Editorial: Doherty’s new bill is about protection, not politics
Great article. Couldn’t agree more. Doherty genuinely seems to be trying to advance policies that are common sense and designed to help people. It is refreshing to see.
Personally, I feel frustrated with politics, especially at the federal level. It seems extremely partisan. It doesn’t seem like politicians are doing what’s right, but rather what their party demands. They all vote unanimously as instructed, and none dare dissent.
Watching what goes on in the House of Commons would be comical if these weren’t the people tasked with running the country. I have seen more restraint and discipline in preschool.
How disconnected they are from the plight of the common person is astonishing. The money being spent on frivolous nonsense is sickening, and I am deeply suspicious of anyone’s values and moral compass when they can justify, or feel deserving of, such opulence.
A lot has happened in Canada that has gone unscrutinized or unquestioned, and that can never be good.
Zangief
PG RCMP head recommends longer shifts, body cameras for bylaw of cers
It is well known that, like other municipalities, PG is dealing with the homeless issue. The problem is that the city is waiting for the province to do something, and the province is waiting for the feds to do something. It becomes a vicious cycle of inaction at all levels of government.
Everyone wants something done, yet few offer solutions. Supt. Darin Rappel is offering a proposal that, while costly, is still a solution and one I happen to agree with. There needs to be 24-hour patrols and enforcement of some kind, and this is a measure that I feel is needed.
Whether you agree with this proposal or not, it is something concrete and within the city’s power to enact. The question is how the city will deal with it and, based on past performance, I am not hopeful.
The city will likely commission another study, pat itself on the back for doing something and ignore the problem again.
Dearth
VIDEO: Prince George air cadet graduates with ying colours
Well done to all cadets, their officers and parents. A firstclass organization.
Dan McLaren
Jared Young does his part, Mets end Seattle Mariners’ eight-game winning streak
As far as I know, he is Prince George’s only son to step on the field for a Major League Baseball game. Awesome.
Randy Flavel
$30M in loans moving forward after end of AAP
Once again, I will comment and point out that the AAP system flies in the face of the secret-ballot fundamental of democracy.
Since the form is designed to register a lack of support for something, rather than being a yes-or-no ballot, there is no secrecy for anyone registering a response.
I am very confident this system is used as a way to avoid presenting proposals to the full electorate at civic election time or by way of a special referendum if an answer is required before the next scheduled election.
The justification that a referendum costs money rings a bit hollow, as we know the AAP system is not well advertised and is far more complex than attending a polling place, where one marks a ballot and no one knows how it is marked, preserving the secrecy that is fundamental to our democratic system.
All the councillors who support the use of this system do not, in my opinion, deserve to be in office and will not receive my vote in this fall’s election.
Renoguy24
Downtown Prince George res caused $35M in damage between 2022 and 2025
My take on this is that it’s cheaper for the government to let these people run amok and simply let insurance companies and business owners pay for the fallout.
For a country that prides itself on its humanitarian efforts, it’s totally asinine that we somehow convinced ourselves that what’s in these people’s best interests is living on the street lawlessly. These people continuously imbibe lethal drugs until they are brain dead, or just plain dead, and they know what’s best for themselves, right?
Roughly 20,000 people have died in the past 10 years in BC, and who knows how many are brain-damaged. Any other human-caused event that resulted in the deaths of thousands would be a crisis and there would be accountability. But our government operates without accountability and with impunity.
“Uh, we made a mistake, uh, the program didn’t work as intended, uh, oops.”
Meanwhile, your city is being burned down and vacated.
Zangief
Parking system adds stress to senior’s hospital visits
COLIN SLARK Citizen Staff
After having to take his wife to the hospital in April, Ted Phillips didn’t expect parking to become one of the biggest challenges of navigating the health-care system.
On April 15, the 76-year-old Pineview resident took his wife to the emergency department at the University Hospital of Northern British Columbia (UHNBC).
The next morning, he visited his wife, who was still in the emergency department, for about six hours.
Every couple of hours, he said, he had to go outside and feed coins into a parking meter.
Although it worked, it took multiple attempts each time to get the machine to accept his money.
Eventually, Phillips had to return home to care for animals and attend to other chores on the property.
He returned to the hospital later that afternoon or early evening. This time, he parked in UHNBC’s main parking lot at the front of the building.
Approaching the parking meter near the front entrance, Phillips said there was a long wait as other visitors struggled to get the machine to work.
“I’m thinking they were there for six, eight, 10 minutes trying to make the machine work and they couldn’t,” he said. “It was three of them. They kept digging in their pockets for more coins because the coins would just keep falling through.”
When he reached the front of the line, Phillips said he had the same experience. The machine would not accept his loonies or quarters.
After spending several minutes feeding coins into the machine to no avail, he looked for a hospital staff member to help but found no one at the reception desk.
He said someone walking by told him, “Don’t even try that machine, it don’t work.”
At that point, with his wife waiting for him and running behind schedule, Phillips decided to go directly to the room where she had been placed.
Ted Phillips stands next to a pay parking station at the University Hospital of Northern BC on Monday, May 11. Phillips said that station wouldn’t accept his coins when he tried to visit his wife in April, resulting in him getting a ticket.
Less than an hour later, he returned to his vehicle and found a $57 parking ticket.
He said he tried calling the number provided for Impark, the private company that manages parking at the hospital, but had trouble getting through.
Once connected, he said, he had difficulty understanding the employee, who had a strong accent.
With the help of a friend during a subsequent call, Phillips said he managed to negotiate the fine down to $20. However, he was given only 48 hours to make the payment.
Although he was offered the option of paying electronically — a feature also available through the parking meter — Phillips said he struggles with technology and did not know how to do so.
That meant he had to mail a cheque and hope it arrived on time.
Though he later tried to inquire about the issue when staff were present at the reception desk, he said he was told the matter was out of the hospital’s hands because parking is managed by Impark.
“It’s very stressful,” Phillips said. “You’re trying to fight the parking meter and meanwhile, your family members are having some serious issues.”
Unfortunately, the April incident was not the last time Phillips had to either take his wife to the hospital or visit her there.
He was eventually told about another
one.”
At UHNBC, he said, “our parking equipment is inspected and maintained on a regular basis by both local staff and our technical support team. In addition to scheduled preventative maintenance, equipment is monitored and serviced whenever issues are reported. As with any technology, there are occasions when a machine may experience a temporary malfunction, and we work to resolve those issues as quickly as possible.”
parking meter elsewhere in the atrium but remained concerned it might reject his coins as well.
Thankfully, he said a social worker at the hospital later provided him, his children and his grandchildren with extended parking passes so they would not have to deal with the machines.
In early May, a Northern Health spokesperson told The Citizen by email that pay parking at UHNBC is managed by Impark and that customers who believe they received a ticket in error can call the company’s toll-free number or visit its website.
“Northern Health has not been notified by Impark of any issues regarding pay parking terminals not accepting coins,” the spokesperson said. “And Northern Health has not seen an increase or unusual number of complaints from patients and visitors unable to pay for parking at UHNBC.”
In a June 1 email, Impark executive vice-president Robert Finkelstein said the company understands that hospital parking can be stressful for people dealing with health concerns or visiting loved ones.
Because of that, he said Impark offers a first-time violation waiver program at many hospitals “to provide some flexibility and understanding for visitors who may be unfamiliar with the parking system or who make an honest mistake while focused on the care of a loved
In the event of a malfunctioning pay station, Finkelstein recommended customers find an alternative pay station or use a mobile parking option when possible, as well as call the customer service number listed on the station to report the issue.
“In situations where a customer believes a violation was issued as a result of equipment not functioning correctly, we encourage them to contact our customer service team and submit an appeal,” Finkelstein said.
“Each appeal is reviewed individually, and where the evidence supports that a customer was unable to complete payment due to a verified equipment issue, appropriate action is taken.”
In a June 4 follow-up interview, Phillips said he was never offered any kind of waiver by the Impark employee he spoke with over the phone.
“They said ‘a ticket’s a ticket,’” Phillips said, though he confirmed the company offered to reduce the amount.
He said he had received a confirmation letter from Impark indicating his payment had been received and his outstanding balance was zero.
His wife, he said, was doing better. However, with the one-month pass he had been granted set to expire June 10, Phillips said he would likely park at Parkwood Place and walk up the hill if he needs to return to UHNBC and encounters problems with the ticket machine again.
“It’s just additional stress for no reason,” he said. “Northern Health could keep it (the parking) domestically in the north and they could issue a parking pass for 20 bucks for the whole year.”
CITIZEN PHOTO BY COLIN SLARK
Advanced-care paramedics fying Prince George skies
BCEHS adds two new roles to air ambulance crews
MATTHEW HILLIER Citizen Staff
For BC Emergency Health Services (BCEHS), a significant part of providing health care across the province involves spending time in the air.
BCEHS currently operates 15 dedicated air ambulances, including nine airplanes and six helicopters.
However, transporting patients from one community to another is often a daunting task that requires specialized training and expertise. To help meet that need, BCEHS has launched two new roles for paramedics looking to take their skills into the air.
The roles of advanced-care flight paramedic and primary-care flight paramedic were introduced earlier this year, with personnel currently based at stations at Vancouver International Airport, at BC Children’s Hospital, in Kelowna, in Fort St. John and in Prince George.
Prince George is now home to both a primary-care flight paramedic and an advanced-care flight paramedic based at the Prince George Clinical Air Operations Centre near the Prince George Airport.
BCEHS hopes the new positions will increase capacity for medical air transport in BC and the North. Before the roles were introduced, air transport was primarily handled by critical-care paramedics and members of the Infant Transport Team.
While these positions require some of the highest levels of specialized training available to paramedics, many patients transported by air do not require critical-care services.
Clinical Air Operations manager Joanna Stefani, a former member of the Infant Transport Team, spoke to The Citizen about what prompted the creation of the new roles.
“We found before, when we looked at the stats, we had about 80 per cent
of the calls that were currently moving by air didn’t require critical-care level. Those calls were getting done, but they were just taking time,” said Stefani.
“Then when the critical-care paramedic was doing that, you weren’t available for that other super sick patient that came in. Now we’ve kind of refocused and made it a little bit more efficient and increased the capacity by having those patients not having to wait.”
She added that the new flight paramedics can help ease pressure on the health-care system in both rural and urban settings.
“We’ve got a lot of system pressures now with various emergency room closures, an aging and growing population, and we just need to be able to move lower- and medium-acuity patients around the province a lot easier instead of tying up our critical-care resources,” said Stefani.
The new paramedics undergo classroom and on-the-job training, including time at BC Children’s Hospital, to gain experience with different patient populations.
“We took our primary-care and our advanced-care paramedics, and we upgraded them with about eight months of training,” said Stefani. “That involved some clinical, some classroom time, and some time down at BC Children’s Hospital getting some more exposure to different patient populations. They have more skills and more training than what ground paramedics would have.”
The positions proved highly sought after among paramedics across the province.
“We found it highly competitive,” said Stefani. “We had to spend many weeks doing interviews, which is a good thing. There was a fair amount of interest. I think it’s something for people who didn’t necessarily want to take the next step to become a critical-care paramedic and undergo that much education, but still liked the role they were in. This just gives them a little bit more training without doing an extensive multi-year program and allows them to see how big and beautiful this province is.”
One of the province’s newest primary-care flight paramedics based in Prince George is Keira Evans.
Evans has been a paramedic since 2023 and has worked at the Prince George Clinical Air Operations Centre since March 2025. She was officially certified as a primary-care flight paramedic a little more than two weeks ago.
Evans said she is enjoying the new role and has already helped patients in both large and small northern communities.
“It’s pretty exhilarating actually,” said Evans. “It’s an honour as well. It just feels very good to be a part of something bigger than myself. Being able to help people differently, especially across BC. You’re dropping into a lot of communities that are remote and don’t have a lot of access to bigger health-care facilities like those in Prince George.”
She said her days are far from quiet and that she has already cared for hundreds of patients. CONTINUED ON
CITIZEN PHOTO BY MATTHEW HILLIER
Keira Evans poses for a photo in front of a BCEHS Aircraft, on Thursday, June 4 in Prince George. Evans is one of the province’s newest primary care flight paramedics.
Eight months of additonal training for new positons
CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE
“I’d say we generally transfer anywhere from three to five patients a day,” said Evans. “It can be pretty long days.”
One of the largest groups of patients Evans sees are cardiac patients.
“If any patient who’s had a heart attack, for instance, there is no catheterisation laboratory in the North. They have to go to Vancouver. We fly a lot of those patients down there. That’s for the whole of Northern BC. Anyone who’s had a heart attack in the North will have to go down there eventually,” she said.
Another major group of patients comes from rural communities that lack access to certain medical services.
“Any patient in super remote settings where they don’t have a CT scan at their clinic will have to get moved to Terrace, for example, to get their CT scans,” said Evans. “Some of the other remote places in northeastern BC as well. They just don’t have full access to all the amenities that a bigger hospital can provide.”
So far, Evans has visited Fort Nelson, Stewart, near the Alaska border, and Takla First Nation, among many other communities.
For Evans, visiting and caring for patients in these communities is one of her favourite aspects of the job.
“I think there’s a lot that you can learn from different communities and you can build a broader perspective on life and a better understanding of cultures around
BC. Also, you are being a part of someone’s story. You’re at a very crucial part of their life and you get to make a bit of an impact there. I think that’s really special,” said Evans.
Evans also hopes to continue advancing her education and career.
“As we expand and grow as a province, I think we’re gonna need more health care for sure. I think at my level right now, I do plan on educating more and going into advanced care, maybe even critical care down the road. As we grow, I’ll continue growing,” said Evans.
One challenge facing air ambulance operations in Prince George is that patients often require additional transportation because there is no direct helipad at the University Hospital of Northern British Columbia (UHNBC).
Stefani said she could not speak specifically for UHNBC, but noted the issue is common in many communities.
“We’d love to have helipads everywhere we go. That’s just not the reality, unfortunately,” said Stefani. “There is always pressure when you can’t land directly at the hospital and it adds extra time to get to the patient, which decreases the efficiency of the system, honestly. But at the same time, we have lots of low-acuity aircraft that also can’t obviously land at the hospital. As much as we can advocate whenever hospitals are being built, we are trying to be involved in the planning process to ensure there’s the best access point for us.”
CITIZEN PHOTO BY MATTHEW HILLIER
Two men sentenced for violent Hart Highway carjacking
BOB MACKIN Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Two men pleaded guilty on June 2 in Prince George in connection with a violent Hart Highway carjacking in early 2024.
BC Supreme Court Justice Marguerite Church sentenced Dean Orden Otis Mecham, 35, to five years in jail and Romeo Michael David Sygrove, 27, to four years.
However, both men will serve less time because of credit for time spent in custody awaiting trial.
For Mecham, that means 610 more days in custody (just over 20 months), while Sygrove has 245 more days to serve (just over eight months).
Mecham and Sygrove were originally charged with 12 offences each stemming from incidents between March 12 and March 23, 2024, including unlawful confinement, uttering threats, robbery and various firearms offences, including possession of a loaded handgun without authorization.
They each pleaded guilty to three offences.
Mecham admitted to robbery with a restricted or prohibited firearm, possession of a loaded restricted or prohibited handgun and possession of a restricted firearm while prohibited from doing so.
Sygrove admitted to possession of a loaded restricted or prohibited firearm, possession of a restricted firearm while prohibited from doing so and robbery.
Court heard an agreed statement of
facts that said Mecham and Sygrove were passengers in the back seat of a vehicle travelling northbound on the Hart Highway when the female driver was told to stop.
One of the men pulled out a handgun and told the male passenger that “this is payback” for allegedly setting a vehicle on fire the previous summer before striking him in the temple with the handgun.
The men forced him out of the vehicle and directed the woman to continue driving toward Prince George until they ordered her to stop and get out.
They threatened to kill her if she called police before driving away.
The woman did contact Prince George RCMP to report that the vehicle had been stolen and contained firearms, and that her boyfriend may have been shot.
Police found the male victim near the Salmon Valley rest stop. Officers also responded to a report of an abandoned truck near 9922 Hart Highway.
A police dog tracked footprints in the snow and located a fedora, a .45-calibre handgun with unfired rounds, a ballistic vest, a helmet and a black toque. Mecham’s DNA was found on the hat, helmet and vest, while Sygrove’s DNA was found on the toque.
A nearby resident reported two
suspicious men who left the area in a taxi headed toward the Hart Highway. Police eventually arrested them in the back seat of the cab.
Mecham, who was born in Bella Coola, is a member of the Nuxalk First Nation. Sygrove was born in Quesnel but raised in Hamilton, Ont.
Church said Mecham suffered unique trauma at about age five or six when he was badly burned, hospitalized and confined to a wheelchair. He became addicted to methamphetamine in his early 20s and turned to crime. He was convicted of firearms offences in 2022 and was subject to a 10-year firearms prohibition.
Sygrove worked as an ironworker and self-medicated with methamphetamine, cocaine and, at times, opioids before becoming involved in a criminal lifestyle.
Church said the guilty pleas saved time and expense for the court system and spared the victims from having to testify and be retraumatized. She said both men are trying to turn their lives around while in custody.
Church imposed the longer sentence on Mecham because of his more extensive criminal record, including the previous firearms conviction.
“While it is always possible that these offences could have attracted much higher sentences following conviction after a trial, I accept the submission that the proposed sentences are the result of considered negotiations between counsel and are not an 11th-hour plea deal,” Church said.
Man pleads guilty to trafcking cocaine and frearms
BOB MACKIN
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
A Prince George man pleaded guilty on June 3 to drug trafficking and firearms charges.
Judge Charles Hutchinson set Aug. 19 as the next court date for Nicholas Kristian Taylor.
Federal Crown prosecutor Dan
Meneley told Hutchinson that Taylor personally sold or arranged the sale of 5.4 kilograms of cocaine to undercover operators.
Taylor formally entered his guilty pleas in provincial court. Hutchinson ordered a pre-sentence report and scheduled Aug. 19 as the next court date for the 1990-born accused.
Court heard that undercover police
officers made several cocaine purchases from Taylor over two days in November 2024. Taylor arranged another transaction on Dec. 1 of that year.
“Police executed a search warrant at a stash house, discovering large quantities of four drugs, along with a loaded nine-millimetre handgun,” Meneley said.
Taylor pleaded guilty to trafficking in
a controlled substance and possession of a handgun for a purpose dangerous to the public peace.
On Jan. 6, co-accused Galen George Mackenzie Primeau appeared before Judge Martin Nadon and admitted to four transactions with an undercover police officer between Aug. 16 and Oct. 26, 2024. The total amount of cocaine sold was 1.2 kilograms.
BC Supreme Court Justice Marguerite Church sentenced Dean Orden Otis Mecham, 35, to five years in jail and Romeo Michael David Sygrove, 27, to four years.
Four people charged afer unrelated suspicious fres
CITIZEN STAFF
Four people have been arrested in connection with recent fires that have been deemed arson, the Prince George RCMP announced in a Thursday, June 4 media release.
The first of the three fires mentioned by police happened around 9 a.m. on the 1700 block of Third Avenue, which is near the Prince George Native Friendship Centre.
Only minor property damage happened because the fire was put out shortly after it started. Police are still looking to identify a suspect in this fire.
The second fire is the one that happened at the Plaza 4 building on the 1200 block of Fourth Avenue on Monday, May 18.
That fire, previously reported to have caused about $150,000 in damage to an exterior electrical room and a stairwell, impacted several businesses including Zoe’s Java House, Walk Rite Shoes,
Hometown Prints and Tops & Bottoms.
Police said video surveillance helped them track down a suspect who has been arrested and released on a promise to appear in court.
The final fire happened on the 2100 block of Norwood Street around 8:30 a.m.
Police say witnesses described three people running away from the area. All
Report on Prince George RCMP abuse allegatons awaits release
BOB MACKIN Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
A civilian agency that investigates allegations of police misconduct in Alberta has finished a report on allegations of historical abuse by members of the Prince George RCMP against Indigenous girls.
“Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) will be meeting with BCs director of police and law enforcement services in the coming weeks to go over the final report,” said acting executive director Matthew Block. “There is no exact timeline for public release at this point.”
The investigation into the allegations was announced in 2023 when Mike Farnworth was the province’s solicitor general.
He did so in relation to BC First Nations Leadership Council demanding
release of the report by the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the RCMP into allegations that RCMP officers allegedly sexually abused and harassed Indigenous girls.
The council called for “profound police reform to put an end to negligence and violence towards our people.”
A full copy of the report was leaked to The Vancouver Sun.
The allegations surfaced after former Prince George judge David Ramsay was sent to jail for seven years in 2004 for sexual assault.
Nine Mounties and a lawyer were also accused.
“Once the remaining review steps are complete, the findings will need to be communicated carefully and through the proper process,” Block explained.
With files from Mark Nielsen
three were tracked down by officers a short distance away and charged with arson. They have also since been released on an undertaking to appear in court at a later date.
Media relations officer Cpl. Jennifer Cooper said in the release that there’s no indication the three fires are connected.
“We would like to extend our thanks
to all those who have provided video surveillance and information regarding these incidents; these types of investigations rely on members of the public coming forward with information quickly and is what has helped us effect arrests in many of the recent arson investigations.”
Investigations of all three fires are continuing.
JOHN ZUKOWSKI PHOTO
Prince George firefighters work at the scene of a fire at the Plaza 4 building on Fourth Avenue in the early morning of Monday, May 18.
Woman with baby caught shoplifing at Superstore
BOB MACKIN Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
A Provincial Court judge in Prince George ruled on June 2 that a woman intended to leave Real Canadian Superstore without paying for nearly half the items in her cart last year.
Judge Judith Doulis found Brittney Kathleen Reimer guilty of theft of merchandise under $5,000. Reimer was shopping on Feb. 5, 2025, at the 2155 Ferry Ave. store with a male companion and her infant son.
A store security employee monitored her movements on closed-circuit television and contacted Prince George RCMP, which dispatched an officer to intercept her after she exited the store.
The total value of all items in Reimer’s possession was $537.22, but she presented only $280.33 worth of merchandise for payment at the checkout. The items included cosmetics, baby supplies, toys, paper products, dairy products, noodles, canned goods, beverages, candy, fruit, vegetables, bread, frozen food and a woman’s sweater.
“In other words, the unpaid merchandise comprised approximately 48 per cent of the total merchandise removed from Superstore,” Doulis said.
At trial, a Superstore loss-prevention officer and the arresting RCMP officer testified.
Evidence included 41 minutes and 18 seconds of surveillance footage from inside and outside the store. Court heard the store has 100 fixed cameras that transmit signals to three monitors in an upstairs office, where footage is monitored in real time.
The loss-prevention officer was at his post at 6:45 p.m. when he observed Reimer and her male companion. She was “maneuvering a grocery cart, selecting merchandise from the shelves and placing it in the cart.”
Reimer, born in 1984, placed several cosmetic items into a reusable bag in the cart, causing the loss-prevention officer to become suspicious. He
contacted RCMP to report a possible theft in progress.
Shortly before 7:24 p.m., Reimer and her companion proceeded to a checkout, where they unloaded merchandise onto the conveyor belt for the cashier to scan.
However, they did not unload or attempt to pay for all of the merchandise. Some items, Doulis said, were “sequestered in the reusable bags in the cart and tucked beneath Brittney Reimer’s winter jacket.”
Doulis said she did not believe Reimer’s testimony that she was simply unaware she had failed to present a significant portion of the cart’s contents to the cashier.
“I find her evidence in that regard implausible. It is contradicted by the surveillance footage,” Doulis said.
“I do not find Brittney Reimer a reliable or credible witness, and I do not accept her denials. I have no reasonable doubt as to Brittney Reimer’s culpability for the offence charged, namely theft of merchandise from Superstore.”
A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
Probaton for man who fought four RCMP ofcers
Judge notes the accused apologized after sobering up: ‘That matters’
BOB MACKIN
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
A conditional discharge and two years of probation for a Prince George man who got drunk and assaulted four RCMP officers.
On June 3 in Prince George Provincial Court, Judge Charles Hutchinson imposed the sentence on Adam Doolan, 23, after he pleaded guilty.
Doolan had also been charged with wilfully resisting or obstructing a peace officer. He will not have a criminal record for the incident if he successfully completes probation.
Around 12:30 a.m. on Oct. 6, 2024, Prince George RCMP received a report that a woman’s ex-partner had shown
up drunk in the basement of a house near Carney Street and Fifth Avenue and was trying to fight other people in the residence.
Four officers arrived at the cramped basement and found broken liquor bottles. Doolan was seated on the slippery kitchen floor in pyjamas and without a shirt.
The officers tried to arrest him for mischief and assault, but he continued to yell and scream.
A struggle ensued when they attempted to handcuff him. He spat at, kicked and headbutted officers before he was finally arrested and placed in an RCMP vehicle.
“While en route to cells, Mr. Doolan made several slurs directed at (one of the officers), and the fact that he was white,” said Crown prosecutor Kristina King. “He threatened to fight him, made derogatory comments about (the officer’s) mother and continued insulting him.”
Man pleads guilty to sexual interference but denies assault
BOB MACKIN
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
A 26-year-old man pleaded guilty on June 3 in Prince George Provincial Court to sexual interference.
Austin Riley Zwiers appeared by video from Kamloops Regional Correctional Centre and maintained a not guilty plea to assault, despite admitting to several arguments that turned violent.
A publication ban protects her identity.
Court heard that Zwiers met the girl on Snapchat in June or July 2024. They were involved in an on-again, off-again intimate relationship.
The agreed statement of facts described several incidents since December 2024 that turned violent and resulted in bruising to the girl.
On March 15, 2025, while in his vehicle, Zwiers raised his hands in a manner that caused the girl to believe he was
Doolan initially declined assistance from paramedics. In the police cell, he tried to make himself vomit and requested an ambulance, but refused to go to hospital.
King sought a four-month curfew order followed by one year of probation. Defence sought a conditional discharge. Doolan had no prior criminal record, pleaded guilty and has sought treatment.
Hutchinson said he was “struggling with the idea of a discharge” and whether it was in the community’s best
interest.
“Here, I’m prepared to give Mr. Doolan that opportunity,” Hutchinson said.
The judge called Doolan an exceptional case who benefited from an analysis of his Indigenous heritage that found he had experienced “adverse childhood experiences.”
“I’m particularly cognizant of the fact that Mr. Doolan immediately apologized to the RCMP upon sobering up and realizing what had happened,” Hutchinson said. “That matters.”
TOYS • COMICS • GAMES
about to strike her. On May 5, 2025, he punched her approximately eight times in the spine, tailbone, head and legs and ripped hair from her head.
Earlier, on March 7, Zwiers punched the girl in the head and body approximately five or six times.
Judge Charles Hutchinson ordered a pre-sentence report and a forensic psychiatric assessment, including a risk assessment for sexual violence, and set Sept. 9 as the next court date.
On Dec. 30, Zwiers pleaded guilty to breaching court orders prohibiting contact with the girl.
Judge Judith Doulis accepted a joint Crown-defence submission for a sentence of time served followed by 12 months of probation.
Zwiers violated the no-contact orders on April 2, 2025, and July 11, 2025, for which he was arrested and jailed for one day and six days, respectively.
Rock Beats Scissors
Socks Beats Ties
A man who was arrested after an incident in 2024 kicked and headbutted local police officers before being taken to a cell at the RCMP detachment.
Council signs of on revised liquor licence for Alpine Pub
COLIN SLARK Citizen Staff
The Hart’s Alpine Pub is one step closer to securing permission to expand its indoor seating capacity after Prince George city council signalled its support for a liquor licence revision at its Monday, June 8 meeting.
Highland Brew Holdings Ltd. is looking to increase the indoor occupancy inside the Alpine Pub and Grill at 6145 South Kelly Rd. from 112 patrons to 125, according to a report presented by city staff.
To do so, the owners are applying for a revised liquor licence, which has to be signed off on by both the City of Prince George and the province’s Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch.
In a rationale letter dated Nov. 20, 2025, Denver McCullough of Highland Brew wrote that the pub has seen a big increase in customer demand in recent years.
“Our existing occupancy limit no longer adequately supports the volume of patrons regularly visiting our establishment,” McCullough wrote.
The Alpine Pub and Grill at 6145 South Kelly Rd. in Prince George, BC as seen on Google Street View. A revised liquor licence application that would increase the number of indoor patrons was considered at the Monday, June 8 Prince George city council meeting.
“Increasing our interior capacity from 112 to 125 will allow us to better accommodate customer demand, reduce wait times, improve guest comfort, enhance operational efficiency and continue serving residents and visitors in a safe environment.”
While the business is not looking to increase the customer capacity for its
outdoor patio, McCullough wrote that it does want to increase the occupancy area of the patio to provide a better experience for patrons.
City administration recommended that council send a letter to the LCRB signalling its support for the application as it fits within both the Official Community Plan and the city’s Liquor and
Cannabis Licensing Policy.
One letter of opposition to the application was included with the meeting agenda.
Ryan Darbon of Berger Place said he was not opposed to the capacity increase itself but asked the city to consider the potential impacts.
He said there are several issues caused by pub patrons, including excessive vehicle and truck noise, litter being thrown over their fence and other disruptions to the neighbourhood.
“Given these existing issues, I would respectfully request that the city consider whether conditions could be placed on the approval to help mitigate neighbourhood impacts,” Darbon wrote.
“Possible measures could include increased litter management, an increase in fence size surrounding the pub’s premises, enhanced monitoring of the parking area, signage encouraging patrons to respect neighbouring residents, and any other appropriate noise-reduction or property-maintenance requirements.”
Council voted unanimously to signal its approval without debate.
Central Street project going forward despite oppositon
COLIN SLARK Citizen Staff
A proposed 467-unit residential development near Prince George Secondary School passed its first test in front of city council at its Monday, June 8 meeting despite some intense opposition from area residents.
First three readings were passed for a bylaw application relating to HyLand Properties’ bid to rezone 2000 Central St. East from RM3: Multiple Residential to Z22: Mixed-Use Corridor to facilitate construction.
As members of the public entered council chambers for the meeting, staff handed out a package of late agenda additions that included 35 letters regarding the application.
All of the letters expressed opposition
or concern over some aspects of the project.
The development last came up at council on Monday, May 25, when a request from administration to expand the notification area for properties potentially affected by the development had its radius boosted to include parts of Griffiths Avenue, 20th Avenue, 19th Avenue, 18th Avenue, Central Street, Harper Drive, Garden Drive, Gillett Street, Ellison Drive and Finley Drive was approved.
During public hearings on the city’s new Official Community Plan last year, Glenn Froese from HyLand said that progress on the development had been delayed as the company waited for the new version of the planning document to be finalized.
HyLand is owned and operated by the
Mennonite Central Committee, a nonprofit run by Anabaptist churches in the United States and Canada.
Also noted in the report was a finding from HyLand’s own public consultation indicating that nearby property owners and residents are concerned about the increase in traffic in the neighbourhood, especially in single-family residential areas.
As part of the project, the study notes that access to Central Street East will be blocked from the intersection of Highway 97 and 22nd Avenue except for traffic headed northbound on Griffiths Avenue.
In addition, a right-turn lane and offramp would be built so that motorists can turn off of Highway 97 to Central Street.
The impact study indicates that Phase
1 is expected to open in 2028, Phase 2 in 2035 and Phase 3 in 2043.
Vote summary
Motion: Council approves first three readings of a bylaw rezoning 2000 Central St. East from RM3: Multiple Residential to Z22: Mixed-Use Corridor.
• In favour: Ramsay, Polillo, Scott, Yu, Frizzell, Klassen, Bennett and Sampson
• Against: Skakun
Result: Approved 8 to 1
Motion: Council directs that fourth and final reading of the rezoning bylaw be withheld until a restrictive covenant committing to further traffic impact studies after Phase 1 of construction is complete is registered on the property’s land title.
Result: Approved 8 to 1
Trustee Rachael Weber
fned by Electons BC
COLIN SLARK
Citizen Staff
A member of School District 57’s board of education has been assessed a $1,000 penalty by Elections BC for making prohibited contributions to her own unsuccessful campaign to become MLA for Prince George-Mackenzie in the 2024 provincial election.
No determination of misconduct, she notes in a statement Weber
In a letter dated Monday, June 1 and sent out to media outlets on Wednesday, June 3, Elections BC director of investigations Adam Barnes said Rachael Weber paid for just over $4,900 of expenses after already having contributed $1,450.82 — the maximum contribution amount for an individual — to her own campaign.
“EBC received the amended Election Financing Report for your unaffiliated campaign, which reported $2,300.82 in total income (including a $1,450.82 contribution from yourself), and $7,201.01 in total expenses,” Barnes wrote.
“The remaining $4,900.19 in expenses were confirmed to have been paid for by using your own funds. Since you already contributed the maximum amount to your campaign, the overcontribution was a prohibited contribution.”
Weber started her campaign as the Conservative Party of BC’s candidate for Prince George-Mackenzie. However, after BC United made the decision to suspend its campaign province-wide, that party’s former candidate Kiel Giddens moved over to the Tories.
After that, Weber ran as an
independent candidate, earning 435 votes and coming in last place as Giddens won the right to represent the constituency in the BC Legislature.
Weber was elected as Mackenzie’s representative to SD57’s board of education in a byelection in January 2022,
That November, she was elected as board chair but chose not to put her name up for re-election a year later to focus on her provincial campaign.
Under BC’s Election Act, Weber could have been penalized by up to double the amount of received contributions that exceed the limit. That means she could have been fined up to $9800.38.
However, Barnes chose to instead levy a fine of just $1,000, due within 40 days of receiving the notice from Elections BC.
In the letter, Barnes noted that “There was no evidence that the campaign acted deliberately to circumvent the campaign financing rules, and it is likely that the contravention was based on misunderstanding of the Election Act.”
He also noted that Weber has not previously been penalized under the Election Act.
Within 14 days of receiving the notice, Weber has the right to apply to an adjudicator for a review of Barnes’ findings. She could also apply for relief to the BC Supreme Court within 30 days.
Reached for comment, Weber sent a statement to the The Citizen saying “there is no finding of misconduct and the matter is administrative in nature. It has been addressed through the appropriate channels.”
She said she would not comment further and would not provide an interview.
Weber is not the first Prince Georgearea candidate to be penalized due to contributions received during the 2024 provincial election.
Back in April, Prince George-North Cariboo Conservative MLA Sheldon Clare was assessed a $1,500 fine for exceeding the limit for anonymous campaign contributions by $4007.75.
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McLeod Lake re-elects Harley Chingee for fourth term
TED CLARKE Citizen Staff
Harley Chingee has been re-elected to a fourth term as chief of the McLeod Lake Indian Band.
Chingee, 67, drew 170 of the 266 votes on Friday, June 5, winning by a margin of 97 votes over second-place Jodie Ware, a former McLeod Lake trustee who served the past three years as a councillor.
Chief candidate Trevor Aubichon drew 14 votes while Patrick Prince had nine.
The chief, councillor, trustee and land management board positions are for a duration of three years.
The Ministry of Health has announced that $500,000 in age-friendly grants will be given out to 26 communities in BC, including one in the Regional District of Fraser Fort George.
These include 10 awards given to Indigenous communities, nine to various First Nations, one to a tribal council and 17 to rural or remote communities throughout the province.
These funds will be given through
the Age-friendly Communities Program which is funded by the province. The program is delivered by BC Healthy Communities, a BC wide non-profit organization.
The program offers two streams of funding listed below:
Stream 1 planning focuses on completing age-friendly assessments and action plans, this stream holds 15 grants were awarded in the planning stream, 11 grants in the project stream
Stream 2 projects focus on implementing age-friendly initiatives
identified as priorities in the community’s age-friendly action plan, this grant holds 11 streams.
Grants will be given to projects and programs that enable policies and projects that enable seniors to lead active and independent lives in their communities.
Additionally the Ministry of Health states that the grants will support projects that assist with emergency preparedness, food security, Indigenous-language revitalization and landbased approaches to Elder wellness.
The regional district has received a total of $19,250 to collaborate on developing a Regional Healthy Aging Strategy for the Robson Valley. This is a planning project included under the stream 1 category.
This strategy aims to include creating an asset-mapping service and to work with local service organizations and the Northern Health Authority to improve services and access across the Robson Valley region.
Projects like the one taking place in the Robson Valley will start in July 2026.
CITIZEN FILE PHOTO BY TED CLARKE
Director of Civil Forfeiture seeks to seize $21,000-plus
BOB MACKIN Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
A man arrested south of Quesnel in 2021 after RCMP officers resorted to a spike belt to stop a speeding Mercedes is the subject of a civil forfeiture application seeking to seize $21,040 in alleged proceeds of crime.
The application, filed June 3 in BC Supreme Court, asks a judge to order the money forfeited to the province after RCMP officers seized it on March 23, 2025, from a room at the Super 8 Motel in Kamloops.
According to the application, Curtis Todd Siebolts was driving a 2023 Ford Expedition westbound on the Trans-Canada Highway east of Kamloops on March 17, 2023, while prohibited from operating a motor vehicle. The vehicle allegedly fled when RCMP attempted a traffic stop.
Officers arrested Siebolts at his motel room six days later on allegations of
driving while prohibited and fleeing police. During the arrest, officers found cash bundled in separate denominations.
Also seized during the court-authorized search were 139.9 grams of fentanyl, 128.4 grams of methamphetamine, 56.1 grams of crack cocaine and 22.7 grams of cocaine powder. Officers also found two cellphones,
Peace River North MLA Kealy charged with sexual assault
BOB MACKIN Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Rookie independent MLA Jordan Kealy has been charged with sexual assault, but says he will prove his innocence.
The B.C. Prosecution Service said June 4 that Kealy was charged the previous day in Fort St. John Law Courts with an offence that allegedly took place between Jan. 1-Sept. 20, 2024.
Special prosecutor Gail Barnes was appointed Feb. 9 after a North District Prince George RCMP investigation. Barnes, a senior Vancouver lawyer, provided legal advice to investigators and conducted charge assessment. Kealy told Global News that he has no plans to take a leave of absence from serving constiutents. He said the allegations involve an adult who is a former family friend.
“I want my constituents to know I’ve done nothing wrong, I’m completely innocent and I’ll prove that in court,” Kealy said.
His next appearance in court is July 6.
Former Peace River Regional District director Kealy was elected in 2024 in Peace River North as a Conservative. He left the party’s caucus in 2025 to sit as an independent in protest of then-leader John Rustad’s expulsion of Vancouver-Quilchena MLA Dallas Brodie. Rustad said she crossed the line by mocking abuse testimony by survivors of Indian residential schools.
Brodie formed the OneBC party, which briefly had official party status in the Legislature. Kealy continued as an independent. Kealy was in attendance at the Conservative leadership convention on May 30 in Vancouver to support and congratulate new leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay.
a notebook, elastic bands, a restricted firearm, three loaded magazines and ammunition.
The Director of Civil Forfeiture is seeking an order requiring Kamloops RCMP, which is holding the money, to transfer it to the province rather than return it to Siebolts. The director alleges the money was acquired, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, through
unlawful activity.
“The money has been used by Curtis Siebolts to engage in unlawful activities which variously resulted in, or were likely to result in, the acquisition of property or an interest in property, or caused, or could have resulted in, serious bodily harm,” the application states.
On Jan. 26, Siebolts, who was born in 1987, was sentenced in Richmond to 21 days in jail for driving while disqualified under the Criminal Code.
Siebolts was charged on April 15, 2021, with dangerous operation of a conveyance on Highway 97 south of Quesnel. He was convicted on June 13, 2023, sentenced to 628 days in jail and prohibited from driving for six years.
At the time, Quesnel RCMP said a search of the vehicle Siebolts was driving uncovered 723 grams of fentanyl, 659 grams of methamphetamine, 445 grams of cocaine, a loaded nine-millimetre handgun equipped with a silencer and $20,000 in cash.
2025 Annual Report
The Annual Report offers residents an opportunity to learn more about the City’s operations and performance. The report includes audited financial statements, tax exemptions, services and operations for the previous year, the City’s priorities, and measures of its activities and objectives.
The 2025 Annual Report is available for public inspection and will be presented to Council on June 22, 2026. Residents can submit written questions and feedback, or provide comments at the council meeting.
Deadline to submit written comments: 12 p.m., June 22, 2026
Questions? Contact Legislative Services at 250-561-7793 or email legislativeservices@princegeorge.ca
A copy of the Annual Report is available for review at the City Hall Service Centre (1st Floor), the Legislative Services Division (5th Floor), and on the City’s website: princegeorge.ca/AnnualReport
HANDOUT PHOTO
RCMP used a spike belt to stop a vehicle south of Quesnel in 2021, leading to a man’s arrest.
What’s happening in PG
Once Upon a Voice… Terry Fator, Pure Imagination goes Thursday, June 11 at CN Centre. Legendary Las Vegas headliner and winner of America’s Got Talent – Terry Fator comes to Prince George for the first time. This show is 90 minutes of impressions, comedy and ventriloquism that has made Terry and his characters a must-see for fans across North America. For tickets visit www.ticketsnorth. ca/event/terry-fator/cncentre
The Dudley Summer Social goes Friday, June 12 from 8 p.m. to midnight at 5787 Albert Place. Whether you’re looking to meet a special someone or just want an excuse to get out with friends or dance this is the night for you! The night will be packed with a live DJ, games, prizes, happy hour specials and more. Cover charge is $10.
Bake Sale Pride Fundraiser presented by the Northern BC Queer Connection Society goes Saturday, June 13 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Omineca Arts Centre, 369 Victoria St. Join us for a Bake Sale Fundraiser in support of the 2026 Pride Picnic. There will be cookies, cupcakes, brownies and more. Lots of delicious goodies to choose from, all made with love by our amazing community. Every purchase helps bring the Pride Picnic to life, supporting a vibrant, inclusive celebration filled with connection, joy, and community spirit. Come by, grab a treat or a few and help us make this year’s Pride Picnic unforgettable.
Comedy Misfits Prince George goes Saturday, June 13 at 7:30 p.m. at Brixx Brewhouse at the Prestige Treasure Cove Resort. Awkward? Us too. Overshare-y? Definitely. Slightly disgusting? Yeah, probably. This 90 minute show will showcase some of the funniest and friendliest stand-up comedians from Vancouver Island. For the 19+ crowd. Advance tickets are $20 or $25 at the door. For tickets visit www.jumpcomedy.com/e/ comedy-misfits-prince-george
Tack Junk in the Trunk Sale goes Saturday, June 13 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at CN Centre. $10 per vendor spot. Each vendor must bring their own set up. Email payment to nicholsonsam31@outlook.com and in message please include your name. Everyone welcome.
World Knit in Public Day goes Saturday, June 13 from 1 to 3 p.m. in the Knowledge Garden beside the Prince George Public Library. This event is in collaboration with the Great Northwest Fibre Fest group and it will be a lot of fun — crafting, socializing, snacking — all the things that make for a great gathering. Everyone is welcome to join.
Gord Bamford 25th Anniversary Celebration Tour goes Saturday, June 20 at 7 p.m. at the Prince George Rodeo Barn Dance, Kin Centre Arenas Kin 2. Bamford, Canada’s most awarded male country music artist,
is hitting the road for his Just Gettin’ Started Celebration Tour. With an incredible 26 CCMA awards, multiple JUNO nominations, two CMA Global Country Artist of the Year titles, and 28 No. 1 hits and 45 charted singles, Bamford performs all the favourites, sharing heartfelt stories and bringing the unmatched energy that only Gord can bring. Don’t miss your chance to experience this iconic artist live as he celebrates 25 years of incredible music and memories. For tickets visit www.bandsintown.com/e/ GordBamford
Restrickted: Nightclub Show goes Saturday, June 20 at 9 p.m. at Crush, 1192 Fifth Avenue. An unforgettable experience of high-energy music, packed dance floors and late-night vibes. Expect top-tier DJs spinning hip-hop, EDM, and party anthems all night long. Whether you’re coming to celebrate, let loose, or just enjoy the
atmosphere, this is the place to be in Prince George. Premium sound & lighting. Non-stop music until late. 19+ event and valid ID required. Spots will fill up fast so arrive early and be part of the city’s hottest party. For more information and tickets visit www. bandsintown.com/restrickted
National Indigenous Peoples Day 2026 goes Sunday, June 21 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park. This year will be extra special as this celebration coincides with the Father’s Day Show ’n Shine, bringing even more energy and visitors to the park. The day will feature Indigenous artisans, musicians, drummers, dancers, interactive activities for all ages, bannock and other delicious food, plus engaging information booths with community partners. We are inviting Indigenous vendors, artisans, food sellers, and community partners to take part in this vibrant community celebration. If you’d like to be involved, vendor and partner applications are at https://forms.gle/ BePigpTtcS9B73hDA
Prince George Secondary School Class of 76 Reunion goes Friday, June 26 and Saturday, June 27 at the Coast Prince George Hotel, 770 Brunswick Street. There is a walk through at the secondary school, followed by a meet and greet on Friday night at 5 p.m. at the Coast and then on Saturday there is a dinner and dance starting at 5 p.m. For more information visit https://www.pgssreunions.ca/ Northern Angel Summit Finale goes Friday, June 26 at the PG Conference & Civic Centre. This high-energy event brings together entrepreneurs, investors, business leaders, and community supporters from across central and northern British Columbia to witness six visionary startups compete live on stage for a $100,000 angel investment. For more information and tickets visit www.eventbrite.ca/e/ northern-angel-summit-finale-tickets CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
CITIZEN FILE PHOTO BY CHUCK NISBETT
Grass Dancer Kenneth Desjarlais performs at the National Indigenous Peoples Day celebrations at Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park Saturday, June 21, 2025. The event returns Sunday, June 21.
CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE
24-Hour Relay for Life 2026 goes June 27 at 8:30 a.m. to June 28 at 11:30 a.m. at Masich Place Stadium. Let’s come together and honour those who have cancer, survivors, caregivers and support cancer research. Come out to see local vendors, participate in themed laps, join us for the luminary ceremony, indulge in local entertainment, hear from local community members who are impacted by cancer, and wrap it all up with a survivors and participants brunch. To register as a participant visit https://support. cancer.ca/site/TR/RelayForLifePG We are also looking for volunteers to make this event possible. Those who volunteer for 8 hours or more will be given a free volunteer meal and have a chance to win a $200 gift card. For more information and to register as a volunteer visit https://forms.office. com/r/gDz69trnvY
Move to Cure ALS Walk goes Sunday, June 28 at Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park with registration starting at 10 a.m. and walk starts at 11. The Move brings together
communities across British Columbia and the Yukon to honour those we have lost and provide vital support to the individuals currently living with the disease and their families. People are invited to join the event either by walking, running, rolling, or simply joining in spirit. By participating, people are supporting a dedicated network of family, friends, and supporters raising both awareness and essential funds. Together, we move with purpose. Together, we move for a cure. To register or for more details visit movetocurealsbc.donordrive. com/PrinceGeorge2026
Cruising PG goes every Wednesday and is presented by the Carefree Society, providing accessible and inclusive transportation services in Prince George and area. Cruising PG is a great way to get out of the house, enjoy the city and socialize without a long commitment. Pick up typically begins at 1 p.m. Recommended rate is $20. Book early as space is limited. To reserve a seat call 250-562-1397 or email book@carefreesociety.org
Canadian Cancer Society is looking for Wheels of Hope drivers who make
a significant impact on the lives of those battling cancer. By providing crucial transportation to treatment appointments volunteers offer not only a ride but also a supportive presence. This role involves flexible scheduling, confirming travel arrangements, ensuring client safety while adhering to CCS policies. CCS will provide training as volunteers join a dedicated team of more than 1600 drivers. Commit to a minimum of half a day to one day per week and be part of a mission to support and uplift those in need. For more information contact Wheels of Hope at 1-800-939-3333 or email volunteer@cancer.ca or visit www. cancer.ca/living-with-cancer/how-wecan-help/cancer-travel-and-accommodation-services-bc
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 first 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.
Chronic Condition Support Group takes place the first Tuesday of every month from 1 to 2 p.m. at the Nechako Branch of the Prince George Public Library, 6547 John Hart Hwy. This is a community social group where people with any chronic condition can come together to socialize, connect and learn from each other. This is a free drop-in event.
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. Book a spot by calling ahead at 250-562-8066. Open Mic at Nancy O’s goes every other Wednesday from 8 to 11 p.m. Open mic is hosted by Danny Bell and friends. Come on down and share songs, poetry, dance, stories, and anything else you can think to do on stage. All are welcome.
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
CITIZEN FILE PHOTO BY CHUCK NISBETT
ALS walkers make their way along the paths by the Fraser River at Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park Sunday, June 22, 2025. The event returns June 28.
FUN IN THE PARK
Families lled Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park for the Northern BC Multicultural Children’s Festival on Saturday, June 6
CITIZEN PHOTOS BY CHUCK NISBETT
Laura Balkwill of Northern Bear Aware puts the finishing touches on Desiree Jewett, 6, as she transforms her into Stitch.
ABOVE: Mira Wadson, 7, shares her excitement with her mom as she gets her hula hoop going on the stage.
RIGHT: MC Darren Hanson gives the countdown to start the paper airplane contest.
BELOW: Yesol Kim, 11, and Leah Hwang, 6, add their handprints to the Two Rivers Gallery’s We All Grow Together mural.
ABOVE: Foundry Prince George youth entrepreneurs Caylee Smurthwaite, 16 (left), Chantelle Leclaire, 17, and Emma Dodorico, 16, pose with one of their Garden Basket Bundles
LEFT: Autumn Arnsten, 4, enjoys some games with Northland Nissan mascot Titus Titan.
BELOW: Maryam Shawl, 9, gets all wrapped up in the giant stuffed snake she won taking part in the activities.
Chilliwack says Farewell to Friends
Chilliwack frontman Bill Henderson and his band put on a show for a crowd of about 2,000 at CN Centre on Saturday, June 7. Backed by his brother Ed on guitar, longtime Chilliwack drummer Jerry Adolphe and bassist Gord Maxwell, the band tapped into its 66-year collection of classic rock hits, delivering crystal clear renditions of Crazy Talk, Rain-O, My Girl (Gone, Gone, Gone), Arms of Mary, Seventeenth Summer, I Believe and Fly At Night for the Farewell to Friends Tour stop. Doug and the Slugs and Dead Horse Hill of Burns Lake opened
Local photographer is fnding Beauty in the Mundane
Dennis Webster has a new exhibit opening at Studio 2880
CHRISTINE DALGLEISH Citizen Staff
He’s no stranger to showing his work in the Feature Gallery at Studio 2880, and Dennis Webster, who has been a photographer for more than three decades, is at it again on Thursday, June 11.
The exhibit is called Extraordinary Ordinary, Beauty in the Mundane, where Webster, of LightSong Images, invites viewers to notice what might not be immediately seen at first glance.
Webster is newly retired from his work with AiMHi, so he now has more time to explore the world around him through photography, while also tending to his expanding vegetable garden.
“In photography I am still doing landscape and floral pictures, but this show is quite a departure from my normal stuff,” Webster said.
“I think I was getting — I’m not sure if stale is the word — but I got a lot
of shots of Prince George and there are only so many locations. You can go back in different light, in different seasons, but at the same time when I go back to my favourite spots and come back to look at the pictures it’s same old, same old.”
Webster considers his latest exhibit, Extraordinary Ordinary, a challenge for viewers to see everyday things differently.
“It’s things we normally walk by that we kind of don’t notice or glance at, so I have stopped and looked and realized the beauty of some of the stuff that is pretty mundane — like a stack of tires in a laneway,” Webster explained.
“But when you look at the picture you go, ‘oh, look at that.’ I want to challenge people to see stuff they normally don’t even look at.”
His technique revolves around shadow and light, along with shape and form.
“And some were just there,” Webster chuckled.
There will be 18 images on display in the Extraordinary Ordinary exhibit.
“This is a collection of photos I have taken over a number of years,” Webster said.
“I thought about the theme and this is just something different, so I went through my files and went, ‘OK, this
one, this one.’ They are all taken in Prince George.”
Webster said the subject has long interested him.
“A lot of the images are from walking the lanes of downtown, so there was some intention of looking for that kind of thing,” Webster said.
“And then I came upon others as I was out walking and saw something and thought, ‘oh, that’s cool.’”
Webster said he hopes people come away from the exhibit with a greater appreciation of everyday surroundings.
“That they might start seeing things more, like observing their environments in a different way,” Webster said. “I hope some people will come into the exhibit and go, ‘oh, I never thought of taking a picture of that — that’s pretty cool.’”
Extraordinary Ordinary, Beauty in the Mundane opens with a reception on Thursday, June 11 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Studio 2880 in the Community Arts Council of Prince George & District, where Webster will give a talk and speak with attendees. There will be refreshments and everyone is welcome to attend.
DENNIS WEBSTER PHOTOS
Dennis Webster, of LightSong Images, is showing his latest work in an exhibit called Extraordinary Ordinary, Beauty in the Mundane at Studio 2880.
the show.
CITIZEN PHOTO BY TED CLARKE
Actng curator fnds history is full of learning moments
MATTHEW HILLIER Citizen Staff
The Exploration Place has seen a temporary change in museum leadership as curator Alyssa Gerwing has begun maternity leave for approximately one year.
In her place, assistant curator Chad Hellenius has stepped into the role of acting curator.
A staff member for the past 15 years and a passionate local historian, Hellenius seemed a natural fit for the leadership position.
His new responsibilities include overseeing the curatorial department and leading the education and biome teams.
An avid botanist, Hellenius will also continue as the staff member responsible for the plants throughout The Exploration Place’s Gaia Gallery.
Hellenius has a special place in his heart for local history and artifacts and said one of the benefits of his new role is the ability to explore The Exploration Place archives more freely.
“It’s been great,” said Hellenius. “I get to poke my nose into places where before I had to ask Alyssa’s permission. There’s also a lot more administrative work than I’m used to, but that’s part of the job.”
He is also happy to bring his unique perspective to exhibitions at The Exploration Place.
“We’re a very diverse crew here,” said Hellenius. “We all bring something different to the role. Alyssa Gerwing brought something completely different than I’ll bring to the role. I definitely have very particular interests. Of course, we have to balance those interests with the good of the entire museum and with telling the history of the community, its cultures and our research endeavours.”
Hellenius’s favourite part of The Exploration Place is the vault, which holds countless local historical documents and artifacts. He told The Citizen those documents and treasures often help bring the past to life.
“My favourite part, for me, is downstairs. It’s the vault,” said Hellenius. “I
love looking through old historical photos and having something new jump out at me, like seeing a part of the city from a particular angle during a particular time period that I’ve never seen before. I love handling the objects in our collection and really feeling that connection to the past. It makes these intangible things from our past very tangible and approachable.”
While he looks forward to his visits to the vault, he recognizes that many different perspectives are represented there, something he hopes to highlight during his time as acting curator.
“I very much like planning exhibits. I like telling stories. I like looking at history and our various communities through different lenses and telling sometimes very conflicting stories. There’s not only one story to any aspect of history. They’re all equally true. They all have value from a particular perspective,” said Hellenius.
With The Exploration Place recently reporting a funding surplus of $161,395 in 2025 while also dealing with the temporary closure of the popular Little Prince, Hellenius said he is stepping into
the role during a period of both opportunity and challenge.
“There’s lots of exciting things happening, and even those unfortunate situations, like what’s going on with the Little Prince, can be learning moments for people,” said Hellenius. “People might not realize it, but Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park is an archaeological site, and that’s one of the biggest stumbling blocks. Money and repair costs are always one thing, but when you have the potential to undertake a large-scale excavation, all of a sudden you could unearth something and everything halts. So it’s a mixed bag.”
He also shared details about upcoming projects and new offerings that will debut during his tenure as acting curator.
“We will have a kind of dual spacethemed exhibit plan in our George Phillips Gallery. We will have a planetarium set up there along with an exhibition called Health in Space, which is all about the aspects of human health that must be considered when it comes to space,” said Hellenius.
One of the biggest priorities for
Hellenius during his time at The Exploration Place is community involvement.
“We don’t presume to know everything about the history of the community,” said Hellenius.
“A lot of the time, it’s the community that brings forward these jewels and gems of the past that help us tell those various stories. There might be aspects of the community we’ve never realized before. The exhibits we create in-house and our collection are only as strong as the community allows them to be.”
During the interview, he also issued a call for anyone willing to share a local artifact or piece of history that may have gone unnoticed or unrecorded.
“If you have things that you think are being neglected and you’re interested in donating items, don’t hesitate to reach out to us and tell us, ‘Hey, this is what we’re doing. This is what you should have in your collection. This is why you should do an exhibit on this.’ Sometimes we just don’t realize it, and we go, ‘You know what? We agree with you. How did we not know about this before?’”
CITIZEN PHOTO BY MATTHEW HILLIER
Chad Hellenius, acting curator of The Exploration Place, looks over historical and current beers and foodstuffs that have been preserved as part of the museum’s permanent collection on Monday, June 8.
New Sensory Spaces open in former Wildwood school
MATTHEW HILLIER Citizen Staff
Parents of children in the Hart will soon have another option for childcare as a new all-inclusive Sensory Space & Preschool opens at the former location of Wildwood Elementary School.
Sensory Spaces plans to open its doors at 8400 Hart Highway to offer indoor play in mid-June, with childcare spaces available three to four times a month in June and August.
At a Nov. 3 council meeting, Wildwood Elementary School received a temporary-use permit to rent out its space to a number of businesses, including Sensory Spaces.
Since then, Sensory Spaces owner Katelyn Bodden and her staff have worked diligently to transform the space into one that is usable for children in the Hart and the community at large.
“We changed some walls around, took some down, added some, and then we had to rip out the carpet, add some new flooring, slap on some new paint, and we were good to go for the most part. We did renovate some bathrooms, but other than that, we’ve had to redo the whole electrical fire system so that all the newly determined suites are connected and everything like that as well,” said Bodden.
Sensory Spaces will also hold a grand opening in September, when it will begin offering preschool programs for local children. Bodden told The Citizen they already have a number of parents on a wait-list.
Bodden said that before the preschool opens, it will offer a service for parents looking to get away after a long week.
“We’ll also be playing off our daycare services and doing a parents’ night out, date night,” said Bodden.
“We’re doing a Friday evening dropyour-kids-off-from-four-to-eight deal. So you guys can go out without your kids and come back and pick them up, and they’ll be tired and ready for bed — that’s the idea.”
The business focuses on the care and support of neurodivergent children; however, Bodden said the space is open to all children regardless of circumstance.
“I have a love for preschool and childcare, and we just saw a need for a more neurodivergent-focused play centre for
in the Hart. She told The Citizen: “Yeah, I think childcare is lacking all over the place, especially in BC and up here … there’s only one preschool up in the Hart, so another one would be a good option. I think it’ll be really helpful for the parents that don’t have their village, they don’t have grandparents and things like that to watch their children. It’ll be good to have a couple of days a month where they can drop their children off, and they can come play and pick them up at the end of the day,” said Bodden.
She added that Prince George especially lacks spaces where neurodivergent children can feel comfortable while they play.
children and a need in the Hart as well, and that’s how our space came about,” said Bodden.
The space includes a custom-built play structure with slides, rock climbing, monkey bars and sensory swings. It also includes a classroom, a general play area and two “calm rooms” designed to help with regulation.
“We have an interactive projector. It’s loaded with what’s called the SEN suite, so it’s special-needs designed; all the programs on it are for use in therapy and regulation and things like that. Then the sensory room is just a quiet room with lots of bubble tubes and fibre optics and interactive lights and toys for regulation and to fill those sensory needs,” said Bodden.
Bodden has seen a gap in childcare services across the province, especially
“I think it’s just a needed space. A lot of parents have a hard time going to the bigger indoor places because it’s so crazy and loud, and so we’re smaller and focused. It’s a little quieter in here, and that’s just a space that’s needed,” said Bodden.
Bodden said Sensory Spaces is also looking to further renovate Wildwood Elementary to offer community event space.
“We’ve been renovating the old change rooms and the gym. We will have one room that’s about 1,000 square feet with a kitchen for rentals, so you can rent that on its own, or you can rent it with the gym, or vice versa. Rent the gym by itself or with the meeting room either way. It’ll be a community rental space for weddings, events, basically anything that you want to rent it for,” she said.
Bodden noted the renovations are ongoing.
CITIZEN PHOTO BY MATTHEW HILLIER
Katelyn Bodden, owner of Sensory Space,s takes a break from giving a tour of the centre on Thursday, May 28.
CITIZEN PHOTOS BY MATTHEW HILLIER
Sensory Spaces offers calm rooms and other features designed for neurodivergent children.
Former businessman faces life with rare muscle disease
Jim Mullen is battling myasthenia gravis in his retirement
TED CLARKE Citizen Staff
For decades, before he sold his Prince George store and stepped into retirement four years ago, Jim Mullen cast a large, friendly shadow over the local business scene.
When he wasn’t working as the hands-on owner of Cariboo Brewmasters, teaching customers the tricks of making and bottling home-brewed beer and wine, the tall, burly, bearded Mullen was a familiar face in the community, aiming his camera lens at concert performers as a freelance photographer.
Now, after developing a rare medical condition, the 62-year-old is unable to do either of those jobs. His body won’t allow it.
Mullen has a chronic autoimmune neuromuscular disorder known as myasthenia gravis that attacks the receptors enabling nerves to communicate with muscles.
Three weeks after being diagnosed, he experienced one of the worst days of his life.
He was in a Prince George clinic undergoing tests and, as soon as he lay down, he was unable to breathe. Medical staff got him upright again and his condition stabilized long enough for him to be transported to a hospital in Edmonton, but he spent the next month recovering in intensive care in an induced coma.
“When the diaphragm stops moving, you stop breathing, and that’s what happened to me,” said Mullen. “That’s what kills. Respiratory failure is what gets MG patients.”
The disease starts by affecting the muscles that control eye movement, then progresses to the mouth and neck, followed by the intercostal muscles that control breathing, the diaphragm and the hip flexors.
“It came on very quickly. I couldn’t focus, I couldn’t see, and that was at
Christmas in 2022,” said Mullen. “My family doctor did all kinds of tests and finally, on Jan. 31, he gave me a piece of paper that said myasthenia gravis and told me to check it out. I looked it up on the Johns Hopkins University website and checked every box. By Feb. 22, 22 days later, I was in ICU in Edmonton, intubated with machines breathing for me.”
The debilitating disease has ruined his retirement plans. Mullen and his wife were preparing to rent out their house in Prince George and move to the Isle of Man for a year, where Mullen has family ties, using it as a base to explore Europe.
“After I retired in May 2022, I got in really good shape, and then I started getting fatigue. I would drop things, I didn’t have coordination, I’d go out walking in the neighbourhood and I had to stop because I couldn’t breathe,” said Mullen.
“My body’s producing an antibody that sits in the synaptic junction
between my nerve and the muscle. My brain sends a signal (that induces movement), but that signal never gets there. The acetylcholine, the chemical that makes that happen, doesn’t get there because that antibody is sitting in the synaptic junction.”
Twice each day, Mullen takes immune-system suppressors, which alleviate some of the symptoms. While hospitalized in Edmonton, he began receiving an infusion therapy not available to most British Columbians. He is one of only two people in the province receiving VYVGART, which was first approved in Canada in September 2023. The drug costs $30,000 per dose, and it works.
VYVGART is covered in Prince Edward Island, Ontario and Alberta, but not for patients in BC. PharmaCare will not approve it. Mullen is covered because he was originally treated for MG in Edmonton and, as a former Edmonton resident, still has an Alberta health-care card.
“Argenx is the Belgian company that designed VYVGART and they were going to do some work trying to elevate the profile of MG in Canada, but they’ve pulled away from that. The market is too small,” said Mullen.
“I’m still getting the drug under compassionate care and there is now one other person in British Columbia getting it, but Fair PharmaCare won’t pay for the stuff. Nobody can afford it.”
When his symptoms are at their worst, Mullen is unable to walk, get out of the shower, feed himself or swallow. Soon after receiving a dose of the drug, his symptoms all but disappear.
He receives VYVGART for four consecutive weeks, then goes without it for three weeks. On a scale of zero to 20, with zero being the best and 20 the worst, the drug brings him to Level 3, temporarily masking the symptoms so he almost feels normal again.
SUBMITTED
Jim Mullen of Prince George takes part in the Vancouver Island Walk and Roll event in Nanaimo on May 23 to raise awareness for myasthenis gravis, a rare neuromuscular disease. At centre is Linda MacMullen, chair of the Myasthenia Gravis Society of Canada and at left is society board member Sovey Desmarais.
PG Senior Secondary class reunion happening this fall
CHRISTINE DALGLEISH Citizen Staff
Making plans with pandemic restrictions in place made organizing a 50th class reunion nearly impossible, so the Prince George Senior Secondary School 1971 class reunion will now take place this fall to mark 55 years since graduation.
“This is going to be mostly meet and greets — we’re not going to be doing big meals or dances,” said Charlotte Groot, a member of the organizing committee.
“We have two evenings planned. Friday, Sept. 11, will be at the Ramada downtown from 6:30 to 10 p.m., or however long we last,” Groot said, laughing.
The following night, Saturday, Sept. 12, will be held at the home of one of the graduating class members.
Some people can only attend the Friday night event, while others can only make the Saturday gathering, so Groot said organizers decided to host two events to accommodate both.
The 1971 class saw more than 700 students graduate, and Groot said about 70 have since died.
“The event at the Ramada will be pretty relaxed. We’ll just have some snacks and it will be a time to catch up with old friends,” she said.
“Then on Saturday night is a bigger
event where we will have a themed photo booth and a taco bar so people can have dinner. That one starts at 4:30 p.m.”
Everything is still in the planning
Myasthenia gravis afects
CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE
Mullen’s weight has increased to 350 pounds and he says it is difficult to remain active enough to lose weight because he must continue taking the steroid prednisone, which causes back pain.
“I ran Cariboo for 29 years and I carried 120-pound kegs of beer in each hand — I’m a big man, I’m six-foot-two and I used to be six-foot-five,” he said. “The prednisone that I was taking in such high doses to knock my immune system down gave me osteoporosis and
I shrank two inches in three weeks.”
During the first year after his diagnosis, Mullen needed a walker to get around. Now he uses walking sticks for longer walks but can cover short distances without assistance.
stages, but the organizing committee wanted to get the word out early so people can make arrangements to attend.
“We’re hoping for at least 100 people to attend,” Groot said.
Tickets are $125 per person for the weekend or $85 per person per event. The deadline is mid-July. For tickets and more information, call Charlotte at 250-612-8421.
10,000-12,000 Canadians
living with myasthenia gravis,” said Linda MacMullen, chair of the Myasthenia Gravis Society of Canada, based in Courtenay, where Mullen took part in an awareness walk on May 23.
June is Myasthenia Gravis Awareness Month and Mullen has been approaching local media outlets to raise awareness about a condition that affects between 10,000 and 12,000 Canadians and about 700,000 people worldwide.
“Awareness leads to earlier diagnosis, better treatment outcomes, and stronger support systems for those
Mullen and his wife turned that trip into a two-week holiday on Vancouver Island, taking the necessary precautions.
“You have to be very careful how much energy you use because there’s only so much in MG patients,” he said.
“It is debilitating. If you don’t treat it, you’re not going to make it, and there is no cure.”
Dozens of people take part in the Vancouver
on May
to
for
Island Walk and Roll event in Nanaimo
23
raise awareness
muscular dystrophy and myasthenis gravis, a rare neuromuscular disease. SUBMITTED
Not surprisingly if you knew him, Eugene Fetterly, a 1971 PG Senior Secondary School graduate, is seen here in a bathtub at the school. The 1971 class reunion was postponed due to the pandemic so the celebration will take place on Sept. 11 and 12.
PG Astronomy Society’s grant funding is cut in half
MATTHEW HILLIER Citizen Staff
The Prince George Astronomical Society is facing challenges this year after its annual Community Gaming Grant funding was cut in half.
The Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport provides Community Gaming Grants to support non-profit organizations across BC that deliver social services aimed at improving the lives of people in British Columbia.
More than $56 million was distributed during the 2025-26 fiscal year to 1,225 non-profit organizations supporting human and social services programs. The grants are funded through commercial gambling revenue, which is distributed to community organizations.
However, the Prince George Astronomical Society, which receives funding every year through the program, saw its grant reduced from $10,000 to $5,000 for the 2025-26 funding period.
Fiscal year-end grant reports for 2024-25, 2023-24 and 2022-23 confirm the society received $10,000 annually.
Malhar Kendurkar, president and director of the Prince George Astronomical Observatory, told The Citizen the funding was reduced because money remained unspent from the previous year’s grant.
“We had some leftover money from last year, but again that money was already accounted for in other projects,” said Kendurkar. “That was their main reason. That’s why they said, we’re just going to give you $5,000 for the entire year for operational costs, which, you know, it’s really not enough.”
He emphasized that the $10,000 received in previous years was barely enough to keep the observatory operating and that the funding reduction has raised concerns about its future.
“Every year we get about $10,000 through the Community Gaming Grant, which is barely enough money for the observatory to actually run our operations; basically, it just keeps our doors open. This year, with the hit of not getting that $10,000, funding-wise, we are
actually struggling,” said Kendurkar.
He added that he anticipates some community programs and events may have to be cut to make ends meet.
“We won’t be able to offer those programs because, unfortunately, we don’t have the capacity,” said Kendurkar. “We were actually going to do some upgrading to our telescope, but we won’t be able to even do that this year. It will just have to wait until next year, sadly.”
Fortunately, according to Kendurkar, the observatory purchased a new main computer for the telescope in previous years, easing concerns about replacement costs. However, maintenance expenses and the upgrades required for the observatory and its 47-year-old telescope remain a concern.
Kendurkar told The Citizen the observatory may have to rely more heavily on community support this year.
“We definitely need community
support to keep our doors open,” said Kendurkar. “We need to do fundraising as well and we also need community support. If people donate anywhere between $5 and $10, that helps.”
He also encouraged stargazers in Prince George to attend Astronomical Society open-house events.
“During the open-house events, when we are open, we ask the public to donate $2 per person or $5 per family. We try to keep that affordable for families because we acknowledge that people have to drive about 20 kilometres from town. That’s why we keep the cost affordable for everyone.”
Faced with tighter funding this year, the society is exploring new ideas to help meet its fundraising goals.
“We were hoping to do movie nights at the observatory during summertime and also do solar-observing events,” said Kendurkar. “That will be, of course,
entry by donation for a solar-observing event and then we’re thinking about keeping a small fee for the movie nights that we will be hosting soon.”
The Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport provided the following statement to The Citizen regarding the funding reduction.
“Grant amounts vary each year and are not guaranteed. Funding levels depend on overall Community Gaming Grants Program budget availability, as well as the number of successful applicants. Program funding is based on the organization’s finances and program costs, which is outlined in the eligibility criteria and application requirements,” the statement reads.
The ministry said it understands the challenges facing non-profit organizations and that funding decisions are not a reflection of the value of individual projects.
“We understand the challenges many organizations are facing, including rising costs and the need for more stable funding. Our government is committed to continuing to support non-profit organizations and the important work they do in communities throughout BC. Grants are awarded based on the size, scope and the program’s direct benefit to the community.
“At the same time, global uncertainty, inflation and tariffs mean we must ensure every dollar spent is used efficiently to grow BC’s economy and to protect services people count on. Efforts are made to distribute funding fairly throughout the province to support equal access for all communities. Decisions about grant amounts are not a reflection of the program or project’s value, nor the value of the work of the organization. Careful planning enables the province to continue investing in important programs and projects in communities throughout BC, while also focusing on supporting the core services that people count on,” the statement reads.
The ministry added that since 2016 it has provided $103,850 to the Prince George Astronomical Society through Community Gaming Grants.
CITIZEN FILE PHOTO BY MATTHEW HILLIER
The Prince George Astronomical Observatory, bathed in red light, used to adjust the eyes of meteor shower viewers to the night sky on Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025.
UNBC’s newest VP brings internatonal experience
MATTHEW HILLIER Citizen Staff
The University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) has a new vice-president of finance and administration who brings more than two decades of experience in finance, enterprise risk management, humanitarian work and more.
Danielle Forsythe began her new role on May 19 and will oversee key operational and administrative areas across UNBC.
In a press release, UNBC stated that Forsythe’s responsibilities will include, but are not limited to, sustainable operations, financial accountability, employee well-being and responsive, student-focused service delivery.
“Her leadership experience, strategic insight and understanding of the communities UNBC serves make her an excellent fit for this role, and we welcome her to the Prince George campus,” said UNBC interim president Bill Owen.
UNBC’s newest hire has worked extensively in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors and has held executive-level positions in financial services and health-care sectors in Northern BC and beyond. She is a chartered professional accountant and holds a master’s degree in forensic accounting and a postgraduate diploma in investigative and forensic accounting from the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM).
Her experience also includes teaching health-care managers, administrators, physicians and nurses in an executive program at UTM, where she specialized in forensic accounting instruction.
Forsythe, who is Gitxsan from the Gitanmaax Band in Hazelton, BC, was born and raised in Prince George. She moved back to the city in December and was immediately drawn to the
Graduates celebrates during a convocation ceremony Friday, May 29 at the University of Northern British Columbia in Prince George. The university’s newest VP says she’s happy to be coming aboard during a time of celebration.
university.
“When I saw the posting, I was quite interested, and when I started looking at the university and taking a deeper look at some of the initiatives that they were doing, I think it’s a great organization as far as the initiatives that they have,” she said.
She added that UNBC’s approach to Indigenous students and the work of the Office of Indigenous Initiatives, as well as its efforts toward advancing reconciliation, were also key draws.
“The Indigenous student population is something that really stood out to me and the initiatives that they have put into place around that are incredible,” she said.
UNBC, in a media release, added that Forsythe has previously worked with the Financial Institutions Commission and provided regulatory oversight to boards and executives, calling on them to take action whenever risks fell outside acceptable tolerance levels.
Beyond her financial leadership experience in Northern BC and beyond, she also brings more than a decade of experience with international humanitarian organizations.
She has worked internationally, including in conflict zones, with both
the Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders.
“With Doctors Without Borders, I was working in the field and so I was in Yemen during active conflict, and I also worked in their Amsterdam headquarters. I did a number of roles with them, including field operations but also risk and internal audit. I also traveled internationally to conduct reviews with their missions,” she said.
She also said she has worked with the Red Cross in the areas of risk management and fraud awareness.
“With the Canadian Red Cross specifically, I was the director of enterprise risk management, and I was also in charge of business continuity and disaster recovery planning for enterprise operations. I have also been involved with the International Federation of the Red Cross and the Swiss Red Cross to facilitate fraud awareness training for a number of their societies internationally,” she said.
Universities across the province and Canada are facing financial pressures stemming from low enrolment, reduced international student numbers and pullbacks in government funding.
Forsythe, however, believes UNBC’s Northern focus will help it navigate these challenges.
“I think that UNBC does have some advantages, certainly in terms of the student population that we have here,” she said. “I think there are a lot of opportunities for us in the North. I think the fact that UNBC is so focused on providing value to our Northern communities is something that will help us through some of those difficult times.”
She added that she believes risk can be mitigated if universities diversify.
“I do think that there is a lot of opportunity broadly speaking as well as locally — to not just focus on one area.”
While Forsythe is still in her first weeks at UNBC, she said the experience has been positive.
“This past week has been incredible,” she said. “Meeting the people — I think the people here are so warm and welcoming. It’s just been amazing to be able to be introduced to some of the people that I’ll be working with.”
She is also happy to be joining UNBC during a time of celebration as convocation began.
“It’s an amazing time to start work,” she said. “I’m looking forward to some of the celebrations that will be taking place and to really celebrate the students’ efforts and all the hard work that they’ve put in.”
Forsythe
Throwback Thursday: Week of June 11
June 10, 1966: A helicopter carried supplies to the forest service’s Merton lookout, 120 kilometres north of Prince George, as spotter Bill Lilke prepared for another summer alone in the bush. A Citizen photographer was invited along as Lilke got set up. CITIZEN FILE PHOTO BY DAVE LOOY
June 11, 1984: Lengths of welded rail, each 476 metres long, wriggled in the sun at the BC Rail yard on a hot day. The rails expanded and bent in the day’s heat, but straightened back out after dark. The stack held about 80 kilometres of track due for the northeast coal line from Anzac to Tumbler Ridge. Each track weighed 25 tonnes.
CITIZEN FILE PHOTO BY DAVE MILNE
June 11, 1998: Brandon Montgomery, 3, was on the paper’s front page keeping his eye on the ball during a practice swing at what was then called Fort George Park. CITIZEN FILE PHOTO BY DAVID MAH
June 11, 2015: ‘Cowboy’ Bob Chorney rang the bell at Knox United Church 90 times to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the United Church in Canada. Bells rang out at United Churches across Canada for the celebration. CITIZEN FILE PHOTO BY BRENT BRAATEN
Vanderhoof’s depot for donor human milk now open
JADE GOODWIN Northern Health
I’m excited to share this update! When I was a primary care nurse (PCN), I heard from parents who wanted to donate milk to the provincial milk bank. To donate, they must be screened and approved by the milk bank and, once approved, can drop off their frozen milk at a milk collection depot. Until now, the closest depot was at the University Hospital of Northern BC (UHNBC) in Prince George. About 100 km away, that distance was a real barrier for many families.
When I started my role as a public health resource nurse for the Omineca (Vanderhoof and area) a year ago, there was already interest in opening a local depot. I connected with local leaders and learned from colleagues at other Northern Health sites, such as Ksyen Regional Hospital in Terrace, which opened its depot in April 2025.
We set up local processes, such as:
• Monitoring freezer temperatures
• Shipping frozen milk to Vancouver
• Returning coolers to our site
Now everything’s ready! Local team lead Rebecca Fraser shared: “We felt the community would welcome a local depot and we wanted to make a valuable contribution to this much-needed initiative. Our local nurses and primary care assistants are excited to welcome milk donations from generous local donors.”
The importance of donor human milk
For one of my fellow nurses, the passion for milk donation is personal.
Brianna Ostrom is a primary care nurse at the Vanderhoof Health Centre. After birth, her baby needed extra care while in the hospital in Prince George. During that time, her baby received pasteurized donor human milk from the provincial milk bank.
“Breastfeeding is very important to me,” Brianna said. “After a complicated birth, it took time for me to build my milk supply. The donor milk gave my baby the nourishment she needed and eased my anxiety during a difficult time. I was so thankful.”
Today, Brianna and the team in Vanderhoof are part of the provincial network that helps move milk from approved donors to the provincial milk bank. After the milk is pasteurized, it is sent to hospitals across the province for tiny, sick and fragile babies. What a life-saving gift!
NORTHERN HEALTH PHOTO
Jade Goodwin (left) and Rebecca Fraser are two local champions behind Vanderhoof’s new human milk collection depot.
NORTHERN HEALTH PHOTO
Brianna Ostrom’s baby received donor human milk in her first days of life.
NORTHERN HEALTH PHOTO
Frozen milk received from donors is kept ready for shipment to Vancouver.
Local Sports
Area high school football down to two teams
Fallout from the pandemic means No Polars, no Trojans, no Grizzlies,
TED CLARKE Citizen Staff
High school football in Prince George has taken a hit and, when the season starts later this summer, there will be just two senior teams in the region.
The College Heights Cougars and Nechako Valley Vikings of Vanderhoof are all that remain of the Double-A varsity Northern Conference, a BC High School Football Association division that once had seven teams.
Gone, but not forgotten, are the Prince George Polars, Duchess Park Condors, D.P. Todd Trojans, Shas Ti Kelly Road Grizzlies and the Correlieu
Clan of Quesnel.
There are still players interested in football at those schools, but the numbers are not high enough to field senior varsity teams. College Heights and Nechako Valley are the only senior teams left standing — a far cry from the late 2010s, when virtually every school in the region had a football team.
To try to regain some of that lost momentum, Porter said a four-team Grade 8-9 league will begin this fall, with games starting Sept. 16. Shas Ti Kelly Road, College Heights, Nechako Valley and Quesnel Junior School all plan to participate.
Shas Ti Kelly Road head coach Steve
Porter said the Grade 8-9 teams will play nine-a-side football, with players assigned exclusively to offence or defence, abandoning the traditional twoway ironman format to simplify the game and help younger athletes learn their positions more quickly. Porter said BC School Sports is closely monitoring the program in Prince George to determine whether the Grade 8-9 model should be expanded across the province.
“We’re going to make something go for sure, we want to make sure we’re still alive,” said Porter. “We had one grade where not a lot of kids wanted to play and we’re pushing that bubble through right now.”
no Condors
On Thursday, Shas Ti Kelly Road wrapped up its spring workouts, which began in mid-May, and there was a strong turnout from players in Grades 8 and 9.
Porter is an alternate education teacher at Shas Ti Kelly Road. Just one other teacher is also coaching football — Tommy Heinzelman of College Heights Secondary, who coaches the Grade 8-9 team. Porter said being based at the school is an advantage because he is able to work with students four days a week during the off-season and also teaches a credited football class.
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Members of the Shas Ti Kelly Road Grizzlies senior varsity football team, past and present, gather for a photo at the Prince George Kodiaks’ spring camp in May.
From left are Logan Devauld, Adam Turcotte, Zander Lamarsh, Luca Pirillo, Kodiaks head coach Ryan Bellamy, Xander Tabora, Hayden Devauld, Kobe Kidd and Grizzlies coach Steve Porter.
Northern teams will play each other twice this season
CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE
Finding players is not the issue. Finding coaches is.
“I’ve got some younger guys (Zander Lamarsh, Mason Summers and Brody Reddekopp) out to help coach and that’s great because that’s been a challenge over the last couple of years,” Porter said.
“We’ve always had the same unfortunate issue here. We don’t have a lot of people who have stepped up to coach. The same people have been doing it for a long time and we have to find ways to get new coaches in.”
Porter said the fact the BCHSFA plays under American rules makes it more difficult to recruit coaches from university or junior football backgrounds who are more familiar with the Canadian game.
Prince George high school football was revived in 2004 when a spring jamboree led to league play that fall and the first PG Bowl championship. By the time the Prince George High School Football Association joined the BCHSFA as the Northern Conference in 2009, seven senior teams were involved.
The D.P. Todd Trojans played just one season in the provincial organization before folding. The Trojans fielded teams again in 2018 and 2021 but have not played since. Correlieu dropped out in 2017, followed by Duchess Park in 2018. The Condors returned following the pandemic in 2021 but lasted just one season.
By 2023, there were only four senior teams in the North: PGSS, Nechako Valley, College Heights and Shas Ti Kelly Road. The Polars dropped out in 2024 and the conference has consisted of three teams for the past two seasons. College Heights and Nechako Valley will play each other twice this season, once in Vanderhoof and once in the PG Bowl on Saturday, Oct. 31. The remainder of their schedules will consist of exhibition games on the road. To fill gaps in the schedule, the Cougars and Vikings will play Double-A varsity teams from the BCHSFA Interior Conference during bye weeks in the Interior schedule.
“One week College Heights will be there and the next week Vanderhoof will be there and they’ll be going back and forth, so they can’t even play each other,” said Porter.
Prince George has had junior high school football since 2011. Two years later, the BCHSFA introduced a junior varsity program for Grade 10-and-under players and PGSS, Duchess Park, Kelly Road, Nechako Valley and College Heights all fielded teams in the Northern Conference.
Correlieu played junior varsity from 2014-16 and D.P. Todd joined in 2016 for a three-season stint. By 2019, however, Correlieu, D.P. Todd and Nechako Valley had left the league and, when high school football returned in 2021 following the pandemic, the Northern Conference ceased to exist.
Quesnel Junior School had a strong turnout for its junior team last year and Porter said there was a push to move older players up to senior varsity with Correlieu Secondary, but the school ultimately decided against it.
“The junior school came in and did lots of fundraising, so they went from nothing to having all their gear and jerseys and lots of stuff and they planned to be at Correlieu,” said Porter. “They had sponsors lined up to buy all the gear, all the stuff for the senior team, they had the coaches and they had lots of kids who wanted to play varsity and the school went, ‘No, we don’t want to do it, it’s hard and it’s paperwork.’
“There’s still kids that want to play, but if the school’s not supporting it, I don’t know what to do?”
Porter said it is possible for players
from schools without teams to combine and compete as a hybrid squad against the two local varsity teams. However, such a team would not be eligible for provincial playoffs.
Two years ago, to create opportunities for high school players without school teams, the Prince George Kodiaks launched freshman and varsity high school programs. Players practised together but played only three games over the two-year period.
Kodiaks head coach Ryan Bellamy said if there are enough unattached high school players who still want to play, the junior football organization will consider reviving the program.
“This is the tail end of the age group of kids not getting involved in school sports because of COVID,” said Bellamy. “If there’s a demand, we will run it.”
RICHARD BRUCE PHOTO
Duchess Park Condors running back Noah Lank looks for daylight on the field at Masich Place Stadium during the 2021 high school football regular-season finale against the Prince George Polars at Masich Place Stadium. The Polars won 2620. Neither team is currently active.
Kodiaks ready to open their season July 25 at Masich
TED CLARKE Citizen Staff
The BC Football Conference released its junior football schedule Thursday, June 4, and the Prince George Kodiaks open their season with three consecutive home games.
But before they hit the field on July 25 at Masich Place Stadium, the other six teams in the conference will have already played a game.
“We’re happy with the schedule and looking forward to get going,” said Kodiaks head coach Ryan Bellamy. “We got the first-week bye, which is tough, but it was our turn. It just gives us another week of prep, which is never the worst thing.
“Starting with three games at home really gives the hometown fans an opportunity to see the team early on in the season and we can showcase what we’re putting together this year.”
The Kodiaks host the Vancouver Island Raiders in the season-opener July 25. The Raiders did not make the trip to Prince George last year, with the Kodiaks playing them in Nanaimo.
Prince George will face the Kamloops Broncos three times and two of those games (Aug. 1 and Sept 26) will be played at Masich.
The Kodiaks also host the Langley Rams on Aug. 8 before they head out on the road for their next four games. They’ll visit the Okanagan Sun in Kelowna on Aug. 15, face the Broncos in Kamloops on Aug. 22, the Langley Rams on Aug. 29 and after a Labour Day weekend break they’ll meet the Westshore Rebels in Langford on Sept. 12.
The team returns to home turf Sept. 19 against the defending-champion Sun and will be at Masich again Sept. 19 to play Kamloops.
The 10-game regular season ends Oct. 3 in Chilliwack against the Valley Huskers.
The Kodiaks’ camp begins Thursday, July 2 at Prince George Secondary School field. Bellamy anticipates a practice schedule that includes four evening workouts on weekdays from 7-9 p.m., as well as a few weekend practices in the three
weeks leading up to their first game.
Bellamy, appointed head coach April 23, is expecting at least 70 players to show up for the start of camp, including 45 returning players from the team that made its first-ever BCFC playoff appearance last year and he anticipates several new recruits will be added soon.
Of that group of 70 on the roster, 20 are from Prince George and one is from Vanderhoof.
The Kodiaks have tapped into Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario for the bulk of their recruits and have signed at least three internationals: linebacker Michael Alade and defensive lineman Tiago Almeida, both of London, England, and defensive/offensive lineman Cameron Phillips, a Texas native. Amid all the chaos that’s surrounded the Kodiaks this year with their financial woes that led to the firing of head coach
and director of football operations Jamie Boreham, the resignation of the entire nine-member board of directors and the near-folding of the franchise, Bellamy is relieved to see his team will continue in its sixth season. Seeing the schedule provides him further confirmation.
“It really goes to the hard work of what the board has put in to jump through the hoops to prove the team is viable, the work they’re doing to secure sponsorships in the community, it’s all very rewarding to see that happening,” said Bellamy. “I’m happy to see this is going to continue for the community to have a team playing here.
“One-third of the roster is local kids and that was the hope when we started this team, for kids to have the chance to stay at home and continue to play football and showcase their talents at the highest level.”
CITIZEN FILE PHOTO BY CHUCK NISBETT
Prince George Kodiaks defensive back Peyton Briere leaps to grab an underthrown pass from the Westshore Rebels to make the interception during the Kodiaks’ season-opening game in front of stands full of cheering fans at Masich Place Stadium Saturday, July 19, 2025.
CITIZEN FILE PHOTO BY CHUCK NISBETT
The Masich Place scoreboard tells the tale of a closely fought opening game for the 2024 season. The Raiders visit the Kodiaks to open the 2026 season July 25.
City out of running for Special Olympics Summer Games
With Kelowna hosting the 2028 Winter Games, organizers want a different province for 2030
COLIN SLARK Citizen Staff
The City of Prince George won’t be following up its hosting of the 2025 Special Olympics BC Summer Games with the national edition of the tournament in 2030.
On Tuesday, June 2, the city sent out a note to media outlets stating that Special Olympics Canada will not be awarding the 2030 Special Olympics Canada Summer Games to any British Columbia communities as Kelowna has been selected to host the 2028 Special Olympics Canada Winter Games and the organization wants to avoid back-toback tournaments in the same province.
“We are in the process of waiting on Special Olympics Canada for additional correspondence as we have written to them seeking some clarifying information on their reasoning and what, if anything, we could do differently next time,” a spokesperson for the city said.
In an email, Special Olympics Canada vice-president of brand, marketing and communications Sarah Barker confirmed the news.
“In evaluating submitted bids, Special Olympics Canada forms a bid evaluation committee, composed of Special Olympics athletes, expert sport advisors and Special Olympics staff, who review each bid and evaluate based on a variety of factors, including funding and logistical criteria,” Barker said.
“While we cannot comment on the specific details of the Prince George bid, we were very impressed with the dedication to Special Olympics programming locally and the impact it has on the city, which rang loud and clear throughout the process.
“The bid committee has re-opened the bidding process and will evaluate each location with the same criteria used to evaluate Prince George.”
The rejection comes after Prince George was put on the shortlist to host the 2030 games last June.
Then, last October, the city welcomed representatives from Special Olympics Canada for a site visit. That visit included tours of facilities where the tournament’s events would have taken place, including the Aquatic Centre, the CN Centre, the University of Northern BC and more.
City council had approved up to $30,000 in spending to prepare for the site visit.
In the city’s June 2 release, director of civic facilities and events Andy Beesley lauded the local event committee for putting together a “10 out of 10 bid package and site tour.”
“Our strong belief is that we did not in fact lose the bid,” Beesley said.
“The goalposts were changed after we knocked it out of the ballpark in terms of the quality of our bid package and the truly remarkable site visits we provided. Prince George has a proud history of hosting world class events and we remain confident that these games would have been no different.
“While the national organization’s unexpected decision to no longer consider British Columbia for the 2030 Games is both frustrating and disappointing, we are now shifting our focus to other national and international events that we will be excited to bring to Prince George. It’s not all bad news: $500,000 that was being held in the Major Events Reserve Fund pending the success of the bid is now available for staff to immediately start bidding on other exciting opportunities.”
One of the members of the local 2030 bid team was former Prince George-Valemount MLA Shirley Bond, who also led public relations for the 2025 games.
“I think it’s an extremely disappointing day for us, and for the City of Prince George,” Bond said in a phone interview. “I can say this, that the bid package that was presented to Special Olympics Canada was exceptional. We had so much support from our community. Our Special Olympics athletes
Thursday, July 10, 2025.
were front and centre in that bid package.”
Bond said it was her understanding that Special Olympics Canada hadn’t awarded the 2030 games and will instead restart the evaluation process.
“This will not deter us from looking at other opportunities to host great events,” Bond said.
She added that the 2025 games generated enthusiasm for local Special
Olympics programs, which has led to offerings for younger athletes and new coaches, volunteers coming on board.
“That is exactly what we set out to do when we hosted the games,” Bond said.
“From my perspective, that will always be an ongoing goal to make sure we have a thriving program, that we are an inclusive community.”
CITIZEN FILE PHOTO BY TED CLARKE
Prince George Special Olympics 10-pin bowler Greg Cole and Prince George RCMP Cpl. Jennifer Cooper light the cauldron at CN Centre during the Special Olympics BC Summer Games opening ceremony on
CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE
Organizers say city stepped up during campaign Bid approved to host 55+ BC Games
The recent RCMP Torch Run held to raise funds for local Special Olympics athletes is an example of Prince George stepping up, she said.
Renee McCloskey, the co-chair of the 2025 summer games and a member of the 2030 bid team, said “the news is very disappointing.”
“I think we all felt extremely proud of the work that our committee and the community did to show Special Olympics Canada what we can do as a whole community,” McCloskey said.
“We certainly saw that in spades last summer with the provincial Special Olympic Games. We saw that a few years ago with the BC Summer Games, so we’re incredibly proud of the reputation we’ve built as a host community … but it’s out of our hands, so not much we can do about it.”
McCloskey added that she hoped the city will take a look at what other big events can be brought to town as being the host is a great experience for Prince George.”
The legacy of the 2025 games, she said, is more than just the money it brought to the community but what it did to improve the lives of those who were involved like athletes and volunteers.
Peter Goudal, the local co-ordinator for Special Olympics in Prince George and another member of the 2030 bid team, said the rejection was disappointing but it was heartening to know that it came as a result of circumstances beyond this community’s control.
“We put a great bid together,” Goudal said. “I thoroughly enjoyed working with everybody on that committee.”
After the 2025 games, Goudal said there’s been a lot of enthusiasm for local Special Olympics programs.
“We have had an increase in our athlete population because we’ve had great media coverage before and after the games,” he said. “Trying to promote the programs and encourage parents to get their kids involved and get them involved early.”
He said a lot of coaches for Special
The judges display their score after each dive to have it tallied during competition at the BC Summer Swimming Association Provincial Championship meet held at the Aquatic Centre Monday, Aug. 11.
Olympics in Prince George are in their 60s and it’s important to build up the next generation of volunteers.
In other communities, Goudal said he’s seen volunteer burnout lead to coaches resigning and programs falling by the wayside. He said he doesn’t think this is going to happen in Prince George, but it’s important to have a succession plan.
A couple of coaches for Special Olympics curling could step down before the next season, he said. As well, there’s not currently a softball team but there could be enough players to organize one.
“Usually, I ask volunteers ‘what sport is your passion?’” he said.
Volunteers don’t need a degree in physical education — training is made available through Special Olympics British Columbia. On top of coaches, Goudal said Northern BC needs a community development co-ordinator to help every community in the region with their own programs.
Local programming, he said, caters to people from ages two to 100.
There are Active Start programs for
kids aged two to five years old and Fundamentals for kids aged six to 11. Regular programming typically starts around age eight, but kids can’t travel outside their home communities until they turn 12.
He said early intervention with physical activity for kids with intellectual disabilities is important as many of them will have concurrent disorders.
“We can get them active and start engaging them and teaching and socialization and having fun,” he said.
On top of volunteering, there’s also a need for donations to help pay for travel costs so that local Special Olympics athletes can go to tournaments in other communities.
Information on how to volunteer, donate or sign up for programming can be found on the Special Olympics BC –PG Facebook page.
When making donations, Goudal said it’s important to mark the donation as being for Special Olympics Prince George to make sure those dollars stay in the community.
COLIN SLARK Citizen Staff
Prince George’s rejected bid for the 2030 Special Olympics Canada Summer Games is still fresh, but the city is already moving forward on another opportunity to host a multi-sport event.
City council voted unanimously to grant permission to administration to bid for the right to host either the 2029 or 2030 55+ BC Games.
Director of civic facilities and events
Andy Beesley requested permission for both the bids as well as expenditures of up to $75,000 in cash and $65,000 in in-kind commitments in case the games are awarded to Prince George.
The 55+ BC Games are hosted in a different community each year.
Beesley’s report said the games would bring more than 3,000 athletes and coaches alongside hundreds of friends and family members should Prince George submit the winning bid.
He estimated an economic benefit of around $3.5 million for the city should the games come to town.
Hosting the games wouldn’t just be in line with the city’s 10-year sport tourism strategy, Beesley argued, but also help develop local sports organizations, provide a sense of community pride, provide a chance to perform minor facilities upgrades and other benefits.
Standing in for Beesley at the June 8 meeting was manager of event services Debbie Haywood, who said staff had already started some work on the bid package as the application deadline is June 26. However, a motion from council is required as part of that package.
Vote summary
Motion: Council approves submitting a bid to host the 2029 or 2030 55+ BC Games as well as cash expenditures of $75,000 and in-kind contributions worth $65,000 if the bid is successful.
Result: Approved unanimously.
Sibling rivalry inspires medal moment for local runner
TED CLARKE Citizen Staff
D.P. Todd Trojans distance runner
Zavier Gladdish surprised himself when he ran with the fastest of his age-group peers at the BC high school track and field championships and pulled out a bronze-medal finish in the junior boys 1,500 metre event in Langley.
His 4:12.39 run in the final set not only set a personal record for the Grade 9 student but it was a full second quicker than the best time his older brother Noah, now a college scholarship runner at Trinity Western University, ever ran in his high school career.
And Zavier has three more years still ahead of him as a high-schooler to get even faster.
“He just beat two of his brother’s best times at this meet, he’s just a little guy doing some crazy times,” said D.P. Todd track and field coach Bryce Gladdish, Noah and Zavier’s father.
“Noah was down there watching it and he was super-excited for him but also a little confused.”
In the 3,000 race, Gladdish posted a time of 9:09.84 to finish fourth, shredding three seconds off Noah’s best time as a Grade 12 D.P. Todd senior athlete.
Zavier was born Dec. 24, 2011 and was one of the youngest junior (Grade 9-10) athletes at the Langley meet.
“I think Zavier was shell-shocked himself, his times were substantially faster than what he’s run before,” said coach Gladdish.
“There’s people he looks up to in the Lower Mainland he didn’t realize he can keep up with. I honestly think he’s still processing it. We were just hoping he would be close to a ribbon going down there.”
Zavier was especially shocked to eclipse Caleb Baker of White Rock in the rush to bronze in the 1,500m event. Baker, a two-time national record holder, nipped Gladdish at the dash for the bronze in the 3,000m race.
The provincial meet was also a record-setter for Kavita Dhillon of Vanderhoof. Representing the Nechako Valley Vikings, the Grade 9 student
shattered the provincial records in both her junior girls running events.
In the 1,500m final, Dhillon captured gold.
“Kavita is a hard-working and enthusiastic runner with lots of guts and the desire to break records,” said Nechako Valley track and field coach Brian Nemethy. “Before the race, we always come up with a plan to be the first across the line. Last year in Grade 8 she did the same thing.”
In December, Dhillon won the junior girls national cross country championship in London, Ont.
Several Prince George high school athletes placed in the top eight at the three-day provincial meet in Langley that started Thursday, June 4 and ended on Saturday, June 6.
Shas Ti Kelly Road Grade 9 runner Kasieobi Udumaga was the silver medalist in the junior boys 100m sprint, posting a time of 11:46 in the final. He also finished fourth in the 200m race in 23.02, after clocking 22.89 in the preliminary round.
Two Duchess Park Condors earned their way to the medal podium.
Nicolas Scarpino won the junior boys 100 m hurdles event in 14 seconds flat and was fifth in the high jump (1.80m).
for student athletes from the north to take on the best from triple-A schools, several of which have student populations well into the thousands.
“I think it’s super-impressive that athletes from the north are able to go down and compete against the best of (Vancouver) Island and the Lower Mainland and perform as well as they did,” said Gladdish, head coach of the Prince George Track and Field Club.
“A lot of athletes consider it an experience just getting to be in that environment but we’re actually producing people from the north who are in contention to win medals or set records like Kavita.”
Other Prince George Track and Field Club members competed at the provincial championships in Langley but did not make it into the top eight in their respective events.
That list includes:
Sara Aka, a Grade 11 student, was second in the senior girls 100m hurdles event (14.81 seconds) and eighth in the 100m sprint (12.71s).
Kionae Roberts of Duchess Park, a University of Regina basketball recruit, finished eighth in the senior girls 400m event in 59.83.
D.P. Todd pole vaulter Ava Mathews, a Grade 11 student, placed sixth in the senior girls event, clearing 2.55 metres, while her Trojans teammate Maiya Ware placed ninth in the junior girls pole vault (2.30 m).
College Heights Cougars hammer thrower Madelin Standish won silver in the junior girls event with a toss of 42.28m.
The provincial meet rewards the top eight placings in each event with a ribbon and the top three get medals.
The junior and senior events feature the top 32 athletes from across BC who have qualified in zone championships. In Prince George’s North Central zone only event winners go to provincials. The 24 best times/marks from eighth graders in each zone qualify for the provincial meet.
Considering the population of most north central zone schools, coach Gladdish says it’s a major accomplishment
Shas Ti Kelly Road secondary
• Isabelle Day
• Lilyanna Welscher
D.P. Todd Secondary
• Max Petterson
Duchess Park Secondary
• Molly Monahan
• Abdul Hien
Prince George Secondary
• Mary James
• Cedars Christian
• Olivia Bluemink
• Cadence Hooft
• David Hillhouse
• Matthias Hoekstra
• Chloe McEwen
College Heights Secondary
• Connor Garrison
• Lexi Roberge
• Sam Hopson
The PGTFC hosts its annual Spruce Capital meet Saturday, June 13 at Masich Place Stadium.
The meet, which starts at 9 a.m., will feature about 200 athletes, most of whom are in the younger junior development age categories.
SUBMITTED PHOTO
D.P. Todd runner Zavier Gladdish of Prince George leads the pack as he runs in the junior boys at the BC high school track and field championships in Langley. The meet was held June 4-6.
Life Events
In Loving Memory
James “Jim” Phillips
February 7, 1942 - June 10, 2025
I loved you untl the end of your life and I will love and miss you untl the end of mine.
Love, Lorraine
Henry Phillip Chasse e em er , une ,
Henry Phillip Chasse, age 81, of Prince George BC, assed away on une , a er a oura eous a le with an er.
He is survived by his 2 children and 4 grandchildren alon with his sister arilyn and family.
enry s life was mar ed y dedi aton to his family and his love for layin fast all. e will e missed y all who new and loved him. e is now forever reunited with the love of his life orma and forever in our hearts.
very s e ial than you to the rin e eor e os i e alliatve are o iety for ma in his nal days ea eful, omforta le and lled with di nity.
Terry Rice
March 22, 1954 - April 30, 2026
Terry, my wife of 52 years and my best friend, passed away at home in Hope B.C. We had a good life together and I will never forget her.
Fred Harold Gjelsten
January 30, 1954 - May 14, 2026
Fred was born in New Westminster, BC, and raised in orth elta, , to arents artn and lma elsten, who immigrated from Norway in 1952. e assed away suddenly ay th, , in ent ton, .
“Fast Freddie” was an iron worker/welder by trade, and wor ed on many ro e ts throu hout while livin in . . or many years, he en oyed the outdoor life of huntn , shin , and si n around the am re with friends and family, havin a old one. red later moved to ent ton, , to e loser to his sisters, Brenda and Linda.
red also had a indness for animals and onsidered them family. His buddy Cooper will dearly miss him. rede eased y arents artn and lma and ste father oward, rothers rne and udmund, nephew Darrin. Lovingly remembered by sisters Eva (Harold), Solfrid (Kelly), Linda (John), and Brenda, many nie es and ne hews, and ood friends.
y life s een full I savoured mu h. od wanted me now he set me free.
Daniel Roger Willmann
January 7, 1960 - October 4, 2025
Daniel “Dan” Roger Willmann went home to be with Jesus, his Saviour, on April 10, 2026.
Dan was born to Imant and Margaret Willmann on July 1, 1960 in Prince George, B.C. He proudly lived and farmed on Cranbrook Hill for over 60 years.
Dan was predeceased by his father Imant, fatherin-law Richard Zarek, brother-in-law Rick Wilson and ne hew re ilson. an s mother, ar aret, passed away May 4, 2026.
Dan will be lovingly missed by his wife, Brenda, their children, Alyse and Cole, and his sisters Joanne and Angela. He will also be missed by his extended familythe Buses, Zareks, Wilsons, Koehns, Rempels and Holms. he friendshi s and mult le e ressions of su ort for Dan and his family over the years are treasured. u h a re iaton is e tended to the rin e eor e health are ommunity for their su ort durin an s recent health journey.
ele raton of Life for an was held on Saturday, May 23, 2026.
If desired memorial ontri utons may e made to
Daniel R. Willmann Memorial Scholarship (award e ins rad a lemen s artn iedemann Society, #4-10145 Dallas Drive, Kamloops, BC V2C 6T4, or with credit card at www.CanadaHelps.org desi nated to an illmann , where the a lemen s artn iedemann o iety is re istered.
OR
Canadian Food Grains Bankcfgb@foodgrainsbank, 1-800-665-0377, PO Box 767 inni e , . L
• On June 22, 1611, after a winter spent trapped by ice in what is now northeastern Canada’s Hudson Bay, the starving crew of the Discovery launched a mutiny against their captain, English navigator Henry Hudson, setting him, his teenage son, and seven of his supporters adrift in a small open boat. They were never seen again.
* On June 22, 1611, after a winter spent trapped by ice in what is now northeastern Canada's Hudson Bay, the starving crew of the Discovery launched a mutiny against their captain, English navigator Henry Hudson, setting him, his teenage son, and seven of his supporters adrift in a small open boat. They were never seen again.
• On June 23, 1956, Gamal Abdel Nasser was elected the first president of the Republic of Egypt. Nasser had overthrown the country’s monarchy four years earlier, in a military coup, and was the sole candidate on the ballot. His new constitution, making Egypt a one-party socialist state with Islam as its official religion, was also almost unanimously approved by voters.
* On June 23, 1956, Gamal Abdel Nasser was elected the first president
• On June 24, 1374, a “dancing plague” swept through Germany, causing medieval villagers to writhe and whirl uncontrollably and leaving many people in a state of exhausted collapse in the streets or dead from heart attacks and strokes. The cause is still unknown, though ergot poisoning, mass hysteria and religious devotion have all been suggested.
• On June 25, 1910 Congress passed the Mann Act, which was ostensibly intended to keep young women from being enticed into prostitution, but was more about a way to make various types of consensual sexual activity a crime.
ARIES (March 21 to April 19) Operatng under a full head of self-esteem makes you want to tackle a mater that you had shied away from. OK, but be sure to arm yourself with facts before you make a move.
• On June 26, 1948 American and British pilots began delivering food, water, clothing, medicine and fuel by airplane to Berlin after the city was isolated by a Soviet Union blockade. Some in President Harry Truman’s administration had called for a military response to the blockade, but Truman believed such an action could incite another world war.
of the Republic of Egypt. Nasser had overthrown the country's monarchy four years earlier, in a military coup, and was the sole candidate on the ballot. His new constitution, making Egypt a one-party socialist state with Islam as its official religion, was also almost unanimously approved by voters.
* On June 24, 1374, a "dancing plague" swept through Germany, causing medieval villagers to writhe and whirl uncontrollably and leaving many people in a state of exhausted collapse in the streets or dead from heart attacks and strokes. The
cause is still unknown, though ergot poisoning, mass hysteria and religious devotion have all been suggested.
* On June 25, 1910, Congress passed the Mann Act, which was ostensibly intended to keep young women from being enticed into prostitution, but was more about a way to make various types of consensual sexual activity a crime.
* On June 26, 1948, American and British pilots began delivering food, water, clothing, medicine and fuel by airplane to Berlin after the city was isolated by a Soviet Union blockade. Some in President Harry Truman's
CANCER (June 21 to July 22) Taking on too many tasks may not be the wise thing to do at this tme. You might overspend both your physical and emotonal energy reserves and have to miss out on some upcoming events.
administration had called for a military response to the blockade, but Truman believed such an action could incite another world war.
* On June 27, 1985, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials decertified the iconic Route 66, which in its heyday stretched about 2,400 miles over a span of eight states from Chicago, Illinois, to Santa Monica, California, and voted to remove all its highway signs.
* On June 28, 2007, the bald eagle was removed from America's List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife.
LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) Coping with an old issue that has suddenly reemerged could take a big toll on your emotonal energies. Decide whether you really want to pursue the possibilites here.
CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) A puzzling attude change from friendly to chilly in a colleague might stem from a long-hidden resentment that suddenly bubbled up. An open and honest talk should resolve the problem.
TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) A smart move you recently made caught the atenton of a lot of people, including some with fnancial deals to ofer. Use your Taurean wariness to check them out thoroughly.
• On June 27, 1985 the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials decertified the iconic Route 66, which in its heyday stretched about 2,400 miles over a span of eight states from Chicago, Illinois, to Santa Monica, California, and voted to remove all its highway signs.
• On June 28, 2007, the bald eagle was removed from America’s List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife.
GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) Shyness might keep you from asking for more informaton on a potentally important mater. But your curiosity grows stronger by midweek and gives you the impetus for data-gathering.
LEO (July 23 to August 22) Try to keep your spending at an afordable level. Splurging now -- especially on credit -could create a problem if your fnances are too low for you to take advantage of a possible opportunity.
VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) You might not approve of a colleague’s behavior over much of the week. But don’t play the judgmental VIRGO card here. As always, check the facts before you assume the worst.
SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) For all your skill in keeping your secrets safe, you could be unwitngly letng one slip out by the way you’re behaving in a new relatonship. Are congratulatons soon to be in order?
SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) Good old-fashioned horse sense could help you get around people who unknowingly or deliberately put obstacles in your way. Ignore the confusion and follow your own lead.
AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) This week, many ever-generous Aquarians might fnd themselves feeling an acquisitve urge. If so, indulge it. You’ve earned the right to treat yourself to wonderful things.
PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Expect to get a lot of advice on how to go about implementng your plans. But once you’ve sorted it all out, you’ll probably fnd that, once again, your way will be the best way.
Homes & Living
Condo Ownership vs. Home Ownership:
Which Option Is Right for You?
For many Canadians, purchasing a property is one of the most significant financial decisions they will ever make. While owning a detached home has long been considered the traditional dream, condominium living has become an increasingly popular alternative.
Both options offer unique advantages and challenges, and understanding the differences can help buyers make the right choice for their lifestyle, budget, and longterm goals.
One of the most noticeable differences between condo ownership and home ownership is the purchase price. In many
communities, condos are generally more affordable than detached homes, making them an attractive option for first-time buyers, young professionals, and retirees looking to downsize.
The lower entry cost can allow buyers to enter the housing market sooner or purchase property in desirable neighbourhoods that may otherwise be out of reach. However, affordability extends beyond the purchase price. Condo owners typically pay monthly strata or condominium fees that help cover maintenance of common areas, building insurance, landscaping, snow removal, and amenities such as fitness centres or recreation rooms.
While these fees can provide convenience and predictability, they are an ongoing expense that homeowners of detached properties do not face.
Detached homeowners, on the other hand, are responsible for all maintenance and repair costs themselves. Whether it’s replacing a roof, repairing a furnace, or maintaining a yard, the expenses can be significant and often arrive unexpectedly. While there are no monthly strata fees, homeowners must budget carefully for future repairs and upkeep.
Lifestyle is another important consideration. Condo ownership often appeals to those seeking a low-maintenance lifestyle.
Residents can enjoy the benefits of property ownership without spending weekends mowing lawns, shoveling snow, or maintaining exterior structures.
This can be especially attractive for busy professionals, retirees, or individuals who travel frequently.
Home ownership typically offers greater freedom and privacy.
Detached homes provide more space, larger yards, and fewer shared walls with neighbours.
Homeowners generally have greater flexibility when it comes to renovations, landscaping, pets, and personalizing their property.
For growing families or those who enjoy outdoor activities and gardening, a detached home may
better suit their needs.
Privacy can be a significant factor in the decision-making process. Condo residents often share walls, hallways, elevators, parking facilities, and recreational spaces with other residents.
While modern buildings are designed to minimize noise and maximize comfort, living in close proximity to neighbours can present challenges.
Detached homes generally offer more privacy, both inside and outside the property. Separate structures and private yards create a greater sense of personal space, which many buyers value highly. When it comes to investment potential, both property types can appreciate in value over time, but market conditions often influence their performance differently.
Detached homes typically benefit from land ownership, which can contribute significantly to longterm appreciation.
Since land is a finite resource,
properties with larger lots often experience strong value growth over the years.
Condominiums can also provide excellent investment opportunities, particularly in urban centres where demand for affordable housing remains high.
However, condo values can be influenced by factors such as the financial health of the strata corporation, special assessments, building age, and the number of available units in the market.
Another important consideration is governance. Condo owners must abide by strata bylaws and regulations that govern everything from pet ownership and rentals to noise levels and renovations. While these rules help maintain property standards and community harmony, some buyers may find them restrictive.
Detached homeowners enjoy greater autonomy over their property, subject only to municipal bylaws and zoning regulations.
Strata
Sunday June 14th • 1pm-3pm
Prices vary per unit please inquire* Units available are: 105 111 207 213 (corner unit) 305 **EACH UNIT HAS THE FOLLOWING** BEDROOM-2 BATHS-2 full bath APPLIANCES- Fridge, Stove, Over Range Microwave, and Dishwasher LIVING ROOM-Yes, with fireplace LAUNDRY ROOM-Yes, in
small pets considered with deposit. ELEVATOR-Yes
This increased control is often a major advantage for those who value independence and flexibility. Ultimately, there is no universal answer to the condo versus home ownership debate. The best choice depends on an individual’s financial situation, lifestyle preferences, maintenance tolerance, and long-term objectives.
Buyers who prioritize convenience, affordability, and low-maintenance living may find a condominium to be the perfect fit. Those seeking space, privacy, and greater control over their property may prefer the benefits of a detached home.
Before making a decision, prospective buyers should carefully assess their needs, research local market conditions, and consult with real estate and financial professionals. By weighing the advantages and disadvantages of each option, buyers can confidently choose the
property type that best supports their future goals.
