation: $3,359,372

• Debt reduction: $3,323,409

• COVID-19 safe restart grant: $3,288,709

• Climate action: $2,498,394

• Snow control: $2,102,012

• Transit operating: $1,531,009

• Major events: $938,260

• Downtown district energy: $799,576

• Miscellaneous: $452,243

• Communtiy fibre optic network: $304,759

• Extension Ospika/Marleau/St. Lawrence: $262,547

• Performing arts centre: $99,455

• EVP Crown land forest: $67,371

• Storm drainage: $9,560

Debts

At the end of 2024, Prince George had outstanding debt principal worth $100.5 million, down from $104.4 million at the end of 2023.

CITIZEN FILE PHOTO BY CHUCK NISBETT

Friends of the Library members ﬂock to the Spring Book Sale at the Bob Harkins Branch of the Prince George Public Library Friday, April 25.

Councillors aren’t given free CN Centre tckets: Staf

COLIN SLARK Citizen Staff

While the City of Prince George receives tickets for events held at municipally owned venues like the CN Centre, they are not generally distributed to members of city council.

On June 2, the CBC published a report on how complimentary tickets received by municipalities for events held at taxpayers-owned facilities are distributed in Kamloops, Victoria, Kelowna and Prince George.

Of those four cities, only Kamloops was said to track who those tickets are given out to and an example was provided of tickets to Memorial Cup-related events being offered to that city’s mayor and city councillors in 2023.

When following up on this report, The Citizen received a statement from Prince George’s director of civic facilities and events, Andy Beesley, who said that while promoters often supply the city with tickets for events at the CN Centre, “the number of tickets always varies and is never predetermined by the city.”

“There is an official procedure that outlines how we handle complimentary tickets (and/or city suite usage) for ticketed events at the CN Centre,” Beesley said. “We also ensure that we keep track of where the tickets are distributed too each time. As a general rule and practice in our city, our mayor and councillors do not ask for and do not receive complimentary tickets for ticketed events at the CN Centre.“

A city spokesperson provided The Citizen with a copy of the administrative procedure for the city’s private suite at the CN Centre and complimentary tickets for events at the venue, dated July 7, 2024.

It lists five priorities for the use of the suite and tickets in descending importance to the city.

The highest-priority uses are to generate revenue for the city by renting out the private suite or letting the suite and complimentary tickets be used to support “revenue generation to partners working with the CN Centre to promote

ticket sales to events.”

The next priority is to assign use of the suite and tickets to market the city by creating and maintaining “positive relationships with individuals, groups, governments, business, organizations and corporations that could, potentially, bring new opportunities to the city.”

After that, the priorities are to use the suite and tickets to market the city’s facilities and recognize businesses, groups, individuals, city staff or other people for their contributions to the city.

“The director of civic facilities & events will work with the manager of CN Centre & entertainment to equitably, reasonably and responsibly manage booking the CN Centre suite and distributing any complimentary tickets in accordance with the priorities above,” the document concludes.

“In instances of potential conflict, where more than one user group is identified as a potential guest or renter for events, and/or if the mayor or councillors request the use of the suite or tickets, the city manager will work with the director of civic facilities and events to determine appropriate decisions on usage

As an example of how it handles ticket requests, the spokesperson also provided a list of how the city distributed the 20 tickets it received for the Bachman-Turner Overdrive concert on April 8.

Four tickets went to members of the arena crew, eight tickets went to Levy Restaurants, the company that provides food and beverage services at

the CN Centre and the Prince George Conference and Civic Centre, two went to Northern Spirit Transportation, two went to Prince George Cougars volunteers and two tickets went to local conservationist Jim Good.

In another statement, the city’s manager of entertainment, Glen Mikkelsen, explained how the tickets were assigned for that show.

“The tickets for the BTO show were given to our venue partners to use as staff prizes, Cougars game volunteers, and Jim Good, who does not have the financial means to attend concerts, but is a tremendous music fan,” Mikkelsen said.

“Jim ultimately had the opportunity to meet Randy Bachman and show Randy albums from his record collection. Some records Randy had never seen before! They spent about 20 minutes together just before Randy went on stage.”

Mikkelsen said that no tickets were used by Mayor Simon Yu or any councillors for this event.

“I’d like to reinforce that over almost 25 years in this role, the various mayors and councillors have been very, very respectful and responsible about requesting complimentary tickets,” Mikkelsen said. “They understand that they need to purchase floor and bleacher tickets, if they come to events.”

CITIZEN FILE PHOTO BY CHUCK NISBETT

Headpins’ Tony Dellacroce on guitar, Ab Bryant on bass and Bernie Aubin on drums rock the CN Centre Tuesday, April 8.

OPINION

Debate about local media is proof of its importance

Editorial: The Prince George community offers a lifeline in a time of crisis

KENNEDY GORDON Citizen Managing Editor

Almost at a loss for words, I cannot emphasize strongly enough how proud I am to be a lifelong resident of this amazing city.

City council’s lengthy and, at times, passionate debate over whether to reinstate public notices in The Citizen Monday night was about much more than advertising spending.

Domano and Highway 16 worst intersection in Prince George for crashes in 2024

769 or so crashes on Highway 16 within the city limits of Prince George over a four-year period.

It was proof that local media continues to matter to the public, and to transparency and democracy in our community.

The fact that so many councillors felt compelled to speak at length, and with conviction, shows that this issue resonates with them and, we can assume, their constituents.

Surrounded by kindness, compassion, empathy and generosity, this place we call home is just another example to the world with all the current chaos happening of who Canadians really are, and why we are so loved. Everyone is an unsung hero in their hearts.

Whether a crisis professional or the neighbour next door, thank you for once again stepping up with your heart on your sleeve. Bob Bigelow

Monday night’s conversation wasn’t a dry procedural matter. It was a lively interchange about where people get their information, who holds local power to account and how we define civic engagement in the digital age.

It doesn’t surprise me that the intersection at Domano Boulevard and Highway 16 has the top rating for accidents, even after a major upgrade a few years ago.

value of broadening public notice distribution to all local media, but as the conversation splintered off from a discussion of advertising to one of journalism there was a shared recognition that The Citizen leads the way in covering city hall.

Highway 16 is poorly managed by the province of BC, that much is painfully clear.

It’s time our local government representatives bring this forward to our respective transportation ministers both provincially and federally and insist our infrastructures be upgraded immediately.

Fewer stop lights and more trafﬁc exchanges is a start.

Yu wants Prince George to factor into provincial, federal economic plans

investment in our community.

While public trust in government may ebb and flow, local newspapers continue to serve as both a check on power and a conduit for information. That’s no small feat in an age of algorithm-driven newsfeeds and platform-driven communication.

In other words, this debate wasn’t just about advertising.

Economically the city is once again primed to be central to any energy or commercial trafﬁc east and west with that being said it requires the input of the feds and the provincial government both of which are excellent of ignoring the North until they can’t anymore.

It was about values: transparency, accountability, and the importance of having reliable, independent reporting on civic affairs.

sides of the debate. Some council lors argued against what was called “a direct subsidy to a single outlet.” Others argued persuasively that notices published in print create an unalterable historical record, one that digital-only platforms do not replicate in reliability or permanence.

So how did it end? After more than an hour of discussion, council rejected the motion brought forward by two coun cillors to direct up to $100,000 to return to publishing the city’s public notices in The Citizen

We acknowledge the fnancial support of the government

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I use this intersection just about every day. There is just too much going on in this area. There are two merge lanes nearby, and the one-off Southridge to Highway 16 is too short, especially if you are trying to merge with a freight truck or trucks in the eastbound lane.

The city’s staff pointed out the reach and utility of social media platforms like Meta, which owns Facebook, especially for promoting events and gathering survey responses.

Council also heard — and acknowledged — that The Citizen itself did not initiate this push.

Owner and publisher Cameron Stolz has made it clear that the paper did not lobby for the motion, and in fact, The Citizen would prefer to see broader city support for all local media outlets, not just our own.

Our position, then, aligns with the second motion council passed: To prioritize all local media and deprioritize American platforms like Meta.

This merge area is near the speed reduction from 80 kph to 60 kph just west of the Southridge overpass.

It may not have been the full victory some councillors wanted, but it is a small step toward reinjecting much needed support into the local media ecosystem.

Most trafﬁc is not doing 60 near that merge and more than once I have had to take the off-road into the Canadian Tire area and start again.

At certain times of the day, you have no hope of making it to the turning lane going up to UNBC.

It’s time to have the bridge put across the Fraser connecting to Boundry Road and take all or most of that heavy truck trafﬁc off Peden Hill.

Ed Denicola

Yet councillors also voiced concern about Meta’s blocking of Canadian news content and the broader implications of relying on a foreign tech giant which harvests local data while avoiding local accountability.

The ability for through trafﬁc to avoid high trafﬁc situations in this city is non-existent and a headache for all people who commute in the Prince George area

burl vance

For those watching this debate unfold, one thing stood out. The intensity and length of council’s discussion showed just how central local media still is to civic life.

needed conversation about the role of local journalism and its funding.

comes primarily from advertising that is purchased by those who want to reach the audience ’s publications and website provide.

Kennedy Gordon Managing Editor

505 Fourth Avenue

Coun. Brian Skakun put it best when he said The Citizen’s investigative work fills a void that no other outlet is currently equipped to match.

With Prince Rupert expanding their cargo facilities again and increased shipping coming from Asia it only puts PG in a better position in the long term. It remains to be seen what the province and feds are willing to do.

Dearth

In addition to its other strong local media outlets, Prince George is fortunate to still have a newspaper, and more importantly, one that continues to hold government to account. It’s a reality many communities across Canada are facing, as local papers shutter and news deserts expand.

Prince George Spruce Kings want city to buy new score clock at Kopar

The fact that this debate sparked strong opinions and attracted public interest proves something important: That people still care deeply about where their information comes from.

They may not always tune in to council meetings, but they do read about them.

And that means local journalism isn’t just surviving. It’s leading the conversation.

There is a reason that it is on the unfunded list. The city recognize that it is something they would like to do at some point but currently not a priority and rightly so. If it wasn’t such a nice day would look to see what else is on the unfunded list that might be pushed back even further

Share your opinion on this with a letter to the editor: editor@pgcitizen.ca.

In the meantime how about the Spruce Kings raise the money required themselves.

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OWNER / PUBLISHER owner@pgcitzen.ca

Suggestion: Have a 50/50 scoreboard draw along with the annual show home lottery. I would bet they could raise the 400k in one or two years. Problem solved and I won’t even charge the city a consulting fee.

Bobs your uncle

Letters to the editor are welcome. The maximum length is 300 words. Letters may be subject to editing for length, clarity, grammar, spelling and legalities prior to publication. Please include your daytime contact information.

CITIZEN FILE PHOTO

Tens of thousands of people in Prince George rely on The Citizen and other local media to keep them informed every day.

Cameron Stolz Owner / Publisher

Terresa Randall-Stolz Owner

of Canada.

reconnaissons l’appui fnancier du gouvernement du Canada.

OPINION

Convocaton reminds us why we’re lucky to have UNBC

Editorial: The Prince George community offers a lifeline in a time of crisis

ALBERT KOEHLER Guest Columnist

Domano and Highway 16 worst intersection in Prince George for crashes in 2024

Yu wants Prince George to factor into provincial, federal economic plans

Almost at a loss for words, I cannot emphasize strongly enough how proud I am to be a lifelong resident of this amazing city.

Wow, what a day it was: Friday, May 30, the convocation for 800 students!

In June 1990, the members of the BC legislative assembly passed the UNBC Act, officially creating the University of Northern British Columbia.

The official opening took place on Aug.17, 1994, with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II visiting Prince George to officially open the university.

The event attracted upwards of 10,000 people to the campus for the ceremony and events into the evening. Many more watched on television, during a live, nationwide broadcast on CBC.

Whether a crisis professional or the neighbour next door, thank you for once again stepping up with your heart on your sleeve.

My thought was: Finally, that was overdue! We as a family attended the UNBC opening day in August 1994. It was a hot and wonderful sunny day.

Bob Bigelow

I again, as so often, was tremendously satisfied to live in Prince George and felt honoured given the opportunity to participate in and be part of special city events.

It doesn’t surprise me that the intersection at Domano Boulevard and Highway 16 has the top rating for accidents, even after a major upgrade a few years ago.

769 or so crashes on Highway 16 within the city limits of Prince George over a four-year period.

Highway 16 is poorly managed by the province of BC, that much is painfully clear.

It’s time our local government representatives bring this forward to our respective transportation ministers both provincially and federally and insist our infrastructures be upgraded immediately.

Fewer stop lights and more trafﬁc exchanges is a start.

importance of such a special ceremony in the context of U.S. President Donald Trump’s weird attempt to make us the 51st state.

The whole ceremony demonstrated substance, tradition and joy, something truly Canadian.

The fresh graduates are now set to fill the many gaps in our economy, in corporations and leadership positions. Good leadership and a positive attitude are required today in industry and in politics.

In closing, there are educational options for everyone, whether it be a trade or academic education.

The convocation ceremony this year was a highlight when Shirley Bond received an honorary doctoratal degree. Shirley was a member of the Legisla tive Assembly for more than 20 years,

EDITOR

Too many people are still texting and driving

successful and effective representing her large constituency. She has earned the degree threefold! Congratulations!

The ability for through trafﬁc to avoid high trafﬁc situations in this city is non-existent and a headache for all people who commute in the Prince George area

burl vance

Generally, an educated society usually is a better society, and this is exactly what we are all thriving for. Everyone should have access to the education of his/her choice at affordable cost.

Dearth

Regarding our UNBC, it is regrettable that the student enrollment numbers did not increase, something that needs to be followed up on and new incentives for potential UNBC students must be created.

Prince George Spruce Kings want city to buy new score clock at Kopar

Highway 16 intersection had the most crashes in Prince George last year, and I’m not surprised. The reason is some thing simple in a lot of cases.

I drive through there almost every day, and way too many people are still on their phones when they should be watching the road.

Share your views on our stories at pgcitizen.ca

It’s bad enough with the speeding and people not knowing how to merge or yield right, but the texting while driving is out of control.

Experiencing the convocation as past degree recipient myself and later as a

This merge area is near the speed reduction from 80 kph to 60 kph just west of the Southridge overpass.

Most trafﬁc is not doing 60 near that merge and more than once I have had to take the off-road into the Canadian Tire area and start again.

At certain times of the day, you have no hope of making it to the turning lane going up to UNBC.

VIP, I had tears in my eyes when all the graduates, together with faculty and guests, sang our National Anthem: “O Canada, our home and native land…”

While there’s no way of knowing if texting and driving was involved in

It’s time to have the bridge put across the Fraser connecting to Boundry Road and take all or most of that heavy truck trafﬁc off Peden Hill.

I see it all the time — folks staring at their laps with one hand on the wheel. No wonder the crash numbers are so high.

Ed Denicola

The roads aren’t perfect, sure, but you could fix every intersection in town

collision in the city, there’s no doubt it’s a real problem, a reader writes today.

and it wouldn’t help if people keep looking at their phones instead of where they’re going.

It’s dangerous and people are getting hurt or worse.

I think the police need to start

This is largely the responsibility of our government. The tuition costs must be reduced or even waived, as happens in some European countries.

Albert Koehler, P.Eng., is a former Prince George City Councillor

handing out more tickets for distracted driving.

If folks knew they’d get caught more often, maybe they’d think twice before texting at a red light or while turning. It only takes a second of not paying attention to ruin someone’s life.

In the meantime how about the Spruce Kings raise the money required themselves.

We need more patrols, maybe even unmarked cars to catch people in the act. Texting and driving is illegal but it seems like we only hear about people getting charged after there’s an accident.

Something’s got to change or these numbers are just gonna keep going up.

Thanks for listening,

Bobs your uncle

Randi Brasseur

Prince George

SUBMITTED PHOTO

UNBC chancellor Darlene McIntosh, left, presents former MLA Shirley Bond with an honorary doctorate during while UNBC president Geoffrey Payne applauds during the university’s 2025 convocation last month.

CITIZEN FILE PHOTO

this

OPINION

Editorial: The Prince George community offers a lifeline in a time of crisis

Almost at a loss for words, I cannot emphasize strongly enough how proud I am to be a lifelong resident of this amazing city.

Whether a crisis professional or the neighbour next door, thank you for once again stepping up with your heart on your sleeve.

Bob Bigelow

Domano and Highway 16 worst intersection in Prince George for crashes in 2024

It doesn’t surprise me that the intersection at Domano Boulevard and Highway 16 has the top rating for accidents, even after a major upgrade a few years ago.

I use this intersection just about every day. There is just too much going on in this area.

There are two merge lanes nearby, and the one-off Southridge to Highway 16 is too short, especially if you are trying to merge with a freight truck or trucks in the eastbound lane.

This merge area is near the speed reduction from 80 kph to 60 kph just west of the Southridge overpass.

Most trafﬁc is not doing 60 near that merge and more than once I have had to take the off-road into the Canadian Tire area and start again.

At certain times of the day, you have no hope of making it to the turning lane going up to UNBC.

It’s time to have the bridge put across the Fraser connecting to Boundry Road and take all or most of that heavy truck trafﬁc off Peden Hill.

Ed Denicola

Domano and Highway 16 worst intersection in Prince George for crashes in 2024

769 or so crashes on Highway 16 within the city limits of Prince George over a four-year period.

Highway 16 is poorly managed by the province of BC, that much is painfully clear.

It’s time our local government representatives bring this forward to our respective transportation ministers both provincially and federally and insist our infrastructures be upgraded immediately.

Fewer stop lights and more trafﬁc exchanges is a start.

The ability for through trafﬁc to avoid high trafﬁc situations in this city is non-existent and a headache for all people who commute in the Prince George area

burl vance

Yu wants Prince George to factor into provincial, federal economic plans

Dearth

Prince George Spruce Kings want city to buy new score clock at Kopar

In the meantime how about the Spruce Kings raise the money required themselves.

Bobs your uncle

Celebratng the journey of life in full colour

Joan Harris (left) and Carla Brooks got into the spirit of the Prince George Hospice Palliative Care Society

Colour Walk topped off with head gear created by Bell E. Buttons at Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park Saturday, June 7. The day included games, prizes, a barbecue, a petting zoo, Belle E. Button the clown, a dunk tank and more. This event supports the 100K in the Month of May hospice campaign.

Tomorrow is what BC has to o er.

Tomorrow is on.™

When we think of energy, it’s easy to remember the technical terms like kilowatts and e ciency. But what does it really mean to us, as people? It’s warming up the house when it’s chilly. It’s sterilizing medical tools for our doctors and nurses. It’s ﬁring up the BBQ to enjoy some delicious salmon.

Enbridge is proud to be at the heart of what makes beautiful BC thrive—supporting the things you love and driving key industries like healthcare, manufacturing, construction and more. Above all, we’re committed to keeping natural gas a ordable, reliable and versatile—empowering BC today and for the tomorrows to come.

Visit enbridge.com/bc to learn more.

Province taking steps to boost mining in the North

TED CLARKE Citizen Staff

The province’s plan to fast-track mining projects begins with changes to the permitting process that allow the industry to file a joint application to launch a technical review of how their mine will operate, alongside the environmental assessment that determines its impact on surrounding land and water.

Combining these two major aspects of the permitting process in one submission could reduce approval times by years and advance the 18 critical mineral and energy projects worth $20 billion the BC government is trying to expedite in response to the threat of tariffs from the United States.

“It used to be the environmental assessment first, and then the mining sector technical review once they finish that,” said Jagrup Brar, minister of mining and critical minerals.

“But now we have just one joint application that will save time without compromising any environmental standards, and we move forward with reconciliation with First Nations at the same time.”

Previously, BC mine projects required between 10 and 15 years to approve. However, Brar noted that the technical assessment and environmental review of the Cariboo Gold project, developed by Osisko Development Corp. near Barkerville, received Mines Act approval in November after less than five years.

The assessment process for developing the Blackwater Gold mine, 160 kilometres southwest of Prince George, took 47 months for Artemis Gold Inc. after the company acquired the mineral rights from New Gold in October 2020.

Brar said having fixed timelines in the permitting process will also reduce delays.

Spending on mining exploration in BC dropped in 2024 to $552 million, down from $643 million in 2023 and $740 million in 2022, a year in which there was record spending on metals exploration.

The EY report, based on the 2024 BC Mineral and Coal Exploration Survey, suggests policy complications are

Ulkatcho First Nation Coun. Corinne Cahoose presents BC Premier David Eby with a satchel containing an obsidian rock from a volcanic eruption at Anahim Peak during the grand opening of the Blackwater Gold mine on Friday, May 30.

deterring investment in BC mining projects, while the industry continues to expand in other provinces.

“Given the increases in expenditure in Ontario, Québec and Saskatchewan, an opportunity may exist for BC to go beyond its mineral exploration tax credit and explore other mineral exploration funding and incentive programs to support juniors with financing of new and existing projects,” states the report.

“Difficult policy conditions surrounding land access, environmental regulation and permitting delays associated with exploration, along with expected changes to the mineral tenure regime, have added to the challenges facing BC’s exploration industry. According to data provided by the Mining Association of British Columbia, there are approximately $38 billion of economic opportunities in the pipeline awaiting investment decisions or being sidelined due to the aforementioned challenges. Lengthy timelines and uncertainty around regulations may lead to project abandonment or lost investment funding.”

This year, the provincial government amended the Mineral Tenure Act and Environmental Assessment Act. The new framework is in response to a BC Supreme Court decision in 2023 that ruled the Ehattesaht and Gitxaała First Nations’ title rights were not recognized before a staking claim was approved and that automatically granting mineral claims to industry can have adverse

process instead,” said Rich Truman, senior director of external affairs at the Association for Mineral Exploration.

“Once you have that mineral claim, it doesn’t give you the right to do that much on the ground. You can go to the site and maybe take a few samples, but you can’t do anything mechanical. Once you get to the point where you want to do some drilling or dig some trenches, that’s the point where the whole permitting process begins.”

Indigenous consultation is required before a notice of work can be issued, which grants permission to start digging. The average approval time for a notice of work is 150 days.

effects on First Nations.

The government faced criticism from First Nations for drafting the new legislation without consultation with Indigenous groups as outlined in the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA).

The mineral rights consultation framework that took effect March 25 has not been well received by either side.

Robert Phillips of the First Nations Leadership Council told CBC News the new rules make it more difficult for Indigenous councils to respond to claims on traditional territory.

“We’re talking thousands and thousands of referrals that hit the tables of First Nations, then we get overburdened,” he said. “Already there are people that work with First Nations that are doing 10 jobs beyond a job that they’re doing already.”

The day a staking claim is filed starts the clock, and the company then has 20 days to secure First Nations approval before the application can proceed to licensing. The revised mineral claim consultation period adds a minimum of 60 days to the process of staking a claim, and if it goes to the maximum of 90 days, prospectors could face a wait of 2½ years before they can begin the work of transforming a claim into a mine.

“On March 25, we went from having a process online that was pretty much instant to introducing this mineral claims framework and an application

“We advise our members to start talking to nations as soon as they can in this process,” said Truman. “It might not turn into a mine, but just be clear on what you’re doing.

“Everybody that we talk to, whether it’s investors or our members of government or Indigenous groups, the one word that always comes up is certainty. That’s what people are looking for. So if something’s going to take three months or six months or 12 months, that’s OK, as long as we can be clear and certain about it. We’re working hard with government to make sure there’s as much certainty as possible in the process. That’s what we really need to keep investment coming back into BC.”

Brar took over the mining portfolio just after the October election and has toured most of the province’s mines since, including his second visit to Blackwater Gold on May 30, a few weeks after the gold/silver mine went into production. Built in just 22 months, the initial phase of processing is complete, and Artemis already has permits in place to proceed with the second phase, which would double its productivity.

“The Artemis/Blackwater Gold mine is a great example in the mining industry; it’s the cleanest and has strong support from the First Nations, and that’s very important to move the mining sector forward,” said Brar. SEE ‘MORE’ ON NEXT PAGE

CITIZEN PHOTO BY TED CLARKE

MATTHEW HILLIER Citizen Staff

Representatives from Metso Corp., Prince George city council and Lhhedli Tenneh First Nation met Wednesday, June 4 at 1055 Legacy Rd., just off Boundary Road, to break ground on a new service centre.

Metso, based in Helsinki, Finland is a manufacturer for the mining aggregates market and has chosen Prince George as the location of its next service centre.

The centre will be staffed by skilled technicians who will provide detailed inspections, full-scope repairs and rapid equipment turnaround to mining products, in addition to other services across Prince George, the company states in a press release.

It’s set to open in the first quarter of 2026.

“When you look at the landscape of mining in British Columbia, you’ve got the historical operating mines, but you’re also looking at the future where we’re going to see growth in mining,” said Justin Ayotte, Metso’s vice-president of sales and services in Canada.

“If we look at the Golden Triangle and everything, Prince George made honestly the best possible place for us to choose this location. Looking at the trades of people that we actually can get to work for Metso, with experience in industrial operations such as forestry or mining, but also trade schools. Prince George definitely checks the box for us.”

The recent opening of Artemis Gold’s Blackwater Mine has also impacted Metso’s decision to open this new service centre and they hope to invest locally and give back to the communities that support mining in the north.

“Projects like the Artemis project and companies like Centerra of Golden Mount Milligan are big customers of ours,” said Ayotte. “To be able to invest in the locality and bring back into the communities where our customers are

Representatives from Metso, Prince George city council and Lheidli T’enneh First Nation break ground at the site of the new Metso service centre on Wednesday, June 4.

operating is one of the key things we want to do at Metso.”

Also in attendance at the groundbreaking ceremony was Chief Dolleen Logan, who spoke with the media about what this new site can provide to not only First Nations but everyone in the North.

“I’m excited about it,” said Logan. “I’ve heard about the training, they’re going to build a huge facility, millions of dollars and the training, to me that’s the key. Not only are they supplying and building and making and installing all the

More than 20 mega-projects in the works: Mines minister Metso Corp. breaks ground on new PG service centre

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

“Mining overall provides about 40,000 family-supporting jobs to the people of British Columbia and supplies critical minerals that are essential to building a green economy. It has advanced reconciliation with First Nations, as we have seen in this case. This is a great example for us to show the world that we are moving forward the mining sector so more people are interested in this province.”

Brar said there are more than 20 mega-scale mining projects in the planning stages, worth an estimated $50 billion to the provincial economy and capable of creating 10,000 jobs.

But that won’t happen unless the province can attract international investors.

“There are two or three projects that have the permits they need, but they aren’t moving forward because they

couldn’t find investment, so we are working on that piece too,” he said.

“I think once we improve the permitting process, we are doing very responsible mining in the sector, and there are a lot of people in the global community who want responsibly prepared or developed products.”

Brar says the federal government also has a vital role to play in creating economic incentives that will convince international backers to invest in resource development in Canada.

“There are certain projects which are reviewed by both the federal government and us, so we need to find a way that only one level of government actually takes action, so the federal government has to be on board,” said Brar. “There’s infrastructure we need to build and capacity issues with First Nations, and the federal government can play a huge role in that situation.”

equipment in the mining company, but they’re talking about training people how to run it. To me it’s an opportunity for not only First Nations but anyone who wants to start a company, to come, go to school, get trained, and be able to maintain these mines that are coming in.”

Logan added that while she acknowledges the damage that mining can have on the land in the north, she also acknowledges how future mining development can lead to a more prosperous north.

“It’s prosperous and it’s for everyone in the north to be able to stay home, that’s a key for me,” said Logan. “To keep everyone home, it is just the mining and what it does to our natural resources, what it does to our land, but we do understand that it is for the future. We need jobs, we need to have people here, we need to extract whatever is in the ground to be able to keep the north growing, which we want to do.”

North Coast Transmission Line Open Houses

Phase 2: Glenannan to Terrace Transmission

We’re bringing more clean, reliable electricity to the North Coast to foster economic growth and enable our customers to use clean electricity to power their operations and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

We’re proposing to build new 500kV transmission lines and associated infrastructure from Prince George to Terrace through the North Coast Transmission Line Project (NCTL). NCTL will be developed in two phases: Phase 1: Prince George to Glenannan Transmission and Phase 2: Glenannan to Terrace Transmission. We’re also proposing to upgrade our existing 500kV transmission lines from Prince George to Terrace and expand our transmission system north of Terrace and in Prince Rupert.

Please join us anytime between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. to learn about NCTL Phase 2 and our other activities, and to share your feedback:

Smithers

Tuesday, June 17, 2025

Prestige Hudson Bay Lodge & Conference Centre 3251 Hwy 16 East

Houston

Wednesday, June 18, 2025

Houston Community Hall 2302 Butler Ave

Burns Lake

Thursday, June 19, 2025

Lakes District Secondary School Multi-Purpose Room 685 Yellowhead Hwy 16 W

Can’t make an in-person event? We’re having two virtual events from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Monday, June 23, 2025

Tuesday, June 24, 2025

Please register at projects@bchydro.com by June 22, 2025.

We look forward to discussing our plans with you.

Information about the NCTL Phase 1 Open Houses and our other activities is available at bchydro.com/ncelectriﬁcation. If you have questions or comments, please contact us at 1 866 647 3334 or projects@bchydro.com.

7335

CITIZEN PHOTO BY MATTHEW HILLIER

The cheapest house in PG is for sale for $234,900

CHRISTINE DALGLEISH Citizen Staff

The cheapest detached single-family dwelling that’s not a mobile home or a recommended tear-down currently available in Prince George costs $234,900 and is located at 2137 Tamarack St.

Built in 1949, this is a two-storey house boasting two bedrooms, one bathroom in a 744-square-foot home with a concrete foundation on a 0.13acre lot.

In 2014 there were some major upgrades done lto the kitchen, flooring, bathroom, interior doors, torch-on roof, high efficiency furnace, 100-amp electrical and hot water tank. In the basement there is an upgraded cement foundation.

Its sale history says it was sold on Nov. 8, 1991 for $61,500, on June 14, 2014 for $58,800 and then on Aug. 10, 2018 for whopping $172,000 and it’s been on the market for 13 days as of Tuesday, June 3.

There’s a large private fenced yard as a bonus on a quiet street just a short

walk from downtown.

Annual property taxes are $2,102.93

The cheapest residence listed is a mobile home on Inverness Road for $72,000.

The most expensive house on the Prince George real estate market is listed at $1.9M and is located on Valleyview Drive.

The 2004-built home features six

bedrooms and seven bathrooms in a 10,050 sq. ft. space sitting on a concrete perimeter.

This is a custom rancher with a 1,646 sq. ft. three-bay garage sitting on 1.05 acres.

This home was designed for comfort and accessibility, including walk-in tub in the primary suite, spa shower and there’s even an elevator in the house to get to the basement.

What some might consider the showpiece of the house is the solarium added in 2017 featuring radiant in-floor heating, a gas fireplace and an indoor barbecue with pellet grill, dual ovens, induction cooktop and liveedge bar.

The annual property taxes are listed at $13,643.53.

This luxury home has been on the market for more than 27 days.

For all the details, including 40 photos of the home, visit www.realtor.ca/ real-estate/7003-valleyview-drive-princegeorge.

Right now there are 591 listings in Prince George, according to www. realtor.ca.

Special Olympics volunteers stll needed with a month to go

MATTHEW HILLIER Citizen Staff

From July 10 to 12, Special Olympians from across British Columbia will gather in Prince George to compete in the first Special Olympics BC Provincial Summer Games in eight years.

The event will bring more than 1,200 athletes with intellectual disabilities, as well as volunteer coaches, mission staff and athletes’ families, to the city.

With an event of this size, organizers say there is a significant need for community volunteers to help fill essential roles and ensure the Games run smoothly.

“Just being part of the Special Olympics group is so rewarding,” said director of volunteers Donna Flood. “They’re going to find great joy in the athletes, and enthusiasm and pride in

our community. I think what they’ll find is they get way more out of volunteering than they expected, just because of the nature of the people we’re supporting. It’s going to be really fun, really uplifting. We just need a lot of hands-on help for what we’re doing.”

Flood told The Citizen that about 400 volunteers have already signed up, meaning another 600 are still needed to fill critical roles.

To make the sign-up process easier, an in-person volunteer office will open Wednesday, June 11 on the sixth floor of the Royal Bank Building at 550 Victoria St. Volunteers can also register online at the Special Olympics BC website, where they can choose their roles and select shifts that fit their schedules.

Volunteers are currently needed in the following areas:

• Sport officials (must be certified)

• General sports volunteers (no certification required)

• Accommodations, access control and medical

• Food services, logistics and transportation

• Ceremonies

• Public relations

• Healthy Athletes screenings

• General support

FOODSAFE certification is required for all chefs and food services shift leaders. Volunteers must be 14 years or older.

Flood said food preparation is the area with the greatest need, with public relations and general support also requiring more volunteers.

“With only a month to go, time is running out,” she said. “We need to acknowledge that Prince George is a last-minute town — and right now is the

If you are interested in volunteering, visit the BC Special Olympics website to register by scanning this QR code.

last minute. Now is the time to sign up.” To register to volunteer, visit: https://specialolympics.ca/british-columbia/what-we-do/games-and-competitions/2025-special-olympics-bc-summergames/2025-sobc-games-volunteer/

REALTOR.CA PHOTO

The cheapest house in Prince George right now is at 2137 Tamarack St. and is going for $234,900. This is the front.

Giddens hosts open house

COLIN SLARK Citizen Staff

After the conclusion of his first session as a Member of the Legislative Assembly, Prince George-Mackenzie Conservative MLA Kiel Giddens took the opportunity to connect with his constituents at a town hall at his Prince George office on Friday, June 6.

Anyone who visited previous BC United incumbent Mike Morris will recognize it as the same office he occupied at unit 102, 1023 Central St.

Before meeting with visitors, Giddens spoke to reporters and reflected on his past few months of work.

Late last year, Giddens announced his intention to present his first private member’s bill to help Tidewater Renewables’ renewable diesel refinery in Prince George.

The company said that with American producers getting subsidies in their own countries and then renewable diesel credits when entering the BC market, it was having difficulties remaining competitive.

Tidewater’s CEO told The Citizen that the company might have to close the refinery if the so-called “double dipping” wasn’t addressed.

After Giddens’ bill was introduced in February, Energy Minister Adrian Dix announced changes to provincial regulations that would increase the renewable component of diesel sold in BC from four to eight per cent and require the renewable product from Canadian sources.

In introducing the changes, Dix said he appreciated Giddens’ contributions to the file.

Though Giddens’ bill wasn’t ultimately passed, he said on Friday that it was still a worthwhile pursuit.

“It did the job because ultimately, the government changed regulations on the Low Carbon Fuels Amendment Act and that supported jobs at the Tidewater refinery here in Prince George,” he said.

In the aftermath of those regulation changes, Giddens said he had spoken with Tidewater, which said they had “an immediate impact and it’s supported them for the near term.”

Giddens said he and the company agreed to monitor the situation and make sure that it will be sustainable in the long term.

Between now and then, Giddens said, he wants to hear from stakeholders and community members on their top priorities.

Since his office opened back in February, Giddens said the issues that constituents most frequently bring up are health care in the north, public safety, mental health and addictions.

At his office in Mackenzie, he said constituents there bring up the unique challenges that community faces like emergency room closures and the state of the forestry industry.

Those wanting to visit Giddens’ PG office can drop by from Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The office can be reached by phone at 250-612-4194 and by email at kiel.giddens.mla@leg.bc.ca.

COUNCIL CONSIDERATION OF:

• City of Prince George 2024 Annual Report

WHEN: 6:00 p.m., Monday, June 23, 2025

WHERE: Council Chambers of City Hall, 2nd Floor 1100 Patricia Boulevard, Prince George, BC

The Annual Municipal Report oﬀers residents an opportunity to learn more about the City’s operations and performance. The report includes audited ﬁnancial statements, tax exemptions, services and operations for the previous year, the City’s priorities, and measures of its activities and objectives.

Prepared in accordance with the Community Charter, the Annual Report must be presented to Council by June 30 each year. At least 14 days prior to the Council meeting, the report is made available for public review, and residents are invited to submit questions or provide feedback.

The 2024 Annual Report is now available for public inspection and will be presented to Council on Monday, June 23, 2025.

WAYS TO PARTICIPATE:

Telephone

To participate by telephone, call 1-877-708-3350, Access Code: 1269574#

In Person

Members of the public may speak to Council in person at the council meeting when invited to do so.

Written Submissions

Written comments may be sent by email to cityclerk@princegeorge.ca, faxed to 250-561-0183, or mailed or delivered to the corporate oﬃcer, 5th Floor, City Hall (1100 Patricia Blvd, Prince George BC, V2L 3V9).

Written comments may also be submitted through this online comment form: https://www.princegeorge.ca/form/comment-on-the-annual-report

Written comments received by the corporate oﬃcer by 12:00 p.m., Monday, June 23, 2025, will be provided to Council for consideration during the meeting.

For information on submitting comments to Council, visit www.princegeorge.ca/publichearings.

By submitting written comments, you consent to the disclosure of personal information (including name and address) and understand that all comments will be published on the City’s website as part of the oﬃcial public record and broadcast for public viewing.

MORE INFORMATION:

A copy of this notice will be available on the City’s website www.princegeorge. ca/PublicNotices beginning Friday, June 6, 2025. A copy of the Annual Report is available for review on the City’s website: www.princegeorge.ca/annualreport, and at the Service Centre (1st Floor) and the Legislative Services Division (5th Floor) of City Hall on June 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, and 23 between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

QUESTIONS?

Contact Legislative Services: legislativeservices@princegeorge.ca or 250-561-7655

CITIZEN PHOTO BY COLIN SLARK

Prince George-Mackenzie Conservative MLA Kiel Giddens (left) and his staff greet visitors to his ofﬁce at 1023 Central St. during an open house on Friday, June 6.

RCMP investgatng afer 19-year-old hit and killed

CITIZEN STAFF

RCMP in Prince George are investigating a collision that left a 19-year-old man dead after he was struck by a vehicle allegedly driven by an impaired driver who was known to him.

Mounties say the incident happened

around 11 p.m. on Friday, June 6 in the 3700 block of 15th Avenue, where a group of people had gathered.

A vehicle driven by a 19-year-old woman — who was part of the group — struck the victim, say police. He was taken to hospital, where he later died from his injuries.

The driver was arrested nearby for impaired operation of a motor vehicle causing bodily harm. She has since been released pending a future court date. RCMP say she is co-operating with investigators.

Cpl. Jennifer Cooper, media relations officer for the Prince George RCMP,

offered condolences to the victim’s family and friends and asked the public for help.

“Investigators are asking that anyone who has cell phone, video or dash camera footage of the incident to please call our non-emergency line at 250-561-3300 with this information,” Cooper said.

Domano/Highway 16 worst intersecton for crashes

ICBC releases data showing vehicular collisions are down locally, from 5,120 in 2023 to 4,687 in 2024

COLIN SLARK

Citizen Staff

The intersection of Domano Boulevard, Tyner Boulevard and Highway 16 near College Heights had the most vehicle crashes of any intersection in Prince George, according to data released by the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) on Tuesday, June 3.

The online data provides information on the location, date, severity and type of crash as well as a map showing where the most frequent crash locations were.

In the North Central Region — which extends as far north as the Yukon border, as far west as Haida Gwaii, as far east as the Alberta border and as far south as Clinton — Prince George had by far the highest number of total crashes in 2024 with 4,687.

That’s down from the 5,120 Prince George saw in 2023 and the 4,836 it saw in 2022.

By comparison, Williams Lake was second in 2024 with 1,216 crashes, Quesnel was third with 1,118 crashes, Fort St. John was fourth with 1,099 crashes, and Terrace was fourth with 790 crashes.

Of that total, 571 of the crashes were deemed casualty crashes, meaning they resulted in either injury or death.

A tractor-trailer is seen shortly after striking the fence outside of Treasure Cove Casino at the intersection of Highway 16 and Highway 97 on Tuesday, June 3. That intersection, the busiest in the city, was ranked third for number of collisions on ICBC’s 2024 report.

The other 4,116 resulted in property damage only.

A little more than a third of the crashes, 1,761, are listed as having taken place inside a parking lot. Parked vehicles were involved in 1,560 of the crashes.

Just 36 of the crashes involved a pedestrian, 14 involved a cyclist, 27 involved a motorcycle, 368 involved an animal and 199 involved a heavy vehicle.

The data also shows that 750 victims

were involved in the 2024 crashes.

ICBC’s data allows the user to see what days of the week crashes occurred on, which shows that in 2024, Thursday was the most common day for crashes with 769.

The month with the most crashes in 2024 was January, with 509.

The 10 intersections with the most crashes were:

1. Domano Boulevard, Highway 16 and Tyner Boulevard: 51

2. Ferry Avenue and Highway 16: 47

3. Highway 16 and Highway 97: 45

4. 15th Avenue and Central Street: 36

5. Fifth Avenue and Central Street: 35

6. Highway 16, Konrath Road and Westgate Avenue: 28

7. Massey Drive and Ospika Boulevard: 26

8. Massey Drive and Westwood Drive: 24

9. Highway 97 and Massey Drive and Pine Centre Road: 23

10. Cowart Road, Highway 16 and Vance Road: 22

Just two of those intersections, both along Massey Drive, are the only ones that are not along a highway.

Between 2020 and 2024, these were the 10 intersections with the most crashes:

1. Domano Boulevard, Highway 16 and Tyner Boulevard: 241

2. Highway 16 and Highway 97: 224

3. 15th Avenue and Central Street: 202

4. Ferry Avenue and Highway 16: 187

5. Fifth Avenue and Central Street: 140

6. Cowart Road, Highway 16 and Vance Road: 117

7. 10th Avenue and Central Street: 116

8. 20th Avenue, Redwood Street and Victoria Street: 101

9. Massey Drive and Westwood Drive: 100

10. Massey Drive and Ospika Drive: 94

Again, just the two Massey Drive intersections are the only ones not on a highway.

Corner

fre site cleanup

Jordan Steblin of Stubbs Contracting works to clear the debris from the site of the former City Second Hand store at Fourth Avenue and Dominion Street on Friday, June 6. The former City Second Hand building, which was being used to store furniture, caught ﬁre on Jan. 16. Nobody was injured at the time. After the ﬁre, fencing was erected around the corner lot. Work on the cleanup continued into the weekend. There’s no word on future plans for the site.

Early-morning fre on Cuddie Crescent under investgaton

MATTHEW HILLIER Citizen Staff

Crews from three halls responded to a structure fire in the 1200 block of Cuddie Crescent at about 2 a.m. Thursday, June 5. Firefighters found the residence

partially engulfed in flames, which were quickly extinguished.

The cause of the fire is currently undetermined but is being investigated, the fire department reported.

Damages to the structure are estimated at $50,000.

There were no injuries.

Guilty verdicts in 3 of 4 sex charges man faced at trial

BOB MACKIN

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A BC Supreme Court judge found a man guilty Friday, June 6 of three of the four sex crime charges he faced during a trial in Prince George.

The trial, which began May 26, was held under a publication ban to protect the identities of the accused, alleged victims and witnesses, all of whom are primarily from a community south of Prince George.

In an oral verdict, Justice Justice Palbinder Kaur Shergill said the man was guilty of sexual assault against one victim, but not guilty of sexual interference of a person under age 16. He was found guilty of both charges against the other victim.

The next court date is Aug. 25, to schedule a sentencing hearing. The penalty for sexual assault of a person under age 16 and for sexual interference is between one and 14 years in jail. Shergill ordered a pre-sentencing report and forensic psychiatric assessment of sexual violence towards children.

Shergill said that she was convinced, beyond reasonable doubt, that the accused touched the vaginal area of one of the victims with his fingers and tongue while she was using a toilet between 2018 and 2020. She also found that he touched her breast and buttocks with his hands, while she was taking a shower, on at least three occasions

between 2019 and 2021.

“These actions were a violation of (her) sexual integrity and constitute sexual assault,” Shergill said.

Evidence also established that all of the events described by the victim occurred when she was 15 years old or younger.

“I’m satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that when (he) touched (the victim) on her breast, buttocks and vagina, he did so intentionally and without her consent and for sexual purpose,”

Shergill said. “The body parts that (he) had made contact with makes it irrefutable that the touching was of a sexual nature and for a sexual purpose.”

Shergill also found that, sometime in the summer of 2020, the man touched the other victim’s vagina on top of her clothes while they were playing Mantracker — a game like hide-and-seek — on five-to-six occasions.

Shergill delivered the verdict two days after hearing closing arguments in the trial.

The man, who testified in his own defence, denied all the allegations against him and said he was still recovering from a traumatic brain injury he suffered as a teenager while working outdoors. He admitted that he had difficulty remembering specific events during the 2019 to 2022 period.

“(He) was cross-examined extensively on his memory issues. Under cross-examination, he stated that that following his accident, he had difficulty forming short-term memories,” Shergill said. “He said that he uses various techniques to assist with his memory, such as writing things down and repetition.”

However, whatever positive aspects of the accused’s credibility were “overshadowed by my significant concerns about his memory and some key contradictory and self-serving statements, which lead me to conclude that (he) is not being forthright with the court about his recollection of events.”

Shergill found no evidence of collusion between the victims, but instead that they were understandably reluctant to immediately report the incidents. The first victim’s fear of the accused hitting her, as he had done previously in front of friends, was reasonable and it was only when she heard the other victim had experienced the same abuse that she came forward.

“She viewed (the other) as being vulnerable and wanted to protect her,” the judge said.

Man to be jailed 2.5 years for sex crimes involving child

BOB MACKIN Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A BC Supreme Court judge sent a 34-year-old man to jail for two-and-a-half years on June 4 after he pleaded guilty last December to sexual interference and invitation to sexual touching. A publication ban applies to information that could identify the victim. The man admitted to the offences that occurred on three consecutive nights between Sept. 2, 2017 and Sept. 1, 2018, when the victim was 10-years-old.

Justice Julianne Lamb agreed that the joint proposal for the sentence from Crown and defence lawyers was appropriate. The man was sentenced to twoand-a-half years in jail on both charges, but will serve the time concurrently.

The court heard an agreed statement of facts that said the man lived with the victim’s mother, with whom he had been drinking and fighting. He entered the girl’s room, discussed sexual contact and then tried to get the girl to lay on her back. She refused and he left.

On the second night, he also

discussed sexual contact. This time, he performed sex acts on the girl.

On the third night, he entered the girl’s bedroom, but she said no and he left shortly. This time he was not under the influence of alcohol.

“[The accused] is an Indigenous person who had a difficult childhood and has a history of alcohol abuse,” Lamb said. “He has entered a guilty plea and accepts responsibility for his actions. The guilty plea eliminates the need for a trial and reduces the burden on the justice system and saves the young

victim from having to testify and be re-traumatized.”

Lamb said he lacked a prior criminal record, had been the victim of sexual abuse as a child and had a history of cocaine and alcohol use. She said a jail term was “required to reflect the gravity of the offence and the offender’s moral culpability.”

In addition to jail, he is banned from possessing prohibited and restricted weapons for life and will be listed on the national sex offender registry for 20 years.

CITIZEN FILE PHOTO

A judge found a man guilty of two counts of sexual assault and one count of sexual interference after a trial in Prince George court.

Tip about Maserat driver leads RCMP to drug dealer

Court hears details of how the accused ran a ‘dial-a-dope’ operation in the area

BOB MACKIN

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A confidential tip about a Maserati owner in Prince George dealing drugs led the to the 2022 arrest of Quinn Alexander Davidson, who pleaded guilty Monday, June 9 in BC Supreme Court to possessing cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.

“He was operating in a dial-a-dope fashion, both utilizing workers and

conducting drug deals himself,” federal Crown prosecutor Mansi Khajuria told Justice Ronald Tindale.

Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of BC began the investigation in February 2022. RCMP officers searched provincial records and found four Maseratis located in Prince George, but only one matched Davidson’s.

Khajuria said in court that police conducted surveillance on 33-year-old Davidson for 17 days and even installed a tracker on his other vehicle, a Dodge Ram pickup truck. Undercover officers observed Davidson make 18 short-duration stops during the period, including several hand-to-hand exchanges consistent with drug trafficking. He also took

a road trip to Vancouver and parked on or near Keefer Street on March 28, 2022.

Two days later, after he returned to Prince George, RCMP officers arrested him after he made a short-duration stop with another individual who police later found with a small amount of cocaine. Armed with a search warrant, officers found a sealed brick of cocaine weighing just over a kilogram inside a gym bag at Davidson’s house. The cocaine was 93 per cent to 96 per cent pure.

Khajuria said the brick of cocaine was estimated to be worth between $26,000 and $133,200, depending on whether it would sold by the kilogram or gram-by-gram.

She said officers also found a digital

scale and a stack of Canadian bills totalling $10,00 in a dresser drawer. When police searched Davidson’s iPhone and iPad, they found photographs depicting cocaine and firearms.

“There were several messages observed on the iPhone seized where Mr. Davidson negotiates the sales of cocaine, sometimes requesting that customers e-transfer him when they were short on cash,” Khajuria told the court. She said he even boasted to one client that it was “the best coke in the city.”

Tindale ordered pre-sentencing reports, including one about Davidson’s Indigenous heritage, and set Aug. 19 as the next court date to schedule the sentencing hearing.

Man given one day behind bars for spitng on jail guard

BOB MACKIN Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A Provincial Court judge in Prince George found a man guilty of assault on June 5 for spitting at a jail guard, but rejected both Crown and defence sentencing proposals.

Zackary William Edward Isaac, 38, committed the offence July 8, 2024 in Prince George Re-gional Correctional Centre.

Court heard he has a lengthy criminal record dating back to 2000, including 13 convictions for assault and four for assaulting a peace officer.

Judge Martin Nadon called spitting an egregious form of assault because of the possibility of transmission of disease by bodily fluid.

“That’s particularly so in an institutional setting,” Nadon said.

“Especially in a situation like this, where the person who’s spitting is an admitted drug user.”

Nadon said the surveillance video showed both the assault and the “immediate, proportion-ate” response. Isaac was punched, taken to the ground and pepper-sprayed.

“None of that was done in a gentle fashion,” Nadon said.

A man who spit on a guard at the Prince George Regional Correctinoal Centre in 2024 was punched, taken to the ground and pepper-sprayed before spending 15 days in segregated custody, court heard during his assault trial.

Isaac then spent 15 days in segregation.

Crown prosecutor Lisa Sukkau asked Nadon to sentence Isaac to six-to-eight months in jail. Isaac’s defence lawyer, Connor Carleton, sought 60 days.

But Nadon gave Isaac, who is homeless and taking medication for schizophrenia and bipolar mood disorder, one day, time-served.

“Given all of the background, all of the

collateral things that have happened here and my find-ings here, that’s the proportionate and appropriate sentence here,” he said. “It takes into ac-count all of the sentencing factors and the peculiar facts of this case.”

Nadon said Fort St. James-born Isaac, the son of an Indian residential school survivor, grew up in government care after his mother died and “began a journey of substance abuse that has lasted essentially to today’s date, moving up the drug ladder to methamphetamine and opiates.”

While he was in custody last year, he was detoxing from heroin.

“I don’t want to do heroin ever again, and hopefully I get into treatment for the other stuff,” Isaac said in court.

Isaac, who has worked for a concert production company, also suffered a brain injury in a mo-torcycle crash in 2009 or 2010 and was stabbed in a 2019 murder attempt. “The lifestyle he’s been leading is taking its toll on him as well,” Nadon said.

Isaac is in custody on a charge of theft under $5,000 for a March 18 incident. He is scheduled for a Sept. 4 trial on charges of theft under $5,000 and possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose connected to an Oct. 3, 2024 incident.

CITIZEN FILE PHOTO

Celebratng the eforts of rural healthcare workers

Ceremony held at The Exploration Place to honour their efforts

MATTHEW HILLIER Citizen Staff

More than 150 rural physicians, EMTs and health-care specialists gathered at The Exploration Place on Saturday, June 7, to celebrate their profession and honour six unique and notable members of the rural health-care community.

The celebration was part of the BC Rural Health Conference, held at the CN Centre, which brought together more than 300 rural health-care workers from across the province to connect, learn and celebrate their shared contributions.

The event at The Exploration Place included the presentation of three special awards to eight outstanding members of BC’s rural health-care community:

• The Rural BC Community Award was presented to the Nisga’a Valley Health Authority (NVHA)

• The Award of Excellence in Rural Medicine — Lifetime Achievement was awarded to Dr. Jeff Beselt, Dr. Bruce Hobson, Dr. Garnett Tarr and Dr. Karen Forgie

• The Resident Leadership Award was presented to Dr. Yonabeth Nava

Nisga’a Valley Health Authority recognized for innovation

The NVHA was honoured for its innovative approach to expanding services and addressing local health-care challenges.

NVHA is a community-led authority that serves four communities in the Nisga’a Valley — Gitlaxt’aamiks, Gitwinksihlkw, Laxgalts’ap and Gingolx — and also offers outreach services to Nisga’a Nation members living away from home.

Since 2020, NVHA has significantly expanded its services, fully staffing primary care positions and clinics in each of the four communities. The

health authority now offers 24-hour care across the region.

Through partnerships with the Pacific Northwest Division of Family Practice, Kitselas Nation, Kitsumkalum Nation, Tahltan Nation and Northern Health, NVHA has also co-created the Coast Mountain Primary Care Network. As a result, they’ve recruited a full-time occupational therapist, kinesiologist and dietitian to serve under the NVHA banner.

NVHA CEO Corinne McKay said the award is a reflection of years of hard work.

“We have worked so hard to ensure that we have all of the physicians we need,” said McKay. “Our medical director, Dr. Chan, has done amazing work on that front. We also have a medical adviser, Dr. Penner, who is an excellent support, and our team of doctors is more committed than ever—spending more time with our people.”

McKay added that, despite the organization’s growth, challenges remain.

“We still have citizens needing specialist care who can’t travel independently,” she said. “We’ve been able to recruit specialists to come to the valley, but we are very challenged with facilities.

We’ve maxed out our office space and accommodations. It’s a real challenge, but we’ve managed to make it work.”

NVHA has also recently launched a new mobile outreach vehicle, funded through a federal health grant.

Dr. Yonabeth Nava leads by example in Chetwynd

Dr. Yonabeth Nava, recipient of the Resident Leadership Award, is a first-year resident at the Chetwynd Rural Immersion Site. She is one of the first participants in UBC’s new family practice residency model, which places residents in full-time rural practice supported by academic mentors in Prince George.

She was nominated by Chetwynd physician Dr. Bron Finkelstein, co-lead of the Rural Immersion Program.

“She consistently seeks quality improvement and has initiated several QI projects,” said Finkelstein. “Most notably, she identified pain as a barrier to IUD uptake and began using topical anesthetic. That project is now expanding as her Scholar Project and has attracted regional research interest throughout South Peace.”

Hilary Therrien, with UBC’s Family Medicine Residency Program, described Nava as “a clear change-maker.”

“She has expressed interest in joining committees to help bring change that benefits all residents. She is always pleasant and always grateful,” said Therrien.

Dr. Bruce Hobson reflects on a lifetime of connection

Dr. Bruce Hobson, who practised full-service family medicine in Powell River for 37 years, was one of four recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Currently a senior medical lead with UBC’s Rural Coaching and Mentoring Program, Hobson has supported more than 130 participants with over 760 hours of mentorship.

“I had the opportunity to go back to the community where I was born,” said Hobson. “I cared for people I’d known all my life — teachers who once taught me, classmates, family. There’s nothing quite like the connection you feel in a rural community.”

CITIZEN PHOTO BY MATTHEW HILLIER

Winners of the Rural BC Community Award from the Nisga’a Valley Health Authority pose for a picture on Saturday, June 8 in Prince George. From left to right are Maurice Squires, Corinne McKay, Dr. Jenna Hayden and Melanie Doolan.

Appeals court overturns decision on 2018 landslide

BOB MACKIN Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A BC Court of Appeal tribunal overturned a BC Supreme Court ruling that limited an insurance broker’s role as an agent for an insurance company.

Deasan Holdings Ltd. successfully argued the lower court ruling erred in deciding Continental Casualty Company had no duty to defend it in a lawsuit after the massive 2018 landslide near Fort St. John.

“An insurance broker was acting as agent for Continental, and through its conduct, bound Continental to insure Deasan as owner of the gravel pit,” said the May 29 ruling, written by Justice Barbara Fisher. “The broker later accepted Deasan’s notice of a change in risk by way of start up of the gravel pit operation, by conduct and by operation of Statutory Condition 4 of the Insurance Act.”

The landslide happened Sept. 29, 2018 at the gravel mine. It destroyed the only road in and out of Old Fort and sparked

evacuations. Neighbouring property owners sued Deasan for damages.

Deasan, owned by Sandy Beech and Dean Swanberg, is affiliated with DRS Energy Services Inc., which hauls equipment to and from oilfield sites and maintains lease roads. DRS was charged a premium of $77,986 that was billed and collected by the broker and remitted to Continental.

Deasan asked a judge to declare Continental had a duty to defend and indemnify it under the policy with CMB Insurance Brokers. The ruling in April 2024 by Justice Allan Betton concluded the broker was an agent for Continental, but, as Griffin wrote, Betton “interpreted the certificate narrowly, and found that the broker did not extend Continental’s insurance coverage to Deasan’s gravel pit operation.”

The appeal court found that the broker had the ability to bind Continental to provide insurance to Deasan’s gravel pit operation and that the broker did so.

Justices Susan Griffin and Sheri Donegan concurred with Fisher.

Patents could be located 10 hours down a logging road

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

He also spoke of ongoing systemic issues.

“One of the biggest challenges is access to specialized care,” he said. “We never had a social worker until about five years ago. People need services— social work, pediatricians, mental health care — and it’s difficult for providers to access the training and support they need.”

Dr. Garnett Tarr: A leader at South Okanagan General

Dr. Garnett Tarr, chief of staff at South Okanagan General Hospital in Oliver, also received the Lifetime Achievement Award for his decades of service and leadership.

He teaches new medical learners and is known for his compassionate care and his love for animals, including his farm chickens.

“We don’t have the support system of urban centres,” said Tarr.

“You’re often diagnosing and treating with limited resources. That’s real medicine.”

He shared a story about a mental health case that left a lasting impression.

“Years later, the girl’s father found me and told me she’d earned a master’s in psychology. It really reminded me why we do this.”

Dr. Jeff Beselt: Committed to Northern BC

Dr. Jeff Beselt was recognized for his dedication to the remote communities of Kwadacha and Tsay Keh, where he has served for more than 20 years.

“These communities are a 10-hour drive on a logging road,” he said. “You end up learning a lot of roles. I even learned to be an X-ray technician.

Everyone pitches in — from the person grading the runway to the community health rep who might also drive the ambulance.”

Beselt reflected on both the privilege and responsibility of rural medicine.

“Some of the highlights are home visits with elders or working with patients in remote camps. But the hard times — like accompanying a patient in premature labour by helicopter — also define the experience. They’re difficult, but they’re also privileges.”

Dr. Karen Forgie: Champion for change in Sechelt

Dr. Karen Forgie, based in Sechelt, served as a family physician from 1993 until her retirement in 2022.

She was honoured for her leadership at both the local and provincial levels.

She was elected president during the transition of the Section of General

Practitioners to BC Family Doctors and has worked with the Health Data Coalition to embed quality improvement using electronic medical records (EMRs).

Forgie has remained active in Sechelt, helping to recruit new physicians to the area.

“Dr. Forgie is a force to be reckoned with,” said Drs. Jennifer and Julie Baxter, local colleagues.

“She has always acted with deep care and respect. She’s been a role model for decades.”

Forgie encouraged others to find their voice in the profession.

“One of the biggest things I recommend is to find a place to lead,” she said.

“Your knowledge is valuable, and we need more physicians in leadership at every level — community, organizational, and government — to improve health care across BC.

A 2018 landslide cut off access to the Old Fort area south of Fort St. John.

What’s happening in PG

Huber Equipment Rodeo PG — Sanctioned by BC Rodeo Association Rodeo/Bull Riding Canada. Rodeo set for Saturday, June 14 and Sunday, June 15 starting at 2 p.m. both days at Exhibition Park rodeo grounds. Norcan Fluid Power Barrel Race on Friday, June 12 starting at 5 p.m.Tickets available through Showpass. Adult admission $20 per day, $30 for weekend; seniors $15 per day, $20 for weekend; kids 10-16 $10 each day; kids 10-and-under free. Rodeo dance Saturday at Kin 2 with Drew Gregory band. Tickets for dance $35 in advance, $40 at the door.

Roller Derby Rocks the CN Centre on Saturday, June 14 at 7 p.m. Get ready for an action-packed evening as Northern BC’s top roller derby teams go headto-head on the flat track for the very first time at the CN Centre. Rated PG Thrashers vs. the North Coast Nightmares will be in a fast-paced, hard-hitting showdown full of hits, whips, and high-speed thrills. This all-ages event features raw power, electric energy, and a crowd-pumping halftime show — don’t miss your chance to see roller derby at its finest. For tickets visit www. ticketsnorth.evenue.rollerderby.

Early Explorers: Sprout Scouts goes Wednesday, June 18 from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at The Exploration Place, 333 Becott Place. This is geared for children three to five and is an introduction to STEAM — science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. Through play, song, dance, crafts, and age-appropriate demonstrations, we explore a new theme each month. In Sprout Scouts, children will explore the garden, dig in the soil, plant flowers, and discover what makes a garden flourish. This hands-on experience will teach them about the basics of gardening while having fun with sensory exploration and teamwork. This program will take place in the on-site Explorers Urban Garden.

B.A. Johnston & Crones Live at the Legion goes Wednesday, June 18 at 8 p.m. at Legion 43PG, 101-1116 Sixth Ave. B.A. is back at the PG Legion with legendary PG rock outfit Crones. One

of Canada’s most unique and legendary performers, B.A. is bringing his oneman show that blends performance art, music and comedy. B.A. has developed a cult-like following of Hawkins Cheezies-chugging chuds all over the world for good reason. Tickets are $20 at the door or $15 in advance at www.madloon.ca/tickets/.

Yun Ts’uwhut’loo: Braiding the Land goes Friday, June 20 at 7 p.m. at the Prince George Playhouse. This event is presented by the Northern Indigenous Arts Council and is a powerful celebration of National Indigenous Peoples Day. Acclaimed Juno nominated Lheidli T’enneh artist Kym Gouchie and the internationally renowned Raven Spirit Dance company from Vancouver, will perform. Through dance, song, and embodied storytelling, Yun Ts’uwhut’loo speaks to the interwoven nature of identity, land, and collective legacy. Proceeds of the ticket sales go to support the Northern Indigenous Arts Council. Doors open at 6:30 and performance starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are available at https://method-dance-society.tickit.ca/events/29819.

National Indigenous Peoples Day goes Saturday, June 21 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park. Commemorate National Indigenous Peoples Day to recognize the history, heritage, and diversity of Indigenous Peoples

in Canada. Truth and Reconciliation is the heart of National Indigenous Peoples Day. The Lheidli T’enneh First Nation will be hosting National Indigenous Peoples Day on their ancestral lands and historic village site, now known as Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park.

Sweet Summer Market goes Saturday, June 21 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at CN Centre. Browse local vendors, indulge in great eats, all while supporting local small businesses in your community. Vendors can register at www.justsugarcookies.ca.

Kryple – Live in Prince George, the Johnny Rich Tour goes Saturday, June 21 from 7:30 p.m. to 3 a.m. at Ignite Nightclub, 1232 Third Ave. There’s a VIP meet and greet, Gold Messiah, Urban Indian, Glazier, Highbryd, Kryple and DJ Colt 45 will entertain. For tickets visit www.eventbrite.ca/e/kryple-live-inprince-georgejohnny-rich-tour-tickets.

Junk in the Trunk goes Saturday, June 21 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Pineview Recreation Commission 6470 Bendixon Road. People will have their wares in the parking lot for purchase. Call Judy 250-963-9723 or the hall 250963-8214 to reserve your space.

Kris Yip Memorial Fondo goes Saturday, June 21 and starts at Canada Games Plaza. Riders depart at 8 a.m. Food trucks and vendors will be

open at 10 a.m. Riders will be finishing between around 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. This is more than just a bike ride — it’s a heartfelt celebration of community, inclusion, and the spirit of a local legend. This event, organized by the Kris Yip Memorial Foundation, invites cyclists to join a fully supported ride through scenic routes, with distances of 60km, 95km, and 120km. The Fondo also raises funds for Kris’s Memorial Fund at the Prince George Community Foundation and promotes awareness of heart health in athletes, a cause close to the Foundation’s mission. For more information or to register visit www. krisyipmemorialfondo.ca

Santacruzan sa Prince George 2025 goes Sunday, June 22 from 4 to 9 p.m. at Sacred Heart Cathedral, 887 Patricia Blvd. This special event is sponsored by the Cathedral Migrant Ministry and the Filipino-Canadian community in Prince George. It will become part of the observance of the parish feast day and June as Filipino Heritage Month in Canada. Highlights include the Santacruzan parade, salo-salo (potluck), adobo cook off, palarong Filipino (games), and arch design competition. For more information visit www.facebook.com/ events/597537025960340.

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The Kris Yip Memorial Fondo goes Saturday, June 21 and starts at Canada Games Plaza.

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Come Try Ringette and Bring a Friend Event goes Sunday, June 22 from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at Kin 3 and is presented by PG Ringette. This is a free event where participants between the ages of 14 and 18 strap on some skates, grab a stick and a ring, and try out the fastest game on ice. All you need to participate is skates, helmet (mandatory), warm clothes, a pair of gloves and a smile! (Skate and Helmet rentals will not be available on the day of the event). To register visit www. rampregistrations.com.

Annual Grandmothers to Grandmothers Golf Tournament goes Sunday, June 22 at Alder Hills Golf Course. This is a fundraiser in support of the Stephen Lewis Foundation. This organization funds many programs in Africa for the Grandmothers who are raising their grandchildren. The children they raise have lost parents to AIDS. The foundation supports in many ways including education as well as medication, etc. The annual golf tournament is G2G PG’s biggest fundraiser. Registration is $85 and includes 18 holes, dinner and a chance to take home a great prize. To register call Ruth at 250-964-0498 or email ruth.meger@gmail.com.

Cinematography One-Day Workshop goes Friday, June 27 or Saturday, June 28 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is presented by the Arts North Digital Media Centre, a division of the Community Arts Council of Prince George & District at Studio 2880. The workshop is led by Jeff Gruending, local founder of video marketing firm Precision FX,and includes camera fundamentals, lighting essentials, audio production, composition & storytelling, editing & final production. For more information and to register visit www.studio2880. com/arts-north-digital-studio-media/ cinematography-workshop.

Northern Riffs goes Saturday, June 28 at 6 p.m. at the Roll-A-Dome, 2588 Recplace Drive. Santana Pro in collaboration with Infectious Nation are bringing a night of hard rock meets heavy metal and punk. Bands include The Dusty

and one-third

Pines, an all-female punk supergroup from Vancouver, The Infirmary, the secret weapon of Smithers and Sustain from Terrace, always rock hard. PG’s own favourite zombie hard rock and metal band Infectious will be supporting these three touring bands along with local heavy metal and hard rock band Cynnical. For more information and tickets visit www.northernriffs.art.

Free Concert in the Park goes Saturday, June 28 from 1 to 4 p.m. at Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park at the bandshell. This event is presented by the City of Prince George and everyone is welcome to attend. Bring chairs and blankets to sit on to enjoy the music of Aquiles Tarumba, The Verdants and Andrew Judah. There will be a variety of food trucks on site.

Startup to Success Program participants will be at the Q3 Community Market, 1299 Third Avenue on Saturday, June 28 from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. These talented young entrepreneurs spent 16 weeks developing their business plans during a 16-week program supported by Junior Achievers and YMCA BC. Teams will showcase their products, including crafts, party packages, car scents, and

Lessons go every Tuesday from 7 to 9 p.m. at the First Baptist Church, 483 Gillett St. Everyone is welcome to attend. Drop-in fee is $5 at the door.

Games Night goes every Thursday at 7 p.m at Spruce Capital Seniors Centre, 3701 Rainbow Drive. Come on down and join in a game of backgammon, checkers, crib or better yet try out the pool table or dart board, please bring your own darts. Open to everyone for a $5 drop in fee.

Craft & Chat at the main branch of the Prince George Public Library goes every Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m. in the magazine corner, second floor, where fibre artists are invited to bring their latest projects to share, vent frustrations, brag about successes, get and give help and join in lively discussions. Snacks provided. This event is in partnership with Great Northwest Fibre Fest.

mental health colouring books. Bring the family and be part of this inspiring event to celebrate and support the next generation of local entrepreneurs.

Pride Drag Show 2025 goes Friday, July 4 from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. at The Underground Show Lounge and Bar, 1177 Third Ave. Presented by the PG Pride Society, The Underground and Ma Dame Foreteaze this event celebrates Celebrate love, diversity, and the art of drag with a dazzling lineup of queens, kings, and non-binary royalty bringing their charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent to the stage, with dance to follow. Tickets at www.eventbrite.ca/e/ pride-drag-show-after-party-tickets.

Chris Goodwin Band goes Saturday, July 5 at 8:30 p.m. at Nelly’s Pub, 2280 John Hart Hwy. This well-known fourpiece country group has been captivating audiences in Northern British Columbia since 2019. They’ve gained a strong reputation in Western Canada, headlining events like the 2020 Rooftop Rock Festival and sharing the stage with renowned artists like Brett Kissel, Dean Brody, and Corb Lund at the 2022 Best Damn Music Fest.

BC Old Time Fiddlers’ Jams and

Parkinson Support Group meetings are the third Saturday of each month at 1 p.m. at the Spruce Capital Seniors Centre, 3701 Rainbow Drive. Meetings are informal and are for sharing information about slowing down the progression of PD. There are guest speakers, special events and biweekly exercise sessions and positive social interaction. Use lower parking lot beside ball diamond to access the seniors centre.

Trivia Night at Nancy O’s goes every other Wednesday at 8 p.m., 1261 Third Ave. There are three rounds per game, each round has five themed questions and five music questions. There’s something for everyone. The winning team gets a custom Nancy O’s Trivia trophy and a round of drinks, their photo on the wall that goes into the winners’ book after two weeks. Those caught cheating will be publicly shamed and labelled as cheaters – good wholesome fun. Book a spot by calling ahead at 250-562-8066.

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

KRYPLE.CA PHOTO

Kryple, A WCMA nominated and Edmonton Arts Council Award-winning artist

of the hip-hop trio Doom Squad, brings his Johnny Rich Tour to Prince George on Saturday, June 21 from 7:30 p.m. to 3 a.m. at Ignite Nightclub.

Batle in the North: In for a ferce ftness fght

ABOVE: Sara Obacz, 30, does an overhead squat during a lap of Nancy’s Hydra in day two of the Battle of the North at Masich Place Stadium Sunday. Competitors did 15 overhead squats then ran a lap of the track then repeated the process ﬁve times to complete Nancy’s Hydra.

LEFT: Competitors complete 150 skips Sunday.

Strength, skill and endurance were put to the test over the weekend at Masich Place Stadium for Battle in the North, a CrossFit challenge with tough competition in deadlifts, running, pullups, carries and more

RIGHT: Chance Thompson, 28, and Lucas Samways, 33, of Williams Lake do sandbag carries.

LEFT: Matt Gallant, 28, of Calgary leads competitors through the ﬁrst lap of the track during Nancy’s Hydra.

ABOVE: Ben Cole, 40, completes 11 squats after lifting the 245lb bar in the Clean Ladder.

BELOW: Sabrina Harmata, 27, of Calgary forces her body up as she completes a 205lb lift in the Clean Ladder.

CITIZEN PHOTOS BY CHUCK NISBETT

PGSS honours the class of 2025 at the CN Centre

MATTHEW HILLIER Citizen Staff

Prince George Secondary School (PGSS) celebrated its graduates on Friday, June 6 at the CN Centre.

More than 270 grads filled the stadium, joined by nearly 1,000 family members, friends, supporters, and guardians in the stands.

The grads were welcomed by Elder Phyllis Seymour, who shared this message with the graduates:

“As you step into what comes next, keep your heart strong, your spirit kind, and your teachings close,” said Seymour. “Walk proudly, speak with care, and always remember the people and places that shaped you. And to all the parents, grandparents, and families, congratulations for being the backbone of each and every graduate. Today, we celebrate this milestone together.”

Erica McLean, a trustee with School District 57, also addressed the grads, encouraging them to reflect on the challenges they overcame to get to this point.

“Today, I hope you celebrate yourself, remembering all the times you’ve been uncomfortable, scared, or unsure, but you kept showing up,” said McLean. “I know the challenges won’t go away — they may get bigger and more complex. But I hope you’ll look back and remember the joyful moments, the scary moments, the difficult moments, and the funny ones. I hope these memories remind you that you have everything within you to thrive at the next stage of your life.”

Before crossing the stage, grads heard from two valedictorians: Marcus Aksidan and Newsha Novinchehr.

Aksidan spoke about the importance of his family’s lived experiences.

“As Indigenous people, we carry with us a wealth of wisdom that goes beyond what can be found in textbooks,” said Aksidan. “Our experiences — the joys and the struggles — shape us in ways that conventional knowledge cannot. Many of us have faced challenges unique to our communities, but we emerge strong. I stand here not just

as a student, but as a reflection of that strength, a testament to the invaluable lessons learned from my family.”

Aksidan hopes to move to Vancouver after graduation to pursue further education and new opportunities.

Novinchehr, the second valedictorian, spoke about the challenges of attending school during the COVID-19 pandemic and the resilience of their graduating class.

“We began high school in the midst of COVID, during a time characterized by cohorts, masks, and social distancing.

This period tested our adaptability, and while it was extremely challenging, it ultimately strengthened the bond we share as a graduating class,” she said.

“Today, we leave with invaluable friendships forged over these five years. In the end, it’s not the classrooms, exams, or sports games we’ll remember — it’s the people, the friends, the teachers who shaped us, and the ones we lost along the way.”

Novinchehr will be attending the University of British Columbia this fall to pursue a bachelor of arts and a master’s in management.

Following the speeches, the graduates walked across the stage to receive their certificates and awards. Family members and supporters cheered and

celebrated, filling the stadium with shouts, well wishes, and air horns.

Among the attendees was Grade 8 teacher Juliet Branco, who gave graduating students letters they had written to themselves four years ago.

“When my Grade 8 students enter high school, it’s a transitional year for them, so I have them write a letter to their Grade 12 selves as a way for me to assess their writing,” Branco explained. “It’s also a memory for them. They talk about their fears, hopes, and goals for Grade 12. Then, I hand the letters back when they graduate, which helps me connect with them.”

Branco told The Citizen that most students don’t expect her to remember them, but the letters always provide joy and perspective for both the students and herself.

Grads were also presented with dozens of bursaries, scholarships, and awards that showcased the talent and skill of the PGSS graduating class.

The following valedictory awards were presented:

• Ainsley Smith: Lawson Oliver Fandrey Memorial Award

• Sofia Carpino: Vince Truant Striving for Excellence Memorial Scholarship

• Estera Kawelska: Academic Excellence Award

• Elya Foreman: Polar Academic Award

• Mei Kumada and Ty Hamilton: Citizenship Award

• Azalia Zwiers: Outstanding Graduate Award

Principal Randy Halpape closed the ceremony with a message to the graduates, before the stadium erupted in cheers, laughter, and music as the grads tossed their hats into the air to mark the start of a new chapter in their lives.

The Citizen spoke with Halpape about the impact these graduates will have on Prince George following their departure.

“We have close to 1,400 students, and I think these grads represent what our students mean to this community,” said Halpape. “They do so much in our school and in our community. This celebration truly reflects how great this student body is.”

Halpape also acknowledged the role of parents and supporters, emphasizing that the graduates’ success would not have been possible without their support.

“I’m incredibly proud of these grads and their accomplishments, both present and future,” he said.

CITIZEN PHOTO BY MATTHEW HILLIARD

Prince George Secondary School graduates wait for their names to be called at the CN Centre on Friday, June 6.

SD57 sign unveiled afer father-daughter restoraton

COLIN SLARK Citizen Staff

After eight months of work, Peter and Hailey George unveiled the refurbished sign welcoming visitors to School District 57’s administration building at 2100 Ferry Ave on Tuesday, June 3.

Peter, a Wet’suwet’en artist who first carved the sign honouring the Indigenous communities within School District 57 more than two decades ago, was commissioned by Supt. Jameel Aziz to restore it with his daughter Hailey in November.

After speeches from dignitaries, including Lheidli T’enneh Elder Vivian Francis, Chief Dolleen Logan, and Coun. Tasheena Seymour, and a performance by drummers from Nusdeh Yoh Elementary School, a sheet was peeled off to reveal the sign’s brightly restored colours and iconography.

The artists explained that the cedar used to create the sign was obtained from the McBride area by Norm Monroe, who was then the head of what was called Aboriginal Education.

The animals depicted on the sign represent the clans that existed in the area before Europeans made contact with locals — wolf and bear, beaver and grouse, and frog — as well as a newer clan, caribou.

Also depicted is an eagle, which Peter said is a universal symbol of peace and friendship used by nearly every Indigenous group in North America. The last creature on the sign is a salmon, symbolizing peace and prosperity.

“We used eagle down in our feast hall, and when it was used, everything that was discussed in that feast was law, and everything that needed to be said had to happen that day,” Peter said.

On the left edge of the sign is a red handprint, taken from Peter’s right hand, which he uses to create his art.

After the refurbishment, two more handprints were added to the central part of the sign, where the words “School District 57” are written. One is Hailey’s, after she apprenticed with her father for the first time during the restoration. The other is from Peter’s

The sign welcoming visitors to School District 57’s administration building at 2100 Ferry Ave. in Prince George was unveiled to the public in a ceremony on Tuesday, June 3 after eight months of work by original artist Peter George and his daughter Hailey.

daughter Stephanie, who, he said, helped with every carving he did in her lifetime.

Speaking to reporters after the unveiling, Peter thanked Supt. Jameel Aziz and Asst. Supt. Pam Spooner for inviting him to restore his original work.

He said he was pleased that Hailey wanted to take part in the process and learn from him.

“If I’m being honest with you, I’ve just about cried a few times,” Hailey said of becoming part of her father’s legacy. “I will be able to look at this sign for the rest of my life and see my dad’s handprint, my handprint, and my sister’s handprint on it. That gives me so much pride. Not just pride, but Indigenous pride.”

Hailey added that she’d like for the sign to stay a family project and, when the time comes, to restore it again. She also expressed a desire to involve her children, if she has any, in the process.

Peter said it was “huge” to have the Nusdeh Yoh students present, as involving children is the first step in teaching Indigenous culture and language.

After the sign was unveiled, Clayton Gauthier — another apprentice of Peter’s — was invited to perform a smudging ceremony for the new sign. Gauthier invited the drummers from Nusdeh Yoh to stand around him and

to National Indigenous History Month.

“SD57 has been engaged in acts of truth and reconciliation for quite a long time, but the restoration of this sign and Mr. George’s involvement in that process, I hope, marks another positive step on our journey to support students in their education and demonstrate to the community that we are truly committed to truth and reconciliation,” Aziz said.

Spooner concluded the ceremony by acknowledging the chiefs, matriarchs, and the children who will grow up to be chiefs in the Gitxsan language.

“That’s what these kids are,” Spooner said.

perform the drumbeat of Mother Earth as he blessed it.

During his remarks, Aziz said unveiling the restored sign was a fitting start

“They’re witnessing the work that’s being done today, so one day they can be those chiefs as well. Remember, all our actions and words are being heard by the kids who are here, so we as a group and an organization know that we have a commitment to do better and be better.”

CITIZEN PHOTO BY COLIN SLARK

College celebrates students’ success at convocaton

More than 700 CNC graduates are sent out into the world after CN Centre ceremony

MATTHEW HILLIER Citizen Staff

The College of New Caledonia (CNC) celebrated its graduating class on Thursday, June 5 with a crowd of several hundred supporters at the CN Centre.

The total number of grads this year was 1,312, with more than 700 walking the stage. They join the more than 100,000 CNC alumni out in the world.

The ceremonies recognized students across CNC’s four academic schools: Access and Continuing Education; Health Sciences; Human Services, University Studies, and Business; and Trades and Technologies.

The graduates were welcomed into the CN Centre with a procession performance from the Tsi Balyan Ditni (Thundering Eagles), followed by the singing of the national anthem by the Nushed Yoh School Choir.

Grads and their supporters were given a traditional welcome from Lheidli T’enneh Elder Darlene McIntosh, a CNC cultural advisor.

This was followed by CNC president Cindy Heitman, who encouraged students to blaze their own trails post-graduation.

“I know how much hard work, resilience and personal sacrifice it takes to get here,” said Heitman. “You’ve made a big choice. One that not only changed your future, but that connects you forever to CNC. You are now part of a network of learners, leaders and change-makers who continue to shape this region and beyond. As alumni, you carry the legacy of this college forward. Stay connected, support one another, share your experiences, mentor those who follow and strengthen the fabric of this institution that helped shape you. As you hold your credentials in your

hand, you are also holding the start of a new chapter. It is such an exciting time for all of you. Chart your own course, write your own story, sing your lyrics and paint your own path.”

Speaking after Heitman was Lheidli T’enneh Chief Dolleen Logan, who said she had a personal and emotional connection to the school.

“My daughter graduated from CNC. I was able to give my daughter her certificate when she crossed the floor. Obviously, that’s a highlight of my career. It’s one day that will never, ever happen again. It was amazing … Saying that we’re proud of you does not seem like the right word. We need something stronger. When I hear graduates, I get goosebumps. Because it’s exciting. It’s your future, you are young, you’re doing what you want to do.”

Logan delivered a message.

“There’s one saying that I’ve heard and I’ve used it quite often and you’ll hear it a lot throughout your life,” she said. “’Sorry, you failed.’ ‘You failed to do this.’ ‘You failed to tie your shoes into double knots.’ ‘You failed.’ You didn’t fail. The quote is, ‘it was my first

encouragement and extensive support throughout this journey.”

The Lieutenant-Governor’s Medal for Inclusion Democracy and Reconciliation was presented to Grace Burke, who is graduating from the Social Service Worker University Transfer Diploma Program and during her time at CNC has demonstrated a deep commitment to social justice and community wellness.

The third award was presented to Kerry Thomas who won the Mary John Award of Excellence. This award is given to a student who exemplifies commitment to community service and the revitalization of language and culture.

The Citizen spoke to Thomas, who had this to say to his fellow grads and classmates: “Congrats to everybody here who has graduated and for those who are still studying and stuff, just hang in there. Just don’t give up your dreams and just keep on going. It is tough right now, but the light is right there. You just got to keep going.”

attempt at success.’ So remember that forever.”

Graduates then watched a video greeting from the minister of post-secondary education and future skills, Anne Kang, who spoke about their contributions to the community and encouraged them to emerge as leaders in their chosen fields.

Among the grads were three award winners.

Melissa Renshaw received the Governor-General’s Academic Collegiate Award for graduating from the Diagnostic Medical Synography Domo Program with an impressive 4.3 GPA.

“The past two years have been the most humbling and rewarding experience of my life. I am deeply honoured to receive the Governor General’s Academic Medal — a recognition I carry with immense gratitude,” she said. “I extend my sincere thanks to the College of New Caledonia for offering a program that not only prepared me for a career in diagnostic medical sonography but also instilled essential life skills and confidence in me. I would also like to thank my family and friends for their

The graduatess then walked the stage to the thunderous cheers and applause of family members, friends, classmates and supporters as their certificates and diplomas were presented.

Grads also heard from graduate speakers Ujunwa Eneumo, a diploma graduate in the Practical Nursing Program, and Kartik Manchanda, an associate degree of science graduate, who talked about their personal academic journeys.

The ceremony concluded with celebrating grads’ family, and facility, cheering, dancing and celebrating while tossing giant balloons from one end of the CN Centre to another.

“This just exemplified the community spirit, and the journey that we support our students on,” Heitman told The Citizen afterward. “It’s just an amazing day … it’s truly a celebration of every single person individually. My favourite part was honouring all the students, having an opportunity to chat with them on stage, congratulate them personally and celebrate them. Hearing the camaraderie, the cheers for one another, it’s just extremely special.”

CITIZEN PHOTO BY MATTHEW HILLIER

CNC president Cindy Heitman presents a certiﬁcate to a grad and her child on Thursday, June 5 at the CN Centre. About 700 of this spring’s 1,312 graduates took part in the ceremony.

New locally focused cafe now open at PG airport

MATTHEW HILLIER Citizen Staff

A new café is now open at the terminal building at Prince George International Airport.

Brewed Coffee & Co. is now open to hungry and thirsty travellers, serving locally roasted North Roast Coffee, a variety of specialty drinks, sandwiches, baked goods and an assortment of other snacks.

“Bringing in Brewed Coffee & Co. aligns with our goal of creating a more welcoming, community-rooted passenger experience at YXS,” said Sabrina Angus, interim president and CEO of the Prince George Airport Authority. “We’re thrilled to support another local business and can’t wait to see travellers enjoy a taste of Prince George hospitality.”

This is the second new café to join the airport after Fly Away Café, located in the departures lounge, recently opened. The airport had been without any food or beverage services for several months.

“Our goal is to serve more than just great coffee, we want to offer a warm, welcoming experience that reflects the character of this community,” said Param Kaur, co-founder of Brewed Coffee & Co.

“We’re passionate about showcasing local products and creating a space where travellers and staff can truly enjoy a quality break in their day.” The cafe is now open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., with hours subject to adjustment based on flight schedules and operational needs, the operators said.

CNC president says students persevered through challenges

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Heitman also gave her thoughts on the importance of these new grads entering the professional world and their effect on Prince George.

“CNC brings that family community feeling,” said Heitman.

“From the moment you walk in the door, we are there for you. We focus on that student experience from start to finish. From the moment you apply to CNC, you become one of our students and we try to support you all the way through your journey. Checking in and supporting you however you need, but it is really about doing everything we can to help the students get to where they want to be and reach their goals.”

Heitman talked about some of the highlights of the academic year.

“Well, No. 1 is the graduating class

this year being huge. Also, the way CNC persevered through the challenges that we faced as we moved through some of the changes to post-secondary across the nation and how the college community just came together, problem solved, and worked together.”

She shared some thoughts that she wants grads to take with them.

“I want to say the hard work students put in was recognized by CNC, recognized today, recognized throughout the year,” said Heitman.

“We couldn’t be more proud to see those students walk across the stage today. And, you know, as I said in my address to the graduates, this isn’t an ending, it’s a beginning. There’s so much more for them and just stay true to who you are, follow your passions, follow their journeys. And I look forward to seeing what they bring.”

Get ready to register & grab some great deals. You’ll be glad you bid.

HANDOUT PHOTO

Brewed Coffee & Co. is located in the main concourse at Prince George International Airport.

PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN’S

Roping and riding as the rodeo returns to Prince George

TED CLARKE Citizen Staff

The cameras will be rolling this weekend when the Rodeo PG hosts its fourth annual outdoor rodeo.

Sanctioned by the BC Rodeo Association and Bull Riding Canada, the two-day Huber Equipment Rodeo on Saturday, June 14 and Sunday, June 15 is expected to pack the rodeo grounds stands at Exhibition Park.

All that roping and riding will be streamed live on the Cowboy Channel to a potential audience of 100 million, but there’s nothing like seeing a rodeo live with your own eyes.

Rodeo PG president Kevin Cunin anticipates the bleachers will be full with about 2,000 spectators each day to watch a full slate of eight rodeo events.

“We’re one of the biggest semipro rodeos in the province and have been since Year 1,” said Cunin. “We’ve got lots of roughstock guys coming from the north so that’s cool for the BCRA and we’re expecting a couple hundred different athletes.

“Prince George is a rodeo town,” he said. “We’ve had a couple of years when the weather hasn’t been the greatest and the stands have still been packed. If we get a sprinkle of rain everyone just pops up their umbrella and the rodeo doesn’t stop. It’s always fun to watch a cowboy get drug through the mud.”

A 16-foot-by-20-foot replay screen will be set up right next to the infield to give everybody another look at what just happened on that infield dirt.

Contestants will be chasing prize

money in barrel racing, steer wrestling, tie-down roping, breakaway roping, team roping, bareback riding, saddle bronc riding and bull riding.

“We want to make it super enjoyable for everyone to watch, so we’ve got the replay screen, there’s no dead space,” said Cunin.

The bucking broncs, bareback horses, bulls and steers are coming down from the Peace Country from the Hard 8 roughstock pen of Dwayne Sorken. Cole Roberts (Cowboy Cole) will be entertaining the crowd as the rodeo clown.

“We’ve got the two best rodeo announcers in Western Canada coming, Jonathan Cole and Dom St. Amand,” said Cunin. “They do the Canadian Finals, college finals and lots of Bull Riders Canada events.”

Twenty-year-old Chase Siemens of Chetwynd, a two-time Rodeo PG champion who competed in the Canadian Finals Rodeo, will be tough to knock off in the bareback event.

Prince George cowboy Chase Sakamoto is a top 10 BCRA steer wrestler who also plans to enter team roping

with World Series veteran Sandy Suter. Derek Passey will be doubling his pleasure riding bulls and bareback horses.

The barrel racers will get the show started Friday, June 13 at 5 p.m. when they join the chase for a $4,000 added pot in the Norcan Fluid Power Barrel Race. Admission for that is free.

Prince George barrel racer Kim Meise will be one of the favourites, coming off her win last weekend at the Kispiox Valley Rodeo.

Also in the mix for the PG title is Kirsten Gjerde, who ended up fourth in the barrels at Kispiox.

Aspiring cowboys and cowgirls can try their luck on a mechanical bull that will be brought to the rodeo grounds Friday night only. A kids’ competition will precede the adult contest.

A beer/cider garden will be set up on the north end of the infield and all proceeds will go to the Prince George Western Heritage Society.

Drew Gregory of Standard, Alta., will be playing the rodeo dance on Saturday, June 14 at Kin 2. Tickets for that are $35 in advance, $40 at the door. Doors for the dance open at 8:30 p.m. Gregory has shared the stage with the likes of Miranda Lambert, Big & Rich, Kip Moore and Old Dominion.

Rodeo tickets are adults: $20 per day, $30 for both days; seniors: $15 per day, $20 both days, kids 10-16: $10 each; kids 10-and-under free, available through Showpass.

For more information go to the Rodeo PG Facebook page or to www.rodeoprincegeorge.com.

Drew Gregory headlining rodeo’s Cabaret Barn Dance

MATTHEW HILLIER Citizen Staff

The fourth annual Huber Equipment Rodeo is on the horizon, and along with the usual competition and excitement, this year’s Cabaret Barn Dance will feature a standout headliner. The dance, set for Saturday, June 14, will showcase award-winning Alberta

country music artist Drew Gregory. Originally from Standard, Alta., Gregory has made a name for himself on some of the country’s biggest stages, including the Big Valley Jamboree, Country Thunder, Bud Country Fever, Dauphin Countryfest and the Calgary Stampede.

Most recently, Gregory was named the 2025 Horizon Male Artist of the Year.

The Citizen spoke with Gregory ahead of his Prince George performance. He said he’s excited to hit the stage at the Cabaret Barn Dance.

“We’ve done this for 15 years, and to me it’s always been the best part of the whole music business — getting up on stage,” he said.

“Different people like different things … but for me, it’s always been about

getting back to playing live. I remember playing a lot of our small little towns, where the cabarets are 100 or 150 people, and just knowing what I always liked to hear. So when we started the band, we just wanted to do that stuff — keep it energetic all night and keep the people rocking.” CONTINUED ON

HANDOUT PHOTO

Chetwynd cowboy Chase Siemens will be one of the favourites in the bareback event at Rodeo PG’s two-day Hubert Equipment Rodeo, June 13-14 at Exhibition Park.

Singer’s love of country music began on the family farm

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

Although Gregory loves playing small-town events like the Cabaret Barn Dance, he said he’ll never forget the energy of big-ticket shows such as the Calgary Stampede.

“It’s insane,” he said. “You want to talk about energy — I mean, just because it’s 10 days and we’ll do corporate things and public things, and we’ve done breakfasts and afternoons and evenings. And then you get the nighttime one … Sometimes you’re just exhausted getting there, but you get out on stage in front of whatever they pack in there, 4,000, 5,000 people. It brings your energy levels up pretty quickly. You kind of go on adrenaline there.

“That’s something we’ve always done live, feed off the crowds. We give as much energy as we possibly can and hope to get some of that back. It’s that connection. That’s what’s coolest about playing live to me. When we’re feeling

it on stage and they’re feeling it out there, those nights are pretty special. And Stampede provides a lot of those for us.”

Gregory also balances life as a musician with running a large grain farm alongside his father.

“We have a 3,000-acre grain farm,” he said. “It’s pretty full-time, especially during the summer. It’s pretty crazy. We’re just on the road every weekend with the music and then doing that during the week. There’s lots of balancing, but I love both things. I know a lot of people who don’t find that thing they’re passionate about, and I get to chase two careers that I love quite a bit, so I love doing them both. It keeps us pretty busy.”

Gregory said his love of music began on the family farm and that his upbringing helped shape both his musical style and work ethic.

“Mom and Dad always loved having music on … and I think because of that I fell in love with music. But because neither of them played, I never really thought of picking up a guitar or even taking piano lessons or anything like

that. Around 15 or 16, I picked up the guitar just at a friend’s house. I was always kind of noodling around, and my friend said, ‘Oh, you should buy your own guitar.’ When I finally did, I couldn’t put it down.

“Once I started getting some songs down, I think getting the performance bug was pretty big for me, just playing those high school parties and bonfires and kitchen parties, stuff like that.

“One day I started writing songs and thought maybe I should head down to Nashville, so I ended up writing down there and making a bunch of friends. I spent quite a few winters down there almost full time. I’ve put out seven albums since then and I’m still loving it — still have a lot of passion and fun with it.”

For more information on Gregory and his music, visit drewgregorymusic.com.

To purchase tickets for the Prince George Rodeo and Cabaret Barn Dance, visit rodeoprincegeorge.com.

Mt. Milligan Copper-Gold Mine Project

Invitation to Comment

Thompson Creek Metals Company is proposing to expand the Mt. Milligan Copper-Gold Mine project, located approximately 90 km northeast of Fort St. James, B.C. They have applied to extend the mine life by 7 years, by expanding the pit and increasing tailings storage, stockpiles, groundwater withdrawal and camp capacity, as well as adding transportation routes for mined materials through additional communities.

The EAO is seeking public feedback on the project’s amendment from June 10 - July 10

To support e ective and e cient regulatory reviews, the ministries of Mining and Critical Minerals and Environment and Parks will also use feedback from this public comment period to inform their permitting processes.

Thompson Creek Metals Company Inc.’s proposed changes to the project require changes to their Environmental Management Act Permit, including: updating the mine site infrastructure to include tailings surge ponds, allowing acid scrubber liquid waste to be discharged into Tailings Storage Facility (TSF), allowing the TSF to discharge an undetermined amount of liquid waste directly into groundwater, and removing the requirement for liquid waste from waste rock pits to be directed into the TSF at closure. Learn more about the proposal and tell us what is

You may also submit comments by mail: Mt. Milligan Copper-Gold Mine Project, PO box

to you:

HANDOUT PHOTO

Drew Gregory headlines the Prince George Rodeo’s Cabaret Barn Dance on June 14.

A Salmon’s Call set for Knowledge Network premiere

CHRISTINE DALGLEISH Citizen Staff

From the Tl’azt’en Nation documentary film maker Joy Haskell presented The Salmon’s Call at the Native Friendship Centre recently where the community gathered to see the movie that explored the intricate spiritual and cultural relationship between wild salmon and Indigenous people.

Joy Haskell is an Indigenous filmmaker based in Vancouver. She was recently elected to the Canadian Media Producers Association BC Branch Council and sits on the Indigenous Working Group within the council.

For Haskell it was a full circle moment to do a screening of her documentary at the local Friendship Centre as her mother Winnie Marcellais helped build the Centre from the ground up.

As Haskell walked through those hallowed halls, she stopped to visit the portrait of her mother that holds a place of honour at the Native Friendship Centre.

“This is my first time in this building because when she started all of this it was literally started in a room.”

From discussions by a small group of leaders came the flourishing centre that now employs more than 200 people while serving thousands with supportive programming, career development and training, emergency responses, day care and youth programs, family law legal advocacy, shelter programs, cultural advisors, elder activities and more.

“My mom always supported my goals and encouraged me,” Haskell said.

The Salmon’s Call doc came about when Haskell had been asked to do a series of short films on the Discovery Bay fish farms. It was something she really had to research, she said.

“I always knew fish farms were bad but I didn’t realize how bad they were,” Haskel said.

“Fish farms are foreign to our waters.”

Research shows the operation of open net-pen fish farms in B.C.’s coastal waters pose a direct threat to wild Pacific salmon health. Fish farms expose

wild Pacific salmon to viruses and sea lice that spread quickly, leading to disease and depleted stocks, impacting the ecosystem and innumerable coastal and interior communities that rely on the salmon.

“So when I started thinking about the salmon’s travel routes I thought about my home territory,” Haskell said.

“So I asked and they did get diseased and deformed fish in their waters, too. So that really impacted me and so I told my producer that I had to do a full-length documentary about salmon because I just couldn’t sit with it. It was so heavy on me. So I spent a few years developing the idea and then we just kept putting it out there and then we got the green light from Knowledge Network, which I am thankful for.”

The documentary will make its debut on the Knowledge Network on June 17.

Haskell said she has such an appreciation for Shauna Baker, Dakelh Dené from the Stellat’en First Nation, who is from the same territory and is an actor, model, podcast host.

“Shauna has the same passion for fish as I do,” Haskell said.

“I am such a big fan of Joy that when she invited me to be part of the project I said yes and it wasn’t until about two days before I was to do my interview I

got nervous,” Baker said.

“I have never felt imposter syndrome — ever — in the sense of being Indigenous. I was rez raised and now I live an urban Indian life. So I had never felt imposter syndrome until I thought about talking about salmon and I’m talking about where I grew up and I started to think ‘what if I say the wrong things’ or give incorrect information and then I talked to my grandma and I talked to my mom and they were like ‘you are going to be OK, you know a lot, you’re OK.’ I guess I just want to make my elders proud of me and I want to be as correct and factual as possible.”

It was a surprise for Baker when she got emotional during the filming of the documentary.

“But it happened because it’s part of us, the waters and salmon,” Baker said.

“It is such a beautiful film, I am so thankful to be included.”

For Haskell, it was really important to have women represented in the film.

“I feel fishing is often referred to as a man’s sport but in the Indigenous community it’s not that way,” Haskell said.

“It was my Aunties that taught me to fish and got me up at 5 o’clock in the morning and we’d go and set the net and afterwards repair the net and

so there’s a whole thing to it and so it was really important to me to have an Auntie segment in the documentary and that included younger Aunties and older,” Haskell said.

It was important to show how the older generation shares their knowledge with the younger Indigenous people, she added.

“Why we get so emotional is this is how we are taught,” Haskell said.

“When you get to fish together you feel you are being called home and you all get together and that’s bonding time with our Aunties and cousins. It’s just about sharing and spending time together and that’s really important. To think about that time taken away — it’s sacred to us.”

Salmon fishing and its preparation is a very sacred part of the Indigenous culture, Haskell added.

“Salmon don’t have a voice, they can’t tell us that they need our help so we’re their voice,” Haskell said.

“We need to get rid of the fish farms and protect the pristine waters of our oceans and streams.”

The film can be seen on the Knowledge Network on June 17 at https:// www.knowledge.ca/program/salmons-call and will air on Tuesday, June 24 at 9 p.m.

CITIZEN PHOTO BY CHRISTINE DALGEISH

Dakelh documentary filmmaker Joy Haskell, from the Tl’azt’en Nation, right, was in Prince George with Shauna Baker, Dakelh Dené from the Stellat’en First Nation, who appeared in the film, for a screening at the Prince George Native Friendship Centre on May 23. The film will debut on the Knowledge Network on June 17.

Throwback Thursday: Week of June 12

June 12, 1995: This edition of The Citizen was the rst published as the paper went to morning distribution, meaning the then-daily paper had to be printed overnight to be available for readers to start their day. Here, Rob Dennison checks an early copy just after the stroke of midnight. CITIZEN FILE PHOTO BY DAVE

June 13, 2011: Beginner kinder ballet students performed A Whole New World during A Touch of Disney, the Excalibur Theatre Arts Company’s year-end recital, at Vanier Hall. CITIZEN FILE PHOTO BY DAVID

MAH

June 11, 1962: Brewmaster Gene Zarek tested the rst bottled beer from the production line at Tartan Brewery while company managing director Jack Corkish looked on. The new beer, Tartan Pilsner, from the brewery owned by Ben Ginter was expected to be available that week. CITIZEN FILE PHOTO BY HAL VANDERVOORT

June 10, 1971: Children from Highland Elementary School were treated to an operetta by students from Lord Beacons eld School in Vancouver. The performance was a ‘thank-you’ for accommodation the local children provided for about 50 students who stayed three days in Prince George as part of a tour of the Northern Interior. CITIZEN FILE PHOTO BY DAVE MILNE

MILNE

Students create award-winning organ donor project

TED CLARKE Citizen Staff

Two minutes is all it takes to become registered as an organ donor.

That two minutes from each person who completes the online form can end up saving eight lives, as Prince George students Kallista Nolte and Emily Clarke learned as organizers of an award-winning organ donation awareness program at Duchess Park Secondary School.

Nolte and Clarke’s extraordinary effort to create more transplant sources for people desperately waiting for that call from the hospital that could save their lives did not go unnoticed.

They are among four student awareness projects in the province chosen by BC Transplant Live Life and Pass It On scholarship award, to be presented at the Duchess Park awards ceremony at the school on Thursday, June 12.

While Clarke and Nolte were organizing their day-long event to promote organ donation they learned one of the Duchess Park teachers, Adrian Borshoi, was a transplant recipient who received a donated kidney.

Nolte drew personal motivation from her aunt, who lives with a genetic disorder, polycystic kidney disease, which carries a 50 per cent likelihood that she will need a kidney transplant at some point in her life

“Our goal was not only to spread short-term awareness, but to create a lasting legacy to honour and support this cause,” said Clarke, in their joint scholarship submission.

Knowing green is the official colour of organ and tissue donation, the two Grade 11 students decorated their school with green streamers from stairways and railings, inflated green balloons in prominent places throughout the school and encouraged everyone to wear green shirts.

They handed out beaded necklaces and painted the faces of students green as they arrived for their morning classes.

Their interactive display asked students to write down the names of

people they would want to save with their own donated organs to give someone a second chance at life. They hung posters to inform students and school staff that a simple two-minute act of filling out a donor card can save a life down the road and how many lives (eight) can potentially be saved from each organ donor.

They also highlighted that at any given time 4,400 Canadians are waiting for an organ transplant and that 250 people die each year waiting for a transplant.

The two students posted a story board that included photos of people who told about their personal experinces as organ recipients, live donors and the parents of deceased donors.

A video shown to the entire student population featured a clip from Borshoi talking about how quality of life has improved since he received his transplanted donor kidney.

Nolte and Clarke thought the best

hope this led to countless individuals being open to registering and saving lives.”

Nolte and Clarke are the first team recipients of the BC Transplant Live Life and Pass It On scholarship and they will split the $1,500 award.

Divya Thakor, community engagement co-ordinator for BC Transplant, said Nolte and Clarke’s awareness project stood out as an obvious choice.

“They did such a great job at getting creative with their project and the part of it that what we really loved was they had this big poster which asked, “Who would you save if it came down to it,’ and so students came up and wrote their friends, their family, their dogs,” said Thakor.

“Ultimately, organ donation is registering your decision so you can give someone else a second chance at life. They had the video they created and they interviewed a teacher who is a kidney recipient so it allows students to hear from someone who actually received a transplant, which is great to get the wheel turning in their minds to understand the importance of getting registered.”

way to get students thinking about the merits of organ donation was to get them in an lunch-hour activity. They formed teams of two to each race one lap around the school building while carrying an egg in a spoon and placing that egg in a cup as fast as possible to demonstrate the real -life urgency of matching transplanted organs and tissue with waiting patients.

“After this was finished, we circulated throughout the school with green sweets,” said Clarke. “We spread the message ‘happy green shirt day’ while we did this. With each new table or class we went in to, you could see the student’s faces light up. This reinforced what we were celebrating, as students will always pay attention when it involves candy. We suggested going to BC Transplant website with a parent to learn more.

“There are many people in our school who don’t know what organ donation really is, or how the process works. We

Donor organs that can be transplanted include the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, pancreas, and intestines. Corneas, skin, bone, tendons, heart valves, and the white part of an eye (sclera) are tissues that are transplanted.

About 1.6 million British Columbians have registered for the program.

Thakor said it’s no longer possible to just sign your driver’s licence to register as a donor. It you haven’t already signed up it requires going to the provincial website www.registeryourdecison.ca and inputting your personal health care identification number. Donors can check to see if they are already registered by going to www. checkyourdecision.ca.

“We find there is a big need for education and exposure and so we’re really trying to start these conversations at schools so that the students get to learn about organ donation,” said Thakor. The more conversations, the more lives will be saved.”

HANDOUT PHOTO

Duchess Park Secondary School students Emily Clarke, left, and Kallista Nolte won the BC Transplant scholarship award for their creative organ donation awareness project.

Cops for Cancer Tour de North riders host day of golf

MATTHEW HILLIER Citizen Staff

Cops for Cancer Tour de North riders, supporters, and their Prince George RCMP partners gathered at the Alder Hills Golf Course on Sunday, June 8 for their first-ever charity golf tournament.

The event brought together police officers, community supporters and Tour de North riders as part of their ongoing efforts to raise money for pediatric cancer research and Camp Goodtimes.

Funds raised will also go toward supporting Tour de North riders on their more than 700-kilometre journey to Prince Rupert this September.

“The golf tournament is being held to help raise funds for this year’s team of riders, who will be setting off from Prince George on Sept. 12, heading towards Prince Rupert in an epic, seven-day-long journey that sees them covering over 700 kilometres by bike,” said Cpl. Jennifer Cooper, media relations officer for the Prince George RCMP.

Golfers and supporters contributed through registration fees, a silent auction featuring donated items, a long drive competition and, uniquely, by bidding on members of the Prince George Kodiaks football team to serve as caddies.

The event was supported by community sponsors, including United Rentals, Mr. Lube and the Kodiaks.

Riders from the Cops for Cancer Tour de North spoke with The Citizen, highlighting the significance of Camp Goodtimes and the services it provides to children living with cancer.

“So many kids, when they’re going through cancer treatments, get removed from that regular experience. They can’t go to camp, so Camp Goodtimes is somewhere they can go and be a kid again, despite what they may be going through,” said Cooper.

Another key goal of the tournament — and of the overall Tour de North campaign — is raising awareness about the struggles faced by children with

cancer across northern B.C.

“Pediatric cancer — it’s been said that people don’t want to discuss it because it’s a difficult subject when we’re talking about children,” said rider Ron Gallo. “We have to have that awareness to make sure people understand that, unfortunately, cancer affects everybody at any age. This is an opportunity for us to get that word out. It’s an opportunity to make sure our children get the best chance we can afford to give them — to make sure they have a life of normalcy.”

Gallo also shared a personal story underscoring how devastating pediatric cancer can be.

“I’ve been doing this for a few years, and there’s a little boy that had Christmas photos with Santa — he looked happy, healthy, everything looked great. By the time the new year rolled around, he was headed to Seattle for chemotherapy,” said Gallo. “It’s absolutely devastating when you see a child turn like that.”

Gallo added that being part of Tour de North has allowed him to see another side of first responders.

“From my perspective, as a community rider, this is an opportunity for me to see a different side of the people we rely on daily,” he said. “I get to see the side where there is caring and compassion. They’re passionate about this, and that’s sometimes lost

in the general perspective of what it means to be a police officer or first responder. What I hope people take away from Cops for Cancer is that we care as much about this community as anyone else.”

So far, Cops for Cancer has raised $36,606 for Camp Goodtimes and will continue fundraising through to their September ride to Prince Rupert.

CITIZEN PHOTO BY MATTHEW HILLIER

Riders for Cops for Cancer Tour de North pose at the ﬁrst annual Golf Tournament on Sunday, June 8 at Alder Hills Golf Course.

Local Sports Boxer Thunder Innis is on a lightning trajectory

‘Mark my words,’ says the novice ghter’s coach, ‘Thunder will be an Olympian’

INNER CITY BOXING CLUB

In his first eight months as a competitive boxer, Thunder Innis has punched his way to bronze, silver and golden gloves championships. In amateur boxing, winning those three titles is known as the triple crown.

And to get there so quickly is extremely rare.

“It’s honestly amazing,” said Jag Seehra, one of Innis’s coaches at Inner City Boxing PG. “If I talk about my own experience, for me to get those titles in one year, I would never even think that. But Thunder is just one special athlete. He’s so hungry for this sport.”

Seehra says even for exceptional boxers, it’s more common for the completion of the triple crown to take years, not months.

For Innis, the first jewel in the crown was the BC Bronze Gloves championship, which he claimed in September 2024 in Chilliwack. Then, in January 2025 in Medicine Hat, he won the Alberta Silver Gloves championship. And, most recently — in April in Lacombe — he added the Alberta Golden Gloves championship to his collection.

Innis, 16, completed the triple crown at the Alberta Golden Gloves when he beat Bennett Cressman of Regina by unanimous decision. With about a dozen fights already on his resume, Cressman was the more experienced boxer, but Innis — in his fifth overall fight — was too much for him.

“Thunder did brilliantly, and we are so proud that we are his coaches,” said Inner City’s Kenny Lally. “It brings us so much joy that this fighter is able, within a year, to bring back a bronze, silver and golden gloves. It just shows the dedication of this kid.”

With Seehra and Lally there to provide the guidance, Innis draws his

inspiration from within. He’s from the Key First Nation in Saskatchewan and, every time he steps into the ring, he fights as a representative of his people. He also fights in honour of his late father, Daniel, who passed away in 2020 when Innis was 11 years old.

“Living this life without a dad, it’s been really hard — it’s been a struggle, but it’s been a motivator, to make him proud and to be just like him one day,” Innis said. “I hope he’s proud of me. I want to make him proud.”

When Innis first started training at Inner City Boxing PG, he was close to six feet tall but more than 260 pounds — a weight that was prohibitive when it came to finding opponents for him. And, Lally recalls that “we struggled with Thunder a bit, he wasn’t really listening to us, he felt that he could do it himself.”

A turning point came when Lally and Seehra took Innis to a fight card in Fort St. John simply to watch, not to step into the ring.

“We were hoping to show him what competition was like, hoping it would light his flame — which it did,” Lally

said. “As soon as we got back, he started running more, started getting his weight down. And then from there, we put him in the ring in Quesnel and we saw the brilliance of him. It was like the door opened. He got his confidence in his ability to throw.”

Innis then introduced himself to the rest of the province at the BC Bronze Gloves. At the Alberta Silver Gloves, not only did he lock up the title, he was named best boxer in the tournament. His dominance at the Alberta Golden Gloves was the latest step in his evolution.

Through his intense training schedule at Inner City, and also working on his fitness outside of the gym, Innis has transformed his body into a 176-pound fighting machine. While he’s much lighter, he still hits with incredible force.

“He has carried the power with him,” Seehra said. “Power is God-given. You can train it, but if you have it with you, it’s always going to be a part of you. He’s lost so much weight that in (Alberta) Golden Gloves, the guy looked

way bigger than him, but his skill just surpassed him. Anybody that he’s been in the ring with, his skills have been unmatched.”

Lally says Innis has surpassed expectations for where he would be at this point in his career.

“With Thunder’s work ethic, he carries the confidence with him that he knows he’s in shape,” Lally said. “That is a huge attribute to have. Another thing Thunder has is a very good IQ. He’s able to think in the ring in real time. A lot of fighters, when things start getting hot and they’re in a real firefight, they start panicking. Thunder is very calculating. Even if he’s in a firefight, you can watch the kid’s eyes, and he’s watching every movement of his opponent. For a kid with five fights to have that kind of quality, I have never seen that, personally.

“Thunder is the most complete fighter I’ve ever seen at such a young stage,” Lally added.

“And he just gets better and better and better.”

Innis says he’s “incredibly thankful” for all the work his coaches have done with him. He’s also grateful to have his mom, Leticia, in his life and in his corner.

“She’s been my No. 1 supporter,” he said. “And she’s the one who has taught me about my ways, my culture, and has taught me almost everything I know now. She’s been through a lot in her life, and she’s inspiring.”

During his own boxing career, Lally won seven national championship titles and competed in Olympic qualifying tournaments in 2012 and 2016. He fell short of the Olympics both times, but he sees Innis taking that last step one day.

“He’ll be an Olympian,” Lally said. “Mark my words, Thunder will be an Olympian.”

Sixteen-year-old Thunder Innis of Inner City Boxing PG has won championship medals from the BC Bronze Gloves, Alberta Silver Gloves and Alberta Golden Gloves tournaments.

Life Events

Kenneth Lloyd Pineo

August 2 , 1 - May 1 , 2025

Please join us for a celebraton of Ken’s life at the Prince George Golf & Curling Club, 2601 Recplace Drive, on Thursday, June 1 th from 2- pm with words of remembrance at pm.

Barry John Rustad

August 6, 1951 - June 1, 2025

Barry John Rustad our beloved legend lef this world peacefully on June 1, 2025 in Salmon Arm, BC at age 73.

Barry is survived by his wife Judith of 22 years, his daughter Karlah Rustad, stepchildren Tessa Pullan (Deryl) , Hilary Parkyn (Jack), Jacob Pullan (Kristen), grand children Joshua Pullan, rankie and Rhoswen Parkyn, his sisters Karen Bergman, and Janice Duncan (Richard) and numerous other relatves.

ver the last 1 years Barry lived as a snowbird in Mexico in lo de Marcos with his wife Judith and numerous visitors yearly over the season. Barry could fx, build and operate most machinery. He was a lumberjack, a purchaser, a machinist, and an R and car salesman tll he retred totally due to his heart conditon in 2011. Mexico was his pride, joy and passion. Barry never forgot his friends and always followed social media to see what was happening with them.

So our Darling Barry, Baby brother, Daddy Bear, Grandpa Bear. our smile has gone forever, and your hand we cannot touch, but orever you are in our hearts we love you very much.

No service by re uest.

Mark Edgar Whalen

October 30, 1953 - May 7, 2025

Mark Edgar Whalen of Pentcton, beloved husband of Shannon Keyes, died surrounded by family Wednesday, May 7, 2025, at Pentcton General Hospital at the age of 71.

Mark grew up in Dorval, Quebec but sought adventure out west soon afer graduatng High School. Although Mark lived a life of climbing, his frst love was skiing. He competed in freestyle skiing and ski ballet. Mark became an ACMG mountain guide, which enabled him to both ski and climb for a living. He was a lead guide for various heli-ski companies, the co-owner of Dreamcatcher Heli-skiing based out of Bella Coola, and the lead mountain instructor for many years at the Banf Natonal Army Cadet Camp.

Mark was an accomplished mountaineer who climbed virtually every peak in the Canadian Natonal Parks in the Rockies and made multple ascents of Mount Robson and Mount Logan – and, with Carlos Buhler, made the frst winter ascent of the Deltaform Super Couloir. He was the frst ascensionist of many popular sport climbing routes in the Banf/Canmore area, including the classic route, True Grit. He was a visionary in designing and building indoor and outdoor climbing walls in southern Alberta.

Mark met and married Shannon, the love of his life, in 2013 in Prince George, and they blended their families. Mark retred to become a full-tme husband and dad to their household of seven

grandchildren share his passion for climbing. As the kids grew up, Mark rekindled his love of music and took up jazz guitar. He also pursued his love of woodworking and made many beautful pieces of furniture.

Afer Mark and Shannon moved to Pentcton fulltme in 2021, Mark joined the staf at Nickel Plate Nordic Center, grooming trails and to his great joy, as an instructor for children’s ski programs. Mark loved teaching and was always kind and gentle and good humoured.

Mark pursued excellence in everything he did, both in his work and hobbies. Mark was both a consummate renaissance man and a humble non-conformist who was instantly recognizable to everyone due to his rather distnctve glassesand for the record, he had them before Bono.

Mark is survived by his wife Shannon Keyes, mother Lucille Whalen Poulin, sisters Christne (Maarten), Shelia (John), Teresa and MaryAnn (Peter), children Zac (Carli), Sam (Amanda), Zoe (Lucas) and step children Rebekah (Tom), Joshua, Ethan and Hannah (Mason) and grandchildren Isaak, Pip and Bo. Mark was predeceased by his father, Russell Anthony Whalen.

A celebraton of Mark’s life is planned for July 5th at the Skaha Lake Pavilion in Pentcton BC at 10:30am. For folks wishing to speak or submit a story or photos, please email Shannon at:

Our dear husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather’s music was silenced on May 20, 2025.

Allan’s life was rich with music, family, a good sense of humour, and a knack for getng things done. Born in Strome, Alberta on September 15, 1931, Allan was the youngest of six children born to Edward and Elsie Thorp. At the age of six, his family moved to Woodpecker BC, where he grew up, working on the farm and going to school. Afer graduatng from the Woodpecker school at grade eight, he moved to Prince George to contnue high school.

His frst job was repairing electronics at Doc’s Radio Clinic, then to Prince George Bakery, Rose’s Ice Cream, Canadian Propane and then to his fnal career: in 1957 Allan hired on at the Westcoast Transmission Company and he stayed with the company untl he retred in 1994. He worked his way up from wheelbarrow operator to Manager of the Southern District of BC.

Allan was passionate about music from a young boy, playing the harmonica and accordion. He and some friends formed a western dance band called the Hub City 4 for which he was the drummer. His love of music led to him to the love of his life when, in 1951 while playing at a wedding, Allan met Gladys. He and Gladys married on October 2, 1954, and the couple were blessed with four children: Candace, Darold, Gordon, and Melvin.

In 1968 Allan and Gladys purchased a cabin at Summit Lake where the family spent their summer vacatons. Allan and Gladys spent a good deal of tme there over the years: all of his kids and grandkids benefted from the life skills Allan shared with them, including water safety, being fre smart, the ability to appreciate and respect nature, and the understanding that life can be very good even without electricity! There were many great trips with the river boat and lots of swimming.

Allan was part of the original DIY generaton. He learned at an early

Allan Thorp

September 15, 1931 - May 20, 2025

age to be self-sufcient and had many skills he put to good use. He built his and Gladys’s frst family home from scratch. If you needed help repairing something he was your go-to guy. Plumbing, electrical and gas ftng issues? He could help. Build a fence that was solid and straight? He was on it! He restored old trucks, and, of course, there was the riverboat: Allan made it from scratch from plans given him by Dick Corless who used to run supplies to northern communites by boat before the Hart Hwy was built. But he made tme for fun as well. His kids may not have gone on a lot of road trips—but river trips were part of our growing up and he always had stories to share along the way. He curled, bowled, went fshing, traveled and was hard to beat in a game of horseshoes!

Allan’s love of music didn’t stop afer his tme playing drums for the Hub City 4 band. In his senior years, he played with the Country Cousins band. The Country Cousins played at a variety of locatons including senior care facilites and community events throughout Prince George. Even when it became more difcult to play his accordion, his family members stll enjoyed phone calls from him so he could play and sing “Happy Birthday.”

In additon to music, he was very actve at the Elder Citzens Recreaton Associaton (ECRA) where he performed in the drama club and choir. He was also a proud member of the Prince George Gyro Club, serving as President in 1994. Allan was a frm believer that a stranger was only a friend you haven’t met yet. He was always willing to lend a helping hand. He had a deep sense of responsibility—perhaps began when he was 19 and helping to support his ailing parents, who he ended up claiming as dependents on his tax return—and this sense of responsibility and care contnued to shape him for the rest of his life. He took his music to senior homes to provide entertainment and made himself available to help family, friends and colleagues with many and varied projects.

Allan loved gardening and enjoyed sharing his bountful crop with family and friends. He enjoyed spending tme in the garden and took a lot of pleasure from watching and feeding the birds and squirrels that shared his and Gladys’s property. He took pride in maintaining the many cedar shrubs in the yard and over the years felded questons from passers by asking who he hired to do the job as they always looked so nice.

Allan and Gladys celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary this past October. Although he had many physical challenges, his mind was as sharp as ever and he contnued to be available for advice and the sharing of stories as well as rejoicing each tme the family grew.

Allan is survived by his wife Gladys, and their children: Candace (Dave), Darold (Kristen), Gordon, and Melvin (Louise). Their children gave them ten grandchildren, many who gave them great-grandchildren: Rebekah (Jordon), and their children Caleb, Micaiah, Ava, and Elsie; Kaitlin (Jeremy) with Kaila and Desmond; Benjamin (Melanie) with Isabella, Sebestan, Sterling, and Solomon; Ruth (James) with Rose, Henry, William, and Violet; Darrell (Kayla); Alison (Mathew) with Harrison, Gillis, and Levi; Scot; Danielle (Walker); Robert; and Hunter. Allan was very proud of his family and made every atempt to be there for the milestones of their lives, but he also cherished everyday visits and loved chatng on the phone.

He will be missed but lef us with many wonderful memories and stories to pass along. We will remember him whenever we see a woodpecker, a partcularly great crop of raspberries, hear an accordion played, or enjoy a vanilla ice cream cone.

Memorial Service: June 20, 2025 at 11:00 am Assman’s Funeral Chapel Prince George, BC Recepton to follow

In lieu of fowers, donatons to Crohn’s and Colits Canada would be appreciated.

Patricia Ann Kemble

November 6, 1940 - May 29, 2025 atricia Ann Kemble born atricia Ann Truber, the frst baby born to a soldier on the etawawa army base in ntario, ov. , 19 0, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by her family May 29,2025. at is survived by cousin Joan, husband Bryant, children Leanne, Clint, Korrie, Grandchildren Kale, Bryan, Calista, Ste anie, ick, Courtney, Breanne, Kaitlyn, Hastngs, Great grandchildren Ryker, Ruby, Hunter.

Celebraton of life date to be announced later. In lieu of fowers a donaton to either Cancer or diabetes society in atricia’s name. Thank you.

Joan Emily Meiers

February 20, 1937 - May 25, 2025

Our beloved Joan Emily Meiers peacefully passed away on May 25 2025 in Hospice. She was born February 20 1937 in Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec.

She is predeceased by her beloved husband Boyd Meiers, brother orman Chase, sister Bety Ross, daughter Joanne Meiers & great granddaughter Madeline Kozoris.

She is survived by her son Kem Meiers (granddaughters Tammy Meiers, Dawn Meiers, great grandchildren Olivia, Phoenix, Kylee & Haylee) Daughter Debbie Hannon (granddaughters Sadie Gallo Britnay Hawley) and brothers Bruce Chase Jimmy Chase.

A celebraton of life will be announced.

Those wishing to honor Joan’s memory by way of donaton, may do so at the Prince George Hospice House.

Wolfgang W. Arthur Schoenfeld

November 19, 1941 - May 21, 2025

Wolfgang Schoenfeld born on November 19, 1941 in Dresden Germany, passed away suddenly on May 21, 2025 afer many years of sufering from Parkinson’s disease.

He succumbed from this disease and was surrounded his wife Beate and his children Heidi and Helmut.

Wolfgang is now in Heaven with his parents Martha; Mom and Willi; Dad Schoenfeld, along with his Sigrid; previous wife, his daughter Gabriele/Sonya, his granddaughter Chelsea, and his best friend Mike Forster.

Wolfgang lef behind his wife Beate, his son Helmut and daughter Heidi along with grandchild Erika and great granddaughter Adilynn as well as his sister Annemarie, and a number of nephews and nieces in Canada and Germany.

Wolfgang learned to ride a horse at the age of 16 in Moritzburg near Dresden. Later immigratng to Canada and having the ability to ride his beloved Sasty in the early morning dew was the most wonderful thing he had ever imagined. He loved both horses and dogs very much (the feeling was mutual), including the foal which he helped raise from his horse Sasty.

Wolfgang was a German Shepherd lover of which he bred German Shepherds and Showed them. He ofen won frst prizes at dog shows, and of course sold the pups to the RCMP and well trained dog owners. Pax; Male and Ina; Female German. At the end he was in love with his rescue mix female dog Rosie.

A celebraton of life will take place in the backyard of our home, September 15, 2025 at 5:55pm. For more informaton call Heidi or Bea.

Ann Marie Walsh

November 25, 1938 - June 6, 2025

Born Nov 25, 1938 and raised in Ashton, England. Ann Marie Walsh (nee: Haigh) studied to become a nurse midwife and joined the British Royal Air Force for 4 years. She then moved to Prince George to volunteer with the Catholic church where she met her husband, Brian Walsh.

She was a long time member of St. Mary’s church and volunteered in the community. She lived out her life in Prince George with her

husband Brian, and is survived by her 3 children, Catherine (Andrew), Paul (Kari) and John (Heather) and her 8 grandchildren, Amy, Jill, Damian, Rebecca, Samuel, Emily, Avery & Isabelle.

Ann passed away peacefully on June 6th at 11:50am at Prince George Hospital. She will be greatly missed. Her funeral will be held at St Mary’s church in Prince George on June 13 at 1:30pm

July 13, 1946 - June1, 2025

It is with heavy hearts and profound sadness that we announce the passing of enelope li e Fo crof nee Riggs, a beloved wife, mother, nana, aunt, and daycare provider.

enny lef this world peacefully on une 1, 2025, surrounded by her loved ones. She was 78. enny s life was defned by her boundless lo e for others, her unwavering faith, and her deep commitment to making the world a brighter place.

As a mother and grandmother, she showered her family with unconditonal lo e, wisdom, and warmth. Her nurturing spirit was a beacon of light to all who knew her, and her home was always open to those in need of a kind word or helping hand.

Penny was the proud owner of Penny’s Daycare, a place where children blossomed under her tender care. She treated every child like her own, and her daycare was not just a business — it was an extension of her heart. She found joy in watching each child grow, learn, and thrive. She was a second mother to so many, shaping li es with her patence, laughter, and immeasurable kindness.

Her faith was the cornerstone of everything she did. enny li ed out her beliefs in e ery interacton. Whether she was volunteering at church, lending a helping hand to a neighbor, or ofering a prayer, Penny was always present, always giving. She found fulfllment in lifing others up, and her compassion knew no bounds.

Those who were blessed to know Penny will forever remember her ability to chat and her ability to fnd oy

in the simplest moments. She was a woman who lived with a zest for life — making every day brighter with her smile, and her genuine interest in the well-being of others. She lef a lastng impression on e eryone she encountered, bringing light and joy wherever she went.

Penny is survived by her loving husband of 59 years, Ron, her sister Maxine, her children Treena, Tyler (Jen), Gord (Carol), her grandchildren Hannah, Kaelyn, Kennedy, Gabe (Rachel), Hannah, Michael, Naomi, and extended family.

Penny is predeceased by her parents George & Florence, her siblings, Georgina, Diedre, Yvonne, Darlene, Glyss, Shannon, her son-in-law Rick and grandson Bre . Her warmth, her laughter, and her boundless love will be remembered and cherished forever.

enny, you made this world a be er place simply by being in it. We take comfort knowing that you are now at peace, and we will carry your light in our hearts for the rest of our days.

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous hand.” Isaiah 41:10 A memorial service to celebrate her life will be held at Westwood MB on une 1 , 2025. n lieu of owers, the family re uests that donatons be made to ALS Society of BC or Prince George and District Elizabeth Fry Society.

Rest in peace, Penny, Mom, Nana, Aunt — you will forever be missed and loved.

Penelope Olive Foxcrof

Joan Marguerite Cleghorn

August 4, 1935 - February 15, 2025

It is with love and deep sorrow that we mourn the passing of Joan Marguerite Cleghorn.

She was born on Aug 4, 1935, and passed away on February 15, 2025, with her daughters at her side. Mom was such a kind, beautful soul and ever so loved.

She started her journey in Winnipeg MB as an only child and moved to Victoria at 10, a place she adored. She married George Winter and had children Cheryl, Janice, and Geordie.

August 21, 1 21 - June 7, 2 2

Mom was a much-loved bookkeeper, valued for her work ethics untl her retrement. She never lost her wonder for nature, as seen in her photography. Mountains, trees, water, and fowers being her favourite subjects. She was always open to learning photography, paintng, potery, sketching and cooking courses.

Peacefully passed away at the beautful age of 1 on June 7th, 2 2 , surrounded by the love of her family and her very best friends ricia, Maggie and Lois.

Joy was born in Birmingham ngland where she spent her childhood with her parents and her older brother. Joy was predeceased by her brother on, her loving husband obert and her son ugh.

uring WW2 Joy oined the ueen Ale andra s oyal Army ursing Corp, a branch of the Britsh Army Medical Service where she served for years. n 1 she came to Canada and setled in Como B.C. n 1 she met and married Bob and a year later they were blessed with the birth of their son ugh.

Joyce Walker

April 30, 1941 - May 28, 2025

With heavy hearts we announce the passing of our mother, sister, aunt, grandmother and great grandmother.

Predeceased by her husband Bud & Son Darren.

Survived by her Brother; Don (Anne), Daughters; Debbie, Cheryl (Gerald) & Lori (Brock), Son; Rod, Many grandchildren & great grandchildren as well as many friends from over the years.

She had a second chance at love with Lawrence Cleghorn, another kind, caring soul. They built a life with many adventures in their 5th wheel eventually getng a place at Cluculz Lake.

She is survived by her loving children Cheryl (Ted), Janice (Glen) & Geordie (Sherry), Stepchildren; Wendy (Kevin), Sherry (Geordie), Wayne, precious Grandchildren; Landon, Dane, Kassie, George, Maddison, Angela, and Tristan, Great Grandchildren; Shaye, Phallon, Melody, Sadie, Celina, Jude, Ava, Carter, and Jasper.

Predeceased by her Mom Pauline Ward, Father Cliford Holdworth, Stepfather Burt Ward, Stepmothers May Lunt and Flo Holdsworth, Husband Lawrence Cleghorn, Grandchildren Clayton, Ben, and Gracie

A memorial service will be held at the Salvaton Army - 777Ospika Blvd. on June 21 at 2:00pm with a tea to follow.

n 1 Bob was transferred to Prince eorge where they lived and met so many dear friends. ogether they travelled across Canada and to Me ico in their iconic Westphalia van en oying canoeing, skydiving and parasailing. hey lived a wonderful life in Prince eorge. Both Bob and Joy were huge supporters of the Arts and rama clubs and were founding members of heatre Workshop.

Later in life Joy resided at the Jubilee Lodge where she received the very best care. he love and atenton was e ceptonal and many thanks to the doctors and nurses there.

Joy is survived by many nieces and nephews who loved her dearly. When she was asked her secret to longevity she always replied ou must be a loving, caring person but remember to be ust

A L L B W C

here will be no service, by her re uest, and in lieu of

Edward Woolrich

February 25, 1931 – May 7, 2025

It’s with sadness that we announce the passing of Ed Woolrich. He was a dad, grandad, and a great grandad.

Ed was predeceased by his wife Melissa and his son James.

He is survived by his brother Peter, daughters Carrie (Dave) and Anne, his grandkids Rezso (Alyssa), arret aniela , illian saac , unter eeyse yongyi Mathew and his great grandkids Boe and Millie.

Originally from a dairy farm in Nercwys Wales, he moved to Canada to atend business school where he met Melissa.

frontdesk@pgcitizen.ca or call 250.562.2441

Ed’s passion was ranching/farming. He was the caretaker of the Huble Farm for years where they started out with 3 kids, then moved to Stone Creek where he ran the Fraser Bend anch untl Carrie and Anne graduated. Dad was a very hardworking man for all his adult life. You would very seldom nd him inside the house and very rarely took a holiday.

n his last - years he struggled a bit with dementa and his nal year he resided at Simon Fraser Lodge. We are thankful for all the care they provided him.

At dad’s request, we will not have a funeral service, but we are planning a celebraton of life outdoor BB at a later date

Joy McKellar

Classifeds

DEAR PAW’S CORNER: I moved from a suburb to the mountains a couple of months ago, and while my dogs are thrilled to have several acres to run free on, I’m terrified that they will be bitten by rattlesnakes. A neighbor said that they are plentiful out here. How can I prevent this, and what do I do if they get bitten? -Larry in Tennessee

DEAR LARRY: While there is always a risk

of a dog getting injured by something out in the countryside, it’s important not to let fear get the best of you. Instead, focus on prevention. Here are some of the things you can do to minimize their overall risk of injury -- from snakes and other potential risks.

-- Train your dogs to come when you call them; if your property is big enough that they run out of sight, train them to respond to a whistle, which carries much farther.

-- Rattlesnakes (and other snakes) hang out in messy debris piles, wood stacks and crevices with overhangs. They stay out of sight (they’re much more afraid of you and

your dogs) unless they are threatened. Clear debris piles off of your property, and stack your firewood on a raised platform, at least 5 feet from your home’s foundation.

-- If your dogs consistently run to one location on your property, follow them and find out what’s so interesting. An animal lair or deer run can be very interesting to dogs, but the same location can attract bigger predators.

-- Consider fencing in a half-acre or acre behind your house and keep your dogs within the fence; you’ll be able to monitor them better and control

don’t

PLEASE RECYCLE THIS NEWSPAPER PLEASE RECYCLE THIS NEWSPAPER

DISPOSITION OF UNCLAIMED CREMATED REMAINS

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DID YOU KNOW?

Since 1909 there have been at least eight diferent newspapers. They include;

Fort George Tribune: 1909 – 1915

Fort George Herald: 1910 – 1915

Prince George Herald: 1915 – 1916

Prince George Post: 1914 – 1915

Prince George Star: 1916 – 1917

Prince George Leader: 1921 – 1923

Prince George Citzen: 1916 – present

New ladies clothing Lg/XL, shoes sizes 10&11, & designer purse. Also vintage clothing and jewellery. New Dash Air fry oven & new PHL ﬁtness bike. Great prices -250 925 0620. FOR SALE

LOST CONTACT

Looking for former roomate; Robert Adam Please contact; Robert Adams 250-960-2274

Canadian Navigable Waters Act – Public Notce

KwadachaNaturalResourcesLimitedPartnership(KNRLP) ere y i es o e t at a a li a o as ee made to t e i ister of ra s ort ursua t to t e Ca adia a i a le aters t for a ro al of t e or des ri ed erei a d its site and plans.

ursua t to ara ra of t e said t Kwadacha Natural Resources LimitedPartnership(KNRLP) as de osited it t e i ister of ra s ort o the on-line Navigable Waters Registry ( s. a ada. a a d u der re istry um er a des ri o of t e follo i or its site a d la s

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(Signature) Kwadacha Natural Resources Limited Partnership. full ame of o er

1. Where did the melody for The Toys’ “A Lover’s Concerto” come from?

2. Name the Chicago song that includes the lyric “Eh, cumpari, ci vo sunari.”

3. Which group released “Nightshift”?

4. Name the artist who wrote and released “Young Turks.”

1. Which group released “Rag Doll”?

Answers

2. Name the artist who wrote and released “Dreamy Eyes.”

3. Which group released “GreenEyed Lady”?

The Prince George Citzen newspaper and website are stll the #1 source for local news, sports and informaton

By Mick Harper

5. Name the song that contains this lyric: “Here we come, walking down the street, We get the funniest looks from everyone we meet.”

1. The melody is Minuet in G Major by Christian Petzold, in 1725. For a long time it was believed that it had been written by Johann Sebastian Bach because the song was found in a compilation by Bach’s sister.

4. Who wrote and released “Cracklin’ Rosie”?

2. “Saturday in the Park,” in 1972. The Italian lyric comes from “Eh, Cumpari” by Julius La Rosa, in 1953.

3. The Commodores, in 1985. The song charted around the globe.

4. Rod Stewart, in 1981.

5. Name the song that contains this lyric: “If I could take my pick of all the girls I’ve ever known, Then I’d come and pick you out to be my very own.”

Answers

5. Theme song from “The Monkees” television show, 1966-1968, starring Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith, Peter Tork and Davy Jones. The show was canceled after the second season due to a dispute: The band wanted more guest stars and the TV network didn’t. Meanwhile, the show’s exposure did make the group very successful.

1. The Four Seasons, in 1964. The song spent two weeks at the top of the Hot 100 chart and reached No. 1 in Canada as well.

2. Johnny Tillotson, in 1958. The song was his first single and made it on to the Hot 100 chart. Tillotson

*On June 23, 1868, Christopher Latham Sholes patented the QWERTY typewriter, the first version of which he constructed using an old table, a circular piece of glass, a telegraph key and piano wire.

* On June 24, 2021, 98 people

• On Nov. 11, 1831, Nat Turner, an American slave and educated minister who believed that he’d been chosen by God to lead his people into freedom, was hanged in Jerusalem, Virginia, for leading a revolt with 75 followers through Southampton County, killing about 60 white people.

• On Nov. 12, 1969, investigative journalist Seymour Hersh revealed the extent of the U.S. Army’s charges against 1st Lt. William L. Calley at My Lai, Vietnam, in a cable picked up by more than 30 newspapers, saying that “The Army says he [Calley] deliberately murdered at least 109 Vietnamese civilians during a searchand-destroy mission in March 1968, in a Viet Cong stronghold known as ‘Pinkville.’”

ARIES (March 21 to April 19) Family and friends rally around as you confront an unexpected challenge. Some plans will have to be changed untl all the fuss and fuster setle down.

TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) Your creatve gifs fnd new outlets for expression this week. Someone (a LIBRA, perhaps) has ideas that you might fnd surprisingly appealing. Pay atenton!

GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) You’ll soon be able to restart your delayed travel plans. In additon, a fnancial mater you thought was closed could suddenly reopen. Be prepared to take swif, decisive acton.

• On Nov. 13, 1979, Philadelphia 76ers center Darryl Dawkins leaped over Kansas City Kings forward Bill Robinzine for a memorable slam dunk that shattered the fiberglass backboard. His equally memorable comment on the move, which was not his last and the sound of which spectators likened to a bomb going off: “It wasn’t really a safe thing to do, but it was a Darryl Dawkins thing to do.”

• On Nov. 14, 1882, outlaw Frank “Buckskin” Leslie shot and killed Billy “The Kid” Claiborne, who had publicly challenged him, in Tombstone, Arizona.

• On Nov. 15, 1984, Baby Fae, a month old infant who received the world’s first baboon heart transplant, died at California’s Loma Linda University 20 days after the operation. Three other people had received animal heart transplants, but none survived longer than a few days.

• On Nov. 16, 2001, British author J.K. Rowling’s most famous and beloved creation, the bespectacled boy wizard Harry Potter (played by Daniel Radcliffe in his first major role), made his silver-screen debut in “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” which went on to become one of the highestgrossing movies in history.

died when a 12-story, beachfront condominium collapsed in Surfside, Florida, near Miami. Engineers believed the cause of the disaster was a structural column or concrete slab giving way, and workers eventually cleared more than 18 million pounds of concrete and rubble from the site.

* On June 25, 1947, Anne Frank’s diary account of her life in hiding during the Holocaust was first published, under the title “Het Achterhuis: Dagboekbrieven 14 Juni 1942--1 Augustus 1944.” After

reading it her father confessed that the book revealed a side of his daughter he had never known, saying that he “had no idea of the depth of her thoughts and feelings.”

* On June 26, 1974, a pack of Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit chewing gum became the first grocery item scanned with a Universal Product Code, or UPC, at a supermarket in Troy, Ohio.

* On June 27, 1922, the American Library Association (ALA) awarded the first Newbery Medal, honoring

CANCER (June 21 to July 22) A romantc relatonship takes an unexpected turn. You might be confused about how to react. It’s best not to be rushed into a decision that you’re not ready to make.

LEO (July 23 to August 22) Don’t let your pride stand in the way of resolving an emotonally painful situaton. This is a good tme to deal with it and let the healing fnally begin.

VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) A workplace problem that you’ve been handling so well suddenly spins out of control. Don’t panic. You can rely on your good sense to help you restore order.

the year’s best children’s book, to “The Story of Mankind” by Hendrik Willem van Loon.

* On June 28, 1904, Helen Keller, who’d been left deaf and blind since an illness at just 19 months old, graduated cum laude from Radcliffe College in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She was the first deaf-blind person to earn a bachelor’s degree. Later, she would also become the first woman to be awarded an honorary degree from Harvard University.

LIBRA (September 23 to October 22)

Wearing rose-colored glasses won’t solve a thorny personal situaton. You need to take a hard look at what’s happening, then act according to the facts.

SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21)

Weigh all your optons carefully before making any decisions you’ve been putng of. Then go ahead and plan a weekend of family fun!

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) While personal and fnancial situatons contnue to improve, some setbacks might occur. But they’re only temporary, so hang in there.

CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) Family maters dominate the week. Health problems raise concern but soon prove to be less serious than you had feared. Things start easing up by the weekend.

AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18)

Most situatons are calmer now, both at home and on the job. But there’s stll a chance that a co-worker will set of another round of unpleasantness.

PISCES (February 19 to March 20) There’s no need to fsh for compliments from an admirer who can’t say enough nice things about you. Meanwhile, the holiday weekend bodes well for family gatherings.

Homes & Living

Three helpful tps for cleaning your garage

If you’re dying to spend hours cleaning out the garage this summer, raise your hand! Nobody? How surprising! Jokes aside, this chore can prove to be much less of a burden if you follow these three helpful tips. So, roll up your sleeves and let’s get to work!

Unclutter. Have you accumulated a collection of disparate items over the years, telling yourself that they may one day come in handy? Chances are, you’ve long forgotten about most of those objects that now overcrowd your garage. If they’re still in good condition, donate them to charity or organize a (real) garage sale. Any broken or potentially toxic objects should be thrown away. Check with your municipality to ﬁnd out where, when and how you can safely dispose of hazardous waste.

Clean. Before cleaning your garage from top to bottom, make sure to put on gloves, safety glasses and a dust mask

--- there’s nothing luxurious about the task at hand. Using a broom, scrape the ceiling and

walls to loosen debris and cobwebs, and then scoop everything up with a broom or vacuum cleaner, making sure to get into all those easy tomiss nooks and crannies. Next, wash the walls, ﬂoor and other surfaces (shelves, cabinets, etc.) with a powerful cleansing solution that’s suitable for use on the af- fected surfaces. Once the cleaning is done, open the windows and doors to allow the space to air-dry quicker.

Organize. A well-organized garage isn’t just visually pleasing — it’s a lot safer! Optimize your ﬂoor space by installing shelving units, hooks and any other type of storage system you can ﬁnd at your local hardware store. Similarly, to make the most of your wall space and keep things clutter free, tools, seasonal equipment and other materials should each have their own designated spot up on the wall.

And there you have it: your garage is as clean and organized as ever! Now, all that remains is to admire the end result before you resume your summer activities.

You’re no doubt familiar with standard vinyl flooring sold by the square foot. However, did you know that this type of flooring, which is both affordable and practical, has undergone a significant upgrade in recent years?

Available in the form of multicoloured, in-terlocking slabs, luxury vinyl tiles come with many advantages. For example, they’re:

• Waterproof

• Easy to install on almost every surface

• Similar in style to other materials (wood, stone, concrete, etc.)

• Scratch-resistant

• Low-maintenance

Thanks to their remarkable durability and versatile de-sign, luxury vinyl tiles are becoming an increasingly popular choice for both commercial and residential spaces. Like traditional vinyl, the luxury version remains an excellent option for rooms prone

to high levels of humidity, like your basement or bathroom.

If you plan on renovating this summer, consider luxury vinyl ﬂooring!