LNG shipments a new point of pride in Zimmer’s riding
COLIN SLARK Citizen Staff
After hearing resistance to the idea of shipping liquified natural gas from BC’s North Coast, the Member of Parliament for the province’s northeast corner said his constituents feel pride now that products from their region are now being loaded onto tankers.
In late June, the first tanker loaded with natural gas from LNG Canada’s terminal near Kitimat headed off to deliver cargo to Asia.
Prince George-Peace River-Northern Rockies Conservative MP Bob Zimmer said that represented a realized dream for people in his riding.
“There was a perception that some of the gas going to the coast was coming from other provinces, but it’s all coming from northeastern BC,” Zimmer said in a phone interview on Friday, Aug. 22.
“There’s the potential for other gas from other provinces to go through that line and get to the coast, but right now it’s all BC gas and it goes into a pipeline right at Groundbirch, a small community outside of Dawson Creek.”
While he said his riding is happy with that success, Zimmer hopes the country realizes the potential for other projects that the sector has.
“We’ve lost, it’s been estimated, between ($800 million to $1 billion) where the U.S. has been talking to other world markets and basically meeting those needs,” Zimmer said.
“Needs that could have been well met by our Canadian energy. So, it’s a lost opportunity. My hope is that the prime minister sort of wakes up to the reality that we have a great energy sector that can meet those needs and really steps up to get to those markets that seems like Trump is beating him to the punch on.”
Over the summer, Zimmer said, his goal was to meet with stakeholders both in the communities he represents and in the territories in his role as the Conservatives’ shadow minister for arctic affairs and the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency.
In BC, Zimmer said, while the federal
government has announce some relief packages targeted at the lumber industry as it struggles to deal with rising American tariffs put on their products, what is really needed is a softwood lumber deal of the kind that the Conservatives secured when they were last in government.
Up north, Zimmer said there are concerns about Arctic icebreakers operated by Russia and China. While those countries say the vessels are serving in an exploration goal, Zimmer said he would describe them as attempts at surveillance.
In July, Zimmer attended a meeting of the City of Prince George’s Standing Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs, along with his provincial Conservative colleagues Prince George-Mackenzie MLA Kiel Giddens and Prince George-Valemount MLA Rosalyn Bird.
“I’m very much economic development-focused,” Zimmer said.
“I know Prince George is concerned about some of the issues around forestry, being the backbone of what Prince George is and does, so we’re just trying to get some things done and pressure applied … we have a very strong collection of mayor and council
members that are really just trying to see a good economy for Prince George and the area. I’m happy to work with them on that.”
Other summer activities for Zimmer have included attending community events like the Dawson Creek Exhibition and Stampede, handing out King’s Coronation medals and talking to constituents at his offices.
In the April 25 federal election, Zimmer said a lot of Canadians voted for Prime Minister Mark Carney and the Liberal Party based on the expectation that he would manage the Canadian economy responsibly.
As his party ramps up to return to Parliament next month with leader Pierre Poilievre once again a member after his Battle River-Crowfoot byelection victory in Alberta, Zimmer said they’re going to show the country that Carney hasn’t followed through on those promises and has mostly followed in the steps of predecessor Justin Trudeau.
“If anybody wants to sit down and have a chat with me, we’re always open and they just need to call our office and we’ll set up the meeting, whether it’s in Prince George, Fort St. John, Dawson Creek or otherwise,” Zimmer said.
LNG CANADA PHOTO
The LNG Canada project in Kitimat, BC, came online in April, with shipments from BC’s North Coast to Asia beginning in June.
CITIZEN FILE PHOTO BY COLIN SLARK
Prince George-Peace River-Northern Rockies Conservative MP Bob Zimmer’s riding includes not only part of the city but a huge swath of Northern BC.
Finance commitee approves property tax exemptons
Eight applications under the nonprofit section were recommended for denial by administration.
COLIN SLARK Citizen Staff
Prince George’s Standing Committee on Finance and Audit approved more than $2.2 million in recommendations for permissive tax exemptions at its Wednesday, Aug. 20 meeting in council chambers on the second floor of city hall.
Local governments like municipalities and regional districts can give tax exemptions to certain types of properties like places of worship and non-profits as a way of supporting their operations.
Director of finance and IT services Kris Dalio explained that city staff try to align the four-year durations of tax exemptions with each of council’s fouryear terms.
However, owners of exempt properties still need to file applications each year to affirm that they still own the land and are using it for the approved use.
“The total estimated value of our exemptions is $2.2 million or 1.47 per cent of the tax that we need,” Dalio said. “We don’t actually forgo the money. What happens is that the rest of the tax class that they belong to chips in a little bit more in order to pay their taxes. So the city collects the same amount of money no matter what.
There are three categories of exemptions that the committee discussed: non-profit organizations, places of worship and municipal tenants.
The first was from Providence Living Society, for the seniors’ housing facility being built in College Heights on 6500 Southridge Ave.
Dalio said there were two issues with the application. The first is that the facility isn’t operational yet and the second is that seniors’ housing doesn’t qualify for an exemption under the policy.
As the land belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Prince George, chair Coun. Cori Ramsay wondered if the land was already exempt from taxes due to belonging to a place of worship.
The second application in the non-profit section was for Riverbend Community, a seniors’ facility at 1444 20th Ave. Again, Dalio said that seniors’ housing does not qualify under the policy and the facility has already received a revitalization tax exemption worth around $61,000.
The third application was for the BC SPCA’s facility at 1909 Queensway, the home of the organization’s spay and neuter program.
The policy, Dalio explained doesn’t allow for exemptions for buildings with commercial activity that compete with for-profit businesses in the city, like other veterinarian practices around town.
The Aboriginal Housing Society applied for three exemptions for various housing facilities at 1362 Central St. East, 1975 Bowser Ave. and 1811 Spruce St.
For the first property, administration said that low-income and subsidized housing do not qualify for exemptions.
For the latter two, administration explained that they both did not qualify and revitalization tax exemptions have already been provided.
A fourth Aboriginal Housing Society application was not considered as the organization does not pay property tax on the property at 1965 17th Ave. because it is class 3 supportive housing.
Another supportive housing facility at 1915 Third Ave. owned by AWAC also had an application not considered because it is already exempt.
Under the places of worship category, two changes were noted by administration.
Timbers Community Church purchased Faith Alive Fellowship’s church at 3400 Hart Highway. Timbers’ previous home at 1553-1557 Third Ave. will no longer be exempted and an exemption will be granted for the Hart Highway Church.
Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church at 3590 Dufferin Ave. was sold in June to Carrier Sekani Family Services. The latter organization had not applied for an exemption when the meeting was held and so it will not receive one for 2026.
There were two applications for exemptions under the municipal tenants category.
“Municipal tenants who meet the criteria of the permissive tax exemption program can apply if the property taxes are not already a financial consideration as part of their lease agreement,” administration’s report said.
The YMCA asked for an exemption for its daycare at 1075 Sixth Ave. and Tsul Choi Daycare Centre at 6776 Dagg Rd. wanted its property exempted.
Administration recommended that
both applications be denied, as the policy “does not allow exemptions for buildings with commercial activity that are in competition with for-profit businesses.”
Coun. Ron Polillo recused himself from the committee’s discussion over exemption applications submitted by AiMHi, where he works, and the Prince George Italian Club, where he is a member of the executive.
AiMHi has 37 properties on administration’s recommended list of exemptions worth a collective $135,357.
The organization sold one of its properties at 2440 Abbott Cres. and it will be removed from the list of exemptions. Also removed from the list is the sold Elks Community Hall at 663 Douglas St.
Other large beneficiaries from the last of permissive tax exemptions include:
• Prince George Golf and Curling Club with two exemptions worth $233,790,
• The Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation of British Columbia with six exemptions worth $155,679,
• Prince George Native Friendship Centre with eight exemptions worth $143,979 and
• Carrier Sekani Family Services with eight exemptions worth $103,353.
In total, the recommendations include $1.316 million in non-profit exemptions, $313,560 in exemptions for places of worship and $571,313 in exemptions for municipal tenants.
The recommendations will now be forwarded to city council for final approval at one of its future meetings.
Changes coming to how to have a say on city budget
COLIN SLARK Citizen Staff
The City of Prince George is looking to expand its public consultations for next year’s budget when they launch this fall.
At the Wednesday, Aug. 20 meeting of the Standing Committee on Finance and Audit, communications manager Claire Thwaites outlined what existing and new ways the public will be able to chime in on how their tax dollars will be spent.
A page on the city’s website will serve as a central hub listing all the engagement opportunities for the 2026 budget as well as financial documents like the capital plan, corporate work plan and the 2024 Statement of Financial Information.
In September, five satisfaction surveys will be launched through a survey platform on the budget page letting residents air their thoughts on five core municipal services including parks and trails, events and recreation, roads and sidewalks, snow removal and protective services.
These surveys will also be printed out and brought to facilities around the city like Prince George Public Library branches, city hall and seniors’ centres. The filled-out forms will then be manually entered into the online system by city staff.
Thwaites said 270 paper satisfaction surveys were filled out last year.
Then, the next month, the city’s annual citizen budget survey will return. However, this survey will be digital only, with staff considering the distribution of flyers and posters with QR codes linking to the survey.
“That allows residents to enter in their own BC Assessment value and move the needle around and plus or minus taxes and see exactly how it would impact them,” Thwaites said. As part of that effort, city staff are discussing with the library whether its computers and staff might be available to help residents fill out the survey at its branches.
Rather than hosting a budget town hall, staff are instead planning pop-up
Canfor Leisure Pool to close Sept. 2-21 for maintenance
Not related to legal action against designer, city notes
The Canfor Leisure Pool will be closed from Sept. 2 to 21 for regular maintenance, the City of Prince George said in a Monday, Aug. 25 media release.
“Throughout September, staff will drain and refill the pools, deep clean, make minor repairs, and complete safety inspections of the waterslide and ninja cross,” the release said.
“Both city pools close annually for regular maintenance and cleaning, though the Aquatic Centre will not close
booths set up during various events around the city in October and early November.
It’s still in the planning stages, but Thwaites said appearances at Pine Centre Mall and the CN Centre are under consideration.
All of these efforts will be advertised in local media, social media and other traditional advertising methods.
When it comes to costs, the city has an existing contract with a company named Ehtelo to complete the citizen budget surveys and there will be no additional expenses on that front.
For advertising, an estimated $3,000 to $4,000 will be spent from the communications budget.
There may be various costs to host the pop-up events at various venues, which have yet to be determined. There will also be costs to print materials like posters and handouts as well as staff overtime during the pop-ups.
On top of information about property taxes, committee chair Coun. Cori Ramsay said she thought it might be helpful for city staff to provide information on
utility bills and compare how much locals pay compared to residents in other communities across the province.
Ramsay and Coun. Tim Bennett talked about having members of the committee present at the pop-ups to speak with residents.
City manager Walter Babicz said it would be better if all members of council were invited to participate.
Coun. Ron Polillo wondered whether a pop-up could be set up during the CN Centre 30th anniversary celebration event in September.
Thwaites said she had brought that up with the organizing committee for the event and it wasn’t warmly welcomed because there’s already a lot of elements included such as the volunteer thank you event and the welcome to international students event.
Coun. Trudy Klassen put a motion on the floor calling for residents to be given the option to include some demographic information like age with their surveys. The motion passed unanimously.
Family fun at Touch A Truck
in 2025 due to upcoming upgrades.”
The city noted in the release that the closure is not related to the legal action it initiated last November against the designer of the pool, HDR Architecture Associates Inc., regarding issues with the mechanical system and building envelope.
“The claim is still before the courts, and the city is hopeful of a successful outcome,” the release said.
The release also said that construction on the city-owned Aquatic Centre upgrades, for which funding was approved in 2024 through an alternate approval process, is expected to begin either late this year or early next year.
The construction process is expected to last about two years.
CITIZEN PHOTO BY CHUCK NISBETT
Savin Minhas, 4, uses both hands to pull a lever operating the front fire hoses on PG Fire Rescue Engine 52 as he’s directed by fire prevention Lieut. Aaron Brouwer at the Touch A Truck event held in conjunction with Foodie Friday at Canada Games Plaza Friday, Aug.22.
COLIN SLARK Citizen Staff
Major efort needed to fght Quesnel lumber yard fre
It took crews from six re departments and BC Wild re Service to deal with it
COLIN SLARK Citizen Staff
A fire at a lumber yard inside Quesnel city limits is being managed by West Fraser Mills and was expected to be completely extinguished soon the city’s fire chief said on Monday, Aug. 25.
The 500-square-foot fire at BC Eco Chips on Pinecrest Road was first spotted around 4 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 23, leading to a response from six fire departments in the Cariboo Regional District, BC Wildfire Service and personnel from West Fraser Mills.
Reached by phone on Aug. 25, Quesnel Fire Chief Ron Richert said that the fire departments and wildfire service withdrew from the scene around 8 p.m., leaving West Fraser Mills in charge of managing the scene.
At that point, the chief said, there were still “significant flames” but it was fully contained.
“They (West Fraser) did hire a company from Kamloops, a fire protection company that came up and set up sprinkler protection on all the remaining log piles in that area,” Richert said.
He confirmed that there were no structures damaged or people hurt by the fire.
As of the morning of Aug. 25, BC Wildfire Service’s website listed the fire as under control, which it defined as “a wildfire that is not projected to spread beyond the current perimeter.”
On Saturday, Richert said about 45 firefighters from Quesnel, Barlow Creek, 10 Mile Lake, Bouchie Lake, West Fraser and Kersley were on scene along with the wildfire service and mills personnel.
“We have it contained to the original log pile,” Richert said during a phone interview around 2:30 p.m. “We’re just monitoring the perimeter, protecting infrastructure, some buildings and just cooling down some of the spot fires that
are in and around the area.
No evacuations were ordered because of the fire.
Richert said residents were requested to stay away from Pinecrest Road and another unnamed road that leads into the mill site.
“The fire is contained and being closely monitored. There are no required evacuations at this time.”
As of 1:45 p.m., BC Wildfire Service’s website stated that the fire was 0.6 hectares in size and was being held, meaning it is expected to remain within its current perimeter under current weather conditions and available resources.
At that time, the suspected cause was listed as human activity.
Madison Dahl, an information officer for the Cariboo Fire Centre, told The Citizen by phone Saturday that the Quesnel Volunteer Fire Department had taken the lead and the BC Wildfire Service was supporting the operation.
That involves providing some personnel and access to helicopters.
“It is their fire, so they are leading it and we are supporting and ensuring that it doesn’t spread,” she said.
CITIZEN STAFF PHOTO
Firefighters tackle a fire near Pinecrest Road in Quesnel on Saturday, Aug. 23. Roughly 45 firefighters from Quesnel, Barlow Creek, 10 Mile Lake, Bouchie Lake, West Fraser and Kersley were called in to battle the blaze.
CITIZEN STAFF PHOTO
Fire trucks line up on Pinecrest Road in Quesnel as multiple departments respond to a fire on Saturday, Aug. 23.
PG courthouse evacuated afer hoax bomb scare
Another threat was made to the Williams Lake court
TED CLARKE Citizen Staff
The Prince George Courthouse has returned to normal operations after a police investigation determined a bomb threat issued Thursday, Aug. 21 was a hoax.
“Police officers will be allowing people back into the downtown area, the Courthouse and the surrounding businesses. We thank everyone for their cooperation in staying away from downtown while we conducted our investigation” said Prince George RCMP media relations officer Cpl. Jennifer Cooper, in a media release.
The courthouse in Williams Lake was also evacuated due to a similar threat received Thursday morning.
Police and the Prince George Airport Authority said that, despite rumours on social media, there was no police presence or threat at the airport.
The Prince George Courthouse bomb threat was received by BC Sheriff Service Thursday morning at about 9:50 a.m.
All occupants of the building were told to leave immediately.
Prince George RCMP with a dog team conducted a thorough search of the
RV goes up in fames on Ruggles
What’s left of a burnedout RV sits on a driveway on Ruggles Street in the Spruceland area on Friday, Aug. 22 after catching fire the previous afternoon. There were no injuries and the cause is under investigation.
Lawyers and other court attendees gather in the parking lot of the FraserFort George Regional District after being told to evacuate the courthouse on Thursday, Aug. 21.
building with animals specially trained to seek out potential explosive devices. The RCMP helicopter was also launched to join the investigation.
Prince George RCMP were asking the public to stay out of the downtown area while they conducted their high-risk investigation and scoured the building at 250 George St.
Jacqueline Reed, a lawyer for the BC First Nations Justice Council, was in courtroom 101 dealing with remand court cases when that process was
suddenly interrupted.
“We had just started speaking to the list of the matters in court and suddenly I recall the sheriff and the clerk speaking to the judge and the judge immediately said court stood down and left and from there the sherriff said everyone must evacuate the building,” said Reed.
“Everyone was scattered on the courtyard outside and the police arrived and told us we had to evacuate the courtyard and they tied it all off. They didn’t tell us it was a bomb threat.”
In courtroom 103, just before 9:50 a.m., Justice Martin Nadon had just heard the guilty plea of Jesse John Braaten to May 1, 2024 extortion and assault with a weapon charges.
Without explanation, a sheriff interrupted the Crown prosecutor as she began to recite the agreed statement of facts.
“Your honour, we need to stand down.”
Replied Nadon: “Very well. We’ll stand down.”
The sheriff proceeded to clear the courtroom.
“Get the judge, just wait in the hallway,” he said.
By 11:47 a.m., Nadon was back in the courtroom, where he closed his laptop and left.
Court sessions resumed today at 2 p.m.
This was the second bomb threat the Prince George courthouse has received since July 30, 2024.
On Thursday afternoon, Williams Lake RCMP put out a release saying they had conducted a “threats investigation” at the courthouse at 540 Borland St. The roads were blocked off between Seventh Avenue and Borland Street as well as between Third Avenue and Borland Street,” RCMP said. “While the matter remains under investigation; there is no longer any concerns for public safety.”
With files from Bob Mackin
CITIZEN PHOTO BY CHUCK NISBETT
Directors disagree about regional district bylaw ofcers being outfted with weapons, body cameras
COLIN SLARK Citizen Staff
A conversation over the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George planning to equip its bylaw officers with pepper spray, batons and other equipment led to some minor sparks between a rural member of the board of directors and a representative from the City of Prince George at a meeting on Thursday, Aug. 21, 2025.
Presented to the board for information was a report from Blaine Harasimiuk, the district’s manager of inspection services and sustainable practices on the training and equipment provided to bylaw officers.
The regional district is planning to hold a training session on protective force options for bylaw officers in Prince George, with invitations sent to all other local governments in central and northern BC.
The cost to host the session is estimated at around $6,000, with costs shared between the 12 participants.
Once the session is over, each of the regional district’s bylaw officers will be set up with:
• Safety footwear
• Protective vests
• Jackets with ID
• Personal ID
• Puncture/cut-resistant gloves
• Flashlights
• Oleoreisn capsicum (pepper) spray
• Collapsible batons
• Handcuffs
• Body cameras
The total cost to purchase all this gear for each bylaw officer, some of which the district already has on hand, is $4,145.
On top of that, the district is looking to also purchase a micro drone (estimated cost $200), a Garmin InReach satellite communicator and GPS device ($200) and software for the body cameras ($16,000 to $20,000) for the use of the entire department.
When it came time for directors to
This image shows some of the weapons collected by City of Prince George bylaw officers in 2024. Regional district bylaw officers also face dangers, the district’s board of directors determined before deciding to equip them with protective gear, batons and body cameras.
discuss the report, Director Dannielle Alan (Robson Valley-Canoe) voiced her strong objections to bylaw officers being provided with weapons.
“I appreciate the professionalism and efforts of our bylaw officers, they do a fantastic job and (I note) in the report that one of the officers as accosted by a dog and I’m sorry they had that experience,” Alan said.
“However, I am strongly against our bylaw officers carrying weaponry, either a baton, pepper spray or zip ties. I understand that Prince George bylaw enforcement officers have had great success with protection tools, however our bylaw officers do not deal with the same circumstances.”
Alan said that looking through bylaw enforcement reports, the only infractions being dealt with by regional district officers are unsightly premises.
Prince George bylaw officers, by comparison, have to deal with problems caused by addiction, mental health issues and people Alan said can be unpredictable and sometimes dangerous.
Director Brian Skakun (City of Prince George) said he disagreed with Alan.
“In the rural settings and if you talk to some directors on the side, some of them will tell you about some of these homes where these folks are hidden at and some of the things going on,” he said.
“I, for one, would not be able to sleep at night if something happened to one of the bylaw officers because we could not provide them with some sort of
minimal protection. A collapsible baton, that could be used for a dog, it could be used for all sorts of things.”
Harasimiuk said that he had been cornered by a dog about two weeks ago with no way to protect himself and there have been incidents where people interacting with bylaw officers have threatened to bring out guns or hammers against them.
“I don’t think we can say that just because we don’t deal with the kind of street people that the City of Prince George deals with we can say that we’re not dealing with some kind of unknowns all the time because we are rural,” he said.
Director Kyle Sampson (City of Prince George) said he hopes bylaw officers never need to use pepper spray or a baton, but there are many different circumstances in the field where they could be needed.
Director Cori Ramsay (City of Prince George) said that when the city rolled out those tools to its bylaw officers, city council asked for a report after the first year on how they were used. That report said that they hadn’t been used, but that officers felt safer.
She wondered whether her colleagues would be interested in directing district staff to complete a similar report.
With regards to handling the data that is collected by body-worn cameras, general manager of legislative and corporate services Maureen Connelly and chief administrative officer Chris Calder said those elements still need to be worked out.
Speaking again, Alan said she did not believe that Fraser-Fort George is any more dangerous than the other 27 regional districts in British Columbia that do not arm their bylaw officers, also raising concerns about use of weapons possibly violating residents’ Charter rights and complaints over excessive force.
She said she did not object to the other gear being purchased, like the drone.
“Just because Prince George does something doesn’t mean that the same thing is applicable to our people in rural areas,” Alan said. “This is overkill. This is killing a gnat with a hammer … that sends entirely the wrong message of who we are as a regional district. We’re not the City of Prince George, we are the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George”
Sampson challenged Alan to explain what she meant when she said that the regional district “is not the City of Prince George.”
Alan said she meant that bylaw officers operating only in the regional district’s rural areas do not experience the same challenges as those working for the city.
Sampson was unsatisfied with Alan’s answer and challenged her again, with chair Lara Beckett requesting that he keep his comments brief as a delegation was waiting to present.
“I know the literal definition that the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George is not the City of Prince George, I want to know what you’re implying when you say that, Director Alan,” Sampson said. Beckett interjected to say the question had been dealt with, to which Sampson asked for Alan’s statement to be retracted if she wasn’t going to defend it.
Alan declined to do so. That prompted Beckett to say that they weren’t getting anywhere and moved for a vote on receiving the report for information and proceeding onto the next item.
HANDOUT PHOTO
All bylaw ofcers must have the tools to work safely
KENNEDY GORDON Citizen Managing Editor
The issue was simple: Should rural bylaw officers working for the regional district be equipped with basic protective gear such as pepper spray, batons, and body cameras?
The answer is a resounding yes — or rather it should have been.
But it wasn’t.
It’s unfortunate, though not surprising, that a practical conversation about the safety of bylaw officers sparked controversy during the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George board meeting on Aug. 21.
It’s an overdue acknowledgment that our world has changed, and we need to change with it. In a post-COVID reality: tempers are shorter, people are more polarized, and unpredictable encounters are increasingly common — in cities and in the countryside.
Director Dannielle Alan’s suggestion that rural officers don’t need the same tools as their urban counterparts because they only deal with “unsightly premises” ignores the very real risks these officers face.
Risks that are often even more unpredictable in rural areas, where backup may be hours away, communication is often limited, and animals — whether aggressive dogs or even wildlife such as bear — present a real physical danger. One officer was recently cornered by a dog while others have faced threats involving firearms and hammers. In
A uniformed City of Prince George bylaw officer (in background) deals with a complaint in this photo taken downtown in 2024. Regional District of Fraser-Fort George bylaw officers should have the same equipment as their city counterparts, the district board heard last week, and we agree.
that context, pepper spray or a collapsible baton isn’t excessive — it’s basic self-protection. This is not about escalating conflict or arming municipal employees for battle. If a simple baton or canister of pepper spray could defuse a dangerous encounter, why wouldn’t the district provide that option?
By equipping officers with basic protective gear, the regional district isn’t militarizing its workforce but rather providing its employees with the necessary tools to complete their jobs in a safe and effective manner. It is ensuring that those tasked with enforcing bylaws — from property disputes to animal control — go home safely at the end of the day.
That’s not overkill. That’s duty of care.
When the City of Prince George equipped its bylaw officers with these tools, they weren’t even deployed in their first year of use.
That’s a success story — not because the equipment gathered dust, but because officers felt safer and more confident doing their jobs. It’s the classic principle: better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.
Some critics argue that “just because the City of Prince George does it” doesn’t mean the regional district should follow suit. But good policy shouldn’t be dismissed just because it comes from a different jurisdiction.
Opponents of this equipment, like Alan, raise concerns about Charter rights and the “message” it sends.
But equipping officers with non-lethal tools doesn’t violate anyone’s rights
— especially when the gear is paired with professional training and strict usage protocols.
In fact, the inclusion of body-worn cameras serves to protect citizens as much as officers, providing transparency and accountability on both sides of the badge.
The image of a bylaw officer carrying handcuffs or a baton may feel unfamiliar to some. But that discomfort should not outweigh the practical need for safety. Officers aren’t being trained to use force — they’re being trained to avoid it, with protective tools available as a last resort. That’s the sensible approach.
Urban or rural, bylaw officers are people doing difficult jobs in unpredictable environments. They deserve equal consideration, not less, simply because they work outside city limits.
And let’s not pretend that rural communities are immune to the same social stressors affecting urban centres. Isolation, addiction, mental health struggles, and conflict with authority are not exclusive to cities.
In rural areas, these challenges often go unseen — but that doesn’t mean they’re not there.
As the regional district moves forward on this, let’s put rhetoric aside and focus on facts. Providing basic protection to bylaw officers — regardless of their postal code — isn’t an overreaction.
Lives — and peace of mind — depend on it.
editor@pgcitizen.ca.
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Otawa must do more to support small business owners
JOHN ZUKOWSKI Guest Columnist
I don’t generally come out and tell it like it is when it comes to business, but I think folks need to know this straight from a small business owner. Our federal government is doing nothing to help the “spine of our country” right now.
Our small businesses are run by goodhearted, hardworking folks. We show up every day — not unlike farmers — and put in the long hours planning, researching and running our businesses. We are there for our customers’ every request, and try to fill that request the best we can.
Time was, we would open up every day and look forward to another good day of new faces and new customers, along with our returning regular clients who knew we would look after them with a smile and a laugh. It’s changed now — it’s not the same at all — you can feel it, as it’s almost palpable, and the stress is on everyone, to some extent.
Small business owners who import products are really feeling it, like we are. The costs have shot up twofold. Our Canadian dollar is worth less against the U.S. dollar, so our buying power is reduced.
Add to that our government’s importation tariffs on the goods we sell — over 25 per cent on most items — that were never there before, and it
A safety warning about people riding around on electric scooters
Just a warning to parents!
A couple of weeks ago I was parked in front of the closed Atmosphere store near London Drugs.
While beginning to back out, I was startled by a small person shooting past behind me on one of those electric scooters.
The child was very young, or small. anyway, not wearing a helmet, and was
Prince George business owner John Zukowski shares his thoughts on what the federal government has to do to protect the business community.
becomes even more expensive to keep our stocking levels up.
Add taxation rates to those new costs and the small business is now bleeding money.
Add to that the civic expenses locally — business taxation from the municipality — and the trickle-down effect that sees one’s storefront lease rates climb up to rates you should only be seeing in Vancouver or Victoria.
The flip side of the coin — our customers are also seeing the same cost increases applied to their lives.
What was never a consideration in purchasing has now become something that needs to be thought about twice.
Yeah, our federal government has dropped the ball hard. They are not “protecting” the business community or the general public.
They are screwing Canadians — one at a time, bit by bit, family by family.
LETTERS
EDITOR to the
not visible as they came past the front of the store.
Luckily I was moving very slowly, but I felt quite shaken to think of what might have occurred.
Really ... electric scooter … in a parking lot ... no helmet? Young child?
Clare Willis
Prince George
I can’t even import materials from another country without being screwed by our dollar value or excise taxation, because almost all trade is done in U.S. dollars.
There is a fine line in what you can charge a customer for a product or service.
So, I have a question for our “elbows up” (what a stupid phrase) prime minister: When are you actually going to do something for the millions of Canadians you are supposed to represent? Over 100 days in the big chair, and all I hear is more costs downloaded on Canadians and more money being spent on crap that has nothing to do with Canada or Canadians.
You have done nothing to improve our dollar’s buying power, cost us more to do business (implementation of trade tariffs), and did nothing to stir economic growth. You are just as useless
Airport should offer free parking for disabled people, too
Our airport offers free parking to veterans — a gesture I fully support — but people with valid handicap permits still pay full price.
Those of us with disabilities face daily obstacles that don’t vanish when we travel. Getting from the parking lot to the terminal can be costly, exhausting, and painful.
This isn’t about taking benefits away
as the clown you replaced. Now, to be perfectly clear, I respect the office of the prime minister — however, “that respect must be earned” — and clearly you’re doing absolutely nothing to earn it.
When small businesses die, the community starts to die — little by little, area by area — we descend into what we are seeing now: boarded-up storefronts, closed shops, graffiti and filth on our streets, crime, vandalism and open drug use around almost every corner. Zero has been done to turn the bail system around for repeat offenders — criminals are back out in a heartbeat.
Business owners attacked for attempting to protect their property from theft. Oh brother, mark my words — elbows up is the least of our worries — as all it will take is for one good person, pushed a bit too far, to lose it with some individual who thinks it’s their right to break into a business, steal from a shelf, shoot up at a back door or set a fire for the sake of watching it burn.
We are on a path that I am fearful of seeing. Leadership is nonexistent on so many levels — federally, provincially and civically. I am almost certain now we are being led by a “charlatan” acting as prime minister.
No law and order, no effective judicial system, no leadership. Rocks are on the horizon — and the helm isn’t answering our call.
John Zukowski is a Prince George business owner.
from veterans. It’s about fairness. Accessibility is a right, and our airport should extend the same parking consideration to people with disabilities as they are one of the only places in town that charge handicapped people to park.
It’s time for management to step up and make parking policy fair for all. If their version of inclusion leaves out people with disabilities, it’s not inclusion.
Megan MacInnes
Prince George
OPINION
Vacant storefront project discussion to continue at next council meeting
I’ve spoken with several entrepreneurs, and the process is not straightforward. For those who haven’t navigated it before, starting a business is far from “easy.”
This idea has real merit—there should be a clear way to connect artists, entrepreneurs, and food retailers with suitable spaces on a temporary basis. A long-term lease is a major barrier, given the risks entrepreneurs face. Allowing temporary-use permits would give businesses a chance to test their ideas, ideally leading to success and a long-term lease. This might also encourage landlords to upkeep their building.
While the admin of this program might take some work it’s important that PG be an incubator for small business.
Downtown PG and UNBC Planning would be great partner in this.
S Goods
Vacant storefront project discussion to continue at next council meeting
So many issues with this but let’s target a couple.
1. Total dysfunctional city council — can’t get united or work towards consensus building.
2. Why would Coun. Trudy Klassen present this motion without consulting with council members and staff? Seems counterproductive to not do her homework and then ask staff to bring back options on her proposal and criticize her colleagues.
3. The mayor has a building downtown — should he have removed himself from the deliberations as that may be a perceived conflict of interest?
If this group of elected officials were part of a private sector board of directors, they wouldn’t last in the positions.
Sjbo
Original occupant of Moccasin Flats continues homeless ght
I agree that situations may have caused their situation, but there seems to be a lot of resources available to help.
Staying seems to be a preference. Also why aren’t the bands helping if some of the homeless are from the bands?
Also, people shame those who have bad experiences with the homeless and tell others to do more, yet I don’t see those same people opening up their yards for camping.
Alucard
Vacant storefront project discussion to continue at next council meeting
I can see numerous issues where private owners of vacant downtown properties would not be interested in this strategy to bring back a different type of boots on downtown streets.
Bringing existing buildings, not always in the best of shape, up to code, increased liability insurance coverage, increased property taxes due to increased value for in-use buildings, collecting short term rents from pop-up shops, clean-up costs and extra maintenance after short term rentals, the list goes on. Someone would have to pay for all these extra services. Somehow I don’t think Ramsay’s proposal to have city staff look at “a strategy within the existing downtown strategy” is something most PG taxpaying citizens want their tax dollars spent on.
Lyn Grandma
Original occupant of Moccasin Flats continues homeless ght
We’ve heard it enough, time to clean up this mess and force these people into a new life.
Just like you were introduced to manners, rules, society, expectations by your parents and community, these people also have to adapt. You cannot have free reign of the community, steal at will, drink in public, lie in the streets because you had a bad upbringing. It has to stop , this is insanity what we allow.
PGborn
Moccasin Flats: A closer look at the ruling allowing the city to close the encampment
The first thing the city should argue is that the Chateau Atco is safer than the wild west of Moccasin Flats.
As there have not been reports of shootings, stabbings, assaults and ODs in the trailers the numbers should bear this out.
Would be interesting to see the numbers of times emergency services, police, fire & ambulance, have been called out since the trailer complex opened vs Moccasin Flats in the same amount of time when it was at its peak.
Even after the no post barriers and a gate were installed to limit access to the flats there have been shacks burnt down IMO the “serious mental illness” that prevents them getting on the first step to permanent housing is simply that they don’t want to give up the illegal activities of stealing, chop shops and open drug use etc. In other words, like most things in their life, a lame, lazy excuse.
Bobs your uncle
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Celebratng Labour Day with a march and a picnic CUPE partes in the park
TED CLARKE Citizen Staff
Labour Day is one of the oldest traditions in Canada.
The first Monday in September has been the day to recognize the labour movement and workers’ rights ever since it became a national statutory holiday in 1894 — just 35 years after Confederation brought Canada into existence.
“Labour Day is kind of the backbone of our society right now, it’s the reason you have weekends off, it’s the reason you get paid overtime — the unions have fought for the rights of the citizens in Canada for a long time and this is the one day a year we can let everyone know this is the reason for it,” said Chris Mansel, service representative for the Prince George chapter (Local 1611) of
the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LiUNA).
“Everybody gets Labour Day off and it is a stat holiday for them but some of them don’t understand why, and that’s the purpose of Labour Day — to let them know why we are there,” he said.
Mansel admits he didn’t give Labour ay much thought as a kid growing up in Prince George. It was just another holiday, but that changed at age 17 once he entered the workforce as a tradesman.
He quickly learned many of the workplace protections Canadians now take for granted grew out of the Industrial Revolution, when trade unions were considered illegal and workers faced hardships from their employers and governments — until the organized labour movement became established.
SEE ‘LABOUR DAY’ ON NEXT PAGE
HEALTH CARE WORKERS
Labour Day march comes as major issues make news
CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE
“I think the biggest part of the younger generation doesn’t realize what Labour Day or unions are,” said Mansel. “I was the same way when I was growing up. I’m 35 now and when I got into construction and the unions I was about 17 and I had no idea.
“My mother has been in the unions a long time and my dad came over from Wales, where unions are big, so my parents are both union people and I can remember being six years old and trying to get into the movie theatre (in Prince George) and there was a strike for the projectionists. I didn’t understand when my mom said, ‘No, you can’t cross that (picket) line,’ and it took me a while to get into that kind of mindset of why I couldn’t cross that line.”
On Labour Day — Monday, Sept. 1 — the local chapters of at least 17 unions in Prince George are sponsoring the Labour Day Celebration & March — a free picnic
at Canada Games Plaza from 11:15 a.m. to 3 p.m., and everyone is invited.
The march will begin at 10:30 a.m., and union workers and their families will hold up signs in a show of solidarity as they parade through the downtown streets.
LiUNA’s Prince George chapter represents concrete workers, general labourers, security guards, healthcare workers and road construction flaggers.
Mansel, chair of the Labour Day Organizing Committee, has invited a representative of the Air Canada flight attendants’ CUPE local. The attendants reached a tentative agreement Aug. 19, which ended a nearly four-day strike, and he was hoping that person will speak at the Labour Day picnic — but doubts that will happen with the airline going full-tilt to make up for the cancelled flights during the strike.
“They were ordered back to work but then you see what they did there and they just said, ‘No, we’re not going back to work,’” said Mansel. “I hate to say it
but, legally, they’re not allowed to do that — but that’s their right to do that.”
He’s also invited someone from the postal workers union to speak on Monday, but said that’s unlikely given they are currently involved in labour talks to try to reach a settlement with the federal government.
“Any unions that are in and around Prince George are more than welcome to get on stage and speak about what they’re going through right now,” said Mansel.
The picnic lunch means free hot dogs, drinks and snacks, supplied by the sponsoring union locals. Musicians and guest speakers will also be on hand for the all-ages family event to perform on the Canada Games Plaza stage. The mini railway will be set up at the site, along with a bouncy castle, to keep kids entertained. All entertainment attractions will be free of charge.
The list of participating and/or sponsoring unions includes: Canadian
Labour Congress, Construction Maintenance & Allied Workers Union Local 1998, Canadian Union of Postal Workers Local 812, Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 399, CNC Students’ Union, Health Sciences Association, Industrial Workers of the World, International Union of Operating Engineers Local 115, North Central Labour Council, North-East Area Council of Public Service Alliance of Canada, Prince George District Teachers Association, Professional Employees Association, Teamsters Local 843, United Steelworkers Local 1-2017, and UNBC Faculty Association.
Those and other organizations will establish a presence for the event.
“There’s probably more to come — at least 10 more,” said Mansel. “We’re waiting for the sponsors to come in. Any time one of the unions says they will come in and set up a booth or even donate to the event, they will be listed as a sponsor there.”
New route, longer distances for ’25 Labour Day Classic
TED CLARKE Citizen Staff
After 49 years as a Prince George event, the Labour Day Classic road race has undergone a few format changes being implemented this Sunday.
Gone are the unconventional 17-mile (27.3-kilometre) and 8.5-mi (13.6km) distances that became the local standard in 1974, when the first Prince George to Boston Marathon originated at Salmon Valley and finished at Spruceland Mall.
The 50th annual is now a full marathon, and runners will have their choice of going the 42.2 km distance or running a half-marathon (21.1 km). There are also 10 km and five km events, and a one km race for kids.
“It’s a different route, different distances — we are a legit marathon now,” said Labour Day Classic race director Julie Ubdegrove.
“It just made more sense when we
were moving it to change it to real distances that people run in normal races. The distances before were just because that was how far it was to run from Salmon Valley into town.”
With fewer traffic lights and less congestion, Ubdegrove said avoiding the downtown core lessens safety concerns and reduces the cost of securing the route for runners — a cost that gets passed down to participants.
Race fees range from $65 to $80.
The Classic starts and ends at the Ice Oval at Exhibition Park. From the oval, runners entered in the 42.2 and 21.1 km routes will head north to 18th Avenue, then tackle Cranbrook Hill past the UNBC campus before heading back down the hill on Tyner Boulevard to Ospika Boulevard. Full marathoners will follow Foothills Boulevard to North Nechako Road, heading west until the end of the pavement, then turn around and return to the Ice Oval.
“It definitely will be a tough one
— there’s a lot of elevation to this race — but it doesn’t seem to be stopping people from registering,” said Ubdegrove.
Registration is up over last year, with about 100 registrants already as of Monday morning, in advance of the 6 p.m. Thursday deadline for online registration. Participants can register online at pgroadrunners.ca.
The marathon racers get their feet in motion first at 8 a.m., followed by the half-marathoners, who hit the course at 8:30 a.m. The kids race starts at 8:40 a.m., just ahead of the 10 km (9 a.m.) and five km (9:30 a.m.) events.
Terry Fox completed the 17-mile course on Sept. 2, 1979 and started his Marathon of Hope Canadian Cancer Society fundraising run across Canada the following year.
This year’s Labour Day Classic is dedicated to longtime community booster and racing advocate Dick Voneugen, who died Feb. 24, 2025, in Prince George at 92.
Voneugen was known for his horn — a transport truck horn he brought with him and blew trumpet-style to signify the start of every race. A former runner and competitive cyclist, Voneugen was one of the founders of the Labour Day Classic, and the sound of his horn became a trademark of the event for the hundreds of participants it attracted each year.
There will be limited in-person registration spots available on Saturday during race package pickup times between 5 and 7 p.m. at the Prince George Civic and Conference Centre — site of the post-race banquet that starts at 12:30 p.m. Sunday.
Environment Canada is predicting a sunny day for race day Sunday, with a forecast high of 25 C.
After five years, Ubdegrove is handing off her duties as race director to Mitch Guitard, who sits on the group’s rganizing committee. Ubdegrove plans to retain her voluntary position as Prince George Iceman race director.
HAPPY LABOUR DAY!
From your CUPE 3742 members –Proudly supportng students, schools, and our community every day.
We are Educaton Assistants, Clerical Staf, Library Staf, Indigenous Educaton Workers, Youth Care workers, Custodial, and more.
Together, we make beter schools, beter services, and beter communites.
CUPE Local 3742 SD 57 Support Staf
Happy Labour Day from BC's largest union, CUPE BC
CUPE BC's 110,000 members deliver the important public services that make our communities a better place to live, learn, work, and play. Better Services. Better Communities.
Shooter fred eight tmes as home invader fed scene
BOB MACKIN Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Dakota Rayn Keewatin was convicted Aug. 19 of manslaughter after a B.C. Supreme Court judge ruled he fatally shot a man more than two years ago in the heat of passion, caused by sudden provocation.
Keewatin, born in 1993, had been charged with second-degree murder after the March 7, 2023 home invasion robbery at apartment 107 of the Connaught Hill apartments in Prince George. Keewatin did not testify at his trial which ended in early May, but reconvened in late June for closing arguments.
The case is under a ban on publication of information about the victim’s identity.
Justice Ronald Tindale said Keewatin, who was not injured physically, opened the door to the apartment and a woman ran to the bathroom. At the doorway, a man with a pistol in his hand tried to enter the apartment.
Keewatin quickly disarmed the man who, along with a witness, fled down the hallway.
Keewatin fired the gun eight times, hitting the victim three times.
There was no evidence about the nature or history of any relationship between the accused and the victim before the incident.
Tindale said the Crown proved beyond reasonable doubt that Keewatin did not act in self-defence.
Tindale said that opening the door to
A local man who fired eight shots at an
intruder, hitting him three times, has been found guilty of manslaughter rather than second-degree murder.
one’s residence and having someone try to enter with a gun equipped with a silencer would be terrifying.
But once Keewatin disarmed the intruder, both the intruder and witness began running away.
Tindale agreed with the Crown, that it was unreasonable for Keewatin to perceive a threat under the circumstances, because the threat was suddenly diminishing. Although, the threat was not entirely neutralized until the victim had exited the hallway.
“It was grossly disproportionate for the accused to fire eight rounds down the hallway a (the intruder), as he was clearly fleeing,” Tindale decided. Tindale then went on to consider whether second-degree murder or manslaughter would be the correct conviction. Tindale ruled that Keewatin sought to cause the man harm, but not death.
Notably, the judge found that Keewatin was deprived of self-control based on the conduct of the victim, “given the nature of the provocation and the short
time that the shooting occurred.”
“In my view, there was no time for the accused’s passion to cool,” Tindale said. “Based on the circumstances of this case, a culpable homicide of [the victim], which would otherwise be second degree murder, can be reduced to manslaughter because the accused committed the offence in the heat of passion caused by a sudden provocation.”
Tindale ordered a pre-sentencing report and a report analyzing the impact of Keewatin’s Indigenous background and historical suffering. His next appearance is Nov. 3 to fix a date for sentencing.
A four-year sentence is the minimum for a conviction of manslaughter involving a firearm.
It was the second major crime case in 2025 involving Keewatin in which self defence was considered.
On March 3, Keewatin and another man, Kerridge Andrew Lowley, were acquitted for the Aug. 11, 2022 aggravated assault and break-and-enter at the Econo Lodge City Centre.
Keewatin disarmed a man wielding a machete, then used the machete on the man.
The victim required emergency surgery to repair a nearly severed right arm and gashes to the right hand and knee.
Justice John Gibb-Carsley said it was “not unreasonable for Keewatin to defend himself by going on the offensive and attempting to neutralize what was a hostile threat to him.”
Serial shoplifer will spend another two months in jail
A man who pleaded guilty to 10 shoplifting charges was sentenced Aug. 19 in Prince George Provincial Court to another 61 days of jail.
Donald Orin Baker, born in 1979, made the pleas before Judge Peter McDermick, who sentenced him to 150
days overall as part of a joint proposal by Crown and defence lawyers. Baker had 89 days credit for time served, which leaves him with 61 days remaining.
McDermick ordered one-year probation for Baker. The order is scheduled to be reviewed Oct. 21 when Baker attends Indigenous court in Prince George, a monthly hearing
for Indigenous offenders that is based on restorative justice and traditional healing.
McDermick also ordered Baker to not attend specific locations in Prince George of the following chain stores: 7-Eleven, Esso, Home Hardware, Home Depot, KMS Tools, London Drugs, Mark’s Work Warehouse, Save-on-Foods, Shoppers Drug Mart and Walmart.
Defence lawyer James Emmons said the guilty pleas saved the court from holding multiple trials against Baker and relieved a “significant number” of witnesses from the burden of testifying.
“He’s got his Grade 10 (education), he’s historically struggled with substance abuse issues. He has a bit of a record, it’s been filed,” Emmons said. “He is serious about his sobriety.”
CITIZEN FILE PHOTO
BOB MACKIN
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Extorton, assault with a weapon at local shoe store
BOB MACKIN Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
A 40-year-old man pleaded guilty Aug. 21 in Provincial Court to extortion and assault with a weapon at a Prince George shoe store.
Shortly after Jesse John Braaten’s scheduled morning hearing began, a court sheriff interrupted Crown prosecutor Lisa Sukkau. A bomb threat prompted evacuation of the courthouse around 9:50 a.m.
Police swept the courthouse and determined there was no bomb. The case before Judge Martin Nadon resumed at 2 p.m.
In the agreed statement of facts, Sukkau told Nadon that Braaten visited the Shoe Company in Pine Centre Mall on May 1, 2024 around 2:50 p.m. He began to get upset when he spoke to two employees about an unfulfilled shoe order.
A manager intervened with Braaten,
Youth pleads guilty to kicking pregnant woman, stealing iPad
BOB MACKIN
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
A teenage girl pleaded guilty Aug. 21 in Provincial Court to stealing an iPad and kicking a pregnant group home worker in the stomach.
Court heard that the incident took place May 28, 2024 in Prince George court.
Judge Martin Nadon ordered a pre-sentencing report and an assess ment under the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA).
The guilty girl, who had no prior crim inal record, cannot be identified under the law. She was visiting the group home where the incident happened.
Court heard there was an argu ment with two workers at the group home that escalated into a physical
Monday Sept 8 6:30pm - 8:30pm
Murderer hears from victm’s cousin at sentencing
Jordan McLeod, 24, was shot dead by Darren Sundman in January 2015
BOB MACKIN Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
A cousin of the man drug dealer Darren Cayley Daniel Sundman killed more than a decade ago told a sentencing hearing in BC Supreme Court on Aug. 18 that she still suffers sleepless nights, relentless nightmares and persistent heartbreak.
Sundman was convicted in 2018 of second-degree murder and sentenced to at least 16 years without parole for fatally shooting 24-year-old Jordan McLeod on Jan. 16, 2015. The Crown successfully appealed in 2021, and the Supreme Court of Canada agreed in 2022, that Sundman was guilty of first-degree murder, worth an automatic 25-year sentence without parole.
Natalie Lawrence told Justice Marguerite Church in Prince George that the killing ended a 637-day period without a murder in Prince George and shattered her family.
“This trauma will echo throughout our lives and the lives of future generations,” Lawrence said in her victim’s impact statement.
Lawrence also directly addressed Sundman, who attended via video conference.
“Darren Sundman, your actions and choices are unforgivable. There is no apology, no excuse, no passage of time that could ever undo the sheer brutality of what you have done,” Lawrence said. “You have decided to live your life in a way that reaps destruction and permanent harm onto others. I’m only one of the many people who have to live every day with the consequences of what you did.”
Crown prosecutor Tyler Bauman told Church that Sundman must be sentenced to the fullest extent of the law because of his coercive, violent and intimidating treatment of McLeod and
the brutal nature of the murder with an illegally purchased handgun.
The court heard that Sundman was a backseat passenger in a pickup truck driven east of Prince George by his brother, Kurtis Riley Sundman. McLeod was in the front seat when a simmering conflict flared up over a drug debt owed by the Sundmans, who accused him of encroaching on their turf in the Vanderhoof market.
The Sundmans verbally and physically assaulted the unarmed McLeod, who promised to forgive the debt if they left him alone.
McLeod eventually jumped out of the vehicle on Upper Fraser Road. The Sundmans and another passenger, Sebastian Blake Martin, exited the vehicle and began to shoot at him around 11:30 p.m.
“It would be difficult to overstate
the level of fear or hopelessness Mr. McLeod must have felt in his final moments,” Bauman said.
Sundman compounded the indignity by callously disposing of McLeod’s disrobed body onto the Kaykay forest service road north of Prince George, Bauman said.
Bauman said the duration of the court proceedings has exacerbated the grief for the victim’s family. Sundman committed the crime in the context of a drug dealing gang and had a record of prior offences.
“He must be sentenced to life imprisonment without eligibility for parole,” Bauman said.
The sentencing hearing would have happened earlier this year, but BC Supreme Court Justice David Crossin ruled in January that the automatic 25-year sentence without parole for first degree murder is unconstitutional. In July, Justice Robin Baird sent Luciano Emilio Mariani to jail for 25 years without parole, but he can apply to the court after 15 years for a reduction in sentence under the so-called “faint hope clause.”
The sentencing hearing was set to continue.
Martin was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to no parole for at least 13 years. Curtis Riley Sundman was ordered to serve 12 years for manslaughter, but the sentence was reduced by four-and-a-half years for time served.
Home confnement sentence of 100 days for bicycle thief
BOB MACKIN Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
A man who pleaded guilty in May to possessing a stolen bicycle worth under $5,000 was sentenced Aug. 20 in Prince George Provincial Court to 60 days house arrest and 40 days curfew. After agreeing to the joint submission from Crown and defence lawyers, Provincial Court Judge David Simpkin said Jason Ross McLeod, born in 1986, must
also spend a year on probation.
Simpkin ordered McLeod to stay away from the Walmart store in College Heights, where the incident took place on May 9, 2024.
Simpkin decided that, after the 60 days of house arrest, McLeod will be restricted to his residence from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. daily during the 40-day curfew. After that, he will be on probation for 12 months.
“There are victims of these crimes, they’re not victimless, even though the
bike was recovered,” Simpkin said. “So hopefully you bear that in mind in the future. But it sounds to me as if you’ve got some goals and ideas going forward as to how you want to better your life.”
Court heard that McLeod has found stable housing near the Moccasin Flats homeless camp.
McLeod has also applied for admission to a treatment centre on the Sunshine Coast.
“Given the traumatic brain injury he
suffered, it’s no great surprise that Mr. McLeod needs the assistance of the life skills worker,” Simpkin said.
“I’m also aware that Mr. McLeod is a Metis person and that I must, therefore, consider that as a factor in the sentencing.”
Simpkin ordered McLeod to not posses any drugs or alcohol. He also cannot possess any tools that could be used to steal a bicycle, such as a hammer, screwdriver or pliers.
McLeod
KTW FILE PHOTO
A man is facing sentencing over a murder that happened more than 10 years ago.
A crackdown is coming on ATV use within city limits
MATTHEW HILLIER Citizen Staff
The Prince George RCMP, in conjunction with City of Prince George Bylaw Services, will be combining their efforts and focusing their attention on off-road vehicle use within city limits.
This move comes after consistent complaints from the public about these vehicles being used within city limits.
“Most of our complaints have involved underage riders on dirt bikes, so we are reaching out to the parents of these riders,” says Corp. Jennifer Cooper, media relations officer for the Prince George RCMP.
“Make sure you are reviewing safe usage of dirt bikes with your kids and reminding them that unlicensed dirt bikes are not permitted on roadways or in residential areas. Respecting our neighbours goes a long way towards creating peaceful neighbourhoods.”
Officers are planning on using a
All-terrain vehicles are designed and meant for off-road use like this, but many riders use them on city streets.
variety of methods in the upcoming weeks to combat in-city use.
These include the RCMP UTV, the RCMP helicopter, traditional vehicle patrols and foot patrols with bylaw services officers.
Prince George RCMP want to remind the public of the following Motor
Downtown security camera pilot will most likely begin this fall
Vehicle Act (MVA) offences and fines in regards to off-road vehicle use within city limits:
• Operating without insurance is a $598 fine
• Operating without a licence is a $276 fine with three demerit points
• Riding a motorcycle without a required helmet is a $138 fine and two demerit points
• Driving without due care and attention is a $368 fine with six demerit points
• Driving without consideration is a $196 fine with six demerit points
You can be subject to a seven-day vehicle impoundment if found stunting These vehicles are also subject to Criminal Code offences for the following:
• Dangerous operation
• Flight from peace officer
• Impaired operation of a motor vehicle
As well, off-road vehicles are not covered under any insurance policy and can expose you to personal civil liability — including increased insurance premiums — and negatively impact youth operators caught before being eligible for a driver’s licence, police advise.
Cameras for Prince George’s downtown security camera pilot project will likely be ordered by the end of the week and operational by the fall, the Standing Committee on Public Safety heard at its Tuesday, Aug. 19 meeting.
Downtown Prince George executive director Chrisie Berry said she was going to talk to one company about the cost of the cameras, installation and monitoring that same day and another the day after.
“I have some generalized costing from them at this point, but they’ve also given me a list of who within Prince George is a certified retailer, a certified installer for these cameras,” Berry said.
“So, my expectation is that by the end of the week, we are ordering cameras. From there, the next steps are talking
Security cameras will soon be installed in parts of downtown Prince George.
to the businesses, figuring out how … it’s going to be attached to the building, what kind of power we’re looking at, wifi and a secure place for our hardware to sit.”
Back at a June city council meeting, Berry had said the hope was to have the pilot program up and running by the end of summer.
In December last year, city council approved a $40,000 contribution towards the program, which is being led by Downtown Prince George and the Prince George Chamber of Commerce.
COLIN SLARK Citizen Staff
Financial frm adds youngest partners in its history
MATTHEW HILLIER Citizen Staff
MDN Trinity Financial Services, contracted with Sun Life Financial Distributors, has announced a recent milestone — the hiring of the financial firm’s two youngest partners in its history, Crystal Loreth and Michael Martens.
Both are 29, UNBC graduates and have had years of service at Trinity Financial Services, serving customers in the North before their appointments.
Martens grew up in Vanderhoof and was taught the business at an early age by his uncle, Stephen Neudorf, CEO of Trinity Financial Services. He attended UNBC with a double major in general business and finance.
Martens told The Citizen he was particularly impacted by his time at UNBC, especially in bringing one of his school projects into the real world of business.
“I’m going to, in particular, shout out to Charles Scott,” said Martens. “He put a lot of emphasis on things like core value propositions, unique selling propositions. In a nutshell, he basically made the school come into reality — where it’s not just an assignment or an exam; it was something that actually prepared us really well for what we’re doing now.
“One of the cases in point would be his entrepreneurship class. We actually had to develop a business model for a totally made-up business. We made up its own financials, its own marketing campaigns, its own PR strategies, risk mitigation — all of that. Then pitch it to a Dragon’s Den, just like you would see on TV.
“All of a sudden, this assignment that my group ended up winning — we had real-life people saying, ‘Hey, we’ll give you the 200 grand that you’re looking for, 30 per cent of your concept.’ So all of a sudden it was like, oh my goodness, this is not just an isolated school project. This was now a real-life thing where there was real money on the table.”
Loreth, from Prince George, also attended UNBC, studying for a Bachelor of Commerce in accounting and finance. A family friend of CEO Neudorf and his wife, she said she found immense value
in accounting and felt her position was a natural fit.
“I had a draw to the nature of the business just innately,” said Loreth. “I always said that I was going to be an accountant. I had an opportunity to connect with Steven as a client first as well. We got to talking and it’s fun to see the value that these conversations have and hold in my life, in regards to starting my financial journey so early on — having that kind of guided advice along the way while I was going through undergrad.
“I was trying to determine my next steps in my career. An opportunity came up for me back in 2017 to start as a service associate. At the time, Trinity Financial was a pretty new firm here at Sun Life. It was a great experience for me to help create a bit of back office process and really understand a little of what goes on behind the scenes.”
From there, Loreth began sitting in on meetings and helping with client selection. She quickly earned a position as a certified safety professional at Trinity Financial Services and began working her way toward partner.
When Loreth heard the news she would be appointed partner, she described it as feeling “surreal.”
“I remember the conversation happening on a Tuesday — the opportunity
their journeys.
“That shows that reflection in Prince George itself — that you have a lot of representation that’s confident, that’s reliable, right here in Prince George. When you look outside Prince George, it’s not a small community anymore. We’re growing quite quickly. For people and for clients to see that they have good, true, holistic advice right next door — I think, as far as individuals go and just the confidence in their own plan, that will do a really good job of creating that confidence in their own lives.”
Martens told The Citizen that Trinity Financial Services hopes to expand its services and explained that Prince George provides his firm a unique opportunity to do so.
for Michael and I to have a connection to the firm that we’ve worked so hard for,” said Loreth. “Then the public announcement was on a Tuesday and I just remember going home that first day and saying, ‘It’s just a Tuesday, right?’
“It just feels really surreal. I’m excited for the impact not only in our firm, but for the rest of the community. Michael and I do try to make sure that we’re out there. I know early on in my career, my goal was just to make sure that I could make an impact with as many people as possible. Anybody who would like to kind of have an opportunity — I would make sure that it was available. It feels surreal and it’s flattering for sure.”
MDN Trinity Financial Services is a financial wealth management firm that helps local businesses, families and individuals invest, plan and meet financial goals.
One of the most important parts of MDN Trinity Financial Services is serving the northern community — something both of Trinity’s new partners hope to accomplish in their new roles.
“We’re not here just for a short moment,” said Loreth. “There isn’t that uncertainty of career change in that direction. It’s about creating a lot of that confidence for our clients — that we are here to be alongside them throughout
“Prince George is a community of 80,000 people. We’ve got this type of population and a handful of firms that are actually good in this space and taking care of clients. One of the things that I find kind of interesting about PG in particular is just how many great people are here that don’t necessarily have access to the services they should have access to — just because it’s not a well-represented industry in this part of the province.”
Loreth added that her experience being born and raised in Prince George has fostered a feeling of community that she feels helps her clients connect.
“When we have a great meeting with a client and we connect in all the right ways and their plan is rockin’ and rolling, they are so quick to share that experience with their friends and family,” she said. “I think that creates a bit of that closeness as well with the community — that everyone’s so willing to lift the people around them up.”
Martens added that he hopes to use money as a tool to better people’s lives — not as a means to an end.
“It’s not about the money,” said Martens. “We’ll use the money as the tool, but the money is not the object of what we’re doing with clients. It’s providing the peace of mind and ensuring that the clients have confidence in their own financial journey.”
MDN TRINITY FINANCIAL SERVICES HANDOUT PHOTO
Crystal Loreth and Michael Martens are the newest partners at MDN Trinity Financial Services. Both are UNBC graduates.
Lheidli T’enneh invests in First Natons Bank of Canada
COLIN SLARK Citizen Staff
Lheidli T’enneh First Nation is now in the banking business.
In a press conference at the nation’s Brunswick Street offices in Prince George on the morning of Friday, Aug. 22, Chief Dolleen Logan and First Nations Bank of Canada CEO Bill Lomax announced that Lheidli T’enneh and its business arm, Tano T’enneh Enterprises, had each purchased 4.32 per cent stakes in the bank in exchange for $10 million.
FNBC is Canada’s only Indigenous-owned chartered bank, offering personal, business, commercial and other services.
Earlier in the month, the bank announced that five First Nations from BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Yukon had invested a total of $9 million as it seeks to raise $50 million in equity capital.
In a speech delivered after an opening prayer from Elder Lenora White, Logan said the move was an investment in both Lheidli T’enneh’s future and the future of Indigenous groups across the country.
“All traditional financial institutions provide pathways to funding and greater outcomes,” she said.
“It is important that we invest in our communities and with our people. The pathways to economic reconciliation starts and ends with supporting First Nations with both their needs and banking.”
Logan credited the First Nation’s councillors as the “visionaries” who made the final decision to go through with the deal.
In his remarks, Lomax said the announcement was meaningful to him as a member of the Gitxsan Nation who visited Prince George as a young person growing up in Terrace.
“For me, coming back really feels like full circle,” Lomax said. “This is not just a reflection of progress for the bank, but for me, personally, this is really important — that we grow in the north, that we see investment in the north — and
having the opportunity to work with you is incredibly exciting.”
He said the announcement sends the message that Indigenous nations aren’t just participating in the economy but leading the way.
After the remarks, Lomax and FNBC’s Booker Cornea presented Logan with the gift of a blanket. In turn, Logan gave the bank’s representatives a painting and other pieces of Lheidli T’enneh swag.
To cap off the ceremony, Lomax, Logan and most of Lheidli T’enneh council came together to hold up a certificate acknowledging the nation’s ownership stake in the bank.
Speaking to reporters afterward, Logan said she had butterflies making the announcement because it’s an opportunity to invest not just in Lheidli T’enneh’s future, but in helping other nations with their futures as well.
Unlike the wind power project near Hixon that Lheidli T’enneh is working on with Spanish firm Ecoener — which will eventually reach the end of its lifespan — Logan said the investment in the bank doesn’t have a foreseeable end date.
The chief said her nation had gone to the bank to borrow money for the wind project, which has started some preliminary work and has created some jobs, with more expected next year.
She expressed hope that the investment would lead to more opportunities for economic development for both Lheidli T’enneh and Prince George
going forward.
Lomax was asked about the bank’s operations.
“We are Canada’s only Schedule 1 bank that is Indigenous-owned,” he said. “That puts us on the same footing as every other big bank in the country and we have a full suite of services. We do retail banking, we do mortgages, we
do credit cards, but, importantly, we also do commercial banking. We help nations build band offices, gas stations, windmills — we actually have done some forestry tenure as well.”
He said the bank had been the first party to reach out and start discussions about the deal a couple of months ago. He praised Lheidli T’enneh for having done its due diligence in a short amount of time and being able to seize the opportunity.
With the Aug. 22 announcement, he said there are now around 82 or 83 shareholders in the bank. Lheidli T’enneh is one of the largest.
Typically, Lomax said, the bank’s brick-and-mortar branches are located on reserves. With Lheidli T’enneh looking to finalize the addition-to-reserve process for its Brunswick Street offices — once home to The Citizen — he said they would look to have serious discussions with the nation to open a presence in the Prince George area.
First Nations Bank of Canada CEO Bill Lomax and Lheidli T’enneh First Nation Chief Dolleen Logan speak to reporters after announcing that the nation had purchased an 8.64 per cent ownership stake in the bank at its Brunswick Street offices in Prince George on Friday, Aug. 22.
The Fawcet Cannon is a new way to fght wildfres
Invented by a Vanderhoof man, it reaches areas other methods can’t
MATTHEW HILLIER Citizen Staff
For Vanderhoof’s Ron Fawcett, fighting wildfires has become a yearly routine.
Since Fawcett was 16, he has been fighting wildfires in the local area. He also recently — as the president of White River Contracting, a heavy-duty logging company — transformed the business into a wildfire-suppression manufacturing firm.
His decades of experience fighting fires came to a head when he received the idea for his newest invention — the Fawcett Cannon.
“I was fighting fire out in the bush here about three years ago and there were lots of fires going on and then all of a sudden a fire started up in Kamloops and down in the Kelowna area,” said Fawcett. “They took all the crews down there and we were just left with the equipment and we couldn’t put water on the fire, so I decided I was going to make a machine to put water on the fire.”
The Fawcett Cannon is a Cat Skidder with heavy modifications, including a water tank capable of holding more than 8,000 litres, as well as lights and cameras for visibility and to help fight fires at night.
Fawcett emphasized that safety and the ability to quickly respond to threats were among the most important features when he designed the machine.
“You can put water on the fire with just one person,” said Fawcett. “You run everything from inside the cab and so you’re safe. The only time you’re outside the cab is filling up and usually that’s in a safe area. It fills itself up from the lake or from a creek — any water source — or we’ve made some water tenders that supply water for the machine to fill up with. It’s set up so you can fill bladders or you can hook fire hoses to it and run fire hoses off it. It’s
A Fawcett Cannon is seen on display outside the Civic Centre earlier this year (above) and in action spraying water (at right). The vehicle, equipped with a blade, can handle wilderness terrain in order to haul 8,422 litres of water close to wildfires before spraying it up to 60 metres. The Fawcett Cannon was invented in Vanderhoof.
all run on hydraulics from the machine.”
The Fawcett Cannon is also equipped with a blade that can help remove debris or improve access to areas damaged by wildfires — with the Cat Skidder able to roll over debris or felled trees to access critical areas needing fire suppression.
It can hold up to 8,422 litres (2,225 gallons) of water and the cannon itself can spray up to 49 metres (160 feet) on its lowest setting; its highest is able to spray water up to 60 metres (200 feet).
With the current water-carrying capacity, it can effectively fight fires for up to half an hour. It is also all-terrain and designed to reach areas where traditional wildfire equipment may struggle.
Fawcett’s invention has already been put to the test and has effectively fought several local wildfires.
“We ran over to Canada Lake in Saskatchewan and fought fire over there. In eight hours, we put 33,000 gallons of water on the fire. We went down to
Princeton and we were on the Plaza Fire and we put 44,000 gallons on in 10 hours. There, in seven days, we put 275,000 gallons on the fire. It’s very operator-friendly, very mechanically friendly and there are lots of unique things on it that make it very, very aggressive.”
Moreover, Fawcett’s invention has received attention for possible purchases from various local and international firefighting bodies — showcasing the effectiveness and viability of the design.
“I’ve been getting phone calls from Hawaii asking about it and France,” said Fawcett. “Down south, Colorado is looking to buy one and Nashville, Tennessee, Florida — lots of areas in the States are looking to purchase these. Tumbler Ridge is looking. And I sold one to Tsay Keh Dene up in Williston Lake — they bought one. A lot of bands are very interested in purchasing a machine, as
well as some of the Burns Lake bands. There’s a lot of interest there.”
Fawcett was also proud to show off his invention at the recent Minerals North Conference and the Canada North Resources Expo, where he said it received a host of positive feedback.
The praise from interested individuals doesn’t end at the conferences — a YouTube video showing off the Fawcett Cannon, hosted on the Forestnet YouTube channel, has received approximately 200,000 views.
The comments are also filled with suggestions for improvements, including putting premier sprinklers around the machine itself, a pull-down blind to protect from heat and a reserve tank to help if the machine itself gets engulfed.
While he is interested in selling the equipment and marketing his product, Fawcett stated that he is far more focused on protecting communities and lives from wildfires with this new invention.
“Heavenly Father has blessed me to figure this out. It wasn’t just me on my own,” said Fawcett. “What I like about this whole thing is it’s there to protect communities, and it’s very safe for people to fight fire. It keeps people out of danger on the fire line — the people that are on foot — and it’s very well needed.”
WHITE RIVER CONTRACTING PHOTOS
Valemount transfer staton winter hours to increase
COLIN SLARK Citizen Staff
Operating hours at the Valemount Regional Transfer Station are getting beefed up this fall.
At the Thursday, Aug. 21 meeting of the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George’s board of directors, staff asked for approval to increase the hours because of the recycling programming put in place in 2024.
On Sept. 16, 2024, Recycle BC opened a principal recycling depot at the transfer station.
In early July 2025, Recycle BC opened a satellite recycling depot at the McBride Regional Transfer Station, which sends the material collected there to Valemount to eventually be transported to Prince George for processing.
“Maintaining the current summer operational hours all year is necessary to ensure that both transfer stations can
The Valemount Regional Transfer Station’s hours will be open for an additional 13 hours a week starting in November.
meet the needs of their communities and maintain compliance with the contractual obligations of the Recycle BC program,” a report by district staff said.
The Valemount transfer station will now be open on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursday and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays and closed on Wednesdays year-round instead of reducing hours from Nov. 1 to March 31.
Crown land proposed for transfer to West Moberly First Natons
signed in British Columbia between 1900 and 1914,” the letter said.
District staff noted that there is enough funding in the 2025 solid waste management budget to accommodate the 13 extra hours of operations per week during that time frame and funding for a higher number of operating hours would be requested in the 2026 budget.
The board approved the extended operating hours unanimously.
Also at the meeting, the board approved one-year contract extensions
for R&M Maintenance Services to handle caretaker services at the West Lake and Buckhorn regional transfer stations for $43,200 and $50,400 respectively.
Environmental 360 Solutions Central Interior Ltd. was awarded a one-year contract extension for caretaker services at the Cummings Road Regional Transfer Station.
No price was directly referenced, but in 2022 the regional district awarded a contract of up to five years with two one-year options at the same price.
The estimated annual cost in 2022 was pegged at $142,560.
At the closed Shelley Landfill, Geotech Drilling Service Ltd. was awarded a contract worth $70,761.94 excluding taxes to install a ground water monitoring well.
Up in Mackenzie, the regional district approved the purchase of a previously leased Caterpillar front-end loader at the Mackenzie Select Landfill and Transfer Station for $93,900 excluding taxes.
TOYS • COMICS • GAMES
Become
West Moberly First Nations is proposed to receive land parcels within the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George through treaty land entitlements, the district’s board of directors heard at their Thursday, Aug. 21 meeting.
Attached to the meeting agenda was a letter from Naomi Saukila, a senior resources co-ordination officer for British Columbia’s Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation.
Saukila wrote on May 16 that the province and the federal government have been working on transfers of Crown land with five Treaty 8 First Nations.
“(Treaty land entitlement) addresses a historic shortfall in land promised to Treaty 8 First Nations: Blueberry River, Doig River, Halfway River, Saulteau, and West Moberly; when Treaty 8 was first
“These First Nations did not receive the full amount of reserve land they were entitled to under the Treaty. TLE settlements aim to resolve this longstanding issue.”
Other negotiations are ongoing between the First Nations and the province to compensate the nations for the impacts of the Site C hydroelectric dam.
In Fraser-Fort George, West Moberly First Nations are proposed to receive lands in the Kerry Lake area, located north of Prince George on Highway 97 between Bear Lake and McLeod Lake, and the Tacheeda Lakes area, located around 25 kilometres east of Kerry Lake.
The regional district’s chief administrative officer, Chris Calder, wrote back to Saukila on Aug. 8 saying that Fraser-Fort George and West Moberly have signed a memorandum of understanding.
a rocket scientist BEFORE school starts
COLIN SLARK
Citizen Staff
What’s happening in PG
Foodie Friday happens Aug. 29 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Canada Games Plaza. With lots of local vendors to pick from there will be something to satisfy every craving. Don’t miss this special seasonal foodie experience in Prince George.
PG Ponnonam ’25 goes Saturday, Aug. 30 at 11 a.m. at 483 Gillett St. Event presented by PG Regional Kerala Cultural Association that sees a day filled with vibrant traditions, cultural performances, games, and a delicious Onam feast.
Seniors’ Paint Club goes Wednesday, Sept. 3, 10, 17, Oct. 1, 8, 15 and 22, presented by Prince George & District Community Arts Council, at Studio 2880 2880-15th Ave. in the Jack Bryan Room. Learn the skills of water colour painting with Lorri-Anne Mayley-Bell. This group is designed for those 55+ and is on the main floor. Each session is $25 each. Register today, space is limited. For more information visit https://www. studio2880.com/programs/art-classes
Prince George Fall Fruit Festival hosted by the Prince George Food Hub goes Thursday, Sept. 4 to Sunday, Sept. 7 and is looking for volunteers to gather fruit from across the community to reduce food waste, connect people with locally-grown food and reduce bear attractants. Sign up to volunteer, help with transport or register your tree to be picked by calling 250-561-7327 or email eatgleaningabundance@gmail.com.
Seniors’ Paint Club goes Thursday, Sept. 4, 11, 18, Oct. 2, 9, 16 and 23, presented by Prince George & District Community Arts Council, from noon to 2 p.m. at Studio 2880 2880-15th Ave. in the Jack Bryan Room. Learn the skills of acrylic painting with Marilyn Schmaus. This group is designed for those 55+ and is on the main floor. Each session is $25 each. Register today, space is limited. For more information visit www. studio2880.com/programs/art-classes
Crossroads Summer Street Party goes Saturday, Sept. 6 from 5 p.m. to midnight at Crossroads Brewing & Distillery, 508 George St. This is a 19+
Coldsnap Presents Locarno on Saturday, Sept. 13 at 7 p.m. at Knox Performance Centre, 1448 Fifth Ave. The band plays Latin music with a blend of Mexican and Canadian sounds.
event featuring craft beverages, live music, yard games and house made food. Dead Sexy, Code Blue, Big Fancy and the Fly Smackers will perform. For tickets visit www.eventbrite.ca/e/ crossroads-summer-street-fest.
35th annual Parkinson Super Walk 2025 goes Saturday, Sept. 6 from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park Picnic area. Funds raised support Parkinson Society BC’s life-changing programs and services for people affected by Parkinson’s disease. To register or donate visit www.support.parkinson.bc.ca.
Ranjit Bawa Folk Star Canada Tour goes Saturday, Sept. 6 at 7 p.m. at CN Centre. A prominent Punjabi singer, actor and songwriter, Ranjit is known for infusing traditional Punjabi music with a modern twist, making his songs appealing to a broad audience. Tickets are available at www.cncentre.ca/events-tickets/ ranjit-bawa-folk-star-canada-tour.
2025 Great Northwest Fibre Fest goes Sunday, Sept. 7 from 10 a.m. to 4
p.m. at the Ramada, 444 George St. A Celebration of Fibre will see more than two dozen vendors on site — beautiful hand-dyed yarn, accessories for finished projects, tools to make crafting more fun, project bags to store and tote those works in progress and an assortment of crafted items from other makers. For more information visit https://www. greatnwfibrefest.ca/
Coldsnap Presents Locarno on Saturday, Sept. 13 at 7 p.m. at Knox Performance Centre, 1448 Fifth Ave. Locarno, the Latin project of Juno Award-winning musician Tom Landa, brings a captivating blend of Mexican and Canadian sounds. Born and raised in Mexico City and now based in Canada, Landa’s music reflects his rich cultural heritage. With influences from Son Jarocho, Afro-Cuban rhythms and more, Locarno’s live performances, featuring a talented ensemble of musicians, are known for their infectious energy and fusion of musical styles. For tickets visit www.coldsnapfestival.tickit.ca/locarno Movie Night in the Orchard
– Practical Magic goes Saturday, Sept. 13 from 7 to 10 p.m. at Northern Lights Estate Winery, 745 Prince George Pulpmill Road. Gather under the stars for a night of love, laughter, and a touch of enchantment as Practical Magic graces the big screen. A perfect way to welcome the cozy charm of fall. Bring warm layers, blankets and/or lawn chairs for comfort and bug spray just in case. The concession offers fresh popcorn and candy, water, pop, beer and Northern Lights wines. Cash, debit or credit. Tips: Arrive early to secure parking and set up seating. Gates open one hour before the movie starts. Check ticket for the confirmed start time. This fully outdoor event is weather dependent. In case of cancellation, ticket refunds will be processed automatically but Eventbrite fees are non-refundable. Tickets are online in advance only at www.eventbrite.ca/e/movie-night-in-theorchard-practical-magic-tickets.
45th Annual Terry Fox Run goes Sunday, Sept. 14 at 10 a.m. at Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park. Bring friends, family, co-workers, teammates and pets to run, walk or wheel the route starting at the Bandshell and going through the park and along part of the route Terry ran in 1979 in the Prince George to Boston Marathon. Registration begins at 9 a.m. and the course officially opens from 10 to noon. Online donations can be made at https://run.terryfox.ca/ princegeorge
Trails for Tails Dog-A-Thon goes Sunday, Sept. 14 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Cottonwood Island Park is a fundraiser for the Humane Society. This fun and active event is a chance to raise money for animals in need. After the walk, stay for hot dogs and hamburgers, kids’ face painting and activities, as well as games and friendly competitions for the dogs. Information booths and local vendors to explore throughout the event. Dogs must be leashed at all times. To register visit www.canadahelps.org/ prince-george-humane-society.
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PG Mud Bogs is Saturday, Sept. 20 from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 21 from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at NITRO Motorsports Park, 9285 Raceway Rd. The mud will fly during Two epic days of racing at the PG Mud Bogs packed with things to see and do, including two live bands performing at halftime. There will be 4 Class Mud Racing, expo booths from local companies, food trucks, cool side events, giveaways and prizes. $30/weekend pass, $20/ day pass, 16 and under or 65+ are free. No alcohol or pets please. Bring camp chairs. Hosted by local off-road YouTube channel Bearded Boggers, RTI ramp on location-taking donations for MS Society per try.
HockeyFest goes Friday, Sept. 19 to Sunday, Sept. 21 at CN Centre. This is world’s biggest road hockey festival coming to Prince George for the first time as a fundraiser for Spirit of the North Healthcare Foundation to help bring cancer care closer to home. Agebased divisions with men’s, women’s, and mixed teams, capped at 100 teams total. All teams guaranteed to play 4+ games. For more information and to register visit www.spiritofthenorth.ca/ hockeyfest.
Bryan Adams Rolls with the Punches Tour goes Tuesday, Sept. 23 at 7 p.m. at CN Centre. As part of CN Centre’s 30th Birthday Week celebration Bryan Adams will perform along with guests The Sheepdogs. In the CN Centre’s 30-year history, Bryan
Adams has appeared more times and sold more tickets than any other musical artist. Playing the CN Centre in 1998, 2000, 2003, 2010, 2016 and 2023, Adams has sold nearly 30,000 tickets. For tickets to this concert visit www.ticketsnorth.ca/event/ bryan-adams-roll-with-the-punches
Free Food Preservation Workshops go every Thursday and is presented by PG Aboriginal Business Development Centre, 1200 LaSalle Avenue. Want to learn how to make jam or pickle fresh veggies? No experience is needed. Just bring your curiosity. Participants will learn jam-making and vegetable pickling step by step. All supplies are provided and everything made will be shared among participants to take home.
Building community skills, one jar at a time. RSVP by calling Cheryl Doering at
250-562-6325 to register.
Craft & Chat at the main branch of the Prince George Public Library goes every Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m. in the magazine corner, second floor, where fibre artists are invited to bring their latest projects to share, vent frustrations, brag about successes, get and give help and join in lively discussions. Snacks provided. This event is in partnership with Great Northwest Fibre Fest.
Myeloma Support Group goes every third Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m. at Commonwealth Financial, 575 Victoria St. Everyone is welcome who has been diagnosed, those who are caregivers, family members and friends. Wheelchair accessible parking at the back of the building. For more information call Viv Lougheed at 250-981-2618.
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.
Willow River Farmers Market and Junk in the Trunk goes every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Willow River Hall, 55 Willow Avenue in Willow River, about 30 minutes east of Prince George, until Sept. 28. There are local crafts and homemade goods including jams and preserves, concession, music and family fun. Everyone is welcome to attend.
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. 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
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The Sheepdogs will bring their classic Canadian sound to Prince George as the opening act for Bryan Adams at the CN Centre on Sept. 23.
A gathering of gamers
Video gaming and pop culture fans lled the House of Ancestors over the weekend for the rst-ever Video Games Prince George (VGPG) Gaming Expo, which featured three days of competitive and free-play gaming along with video game vendors, trivia, a tattoo artist and even a video game music cover band, with cash prizes for some of the gaming competitions
CITIZEN PHOTOS BY CHUCK NISBETT
ABOVE: Louisa Alfred of Witset lays back and relaxes as Jay Rose of the Momma Tried Studio finishes up her tattoo, then checks it out (at right).
ABOVE: Ian Bremnan, 23, aka EN# (left), Luca Vallecar, 22, and Poff, 20, celebrate winning first through third place respectively in the Guilty Gear: Strive tournament. The three players flew up from Vancouver for the weekend.
ABOVE: Connor Tuftin (left) and Curtis Brown of Curty’s Collectibles pose with a life-sized Sonic the Hedgehog.
TOP RIGHT: Kyla Brown, 16-months-old, tries a game of Super Mario on one of the Super NES consoles hooked up to TV’s in the main room of the House of Ancestors.
LOWER RIGHT: Brennan Mckinnon (left), Elora Chmielnicki, 8, and Louisa Alfred get together to play a song or two in Rock Band during the VGPG Expo Sunday, August 24, 2025 at the House of Ancestors.
‘The
Terry Fox Run has to happen,
and I guess I’m doing it’
Tom Masich kept Fox’s legacy alive in Prince George
CHRISTINE DALGLEISH Citizen Staff
The Terry Fox Run has been in existence for the last 45 years in Prince George, and there is a lot of history that goes with it.
In 1979, Terry Fox ran the Prince George to Boston Marathon and, after running the 17-mile route, made the decision to embark on his Marathon of Hope in the spring of 1980.
The reason the run was called the PG to Boston Marathon was because the person who won the race was sent — all expenses paid — to run in the Boston Marathon the following year.
The Prince George Track & Field Club sponsored the runner’s trip. This run is now called the Labour Day Classic.
Tom Masich was the creator and organizer of the Prince George to Boston Marathon and welcomed Terry Fox and Rick Hansen to participate that year, accommodating the differently abled duo.
Fast forward to 2023, when it looked like there wasn’t going to be a Terry Fox Run in Prince George, Sylvia Masich decided she would take up the cause to keep her grandfather Tom’s legacy alive. Tom passed away Sept. 18, 2022.
“The story really starts back in 1974 when ‘the old man’ — my grandpa — realized that Prince George needed a road race,” Sylvia said.
“So in classic Masich fashion he said, ‘I’m going to make it happen,’ and he started the Prince George to Boston Marathon. It was originally from Salmon Valley into Prince George, but that only lasted a few years because they realized that it was kinda sketchy running along the highway as these big trucks were driving alongside us.
“So then he moved it into town and in 1979 he was asked if he’d be willing to have an amputee take part in the run, and my grandpa wasn’t someone who liked to say no to people who wanted to
participate in sport, so he said yes.
“Then Rick Hansen heard Terry Fox was going to take part, so he asked if he could come in his wheelchair, and so Grandpa changed the route for them so they didn’t have to climb the staircase up Connaught Hill — and that was that.
“No one knew what Terry was planning until after he finished his race. He finished last, but I think he won everyone’s hearts that day, and at the banquet he shared with everyone that he was planning on running across Canada to raise funds for cancer research. He knew he was ready to do it as early as the spring after running the streets of Prince George.
“I don’t think people at the banquet realized how big of a deal he was going to become. It’s pretty special that Terry ran here in Prince George before anyone knew who he was — and that we
had done in 1979 — and my dad got the phone call from hospice saying that my grandpa had passed away, which was just surreal with the timing and the location we were at when he passed away,” Sylvia recalled.
“That was really touching and then 2023 came around, and I was really looking forward to the Terry Fox Run because I needed to do it in my grandpa’s memory, and I learned that no one was organizing it. So in classic Masich fashion, as mentioned before, I said, ‘OK, the Terry Fox Run has to happen and I guess I’m doing it’ — and that’s how I ended up in the lead organizer position, and I have no plans on stepping down any time soon.”
For Sylvia, there are two legacies that come to light when organizing the Terry Fox Run.
“There’s my grandpa’s legacy that I get to carry on, and that is so special for me because I find a lot of the giving back I do — especially in sport — stems from him, because I’ve seen first-hand what a positive impact he’s had on thousands of people through the generations, and that’s really special,” Sylvia said.
played a really significant role in helping him make that decision of when he was ready to run across Canada.”
In September 2022, Tom Masich went into hospice and many members of the Masich family participated in the Terry Fox Run on Sept. 18.
“We were walking along Patricia Boulevard — the same route that Terry
“If I could have a fraction of the same impact, that would be amazing. And then there’s Terry’s legacy. I think we can all agree that Terry is the definition of a true Canadian hero, and to continue his legacy here in Prince George is an absolute honour. He always brings the nation together.”
The 45th annual Terry Fox Run goes Sunday, Sept. 14 at the Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park bandshell. Registration begins at 9 a.m., and the event gets underway at 10 a.m. The route is 3 km, and people are welcome to cycle, rollerblade and wheelchair. Please have dogs on a leash.
All funds raised go to the Terry Fox Foundation, which for decades has worked towards achieving Terry’s vision of a world without cancer.
For more information and updates on the run, visit Facebook and Instagram at @TerryFoxRunPG.
Participants can register, and people can donate at https://run.terryfox.ca/ princegeorge.
CITIZEN FILE PHOTO
Terry Fox celebrates after finishing the Prince George to Boston Marathon in 1979. He announced his plans to run across Canada after taking part in the race. Rick Hansen, who later crossed the country in a wheeclchair, is in the foreground.
CITIZEN FILE PHOTO
Tom Masich and his granddaughter Sylvia pose with the Masich Place Stadium sign when it was named after Tom in 2008.
Come solve the murder mystery at Huble Homestead
CHRISTINE DALGLEISH Citizen Staff
There’s going to be a Homicide on the Homestead on Saturday, Sept. 20.
That’s pretty much the only thing that’s for sure, as the Huble Homestead Historic Site will once again be set up for its popular murder mystery event in Huble House — where even you could be the killer.
This event is presented by the non-profit Huble Homestead/Giscome Portage Heritage Society.
Designed for adults, the afternoon intrigue will have a 1990s theme, where those registered will get their character details and suggested costume ideas in their invitation to help set the scene.
The first Homicide on the Homestead was held in 2014, and it’s been a soldout event most years.
“This was the brainchild of our program manager Nicole Krizmanich and originally we had done one set in the 1910s because that’s when Huble Homestead’s time period is and it was a lot of fun,” said Krystal Leason, executive director.
“So we had another one the next year, also set in the 1910s, so when we had seen a couple of repeat guests and we asked for some feedback and they said they’d like to do the 1920s the next year, so we thought we could just work our way through the decades — and so we have been — and now we’re on to the 1990s.”
Next year they’ll reset back to the 1910s to keep things fresh, Leason added.
“Huble Homestead was already a park in the mid-90s, so the premise at this point is that we’re hosting an engagement party — and not all of the guests are there to celebrate,” Leason hinted.
“All of the mysteries that we’ve had are kind of based on a packaged one and then we do a lot of editing. We hardly notice the resemblance by the time we’re finished with it because we want to set everything in its proper decade and we try to make everything locally relevant as much as we can. So there’s a regional district director — a
fake one that’s a character this year. We have business people who have ties to our local industries. So, for example, in the 20s mystery we had the owners of the Red & Black Café, for instance. So we try to make everything really relevant and unique and it’s such a fun time because we assign everybody their characters.”
About a week before the event, those registered get sent an email with their character’s description and costume ideas. Organizers offer a bit of a clue as to what to look for when thrifting or even discovering items in your own closet when it comes to a costume, Leason added.
“Two years ago a guy had grown a beard and moustache and he was going to shave it anyway, so he just shaved the beard off and left the 70s moustache — and it looked sooooo good,” Leason laughed.
“His partner wasn’t super stoked about the facial hair, but it was perfect! And then she said, ‘He’s going home to shave.’ But some people really go over the top — and that’s what makes it so much fun.”
Hors d’oeuvres will be served throughout the afternoon, and when
you arrive, you get your first-round objectives and meet everyone participating.
“During that time you are free to do whatever investigating you want, so if you’re not a talker, you might not solve the mystery — but you’ll still have fun,” Leason said.
“The more people you talk to, the better your chances of putting the clues together. And there are prizes for people who get it correct — and there’s a prize for the killer if they get away with murder.”
One of the guests is the killer, but doesn’t know it until round two. In round one, the groundwork is laid out, and then usually in the middle someone dies. So then in round two, you find out if you killed the person — and some of the clues are offered as a recap, she added.
“Then you have to try and use that to do some digging,” Leason said.
“Everyone has special objectives that they’re supposed to try and do — like talk to certain people, ask about this, you overheard this a while ago, find out what they meant. You’re not supposed to lie, but you can hedge and evade, and you can bribe people — we give
you fake money — or you can extort people — and yes, there is a prize for the person with the most money!”
There are prizes for best female costume, best male costume and best performance, too.
“It’s a really entertaining day,” Leason said.
“I just love listening to people as they have their clandestine meetings in the corners of the room and outside by the root cellar — and that’s one of the other special things about the event. It’s hosted right in historic Huble House, so normally when you visit, there are gates up so you can visit but you don’t enter any of the rooms. But for this event, we open all the gates and you can have hors d’oeuvres in the parlour or go up into one of the bedrooms to have a little conversation if you need to. The whole house is roped off for mystery guests’ use, and then it ends at 4 p.m. and we’ll have a round-table discussion and ask who you think is the killer — and have some dessert as we do all the tallying. It’s just such a fun afternoon.”
There have been a lot of repeat players over the years.
“So obviously we’re doing something right,” Leason said.
HUBLE HOMESTEAD PHOTO
In 2018 the Homicide on the Homestead mystery was set in the 1940s. This time out, it takes place in the 1990s.
Neighbour inspired volunteer for Parkinson’s support
Organizers are getting ready for this year’s Superwalk on Sept. 6
CHRISTINE DALGLEISH Citizen Staff
Watching her neighbour struggle with shaky hands as he tried to water his garden got one Prince George teen thinking about what she could do to help on a grand scale, knowing tremors are a sign of Parkinson’s disease.
Serena Sanghera, now a UNBC student with aspirations to become a neurologist, has volunteered with the Prince George Parkinson Support group for the last six years and wants people in the North to be served by a Movement Disorders Clinic in Prince George.
This goal is motivating Sanghera’s efforts to raise awareness and funds during the Parkinson’s SuperWalk on Saturday, Sept. 6 at Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park.
A Movement Disorders Clinic would be dedicated to the diagnosis and management of Parkinson’s disease and other related disorders, such as tremor and dystonia, just like the clinic at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive, neurodegenerative disorder caused by a loss of the cells that produce dopamine in an area of the brain called the substantia nigra.
Dopamine is a brain neurotransmitter that sends signals from one nerve cell to another. It affects the parts of the brain that control smooth, voluntary movements, such as walking, writing, throwing a ball, or buttoning a shirt.
There is no cure for Parkinson’s disease. Treatment can help manage symptoms and help people live a full life with the disease, but they cannot slow or reverse its progression, according to the Parkinson Society of BC website.
“So the man in my neighbourhood lives a few houses down and every time I would walk home from school he would be outside sitting on his chair wobbling and he would still be
Sanghera said that if there was a neurologist willing to come to the north even on a quarterly basis to serve those in need it would be so helpful as travel is a barrier for many of those living with Parkinson’s disease.
“I hope we can find a neurologist willing to do this,” Sanghera said.
“I have been working with the Northern Medical Program students interested in becoming neurologists so that maybe they could have their practice here so we get more neurologists and hopefully we can have a clinic established. That’s my goal because it’s not financially possible for some people with Parkinson’s disease to travel to a clinic and physically can you imagine a 12-hour Northern Health Bus ride down to the lower mainland from Prince George and communities even further north than we are? It would be so difficult. So that’s my goal — to have a clinic by 2030.”
gardening,” Sanghera explained what inspired her volunteerism for the Parkinson Support Group in Prince George.
“He had so much passion and resilience and he did not let his physical disability diminish his capabilities. He had a beautiful garden, I must admit, he had florals everywhere and he would be there and shaking so hard there would be water everywhere and he didn’t care as long as he could water his plants. And I’m like ‘wow, I wonder how many other people are affected by this disease?’ So then I thought I should volunteer with this group as I always wanted to be part of community.”
She did her undergrad in biochemistry and molecular biology and through her studies was able to work with Dr. Kendra Furber in her neuroscience lab at UNBC.
“I have always been interested in neuroscience because I have a family history of Alzheimer’s so my connection to neurological disease started from there as it’s genetically inherited so I might get it in the future,” Sanghera said.
“I was always interested in how the
brain works and then saw how Parkinson’s affected my neighbour. Some people are ashamed they have Parkinson’s disease and are hiding it and that’s a big thing and I want to bring awareness to it.”
That way people who have the disease might be more comfortable in public, knowing they are supported, she added.
“A career in healthcare is the ultimate goal in neurology,” Sanghera said, promising she will return to Prince George after her studies are complete.
Sanghera is on a mission to make sure there is a Movement Disorders Clinic in Prince George by 2030 to serve the 1,000 or so people in the North who have Parkinson’s disease.
“Not just in the works but established by 2030,” Sanghera said.
“We were fourth priority when Movement Disorders Clinics were established in BC. Vancouver was first, Kelowna was second and Victoria was third.”
Each was able to acquire a neurologist willing to commit to the Movement Disorders Clinic, she explained.
Northern Heath provided a statement that said ‘Northern Health does not have plans for the development of a Movement Disorders Clinic in Prince George at this time.
These highly specialized care centres are typically found in larger population centres such as Vancouver and Kelowna. Prince George residents can access this highly specialized care by getting a referral from their primary care provider.’
Shirley Bond was part of the organizing committee at the launch of the Prince George Parkinson SuperWalk held on Aug. 12 where she talked about the SuperWalk being the first step in raising awareness for those with Parkinson’s disease in the North.
“And step two is to continue the fight to make sure that we can have a mobility clinic here in Prince George,” Bond said.
“We are a community that steps up and supports one another and Prince George deserves to have a clinic here,” Bond said.
To participate in the Prince George SuperWalk or to donate to a team visit www.support.parkinson.bc.ca/ PGSuperWalk2025.
CITIZEN PHOTO BY CHRISTINE DALGLEISH
Organizers Shirley Bond (left), Serena Sandghera and Gina Beddome are joined by Selen Alpay for the launch of the 2025 Parkinson’s Superwalk at the Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park Pavilion on Tuesday, Aug. 6.
PG Library’s Knowledge Garden is ripe with surprises
CHRISTINE DALGLEISH Citizen Staff
The Prince George Public Library Knowledge Garden is in its end-of-summer glory right now.
Tucked away adjacent to the library visitors are invited to meander along the path filled with tall sunflowers bent over as if to greet guests.
Proud stalks of corn reach for the last bits of summer sun and pumpkin plants run amok along the path to find that perfect spot to rest.
The garden features benches placed along the path, a picnic table tucked underneath towering blue spruce along with a small amphitheatre where those tall sunflowers live and outdoor programs are conducted like story times, where musicians can perform and
public speakers can have their say.
Efforts have been made to create a green space using regionally domestic plants, trees and flowers, including species that have been indicated for traditional use by local First Nations, the library’s website informs.
And important to some, the garden space even has WiFi access.
The Knowledge Garden is entirely supported by donations and the generous support from public and corporate donors has made it possible to create the beautiful space.
The garden is open seasonally, as weather permits, from May to October from 10:15 a.m. Monday through Saturday and closes about half an hour before the library does.
For more information visit www.pgpl. ca/knowledgegarden.
CITIZEN PHOTO BY CHRISTINE DALGLEISH
At the Prince George Public Library’s Knowledge Garden the large sunflowers and corn stalks are watched over by crows.
CITIZEN PHOTOS BY CHRISTINE DALGLEISH
The Prince George Public Library’s Knowledge Garden features a quiet pathway, a place to sit and more.
The night Mick Jagger stopped for dinner at Rosel’s
The Stones legend ew into town to dine with a friend in November 1989
TED CLARKE Citizen Staff
Wilf and Rosel Vogt, owners of Rosel’s restaurant, got a call from a man in Houston who had an unusual request. He said an old friend was coming to PG and he wanted to know if they would open the restaurant two hours early so they could have a meal on their own without getting bothered. The man did not say who his guest was.
It was Nov. 4, 1989, and Mick and the Rolling Stones were on their Steel Wheels North American tour. They had just played two soldout shows at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver.
The Vogts, who lived on the upper floor of the restaurant on Vancouver Street, agreed to let the two of them come early and dine in the privacy of Rosel’s sunroom.
“I opened up especially for him, not knowing who was coming; somebody said a friend was coming and that’s the only time we could get together, so I said, well we’re here anyways, why not,” said Rosel.
“This fellow came in and he was very nervous, looking out the window until a taxi arrived and this ugly guy comes out of there. He was ugly as sin, mouth from ear to ear, and he was grinning at me and looking at me as if I should recognize him.
“They were both very nice,” she said. “They were friends who had a lot to talk to each other and I just served them. He was pleasant enough to talk to and I think he had a few compliments but he kept looking at me and grinning, and I’m thinking, ‘You’re weird, man.’”
Rosel, now 90, can’t recall what they ordered off the menu, but they each had a few drinks during their two-hour dinner (which ended just after 5 p.m.). As Jagger was getting up to leave, he asked if he could walk around the restaurant. By that time it was open for business and other guests were sitting at their tables — and he walked up to them and spoke to some of them.
Jagger, a rock ’n’ roll legend and one of the most famous people on earth, seemed quite surprised nobody seemed to know who he was. If they did, they left them alone — certainly one of the rare times that ever happened to him when he was out in public.
“He had a few words with one or the other and nobody recognized him and I think he was rather pleased,” said Rosel. “I think he was relieved he could enjoy a nice quiet meal with his friend without interruptions.
“When he left we were really busy and he spent a long time at the guestbook. I think he wanted us to know who he was. That’s how we found out.
“In the evening we turned on the TV for the midnight news and lo and behold, there was ugly face being interviewed and I said, ‘Oh my God, that’s the guy from downstairs,’ and we got the guestbook and saw that’s who it was.”
Rosel and Wilf’s daughter Tina (Best) was in Prince George at the time but was not working at the restaurant. She says the guests who were there at the same time as Jagger likely knew who he was but didn’t want to draw attention to him.
“A lot of the people that went to Rosel’s were those who had money and they wanted to be discreet, and they didn’t want publicity, so they would have left him alone,” Best said. “Rosel’s was known for discretion and they often had politicians and other well-known people come to their restaurant.”
Best donated the guestbook to The Exploration Place museum in June.
Jagger printed his name in it using an extra downward stroke on the letter ‘M,’ which matches the way he forms that letter when he signs his autograph.
He listed his address as 25 Whitmore, London — the street he lived on in the Marylebone area of London in the late ’60s when he was with Marianne Faithfull. The penthouse apartment of the large and luxurious building where they lived was listed for sale this past April for £5.5 million.
He and his friend left the restaurant and drove right to the airport, where a private plane was waiting for Jagger. The Stones played a concert that night (Nov. 4) in Oakland, Calif., which would have made it a tight timeframe to cover
that distance (1,791 kilometres) in time for the show.
News of Jagger’s visit leaked out to the rest of the city and young Stones fans flocked to Rosel’s the following day, hoping he might still be there or that he’d left something behind to prove he was there.
Unlike the time CBS News legend Walter Cronkite visited Rosel’s and posed with the owners, no photos were taken of Jagger that day. Rosel doesn’t know who Jagger’s friend was because he didn’t sign the register.
Rosel’s opened in 1983 and was known as one of the best restaurants in town until it closed permanently on Oct. 18, 1997, after Wilf developed cancer. The building was sold and now serves as a doctors’ office. Rosel and Wilf moved to Sullivan Crescent and operated a bed and breakfast there for several years until the work of operating the business grew too much for them. Wilf died this year on June 22 at age 94.
“We got very, very rich,” said Rosel, “rich on friends.”
This is a page from the Rosel’s guestbook donated to The Exploration Place museum that Mick Jagger signed after he ate there in 1989.
CITIZEN FILE PHOTO
Rosel and Wilf Vogt owned and operated Rosel’s restaurant at Seventh Avenue and Vancouver Street in downtown Prince George.
Jagger
Aspiring veterinarian takes BCNE beef livestock crown
Amy Larson, 19, won with Joe, a year-old
Simmental/Angus steer
TED CLARKE Citizen Staff
Amy Larson knows what it takes to raise prize-winning cattle and as a 4-H Club ambassador she’s used to getting in front of a crowd to talk about her projects.
Larson knows once she steps into an arena at a cattle show it’s not just the animal and how its muscle and skeletal structure conforms to breed characteristics that’s being judged.
Those judges are also looking at the person leading that animal around the ring, and it’s all about showmanship and overall appearance.
After seven years competing in 4-H Club shows like her hometown fair, the BC Northern Exhibition, Larson decided she was ready for the Super Bowl of agricultural fairs and decided to enter this year’s Calgary Stampede in July.
“It was extremely intimidating, just to go there by yourself, you don’t know anyone,” said Larson. “I had been going to a couple of other junior shows for ages 7-21 and you can show heifers and steers and I went to one in Williams Lake.
“It was so overwhelming. You drive in the back gates with our bumper-tow trailers and you have these massive trailers of all these people you’ve seen on television, all the chuckwagon racers, and their names are on the trailers and then you see the full grandstand. It’s a crazy experience, just to actually see it and how big it is in real life.”
In Calgary, she entered the Junior Steer Classic, which drew 90 competitors, and finished eighth out of eight in Class 5, but her placing didn’t matter to Larson.
“I consider it a complete success, just from the sheer amount of learning that went on there, because you know there’s so much more than what happens here in our BCNE,” said Larson. “It was terrifying to go there by myself but I
learned so much.”
She put that knowledge to work for her last week at the BC Northern Exhibition, her hometown fair, winning prizes as reserve champion market steer and grand overall showman, as well as the reserve champion Angus steer title. Her family entered 25 steers in the beef category.
Larson’s prize steer, Joe, was auctioned off Saturday evening. Weighing in at 1,490 pounds, he was born Feb. 10, 2024 at Nine Mile Ranch near Quesnel. She’s hoping the new owner will allow her to take Joe to one more show — the Armstrong Interior Provincial Exhibition and Stampede — later this month before he goes to slaughter.
She gets attached to her cows and has to get used to the idea her steers are not likely to see their second year before they go to be processed into meat for the local grocery store.
“It’s something you have to keep
racing sled dogs with her dad Larry. Now heading into her second year studying biology at UNBC, Larson has plans to apply to the University of Saskatchewan’s veterinary program once she has the credits she needs. She works two days per week at her cousin Kayla Shallard’s poultry processing plant in Quesnel and that will give her some of the work experience hours needed to gain acceptance in the U of S program.
“I grew up loving animals and always had tons of animals around and my aunt (Janelle Merritt) is a vet,” said Larson. “I love 4-H because it really does feed your love for animals and that has led to a love and appreciation and a love for agriculture and food producers and how important it is to support local food producers and know where your food’s coming from.
in mind from the very beginning, you know that this is what they’re for but I have to say (Joe) is the favourite steer I’ve had because we’ve done so much together,” said Larson.
“He was really badly-behaved in the beginning and now he’s an angel, he’s kind of like a puppy dog and it’s really hard. I cried coming out of the ring (Friday), he was doing so well and you just get that emotion being proud of him. Everyone goes through that when they load their animals and say goodbye.”
Cupcake, a bred heifer who will give birth later this year, also won a firstplace ribbon at the four-day BCNE, which wrapped up Sunday at Exhibition Park.
Larson has competed in cattle shows for seven of the eight years she’s been involved in 4-H. Her dad Steve is part of a long line of 4-H members that goes back several generations in his family. Her mom Celynne (nee Merritt) grew up
“The 4-H program is so important in developing future entrepreneurs and future leaders and members of society because I think it’s the only program where you get a full experience of life skills. It’s not just about animals, you learn communication, public speaking, all these things, and you learn to work together as a team, how to win, how to lose, how to go through hardships with yourself and your animal, and how people are always there to support you and you support them.”
Prince George district has four 4-H clubs — Pineview, Beaverly, Northwest and, new this year, South Haven. Larson started the South Haven and is the founding president of a club that now has about 30 members.
“It totally encompasses our motto of learning to do by doing and how important it is to be willing to learn things,” she said. “You can see kids that, at the beginning of the year, were really reserved and now they are flourishing, they talk to people and you see more confidence in them.
“There are so many opportunities for scholarships and trips in 4-H. Lots of people think it’s just about animals but you don’t have to be involved in agriculture or live on a farm. We have mountain biking this year as a project.”
CITIZEN PHOTO BY CHUCK NISBETT
Amy Larson, 19, poses with her Simmental/Angus steer Joe on Saturday, Aug. 16 after winning Reserve Champion Market Steer, Reserve Champion 4H Angus and Grande Overall Showman titles at the 2025 BCNE.
Throwback Thursday: Week of August 28
Aug. 29, 2015: Look familiar? A Cottonwood Island Park bridge was off limits after spring ooding led to erosion. The Citizen reported that the city had studied the damage and determined realignment and erosion protection was needed. Ten years later, it’s still an issue.
Aug. 28, 1968: The hours were ticking away for Prince George students and school authorities were bracing for what The Citizen described as a record load of students.
In this photo, senior secondary school clerk Patsy Malahaff was getting a mountain of textbooks ready for them. CITIZEN FILE PHOTO
Aug. 27, 1997: In another world: Kyla Kozevnikov tried out a virtual reality game at the Fraser Fort George Regional Museum, taking a crack at the next century’s entertainment technology. The game, Rise of the Triad, was part of an exhibit on VR. CITIZEN FILE PHOTO BY BRENT BRAATEN
Aug. 29, 1983: Sometimes you get that sinking feeling, as the Northern Mountain Helicopters team discovered during the Simon Fraser Raft Race. After a wet ride, they nished in fth place. Forty teams competed, 38 nished and the Moonshiners from Quesnel won. CITIZEN FILE PHOTO BY RIC
ERNST
your
CITIZEN FILE PHOTO BY CHARELLE EVELYN
BREATHE Project fosters connectons in the north
TOMOS LAND Northern Health
In the wake of increasingly fast-paced changes in our climate, the impact of wildfires is being felt for longer, and to a greater extent than ever before. In our communities, the health impacts of poor air quality are a constant concern. As a result, protecting the population’s health is at the forefront of several community-based initiatives focused on mitigating these risks.
One such initiative that has proven to be extremely successful is The BREATHE Project, a collaboration between Simon Fraser University and the BC Lung Foundation.
Focused on improving the indoor air quality of community members, the project organizes workshops where participants learn how to assemble their own DIY (do it yourself) air cleaners.
Hillary Sheppard, a community and social development co-ordinator within the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality, recently found herself running a workshop in Fort Nelson.
In an interview with Northern Health, Sheppard shared the story of how she ended up leading the event, why these workshops are so important, and the wider benefits of community-driven seminars.
Stepping up for Fort Nelson as a conduit between local government and the wider populace within the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality, Sheppard has a wealth of experience working with community groups. As a result, she was the first call for the BREATHE team when wildfires prevented their facilitator from making the Fort Nelson workshop.
Recounting the days leading up to the event, Sheppard shared, “We had been having such heavy smoke in the region, that during the week of the workshop, ash was raining down from the sky and covering our vehicles.” Throughout Fort Nelson that week, Sheppard recalls, there was an unmistakable gloom amongst residents brought on by the smoke from the wildfires.
Such was the extent of the fires, that
additional barriers to participation too. I have spent a lot of time thinking about community building, especially after the COVID pandemic, and the workshop is a great example of what can be done to mitigate the risks associated with isolation that often arises from emergency events.”
In addition to helping the participants build their own air filters, some attendees were also able to put together kits for members of the community who had registered but had been forced to stay at home due to the smoky conditions. This, Sheppard said, is just one example of how tight-knit the community of Fort Nelson is.
“Even though we’re small, when we see people coming together for these kinds of events, there is just so much gratitude expressed and a lot of connection building between people in the workshop,” she said. “It does a lot for people’s spirits, and I think we saw quite a few people who hadn’t seen each other in a long time.”
Moreover, one of the key aspects Sheppard says which led to the workshop’s success was giving participants the agency to build an air filter to protect them and their families.
Oftentimes, extreme weather events leave people feeling helpless, but for the people of Fort Nelson, the practical element of the workshop proved to be a silver lining during an otherwise difficult week.
Summarizing these sentiments, Sheppard said that the “BREATHE workshop and similar events don’t necessarily ‘fix’ problems, but they make it easier to cope, help people feel purposeful, and above all improve the mood through small, joyful moments between community members.”
in the days leading up to the workshop there were extensive highway closures, and Sheppard and the organizers considered postponing the event. However, upon realizing that the registry was full, Sheppard took on the mantle of facilitating to ensure the event would go ahead.
“Although I was nervous, I thought that the fact that everyone there was ready to help one another was beautiful,
and despite the circumstances there was a lot of laughter and fun” she said.
“We were all suffering the effects of the wildfires, but I just thought if we could all work together, we could figure things out and get something out of the situation.
“It was such a beautiful way of supporting the community, by helping people help themselves, and by providing the equipment it just reduced any
Having already touched on the positive impacts workshops like the DIY Air Filter event can have on community connections, Sheppard further highlighted the importance these seminars have on mitigating one of the consequences of extreme weather events, social isolation.
CITIZEN FILE PHOTO
Wildfire smoke turns the sky over Prince George brownish orange in the summer of 2024. While the city has been largely spared the worst of smoky air this year, other communities haven’t been so lucky.
Working to create space and safety for every body
FLO SHEPPARD
Northern Health
Have you ever heard or seen something that changed the way you think about a topic? I recently attended a webinar by the Association for Size Diversity and Health (ASDAH) where people living in larger bodies shared “life hacks” and tips to navigate in a world made for smaller bodies.
Even after more than a decade talking about how weight bias, stigma, and discrimination are harmful, I was still surprised to learn all the ways our world doesn’t fit or is unkind to people in larger bodies.
As someone in a straight-sized body, there are many things that I don’t have to think about when it comes to how my body exists in the world; things that others may have to consider every day.
For example, I don’t worry that my health care provider will dismiss my concerns because of my body size, I’ve never had someone congratulate me for being physically active, and I can enter any room confident that the furniture and space inside will be suitable for me.
Airplane seating doesn’t always fit everyone comfortably.
Weight bias, stigma, and discrimination, show up in relationships as well as at work, school, health care, and in the media.
These experiences can take a serious toll on a person’s well-being, contributing to physical health issues, mental health challenges like depression or anxiety, social isolation, and even
Adults in larger bodies enjoy accessible seating in this file photo. A recent webinar featured tips for people maneuvering in a world that might not always fit them.
avoiding work, education opportunities, and important health care visits.
Society tells people in larger bodies they just need to lose weight to be treated better.
This ignores the real problem; our society accepts discrimination based on body size, and its harmful effects as “normal.” Diet culture promotes the idea that smaller bodies are healthier and more attractive, but weight change isn’t simple, isn’t always possible, and is rarely long-lasting. All people, regardless of size, ability, race, etc., have the right to be treated humanely.
August is Fat Liberation Month, which highlights how systems hurt people in
larger bodies, advocates for change, and shows how people in larger bodies can thrive despite weight bias, stigma, and discrimination.
What can you do?
Everybody and every body deserves dignity. Here are some ways to support:
If you live in a larger body:
Know that you have the right to unconditional, respectful, ethical, and compassionate interactions where you live, learn, work, play, or are cared for. When this right is violated, act in ways that feel right for you.
That might mean leaving a situation, speaking up, or suggesting changes. It can be hard to do these things, but
you may find help with allies and support networks. A good place to start is ASDAH’s Fat Liberation Month campaign.
If you live in a smaller body: You have responsibilities. First, listen to the experiences of people in larger bodies and take direction from them in terms of how to make things better.
Second, think about the ways you move in the world and if that’s easier or harder because of your body size.
Third, speak up and advocate for spaces that are more inclusive and welcoming to all.
Together we can create a more inclusive society. What will you do?
Workshops help cope with the uncertainty of fre season
CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE
Workshops like the ones run by the BREATHE Project help citizens escape the overwhelming, turbulent feeling that wildfire season often brings and gives people the opportunity to work with others, empower one another, and create an environment that strengthens social bonds.
Born and raised in Fort Nelson, Sheppard recalled the workshop with an evident sense of pride in her community, who in her eyes demonstrate an incredible amount of grit and resilience, but still benefit immensely both mentally and physically from these events.
In addition to all the participants who attended the event, Sheppard
emphasized the crucial role of the BREATHE Project, including Simon Fraser University, the BC Lung Foundation and all their other major funders in making the workshop possible. Hillary Sheppard and the Fort Nelson community would also like to extend their thanks to the BC Lung Foundation, Simon Fraser University, Northern Health, Diemert Home Hardware,
Kendyl Livingston and Marcel Rains, who supported the workshop in countless different ways.
Additionally, further workshops have been hosted in Fort Nelson with generous funding from Fortis BC and Beem Credit Union, giving more members of the community a much-needed barrier from some of the worst impacts of wildfire smoke within their homes.
Local Sports Men’s, women’s Timberwolves open soccer season
Victory for the men, defeat for the women after
playing
two games each at home
TED CLARKE Citizen Staff
The UNBC Timberwolves men proved to be the mightier pack once again, defeating the Thompson Rivers University Wolfpack 2-1 Sunday afternoon at Masich Place Stadium to complete their weekend sweep.
With the win, the TWolves come out of the opening weekend of the Canada West season with a perfect 2-0-0 record.
After a scoreless first half, Isaac Tate and Jamie Wildash-Chan scored early in the second frame to put the TWolves ahead.
Logan Pierce finished the game with seven saves while his counterpart Luca Ortu made five for TRU.
The lone Wolfpack goal came by way of Lachlan Will in the 59th minute.
On Friday, the TWolves kicked off their season on a high note with a 2-1 victory over the visiting WolfPack. Koss Nystedt and Wildash-Chan, a New Zealand import, scored two minutes apart late in the first-half, erasing a 1-0 WolfPack advantage.
In women’s soccer action, also at Masich on Sunday afternoon, the UNBC Timberwolves Women showed signs of improvement in a 1-0 loss to the visiting TRU Wolfpack.
Esi Lufo scored the lone goal in the 63rd minute, wrapping up the weekend with three goals and an assist as the Wolfpack secured a pair of wins to kickoff the season over the TWolves.
At the other side, Johanna Rathke made 10 saves, many highlight-reel-worthy, to keep the Wolfpack to the lone goal.
TRU defeated UNBC 5-0 on Friday.
Both UNBC teams will be playing on the road this week.
The women head to Abbotsford for games against the Fraser Valley Cascades on Thursday, Aug. 28 and Friday, Aug., 29 (both at 5:30 p.m.).
Fraser Valley dropped to 0-2 after a 5-0 loss Saturday in Victoria, on the heels of 4-0 season-opening loss to the UBC Thunderbirds.
The UNBC men, currently second in the Pacific division, will face the Trinity Western University Spartans Friday and Saturday (both at 7:15 p.m.) in Langley.
The Spartans are 0-2 following a 2-1 loss Saturday at UBC.
Trinity also lost its Friday opener 3-1 in Victoria.
With files from Prince George Citizen staff.
CITIZEN PHOTOS BY CHUCK NISBETT
ABOVE: UNBC Timberwolves defender Keeley Read tackles TRU WolfPack midfielder Sara Kuusimäki during their second meeting of the weekend at Masich Place Stadium Sunday, Aug. 24.
BELOW: TRU WolfPack defender Liam Freathy and UNBC Timberwolves defender Hagon Kim battle in the air for an incoming corner kick in front of the TRU goal ball during their second game of the weekend at Masich Place Stadium Sunday, Aug. 24.
Win against Kamloops puts Kodiaks in playof positon
TED CLARKE Citizen Staff
For the first time in their four-year history, the Prince George Kodiaks are enjoying the rarefied air that comes with being in a playoff position.
The Kodiaks are now in sole possession of third place in the seven-team BC Football Conference after they topped the Kamloops Broncos 31-12 Saturday in Kamloops.
Now owners of a 3-2 record, the Kodiaks have reached the halfway mark of the BCFC season with a chance to rack up their third straight win this Saturday in Nanaimo, where they meet the Vancouver Island Raiders (2-3, fifth place).
Caiden Crow, Gavin Halvorson, Mathew Sturgess and rookie quarterback James Comstock all found the end zone for the Kodiaks in Kamloops. Brady Harper kicked a 41-yard field goal in the first half to get Prince George on the scoreboard.
The Broncos led 12-10 at halftime. Saturday’s result marked the second time this season the Kodiaks have beaten the Broncos in Kamloops. They
posted a 33-13 triumph at Hillside Stadium on July 26. The Kodiaks will host Kamloops on Saturday, Sept. 27, the final regular season home game at
Masich Place Stadium. Kamloops (0-5) ranks last in the BCFC.
The Kodiaks will be back on home turf on Saturday, Sept. 6 against the
Big rigs roar around the track at PGARA
Okanagan Sun.
The Sun, 48-7 winners over the Valley Huskers Saturday in Chilliwack, improved their first-place record to 5-0.
KAMLOOPS BRONCOS PHOTO
Prince George Kodiaks quarterback Sawyer Thiessen lets go of a pass against the Kamloops Broncos during their BCFC game July 26, 2025 in Kamloops. Prince George won that game 33-13 and also defeated the Broncos 31-12 on Saturday, Aug. 23 at Hillside Stadium in Kamloops.
CITIZEN PHOTO BY CHUCK NISBETT
Cory Riplinger in No. 13 leads Brady Riplinger, Coles Wiesner and Dylan Swanstrom in the North American Big Rigs A Heat Saturday, August 23 at PGARA Speedway.
Pisces coach dips into racing pool at provincials in PG
The 24-year-old won four medals while also guiding other local swimmers
TED CLARKE Citizen Staff
There aren’t that many sports where coaches and their athletes compete together in the same event, but in the BC Summer Swim Association it’s not that unusual.
Justine Guillet, an assistant coach with the Prince George Pisces Swim Club, has taken advantage of that opportunity to set the bar high for her club in swim racing.
Competing in Division 8 at the BC Summer Swim Association provincial championships Aug. 10-16 at the Prince George Aquatic Centre, the 23-yearold captured four medals at her home pool.
Already blessed with an athlete’s engine, having grown up playing competitive soccer, volleyball, basketball, hockey, judo, combined with her maturity as a coach, working under the influence of Pisces head coach Ian Williams, Guillet has developed an exceptional work ethic that’s paying in consistent clock reductions in her race times.
It was a rare luxury competing is such a big event, minutes from her College Heights home, and Guillet used that to her advantage.
“With this being in my home town I could just visualize my race way better and walk in and rest up in my own bed, it makes a huge difference,” said Guillet.
“It’s quite a contrast from travelling nine hours of 13 hours when there’s delays that happen and I’m way more rested going into this meet. It can make your rise to that extra level and we’re seeing certain kids hitting crazy best times and this is the place to do it,”
Guillet was chasing University of Calgary Dinos swimmer Myriam Hickey of Chilliwack in the 50 m free on Friday (Aug. 17) and Guillet won the silver medal, finishing just two-tenths
of a second off Hickey’s winning pace. Guillet’s time (26.71) took 57-100ths of second off her previous best.
“I was super happy, I was almost bang-on — a best time — so
it was a really great race for me,” said Guillet. “I’ve just focused on the process this year leading me to certain times and if I follow steps X, Y and Z it’s led me to my times.”
The Pisces swimmer won bronze in the 100 free, posting a time of 1:00.98, while Hickey reeled in gold in 58.50. Guillet just missed the podium in two other individual events, finishing fourth in 40 butterfly (30.78) and fifth in the 100 fly (1:11:13)
She also teamed up with Jocelyn Murguly, Summer Maritsas and Emma Watson to win two relay medals. The Pisces team took silver in the 200 freestyle relay and they were bronze medalists in
the 200 medley relay.
“That went really well,” said Guillet, who swam the butterfly leg, “I haven’t been on a relay that’s placed or made finals ever in Pisces, so even to make finals was a step up.”
She also competed in the 200 regional medley relay.
Guillet swam with the Pisces as a young teenager and came back to the club four years ago, after Williams returned from Victoria to take on the head coaching position. Since Williams took over in 2018, the club has grown from 35 competitive racers to 260 this year.
“She’s awesome, she’s one of our assistant head coaches and puts a lot of work in outside of coaching hours to swim and try and perform at her best, and she’s dropping a chunk of time, going into provincials top-ranked in 50 free,” said Pisces head coach Ian Williams.
“She swims freestyle mostly, but her butterfly and breaststroke are quite strong and she’s dropping time on everything this year so she’s turning
into a powerhouse in all the strokes really.”
Guillet raced in her first provincial championship meet three years ago in Vancouver and was encouraged by her results at the UBC pool.
“I kind of surprised myself at how fast I went but also I remember watching some other simmers and getting really inspired,” said Guillet. “There was this girl, Josie Field (a UBC swimmer from Langley) and she swam a 26.50 freestyle in the final and she gapped everybody and got first place. I can remember thinking, wow, that would be crazy of I could do that and now I’m swimming a similar time.”
“It’s definitely inspiring to feel like I fit in with some of these university swimmers, maybe I could take it a step further and get into a school,” she said. She’s already armed with a degree in biomedical studies from UNBC and she’s considering options to continue her education with masters studies in physiotherapy of sports psychology at another school that offers a U SPORTS varsity swimming career.
CITIZEN PHOTO BY CHUCK NISBETT
Pisces swimmer Justine Guillet powers though the water during the butterfly leg of a 200-metre medley relay preliminary heat Friday, Aug. 15 during the BCSSA 2025 Provincial Championships at the Aquatic Centre.
Guillet
Life Events
In Loving Memory
Debra Work
1956 - 2024
When the golden sun is setng and your mind from care is free. When others you are thinking, will you sometmes think of me. Forever loved and dearly missed by Dave, Leah & Alan
Wayne Douglas Barr
September 11, 1946 - August 19, 2025
From Windsor Ontario, Wayne passed away peacefully in care. Survived by brother Jim, wife Flora, children Ligaya and Doug and grandchildren Jovie, Dashiel and Malea.
Dean Olsen
June 8, 1941 - August 4, 2025
Dean Olsen passed away August 4, 2025
Survived by his wife Lois, sons, grandchildren, great grandson & siblings elebraton of Life at a later date
Born: June 5, 1945 – Passed away August 5, 2025 at the age of 80.
Le to mourn arol s assing are her usband rvin, on, ussell eckie & Family and ister, une erry akamoto and Family.
he was redeceased by baby on oddy & on aymond, arents, Albert & da ae unker, randmother, arbara rook, Father n Law oe & other n Law li abeth. Also le to mourn her assing rothers n Law, isters n Law and their Families.
arol was born and raised in rince eorge . . she worked as a home su ort worker for years. arol retred due to health reasons however, she loved volunteering for the ld ime Fidler s Associaton, rince eorge Legion and most en oyed he Festval of imes. arol loved going cam ing on the weekends with family and friends. n arol and her husband, rvin, moved to the almon Arm area, contnuing her en oyment of volunteering at the almon Arm Legion. arol en oyed being on the ontoon boat on the huswa Lake and other nearby lakes.
arol assed away with her husband by her side. Forever loved, rvin.
here will be no service at this tme.
n lieu of owers, memorial donatons to the eart and troke Foundaton o , oronto, would be greatly a reciated.
hare condolences and memories of arol through her obituary at www. schersfuneralservices.com
Arthur George Barr
December 22, 1945 – August 7, 2025
The family of Arthur Barr sadly announce his peaceful passing on August 7,2025 at the Gateway Lodge in Prince George, BC.
Arthur was born and raised near Peterborough, Ontario. His family relocated to BC in 1962. Arthur explored the world for a few years as a young adult. e later se led in rince eorge and was em loyed at Domtar/Stella Jones for over 30 years. Arthur’s hobbies included: gardening, recycling, walking, reading, hel ing visitng neighbors and family. adly, a diagnosis of dementa stole Arthur s independence. Kathleen, Wade and neighbors supported him at home for as long as possible. Arthur moved to Gateway Lodge in the fall of 2024, where he resided untl his assing.
Arthur is survived by his sister Diane (John) Kichuk from Minitonas MB. Nieces and Nephews from Minitonas MB: Lee Anne (Blair) Campbell, Wendy (Kevin) Barker (Bethany, Abby, Josie); Laurie (Lee) Evans (Blake), Neil (Brenna) Kichuk (Hallie, Nyah, Connor).
Nieces: Kristy Thompson of Fort Fraser BC (Natasha, Nathan). Nancy Lougheed of Fraser Lake BC (Wayne, Zack, Cynthia, Stefanie, Donnie, Karista).
Stepdaughter Kathleen (Wade) Weetman of Prince George BC, (Ethan, Kiera).
Stepson Callum (Heather) Brown of Vancouver BC, (Joshua, Tommy).
Also remembered by many aunts, uncles, cousins. Predeceased by his parents David and Ivah Barr, Brothers: Neil, Wayne and Keith.
Nephew Daryl Barr, great-nephew Joel Campbell, great-niece Amara Campbell.
Services of Remembrance were held in Prince George on August 15 and in Fraser Lake BC August 16.
Carol Barbara Hordos (Junker-Blois)
Raymond Kondratuk 1938 - 2025
Beloved husband, father and friend
It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Ray Kondratuk on August 8th, 2025.
Ray was born in Lethbridge, Alberta and grew up in the Crow’s Nest Pass. He spent his youth fying fshing with his dad and it was here that he developed his deep love of the mountains and the outdoors. As a young man, he held various jobs in Alberta and BC untl he landed in Port Alice in 1963 and began working as a millwright. There he met the love of his life, Edith, and started their family. In 1968 they moved north and “Super Uke” joined PG Pulp and Paper, where he worked untl his retrement in 2000.
Ray’s love of the outdoors led him to work with the Spruce City Wildlife Associaton in the early years and start the millwright’s annual fshing trip. Ray and Edith raised two children and spent many wonderful weekends and holidays camping, boatng and fshing with their friends. He loved to cook and entertain; Ray and dith’s krainian New ear’s ve partes were legendary. They spent thirty-two wonderful years enjoying their lakeside cabin on Francois Lake with family and friends, especially afer retrement.
Ray was a talented artst and crafsman. From oil and water colour paintng to wood and soapstone carving, there was litle he couldn’t do when he turned his mind to it. He was also a gifed storyteller and ofen entertained friends with tales of past adventures.
Above all, Ray was a devoted husband and father, and his family and friends meant the world to him. Ray leaves behind his wife of nearly sixty years Edith, son Jim, daughter Rae-Ann and son-in-law Malcolm mery. Their lives together were flled with love, endless teasing, and happy memories. Ray promised his wife that life with him wouldn’t be boring, and she’d never know what he was going to say or do next. He kept that promise right untl the very end.
No service by request.
Diane Van Horlick
April 28, 1947 - July 30, 2025
It is with great sadness that the family of Diane Van Horlick announce her passing on July 30, 2025. Diane was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and cherished friend. She was a shining light who always knew what people needed, ofen beginning with a hug.
Born in Vancouver on April 28, 1947, to Doris and George Cranston, Diane grew up in the seaside town of Woodfbre, BC. At 15 she met the love of her life, Ken Van Horlick. They married when she was 18 and spent 57 wonderful years together untl Ken’s passing in 2023.
In 1966, they setled in Prince George, where Ken began work at PG Pulp and Diane opened Van Horlick’s Trophies in 1969. Within a few years, Ken joined her in the business, and for more than three decades they worked side by side. Diane led the company with kindness and grace for over 55 years, building a reputaton for excellence and community spirit. She was immensely proud when her daughters, Lisa and Paula, took ownership of her legacy.
Family was Diane’s greatest joy. She lived by the moto, “A family that plays together, stays together.” Weekends were flled with skiing, camping, and making memories. She was a wonderful cook and baker who created traditons around birthdays, and celebratons. Diane adored her grandchildren, atending every recital, sportng event, and special moment, and was overjoyed to welcome two greatgrandchildren. Her lake home was a gathering place flled with laughter, love, and friendship. A true pillar of Prince George, Diane gave generously of her tme and heart through volunteering on many boards and commitees over the years.
Shelley Lynne Teresa Stang
April 25, 1962 - August 17, 2025
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Shelley. She was awaitng open heart surgery but unfortunately succumbed to a massive heart atack due to her conditon.
Shelley was born in Dryden, Ontario, in 1962, and from the beginning she was a source of joy and love to her parents, Hugh and Mary Jo Norman. When the family moved to Prince George, Shelley carried with her a sense of adventure and resilience that would stay with her for life.
From a young age, Shelley found joy in creatng and in caring. Afer graduatng from Prince George College in 1981, she pursued her passion for food and studied Culinary Arts at S.A.I.T., and later at the renowned Le Cordon Bleu in London, England, where she graduated with honors. She worked for many years as a Red Seal chef, sharing her creatvity, discipline, and love of bringing people together around the table.
More than her talents, it was Shelley’s heart that stood out. She found her greatest joy in caring for others, working as a Health Care Assistant at Jubilee Lodge. She brought laughter, kindness, and energy into every room and had a gif of making people feel truly seen.
Shelley was not one to shy away from a challenge. The greatest of these was addicton. She was steadfast in her 7th year of sobriety and ofen shared that her Faith was the foundaton of her strength and the anchor of her recovery.
She laughed, lived, and loved unapologetcally. Though her absence leaves an aching space in our hearts, we take comfort in the knowledge that her life touched so many, and her spirit will contnue to guide us.
Diane will be lovingly remembered by her daughters Lisa Van Horlick and Paula (Antony) Van HorlickDerksen; grandchildren Rebecca Williams, Austn Derksen, Genevieve (Riley) Cassidy, Brooklyn Derksen, and Tanner (Kyra) Van Horlick; greatgrandchildren Scot and Myah; nephews Glenn Silas and Scot (Connie, Joey) Silas; along with many relatves and friends.
A celebraton of life will be held on Sept. 7, 2025, at 1:00 pm (doors open 12:30) at the Prince George Civic Centre.
In lieu of fowers, donatons may be made to the Spirit of the North Healthcare Foundaton.
Rest peacefully, dear Shelley. You will be forever loved and never forgoten.
She will be lovingly remembered by her two sons Mathew (Karri) Stang and Michael (Kaleigh Mesic) Stang. Grandchildren: Harper and Brady. Mother Mary Jo Norman. Siblings: Rhonda (Chris) Gilbert, Lisa (Norm Adams) Norman, Christopher (Karla) Norman. Nieces and Nephews: than, Jordyn, Gri n, Jenna, and Brooklyn.
Shelley was pre-deceased by her father, Hugh Norman.
A funeral mass will be held in Prince George at St. Mary Roman Catholic church on Saturday, September 6, 2025 @ 11:00am. To honor Shelley’s love of bright colors, we invite you to wear something vibrant as we celebrate her life.
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Forest Stewardship Plan Amendment
AMENDMENT REQUIRING APPROVAL 2017 FOREST STEWARDSHIP PLAN (FSP 2) Prince George & Stuart Nechako Natural Resource Districts
Canadian Forest Products Ltd. (Canfor), Tanizul Timber Ltd., Takla Track & Timber Ltd., Hampton Lumber (Fort St. James Forest Products General Partner Ltd.), and Dunkley Lumber Ltd., Sasuchan Development or or ton, n rrier er t ve re re an Amendment Requiring Approval (ARA) to their oint orest te r s i n for o er tons in the Prince George and Stuart Nechako Natural Resource Districts. The Amendment is available for public review startn on u ust . Amendment ARA-017 is required to add Forest Licenses A98534 and A99206 into the Forest Stewardship Plan.
In or n e it t e orest nnin n r t es e ton, en ent is v i e for public review and comment from August 21th to e te er r , t t e fo o in o tons rin re r o e o rs to se ene imber td. : Deborah Thompson, 61 Sekani Drive, General Delivery, Mcleod Lake, BC, V0J2G0 (dthompson@sekani.ca).
ani Forest enure imited Partners ip : C/O Darryl Valk, KDL Resource Management, PO Bag 19, 561 Stuart Drive, Fort St James, BC, V0J1PO (dvalk@merakiresources.com)
e resent tves i e v i e to is ss t e proposed amendment and to receive comment(s).
If an interested party is unable to review the Amendment (ARA-017) during regular business hours, e se ont t s one or in ritn to rr n e s it e t e
OLSON by Perry Melenka of 2163 Shamrock Rd., Prince George BC.,V2K 1P6 e ardi ro er Cam er model C made y ea fr. lus mis erso al items. Perry Melenka will dispose of this property unless Trevor Olson takes possession of the above items and removes from the a ress a ove it in a s of t is notce eing pu lis e . U-Haul Storage Center Prince George claims a Landlords Contractual Lien against the following persons goods in storage at 7087 Bear Rd, Prince George, BC V2N 5N7 Tel:(236)
y
Annual General Meetng Comesupportaccessible, inclusivetransportatonforall.
When: Thursday, September 4, 2025
Where: Community Futures 1566 7th Ave
Time: 4:30 pm
Memberships are $6.00
Phone: 562-1397
Email: shivam@carefreesociety.org
Newly Updated • ECE run • Licenced Daycare. From 36 months to kindergarten. Great Government subsidy: Parents pay only $387/month full-tme.
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Pets
in
history: Heroic dogs and cats
DEAR PAW’S CORNER: Thank you for discussing war dogs and their service with our armed forces. Can you highlight some non-military canine heroes, too? -- Jim F., San Diego
DEAR JIM: Absolutely! Dogs have been performing heroic feats for as long as they’ve been our companions. But only a few have made it into the history books. Here are a few that some readers may not have heard of:
Balto and Togo: In January 1925, a diphtheria outbreak threatened the population of Nome, Alaska. To deliver lifesaving serum, teams of sled dogs relayed 500 miles across ice and snow in treacherous weather. Togo led his dog team across the longest, most dangerous part of the relay. Balto, a young and inexperienced husky, sprinted through fierce winds to reach the town in record time. Today, their journey is commemorated each year with the Iditarod sled race.
Riley: A Golden Retriever search-and-rescue (SAR) dog who became the face of SAR dogs in the wake of 9/11. At one point, Riley was sent alone in a basket over a 60-foot chasm to search the wreckage on the other side. He was
1. Name the artist who released “What Becomes of the Broken Hearted.”
2. Which song has the phrase “I know” 26 times in the lyrics?
3. Levi Stubbs was lead singer for which Motown group?
4. Name the artist who penned and released “Thunder Island.”
Answers;
one of many dogs who searched the World Trade Center rubble to recover those lost. Riley died in 2010, suffering various health problems, possibly from his time at Ground Zero.
Buddy: In 1928, this German Shepherd became the first Seeing Eye dog in the United States. Born in Switzerland, she (yes, Buddy was a she) was trained by Dorothy Harrison Eustis, who ran a kennel that trained military and police dogs. Eustis matched Buddy to Frank Morris, a sightimpaired man from the U.S. Morris championed the use of Seeing Eye dogs, demonstrating Buddy’s skill at leading him across busy Manhattan streets.
Ruf!n, in 1966. The song was written to give to the Spinners, but Ruf!n’s version did well reaching No. 6 on the R&B chart.
1. Which group released “Rag Doll”?
2. “Ain’t No Sunshine,” by Bill Withers in 1971 on his debut album. The repeating “I know” was a placeholder for lyrics Withers intended to write, but he was talked out of it.
2. Name the artist who wrote and released “Dreamy Eyes.”
3. Which group released “GreenEyed Lady”?
3. The Four Tops. Stubbs sang lead on “Baby I Need Your Loving” and “It’s the Same Old Song” and dozens of others. The group was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.
4. Who wrote and released “Cracklin’ Rosie”?
4. Jay Ferguson, in 1977.
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.”
1. Jimmy
* On Sept. 1, 1878, Emma Nutt of Boston became the first female telephone operator. Until then, most telephone operators were teenage boys, whom customers weren’t overly happy with due to their gruffness and penchant for jokes and cursing.
* On Sept. 2, 1995, pop star Michael Jackson’s recording of “You Are Not
• 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) This week could ofer more opportunites for ambitous Lambs who are eager to get ahead. But don’t rush into making decisions untl you’ve checked for possible hidden problems.
TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) Some light begins to shine on professional and/or personal situatons that have long eluded an explanaton. Best advice: Don’t rush things. All will be made clear in tme.
Alone,” penned by R. Kelly after Kelly lost people close to him, made it to the top of Billboard’s Hot 100, becoming Jackson’s 12th No. 1 hit. It also earned American Music Award and Grammy nominations for Best Pop Vocal Performance.
* On Sept. 3, 1939, in response to Hitler’s invasion of Poland, Britain and France declared war on Germany.
* On Sept. 4, 2016, Pope Francis declared Roman Catholic nun Mother Teresa, who had dedicated her life to caring for India’s poor and marginalized, Saint Teresa of Calcutta before an approving crowd of thousands in Vatican City’s St. Peter’s
Square. Her numerous awards included the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize.
* On Sept. 5, 2024, Oksana Masters, who was born with disabilities linked to the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, including webbed fingers and six toes on each foot, and abandoned as a baby but adopted at age 7 by an American professor, won her 9th Paralympic gold medal, scoring 19th overall across rowing, cycling and skiing.
* On Sept. 6, 1781, British Brigadier General Benedict Arnold, a former Patriot officer who had already become infamous for betraying the United States by attempting to sell the Patriot fort at
CANCER (June 21 to July 22) Work prospects are back on track, but watch what you say. A thoughtless comment to the wrong person -- even if it’s said in jest -- could delay or even derail your progress.
West Point, New York, to the British the previous year for 20,000 pounds, added to the stains on his reputation by ordering his British command to burn every building in New London, Connecticut, after they’d looted the town, to the equivalent of more than $500,000 worth of damage.
* On Sept. 7, 1911, radical French poet Guillaume Apollinaire was arrested and jailed on suspicion of stealing LEOnardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” from the Louvre Museum in Paris. Due to a lack of evidence, he was released after five days.
LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) Although it’s not quite what you hoped for, use your good business sense to make the most of what you’re being ofered at this tme. Things will improve down the line.
CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) You stll need to demand answers to your questons. Remember, your wise counseling earns you respect, but it’s your search for truth that gives you wisdom.
GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) Although you might want to protest what seems to be an unfair situaton, it’s best to keep your tongue and temper in check for now. The full story hasn’t come out yet.
• 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.
• On Nov. 17, 1903, the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party split into two factions: the majority Bolsheviks and minority Mensheviks. The
LEO (July 23 to August 22) A colleague might goad you into saying or doing the wrong thing. It’s best to ignore the troublemaker, even if they rile up your royal self. Your supporters will stand with you.
VIRGO (August 23 to September 22)
Careful not to let your on-the-job zealousness create resentment with co-workers who might feel like you shut them out. Prove them wrong by including them in your project.
SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) A more positve picture of what lies ahead is beginning to take shape. But there are stll too many gaps that need to be flled in before you make defnitve plans.
SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) Contnue to keep a tght hold on the reins. This way, you don’t charge willy-nilly into a situaton that might appear atractve on the surface but lack substance underneath.
AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) You’ll fnd people who are happy to help you deal with some difcult situatons. And, of course, knowing you, you’ll be happy to return those favors anytme. ... Won’t you?
PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Give the special someone in your personal life a large, loving dollop of reassurance. This will go a long way in restoring the well-being of your ailing relatonship.
Homes & Living
Dog days of summer and Canis Major
When people talk about the “dog days of summer,” they’re usually referring to those long, hot stretches of July and August when the air feels heavy, tempers run short, and shade is worth its weight in gold. But the expression isn’t about lazy pets panting in the heat. In fact, the phrase has ancient roots that reach back thousands of years and connect to one of the brightest stars in the night sky.
The term comes from the rising of Sirius, a star in the constellation Canis Major, which is Latin for “Greater Dog.” Sirius is often called the “Dog Star,” not only because of its place in the constellation but also because it is the brightest star visible from Earth after the sun. In ancient times, Greek and Roman astronomers noticed that during midsummer, Sirius would appear to rise just before or around the same time as the sun.
This annual event, known as the heliacal rising of Sirius, typically occurred from early July through mid-August. The ancients believed that the combination of the sun’s heat and the brilliance of Sirius added extra intensity to the season, creating the hottest, most uncomfortable time of the year. To them, the “dog days” were not just a poetic description of sultry weather but a period of genuine cosmic influence.
The Greeks called this span of time kynodesmai (literally “dog days”), and the Romans adopted the phrase into Latin as dies caniculares. Both cultures associated these weeks not only with heat but also with drought, lethargy, and even illness. In fact, Roman writers such as Virgil and Pliny the Elder connected the dog days with crop failures, thunderstorms, and fevers. Over the centuries, the
superstition surrounding Sirius and the dog days faded, but the expression endured. By the Middle Ages, European calendars marked the dog days as stretching roughly from July 3 to August 11. When the English language adopted the phrase, it carried forward both the astronomical roots and the association with oppressive summer heat.
Today, we no longer blame Sirius for heat waves, but the name has stuck. In modern usage, the “dog days of summer” refers simply to the hottest, muggiest days of the season, often when summer feels endless and routines slow to a crawl. While the scientific explanation for rising temperatures is purely terrestrial—linked to Earth’s axial tilt and its position relative to the sun—the poetic connection to the stars continues to capture the imagination.
So the next time someone complains about the dog days, remember: the phrase was born not from panting pups on the porch but from ancient stargazers who looked skyward and saw a dazzling dogshaped constellation lighting up the summer sky.
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