Prince George Citizen Thursday September 18, 2025

SATURDAY, September 27 • 6:00PM

THURSDAY, September 18, 2025

Mavrick’s all-star weekend

With 98% of his tumour gone, he’s coming home for his third birthday (and some hockey)

MATTHEW HILLIER Citizen Staff

For two-year-old Mavrik Turnbull, childhood has been anything but typical.

Mavrik began experiencing minor symptoms last fall, including fatigue, loss of appetite and a small bump on his stomach.

However, following an ultrasound, he was quickly moved to BC Children’s Hospital, where he was found to have high-risk neuroblastoma — a form of cancer found in certain nerve tissues. A tumour was discovered that was larger than his head. It had wrapped around major arteries, his gallbladder and kidney, and was pressing against his spine.

difficult even for most adults. These included multiple scans, a biopsy, seven rounds of chemotherapy, two stem cell transplants, tumour reduction surgery and 12 days of radiation therapy.

Thanks to these treatments — and the round-the-clock care of staff at BC Children’s Hospital — his tumour has shrunk 98 per cent, and he has recently begun immunotherapy.

Mavrik has been staying at BC Children’s Hospital for 11 months, with a few visits home during his stay. He’s back in Prince George for a visit on Thursday, Sept. 18.

Derek Turnbull, Mavrik’s father, told The Citizen how it feels for him and Mavrik’s mother, Vanessa, to watch him recover from such an extensive ordeal.

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Mavrik Turnbull, who has spent the last 11 months at BC Children’s Hospital in

He’s known as ‘the Hockey Kid’ at BC Children’s Hospital

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

“I don’t think it’s really hit me yet because we’re still in the middle of it,” said Turnbull. “Looking back, it just helped us; everything kind of went fast and slow at the same time. It feels kind of weird, but it’s nice to be on the right side of the centre line at least.”

Known as “the Hockey Kid” in his ward, Mavrik’s love of the game has greatly helped in his recovery, and even earned him visits from several NHL players and BC hockey celebrities.

“We met Brock Boeser earlier in the year, last season, so that was pretty cool,” said Turnbull. “Since then, he’s met quite a few more hockey players this summer. He was carried around with the Calder Cup with the Abbotsford Canucks and Christian Wolanin, and we met Sam Reinhart with the Stanley Cup. We were at a training event and got to meet and talk with the local PG boy, Jansen Harkins, who now plays in the NHL. So it was nice to chat with him for a while, and he really liked Mavrik and actually gave him a signed stick!”

While this ordeal has been life-changing for both Mavrik and his family, Turnbull said that the community support from those in Prince George has made a world of difference.

“It was something I never could have imagined — how much the community helped us and how much everybody stood behind our family and Mavrik,” said Turnbull. “We couldn’t have asked for a better town to raise our kids in, because it really shows how invested people are in helping families when they need it.”

Mavrik is expected to return home on the night of Sept. 18 — a day before his third birthday — and Turnbull is expecting an unforgettable celebration when his son gets back to Prince George.

“We’ll be there for HockeyFest,” said Turnbull. “We’ll have Mavrik there for Hockey Fest, and our kids are on a team for HockeyFest called Mavrik’s All Stars. They’re representing Mavrik, and we will also be there for the Cougars’ Home Opener weekend, as we’re celebrating

Mavrik’s third birthday on the 19th at the rink!” (See HockeyFest details on Page 39.)

Turnbull added that, in addition to celebrity visits, the hockey community has continued to rally around Mavrik during his stay at BC Children’s Hospital.

“Every one of the teams that we’ve either talked to or had reach out to us — or even sent stuff that we never asked for,” said Turnbull. “We had teams send us packages for Mavrik that we had never even reached out to, which is just fantastic. The hockey community in general has been amazing for him — being able to bond with so many players and so many people and meet so many new people just from the hockey community in general has been fantastic.”

Following his return home, Mavrik is expected to head back to Vancouver for another five to six months. Once there, he will begin five more rounds of immunotherapy. These will involve at least one week to a week and a half as an inpatient in hospital.

Mavrik’s father added that his son is in good hands, and that staff at the hospital have been instrumental in his recovery.

“You hear about it from friends or family or just people in the community — about how incredible this hospital is — but being able to witness it firsthand, it’s nothing short of amazing,” said Turnbull. “How well the nurses and carers up to the doctors and everybody that is involved or is a part of this team makes this place truly remarkable to try

and heal him. I know other cases are not as responsive as ours, but everything the doctors have told us about Mavrik’s treatment and how this treatment is going to go has been spot on.”

If you are interested in donating to the Turnbull family, you can send funds to their GoFundMe at this link: https://www.gofundme.com/f/ little-mavrik-battle-cancer

Mavrik and his parents, Venessa and Derek Turnbull, check out the Stanley Cup with Sam Reinhart of the Florida Panthers. Below, the family checks out a Canucks game.

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Chamber says businesses want more council support

COLIN SLARK Citizen Staff

Local businesses are looking for more aggressive lobbying from Prince George city council towards higher levels of government to address crime, the head of the local chamber of commerce said at a Monday, Sept. 15 meeting.

The meeting of the Standing Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs was the first held since the fire just blocks away that destroyed CrossRoads Brewing & Distillery on Sept. 5.

Presenting to the committee was Prince George Chamber of Commerce executive director Neil Godbout, who formerly served as The Citizen’s editor.

With a week to go until representatives from both city staff and council travel to Victoria to attend the Union of BC Municipalities’ annual convention from Sept. 22 to 26, Godbout spoke about some items that chamber members would like the city to advocate for.

“If you would ask Downtown Prince George and I would say the chamber as well, the active issue is public safety,” Godbout said.

“Safety for business owners and operators, safety for employees, safety for customers and safety for property … yes, local government is really caught in a bind between its limited powers next to the provincial government and federal government, but on the same side I would say I think I can speak for Chamber members as well as the board in that there is some frustration that local government is not, frankly, emptying the arsenal.”

Godbout said everyone realizes there are some challenges for local governments, but they need to not just be working on the problem but be seen to be working on the problem.

He said that local governments need to be creative, referencing Barrie, Ont.’s recent declaration of a state of emergency over safety concerns stemming from homeless encampments, private security hired by the Town of Smithers.

The CrossRoads fire, he said, was a final straw for some people, especially since it came just hours after five

Conservative MLAs held a forum discussion on business-related crime across the street at the Ramada.

Citing a comment that Kelowna-Mission Conservative MLA Gavin Dew made at the forum, Godbout said that we can hold two thoughts in our head at the same time, being both angry and frustrated as well as caring and compassionate at the same time.

Last year, city council approved $40,000 in funding to establish a downtown security camera pilot project. Godbout said the City of Penticton is four years ahead of Prince George in establishing its own security camera project and put up a $500,000 investment in it.

“You’re heading into a budget cycle right now,” Godbout said. “I don’t know what’s in next year’s budget, but I hope it’s more than $40,000.”

He added that Penticton’s cameras have caught arsons in progress, allowing a quick response from emergency officials, as well as helped to identify an alleged murder suspect.

On the local camera project, he said Downtown Prince George has noted that it’s been hard to find proponents to host cameras at their businesses.

Coun. Brian Skakun said it’s important that city representatives get their point across in meetings with provincial officials at the UBCM convention because Prince George has no control over the RCMP but it’s at the level of government closest to the people.

He said that the accused in the CrossRoads fire, Richard Alex Gordon

Titchener, is also alleged to have smashed a downtown business’s window beforehand, saying it’s another example of the need for bail reform.

The loss of CrossRoads, Godbout said, also goes beyond the loss of that single restaurant. He said, for example, an audio-visual company that had been hired to work on a street festival cancelled due to the fire missed out on five figures of revenue.

“I might be pushing the comparison a little bit here, but I mean, for Prince George to lose CrossRoads would have to be the equivalent of half of Gastown to go up (in flames) in terms of what that would mean for Vancouver in terms of its downtown identity and its restaurant sector,” he said.

With regards to the local camera pilot project, Coun. Kyle Sampson asked what the problem is given that the city and council have approved the funding for it to get started and it has yet to be spent.

“For this year, yes, you have the money,” Godbout said. “Would I like to see a broader discussion and a renewed investment and a far more significant investment for 2026 and going forward? Yes please.”

Sampson replied that if you come to council and ask for money when the already-given money hasn’t been spent, that doesn’t suit him.

“You’re saying ‘you need to do more, we’re behind Penticton, years behind.’ You didn’t come to us earlier with the proposal, you didn’t come to us earlier with the ask and now you’re saying

we’re behind Penticton, we’re not giving you enough money but you haven’t even used the money we’ve given you yet, so I struggle with that.”

Godbout said that the challenge for Downtown Prince George is that a single full-time worker with other duties, Berry, is taking the lead and she’s also new to her role.

He said the program would come online before the end of the year and he hopes there would be further commitment going forward.

Later on, Sampson said he agreed that if the city can do more to help advocate on crime, it should, though he noted that he felt the city was using a lot of the tools it possesses under the jurisdictions granted to it by provincial legislation.

Coun. Trudy Klassen, an ex-officio member of the committee, referenced Barrie’s state of emergency and wondered whether the city could partner with local MLAs and MPs for joint statements to the premier and prime minister calling for action.

At a recent conference for the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction, Klassen said it seemed like the provincial government was still pushing to use harm reduction measures out of compassion for people with addictions, but she’d like to see some compassion for business owners.

Coun. Susan Scott referenced a story a friend of hers told at the MLAs’ crime forum about being stuck at her job for hours waiting for a coroner to arrive after someone broke in through the back and then overdosed.

Though she said she thought the MLAs present listened to what was being said, Scott added that she didn’t care for the “them bad, us good” rhetoric that pervaded the event.

Concluding his remarks, Godbout said he heard from a longtime chamber member that Prince George has been good at finding community solutions, whether it was starting a movement to bring a university to town in the 80s when it was experiencing a brain drain or hosting a rally at the CN Centre to promote the creation of a medical school in the city.

CITIZEN FILE PHOTO BY CHUCK NISBETT

The executive director of the Chamber of Commerce told a city committee Monday, Sept. 15 that the financial impact of the Sept. 5 CrossRoads fire goes beyond the loss of that single restaurant.

The A&W at 1746 John Hart Hwy will be closing on Sept. 26 at 8 p.m. Workers at the location said the 14 employees will be transferred to other locations in the city. There are locations on Fifth Avenue, in College Heights and in the Pine Centre Mall.

Group looks to run slate of conservatves for council

COLIN SLARK Citizen Staff

Voters in Prince George might see something new on their municipal election ballots in 2026.

A new group called the Conservative Electors Association (CEA) has registered with Elections BC to run candidates in 15 communities, including Prince George and Vanderhoof. While several communities in the Fraser Valley and Lower Mainland have political parties, it would be new to the City of Prince George should the group recruit candidates.

A group called ParentsVoice BC appears to have been registered to run candidates in Prince George and other communities in the 2022 election but doesn’t appear to have run any local candidates.

Speaking to The Citizen by phone from North Vancouver, CEA president David Denhoff said though he was

formerly a deputy director for the Conservative Party of British Columbia, his group has no formal ties to either federal or provincial political parties.

He said the formation of the group comes from a growing desire in BC for a “common sense conservative” approach to issues like public safety, affordability and property taxes.

“Conservatives are committed to lowering property taxes, not raising them by these large amounts,” he said.

“Public safety problems have really gotten worse over the last few years. That’s a problem that involves all levels of government, but I think there is a feeling and certainly we’ve been hearing that there’s a strong feeling for cities to be as efficient as possible when it comes to core services so they’re able to allocate the resources needed for public safety.”

He said there have been some encouraging signs on that front from Prince George city council recently, with some

However, Denhoff pointed to recent incidents like a recent RCMP raid that seized weapons and body armour at a residence where police have made previous visits and a mid-August shooting.

Conservative mayors and councillors in different cities would be able to work together to push higher levels of government to make changes on files like public safety, Denhoff said.

Speaking broadly about the whole province, he said there are more NDPor Liberal-aligned municipal politicians or at least once that implement policies in line with those parties’ views.

By labelling candidates with a Conservative affiliation on ballots, Denhoff said voters will know where they generally stand compared to independent or

non-aligned candidates.

He said it won’t be the party’s job or intent to set specific policies, but instead to promote candidates that will govern from a conservative perspective. At this point, he said, there are no plans for the group to run candidates for either regional districts or school districts. Sometime in the next few weeks, the CEA will open a process where people can express interest in registering as a candidate in the next municipal elections. Denhoff said that incumbents will be welcome to apply to run as Conservative candidates, but they will be subject to the same vetting process and they won’t compromise on their core values if someone tries to join after having pushed for higher taxes or other centre or left-of-centre policies.

So far, he said there has been a “really strong grassroots response” from Prince George with a lot of people signing up on the group’s website to learn more.

members attending a crime forum hosted by Conservative MLAs on Sept. 4 and more resources being dedicated to public safety.

CITIZEN PHOTO BY MATTHEW HILLIER

SD57 chair says surplus is a sign of fnancial prudence

A colourful new logo is part of the school board’s path forward

COLIN SLARK Citizen Staff

The chair of School District 57’s board of education thinks the organization is on the right track when it comes to finances.

During the board’s meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 9, audited financial statements for the 2024-25 school year were presented showing a healthy operating surplus.

Discussing the documents, Supt. Jameel Aziz was asked if he thought the district was being too conservative in its budgeting and he said their current approach has put SD57 in a better position than 50 of the province’s 60 school districts.

Speaking to The Citizen after the end of the meeting, board chair Craig Brennan said he thought that while the district is being conservative, it’s also being prudent.

“I think those are good things now in the climate we’re in,” Brennan said.

“There’s so many unknowns right now, even in terms of the funding coming forward from the government as well as just the cost of doing business. And for us to be in a financially strong positions, I think it’s very good planning and reflects well on the work of our staff and the board.”

Brennan said that the approximately $9.7 million in combined restricted and unrestricted surplus funds are for onetime and contingency uses. The board, he said, would need to be mindful about how those funds are spent as they wouldn’t be able to sustain long-term projects.

He pointed to the use of some of the surplus funds for technology purchases

and staff training as a good news story.

The next round of general local elections in British Columbia is scheduled for Oct. 17, 2026, meaning the current board has just over 13 months left in its term.

In that time, Brennan said he’d like to see the board complete a policy review that’s been ongoing for some time.

At the Sept. 9 meeting, the board passed a bylaw officially noting the closure of Giscome Elementary School for the Ministry of Education.

When the idea of closing that school as well as the Central Interior Distance Education School run out of the John McInnes Centre came up back in February, it was presented alongside a longrange facilities report that suggested the potential closure and amalgamation of five other schools in Prince George, Valemount, McBride and Mackenzie through the 2033-34 school year.

Brennan said he didn’t think the current board would revisit that topic before the end of its term, instead being left up to the next board or even the board after that.

Brennan said he wanted folks in the Robson Valley to know that they will have easier access to the next school board meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 14 as it will be held in the library of Valemount Secondary School starting at 4 p.m.

Earlier in the day before the board meeting, the district unveiled its first

new logo in around 50 years, replacing the old clip art image of a stick figure sitting at a desk to a thumbprint-inspired oval filled with Indigenous elements reminiscent of the district’s trees, landscape, rivers and salmon.

“This gives us a new identity and a way for people to connect with our district, especially now using all the different multimedia streams that people have access to,” Brennan said. “It gives us now something that we built together that says ‘this is who we are,’ so I’m very excited.”

Emily Clarke, the chair of the district student advisory council and a Grade 12 student at Duchess Park Secondary School, said the vertical oval shape is meant to evoke a thumbprint.

“This idea comes from the hand’s meaning in Dakelh culture where it symbolizes sharing knowledge, respect for the land and care for past and future generations,” Clarke said.

“The thumbprint also shows us how each of us has a unique learning journey and that our individual experiences matter.

“You’ll also notice the circular shape of the logo. A circle means wholeness, unity and connection. It reflects a word in Dakelh, ‘lhulh’uts’ut’en’, which means ‘working together.’”

Lheidli T’enneh Elder Carl Frederick said the lines at the top of the thumbprint represent trees, “the environment

of our traditional lands and the voices of students growing and stretching and reaching. Centring students’ voices reminds us that learning is not just something done to students, but something done with them.

Towards the centre, Frederick said, the lines represent the diverse landscape of the district, serving as a reminder that “learning isn’t only found in the classroom.”

Fellow Elder Bernadine Paul said the lines below the landscape represents rivers.

“The water in this logo is not just a river, it’s our rivers,” Paul said. “It honours the Nechako and Fraser, which have carried and sustained our people, stories and traditions for generations. The river connects communities, nations and families across School District 57.

At the bottom of the thumbprint is the outline of a salmon, which Paul is important not just to the Lheidli T’enneh but the other First Nations within the district including the McLeod Lake Indian Band and Simpcw First Nation.

“The salmon reminds us of strength and resilience,” Paul said. “No matter how hard the journey, there is always growth at the end of it. The salmon have internal instincts that guide them through many obstacles, teaching our young people that challenges do not define them.”

Brennan

CITIZEN PHOTO BY COLIN SLARK

Lheidli T’enneh Elders Bernadine Paul (left) and Carl Frederick join School District 57 vice-principal of Indigenous education Jen Pighin to discuss the symbolism of the district’s new logo on Tuesday, Sept. 9.

UNBC launches new Ready Roadmaps fve-year plan

MATTHEW HILLIER Citizen Staff

The University of Northern British Columbia has announced a new approach to its future with a five-year plan.

With the start of the new school year underway, the Ready Roadmap: Academic Plan 2025-2031 aims to reflect the voices of UNBC students and faculty, with a commitment to enhancing learning opportunities across the board.

“Students played a vital role in shaping this plan by sharing their experiences, perspectives and ideas, and that’s what makes it so meaningful,” says UNBC graduate and former student-athlete Bella Mesquita, who served on the Academic Plan Advisory and Working Committee. “It’s a roadmap that puts students at the centre of everything, ensuring their voices are heard and their success is the priority. That kind of commitment makes a real difference in the student experience.”

The plan also seeks to honour the 16,000 northern BC residents who signed a petition advocating for a university in Prince George and contributed $5 to join the Interior University Society.

The Ready Roadmap: Academic Plan 2025–2031 builds upon UNBC’s previous Strategic Plan: Ready and outlines eight key priorities for the university:

• Driving strategic enrolment growth and impact

• Empowering Indigenous voices and knowledge at UNBC

• Transforming curriculum and pioneering pedagogical innovation

• Building a bold and inclusive regional strategy

• Expanding global impact through international strategy

• Optimizing resource allocation for maximum academic impact

• Empowering lifelong learning and enhancing the role of continuing studies

• Championing faculty excellence and development

University president Geoff Payne, who is leaving the school, said the plan

was inspired by the same principles that helped create the university in the 1990s.

“As UNBC reflects on 35 years of impact, this plan represents the next chapter in the university’s story,” said Payne. “UNBC’s future continues to be inspired by the founding principles that launched the institution in 1990 — regional relevance, community engagement and academic excellence. I extend my deep gratitude to members of the advisory committee for leading a robust, inclusive process to shape this important roadmap.”

Newly appointed interim vice-president academic and provost Bill Owen spoke to The Citizen about which priorities the university plans to focus on in the coming school year.

“For this academic year, with board endorsement,” said Owen, “the most significant priority is driving strategic enrolment growth and impact. Along with that, transforming the curriculum and pioneering pedagogical innovation. The third one that’s really important for us this year to focus on is building a bold and inclusive regional academic strategy.”

Owen, in his interview with The Citizen, added that focusing on local northern students is a key priority moving forward.

“UNBC was born from the voices of the region and we’ve got an obligation to be responsive to the region,” said Owen.

“Now with our overall university

strategic plan Ready and with an academic plan, we’re in a good position to go back to our community and revisit our academic programming, given current economic and social constraints.

“That’s our community’s face. Strategic enrolment growth is fundamental as well. We’ve experienced a decline in international students. We have had

an increase in the past couple of years of domestic students, so that’s a good thing. But UNBC can serve more students and we aim to do that. Part of that is looking at our curriculum, making sure it’s relevant and making sure that it’s in the interest of students and the communities that we serve.”

With concerns over student retention rates and a decline in international students, UNBC has made student retention a priority.

“Both retention and recruitment are important,” said Owen. “The focus right now on retention is to ensure that for the future students that we recruit, we’ve got a community feel — for all of the students — that they feel welcome in the classroom and in the hallways, because we know that community feel is really important in retention … we aim to be a community-focused, research-intensive university that supports our students from the first day.”

UNBC PHOTO

A University of Northern British Columbia student works in a quiet corner of the campus in this photo provided by the university.

20 Live Songs, Over 300 Projected Images, and One Unforgettable Story

Cops for Cancer are riding through tragedy this year

KENNEDY GORDON Citizen Managing Editor

The cyclists taking part in this year’s Cops for Cancer Tour de North began their inspiring journey once again this past Friday, Sept. 12 — and this year, it carries with it a deeper sense of purpose, resolve and community.

Kicking off at Heritage Elementary School in Prince George, the week-long, 877-kilometre cycling tour aims to raise $250,000 to support childhood cancer research and programs like Camp Goodtimes, which brings joy and hope to kids facing devastating diagnoses.

But this year the tour is not just about fundraising. It’s about resilience. It’s about honour. And, more than ever before, it’s about remembering.

Because the Cops for Cancer community suffered an unimaginable loss this summer.

During a training ride in July, volunteer rider Shane Kelly was tragically killed. Another rider — a serving RCMP officer — was severely injured. It was a shocking, heartbreaking incident that reverberated across BC and beyond, shaking a community that has always come together for one purpose: to help children.

In light of this tragedy, the Cops for Cancer cause needs — and deserves — our support more than ever.

Kelly’s death is a reminder that the people who participate in Cops for Cancer are not just names on a donation page.

SCAN THIS QR CODE TO DONATE TO COPS FOR CANCER’S TOUR DE NORD

winding mountainous route from Prince George to Prince Rupert, with stops in towns like Houston, Smithers, and Terrace. Along the way, riders will visit schools and speak to children. They will spread hope. They will talk about why they ride, and who they ride for. And through action, they will show what true community looks like.

In the wake of such a tragic loss, no words can ease the grief of Kelly’s family, friends, and fellow riders.

But perhaps, through unwavering support, we can show them that their pain is shared — and that their cause matters.

We acknowledge the fnancial support of the government of Canada.

Nous reconnaissons l’appui fnancier du gouvernement du Canada.

They are community members, volunteers, paramedics and RCMP officers. They are mothers, fathers, sons and daughters.

They train for months, taking time away from work and family, so that children fighting cancer can have a chance at a better tomorrow. They ride with sore legs and tired bodies. They ride through grief. And this year, they ride in Kelly’s memory.

Tour coordinator Laura Nelson put it best: “This tour has taken on a whole new meaning this year.”

Indeed, it has. While riders have always dedicated themselves to the

cause with courage and compassion, this year they are riding with heavy hearts. Their continued commitment is a powerful testament to the strength of the human spirit.

It was that spirit that filled the gym at Heritage Elementary School last Friday, where students smiled, cheered, and collected $168 through an ice cream fundraiser.

There was laughter, excitement, and even a moment of silence — a moment of unity between children who benefit from these efforts and the riders who pedal for their futures.

The Tour de North’s path is a long,

Kennedy Gordon Managing Editor

As the tour pushes on toward its $250,000 fundraising goal, every dollar donated becomes more than a number. It becomes a tribute, a symbol of solidarity, a sign that even in the face of tragedy, compassion endures.

This year let’s give more, let’s cheer louder.

Let’s honour Kelly by standing behind the men and women who continue this journey — not just in spite of their pain, but because of it.

To learn more or to donate, visit support.cancer.ca/site/TR/CopsforCancer/ COPS_NW_even_?pg=entry&fr_id=30363 editor@pgcitizen.ca

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CITIZEN PHOTO BY CHUCK NISBETT

Riders taking part in the Cops For Cancer Tour de North stand with their bikes in an assembly at Heritage Elementary School Friday, September 12. The riders began their journey to Prince Rupert later that day.

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OPINION

LETTERS EDITOR to the

Connaught Hill staircase has become a magnet for trouble

One morning at about 8 a.m., on lower Patricia and 15th at the bottom of the blue stairs on Connaught Hill, three people had a fire going with logs.

I want council to get rid of the staircase, as it is not safe for people to use as it’s a magnet for the unhoused.

Also, one night a woman all stooped over and with a big pack sack came walking down my street and the little girls across the street went and hid. I guess that is our new reality.

I also want council to tell BC Housing to make the North Star housing into rehab and no drugs allowed.

I am sick of this. We have to start fighting for our city. Wake up, Prince George.

Helen Robertson

Prince George

Why do we have to put up with so much growing crime?

Who’s next?

I hope, Mayor Simon Yu and council, that you are as sad, upset and sorry as I am with the loss of CrossRoads Brewing, allegedly to a known arsonist and criminal that we cater to with free drugs, food and accommodations so that he can live here scot-free.

I have been a resident of our city for 60-plus years and now I watch with the entrepreneurs who built this wonderful city as it is being taken over by the vagrants that we cater to.

How sad to see another establishment burned down, allegedly by someone who apparently has been in and out of jail several times on similar charges and is well-known to police.

As tax-paying citizens, how long do we have to put up with these dangerous individuals? We keep hearing and reading about the promises that powers that be are working on to try to solve this problem, but nothing is done.

How do you think the owners of CrossRoads feel after losing their building? Look at the number of jobs that are

The stairs leading up from Patricia Boulevard to Connaught Hill Park have become a trouble spot and should be removed, a reader suggests today. Do you agree? Disagree? Send a letter to the editor at editor@pgcitizen.ca.

directly and indirectly lost. Will these now jobless employees get catered to by our city and/or government? Not likely!

Mr. Mayor, have you and city council considered reopening the Youth Containment Centre and the old jail that are both vacant and placing all the individuals off the street into these facilities? These people could be provided with food, accommodations, staff, security and medical service. It would be a sensible move before we lose all our downtown businesses, not to mention pride in our city.

John Broderick

Prince George

Copper thieves turned $7.5M business into $125K in scrap

I read with concern the report on Telus’s ongoing problem with copper wire theft.

Fifteen years ago our sawmill was destroyed by wire thieves. We caught the first group, who were convicted of theft over $5,000. We sustained a $100,000 loss. The next year another group stripped the mill and our

$7,500,000 investment sold for $125,000 as scrap.

Any threshold considered by the courts must be calculated based on the replacement cost, not the bare materials cost. Consider my new smartwatch: $200 purchase cost; sum of components cost 25 cents!

Sandy Long

Prince George

Will training be available once naloxone kits are on campus?

I’m hoping when the province distributes the naloxone kits to the college and university here in Prince George that they also have someone along with those kits teaching the students how and when to use them.

Diane Bojarski

Prince George

City should change parking rules for contractors and workers

Our council and city really need to re-look at how we treat the contractors here when it comes to parking.

Our rules do not allow for contractors

to park for more than three hours or have the option to even get a pass for an area where they would be working.

The contractors are supposed to park at the Prince George parkade (or hopefully know someone in the area with a private driveway that will let them use it ) and walk their equipment all the way to the project because to park on the side street risks a ticket.

These workers have to be at these places for eight to 14 hours a day and need access to their work vehicles for tools and equipment.

To get a ticket because you are a contractor on the new hospital parkade and they don’t have anywhere for you to park other than on the street is complete bollocks.

When is something going to be done so that contractors and even the average person can feel like we can be in the downtown again and not have to worry about being ticketed because we had to work or we wanted to eat lunch and shop at the same time?

Tanisha Cormier

Prince George

OPINION

Festival of Trees ready to light up Prince George’s CN Centre

I think moving to a larger venue is a great idea!

We try to attend at less busy times because it can feel cramped in certain areas and we did not get enough room and time to properly view some displays.

I liked the thought of the outdoor market but, for us, it didn’t meet expectations.

It’s good to try new things, I look forward to the expanded hours this year.

Skeeto

Festival of Trees ready to light up Prince George’s CN Centre

It’s a fabulous move! I’ve found the festival way too cramped since they shifted down to only five days, so hopefully the extra hours and the extra space will alleviate that problem.

We attend the festival annually and have never had a problem with the “criminal” element that other commenters are mentioning when attending the festival.

Seems like a separate issue imho.

PS: The Civic Centre has done a truly beautiful job of the festival all these years.

Ahill

Editorial: Don’t use Prince George taxpayers’ dollars to pay for soccer watch parties

I think it’s a great idea.We are spending tax payers money cleaning up Mocassin Flats and fires set by crazy people and having the bomb squad brought in for an explosive device at the North Star Inn

The World Cup is for a limited time and I’m sure a lot of people would enjoy this

Please make public the cost of bringing in the bomb squad from Vancouver cleaning up Moccasin Flats and having to deal with the situation at the hospital.

Yvonne Chadwick

Editorial: Don’t use Prince George taxpayers’ dollars to pay for soccer watch parties

I agree, Mr. Gordon.

This international festival of greed that seems to be the World Cup organization is not something PG people need to be paying for to allow fans to watch.

It will, no doubt be broadcast far and wide on many services, and should some folks wish to gather to watch, do it on your own dimes.

We have lots of local things that need our tax dollars already and I just don’t think this is a valid use of our limited financial resources.

Let’s focus on civic and regional activities instead HUMSPG

Editorial: Don’t use Prince George taxpayers’ dollars to pay for soccer watch parties

Soccer is one of the most participated sports in the world, millions of people play soccer at all kinds of levels.

It is also one of the most boring sports to watch on wide screen TVs or super large screens. Soccer is a participation sport. Instead of investing taxpayer money in viewing a boring sport at a professional level, local politicians could maybe consider investing their own personal time in developing interest in the sport by investing time in coaching the sport at an entry level.

Then maybe the next soccer super star may have Prince George roots.

waymar10@telus.net

Little Prince operator wants new shelter before agreeing to long-term deal

It would really be helpful if the public were made aware of a breakdown in $1.2 million cost for a shed to house a small train and cars. As well, translate the complexities and regulatory requirements.

Fred Vinson

Little Prince operator wants new shelter before agreeing to long-term deal

I see on the news that the Mann Cup lacrosse tournament is being played in 95-year-old Queens Park arena.

How is it that New Westminster can maintain a building that old and our city can’t maintain a shed for a toy train?

Randy Flavel

Little Prince operator wants new shelter before agreeing to long-term deal

The Little Prince is an actual legacy for PG and it’s a tourist draw.

It’s been around longer and done more for PG than all our city council’s costly research combined.

Jim John

Little Prince operator wants new shelter before agreeing to long-term deal

We should keep the train running, but I’m sure we can build a shed for less than 1.2 million.

PG Local

Ex-teacher to be sentenced Sept. 22 for sexual assault

BOB MACKIN Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A teacher convicted last fall of sexual assault in Prince George is tentatively scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 22 in Vancouver.

The three-day B.C. Supreme Court sentencing hearing for Brendan Tomas Boylan, 40, ended a day early on Sept. 9. Crown wants Justice Simon Coval to order Boylan to serve 30-to-36 months in jail, but Boylan’s defence lawyer, Jon Duncan, said he should serve a conditional sentence in the community of two years less a day.

Last Nov. 20, Coval found Boylan guilty beyond reasonable doubt. While having consensual sex with Boylan, the victim said she felt pain and asked Boylan to stop, thus ending her consent. The victim testified that Boylan instead held her down on the bed and forcibly continued, causing her injury. Boylan denied the allegations, but Coval found

his testimony “implausible, not credible and untruthful.”

Duncan told Coval on Sept. 8 that his client is of vital assistance to his mother and autistic brother. Duncan also said Boylan has suffered, because he lost his “entire economic life, but for his disability pension, and lost his home and likely his career as a teacher.”

Crown prosecutor John Cliffe rebutted Duncan’s submissions on Sept. 9, suggesting that he overemphasized the mitigating factors.

While Boylan lost his job in the Prince George school district, his teaching licence is not yet cancelled. The B.C. government’s online registry of teachers says Boylan signed an undertaking not to practise last year, “pending resolution of a matter before the commissioner or a hearing panel under Part 6 of the Teachers Act.”

“intolerable” for Boylan. Cliffe said there is no evidence that will be so, “but for the fact that he does suffer from issues with respect to lighting and to noise.”

Cliffe also called it “tragic” that Boylan’s mother suffers from alcoholism, but Boylan is not her day-to-day or frequent caregiver. Instead, he helps her in paying bills and taxes.

Sentencing would have taken place earlier this year, but for Boylan’s unsuccessful attempt to quash the charge on constitutional grounds.

Coval ruled June 3 that Boylan’s right to a timely trial was not breached.

Boylan represented himself for the constitutional challenge and claimed that the trial lasted 16 months longer than the 30-month presumptive ceiling set by the Supreme Court of Canada.

RCMP bomb squad called in

Duncan told Coval that side effects of a workplace head injury could make jail

“Let’s put it into some perspective,” Cliffe said. “It’s not a sexual assault that comes about as a result of his capacity, doesn’t happen at school, doesn’t involve school children. It’s his personal life.”

Coval decided that 26 1/2 months of delays were due to the defence and other circumstances. He said the actual length was 20 months from indictment to completion of the trial.

North Coast transmission line

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Drop by anytime between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. to ask questions, and share your thoughts.

○ Prince George

Monday, September 22

BC Hydro O ffice – 3333 22nd Avenue

○ Vanderhoof

Tuesday, September 23

BC Hydro O ffice – 530 Highway 16 West

If you have property related questions or can’t make it to the office hours, please contact us at 1 866 647 3334 or projects@bchydro.com.

For more information, visit bchydro.com/ncelectrification.

CITIZEN FILE PHOTO BY BOB MACKIN

Brendan Boylan of Prince George leaves Vancouver court in this file photo.

CITIZEN PHOTO BY CHUCK NISBETT RCMP officers block off an area by the former North Star Inn on Patricia Boulevard where an explosive device was found in an SUV after police pulled it over. The site was cleared several hours later after a bomb disposal team from the Lower Mainland arrived and found the explosive to be inert.

IIO clears Prince George RCMP afer police shootng

Police responded to 911 calls about a man breaking into houses

MATTHEW HILLIER Citizen Staff

The Independent Office of Investigations (IIO) has recently released a public report clearing local RCMP in a police shooting that occurred in 2023.

The report from the IIO states that on April 26, 2023, police received 911 calls in relation to stabbings that had occurred in a home in Prince George.

While officers were en route, the suspect then allegedly broke into another home and RCMP received a second 911 call from that location.

Following this, the individual then left and allegedly attempted to break into a third home, the IIO report states.

The suspect was eventually taken into custody, but not after ignoring commands to drop his weapon, being hit twice with a conducted energy weapon and being shot by police four to five times, according to the report.

The suspect was then taken to a nearby hospital and subsequently recovered from his injuries.

An anonymous eyewitness described the encounter.

“He was definitely angry. He didn’t

Driver

BOB MACKIN

The knife held by a suspect in an April 26, 2023 incident was used as evidence in the IIO hearing into the events that led to police shooting him.

seem scared at having three police around him with guns,” the witness stated.

“He was still holding the knife in a way that if anyone approached him, he would use the knife. His body language and tone of voice said that.”

The IIO report was gathered from evidence from 12 civilians and one police officer, audio recording of 911 calls, cell phone video from civilians at the scene and medical evidence, including data downloaded from the conducted energy weapon.

The suspect also provided his own version of events to IIO investigators.

As outlined in the report, the suspect stated that as soon as police arrived, he put his hands up in an attempt to surrender, but said that police misinterpreted his actions.

“The cop took that as a threat,” the suspect stated. “He started shooting at me. He shot me six times.”

He added that police also shot him while he was incapacitated on the ground.

“In my mind, I was trying to put my

hands in the air,” he stated. “That’s what I was trying to do.”

The report stated that there was clear evidence from both eyewitnesses and cell phone video shot on the scene that there was lethal danger towards police on the scene.

“The evidence also establishes that after two reasonable but unsuccessful attempts by police to control the affected person (AP) using a conducted energy weapon (CEW), he moved quickly towards them, still brandishing the knife,” the report stated.

“At that point, the officers were facing a threat of death or grievous bodily harm, and their deployment of lethal force was justifiable.

On the evidence, the AP was within a few metres of the officers when he was shot, and represented an imminent lethal threat to them. Nothing in the witness accounts, other than that of the AP, supports an allegation that he was shot repeatedly while lying helpless on the ground.”

Chief civilian director Jessica Berglund summarized the findings: “Accordingly, as chief civilian director of the IIO, I do not consider that there are reasonable grounds to believe that an officer may have committed an offence under any enactment and the matter will not be referred to Crown counsel for consideration of charges.”

who fed afer crash ordered to pay fnes, resttuton

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

An interior designer who crashed a BMW into a cube van in February was fined $2,300 and ordered to pay almost $4,400 in restitution on Sept. 10 in Prince George Provincial Court.

James Sheldon Reinheller, 28, was charged with the Criminal Code offence of failure to stop after an accident, but instead pleaded guilty to the Motor Vehicle Act offence of failing to uphold the duty of a driver after an accident.

Specifically, the requirement to locate and notify the owner of an unattended vehicle after a crash.

Reinheller also pleaded guilty as charged to the Motor Vehicle Act offence of driving without due care and attention.

“As you’ve learned,” said Judge Cassandra Malfair, “you make a mistake, but you can compound it and make it worse for yourself by not dealing with it or try to run away from it, or putting your head in the sand and hoping it’ll go away and ignore it. That often makes

things worse. So next time there is a problem, deal with it head on.”

A taxi driver witnessed the crash outside 1890 Spruce St. and reported the incident to Prince George RCMP at 1:50 a.m. on Feb. 12.

Reinheller, the only occupant of the BMW, left the vehicle in the middle of the road, grabbed a laptop and mobile phone and fled on foot. A witness shot photos and videos of Reinheller fleeing the scene.

The parked D.J.’s Moving van sustained extensive damage.

“It’s a very early plea, there’s a great deal of remorse on the behalf of Mr. Reinheller,” said his defence lawyer David Jenkins.

“He realizes that this was poor driving behaviour.”

Malfair ordered Reinheller to pay a $1,000 fine for failing to provide the necessary information, $1,300 fine for driving without due care and attention and $4,352.98 in restitution to the cube van owner.

Malfair set a Sept. 9, 2026 deadline to pay the fines and restitution.

Arson suspect in bail court

The damage to CrossRoads Brewing and Distillery, at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and George Street, is visible from the Fifth Avenue Parkade on Thursday, Sept. 11. The 57-yearold man charged with arson causing damage to property in connection to to the CrossRoads fire on Sept. 5 will go before a judicial case manager on Friday, Sept. 19. Richard Alex Gordon Titchener, who was arrested after the fire. The Sept. 19 hearing is to set a date for the bail hearing in Provincial Court.

The fire wiped out CrossRoads’s downtown location, a popular brewhouse and restaurant with an outdoor patio. The locally owned business has another location in College Heights. Damage was estimated at $1.8 million.

Bomb threats to UNBC, health centres hoaxes, say RCMP

MATTHEW HILLIER Citizen Staff

The University Hospital of Northern BC faced a turbulent evening Wednesday, Sept. 10 as a threatening phone call put the hospital on high alert.

The hospital was placed into restricted access status at 5:45 p.m. Non-essential movement within the facility was also restricted for a short time. Northern Health gave a statement to The Citizen about the restrictions.

“Patients, visitors and Northern Health staff inside UHNBC were asked to remain in place, except for essential care purposes for a short period, while restricted access was in place on Wednesday,” the health authority stated. “This was to reduce congestion and unnecessary movement in hospital corridors while RCMP officers investigated.”

RCMP were called to the hospital to investigate the potential of the threat, determining after about 45 minutes that it wasn’t credible.

Following this, the hospital’s safety restrictions were lifted and normal operations were resumed.

RCMP, in a statement, revealed that threats did not end at UHNBC with assisted living facilities in Prince George and Vanderhoof both being targets of related false bomb threats.

“Relevant protocols were enacted at the three locations while police officers conducted searches throughout the buildings,” stated Cpl,. Jennifer Cooper, media relations officer for the Prince George RCMP. “In conjunction with other investigational factors, we have determined the bomb threats to be both false and related to one another.”

RCMP stated there are no ongoing threats to public safety.

Fine, probaton for driver in fatal pre-Christmas crash

BOB MACKIN Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A Maple Ridge man pleaded guilty in Prince George Provincial Court on Sept. 9 to the Motor Vehicle Act charge of driving without due care and attention after a pre-Christmas crash in 2022 that killed a 60-year-old man.

Judge Judith Doulis agreed to the joint Crown and defence sentencing proposal and ordered Donald Robert Crossman to spend the next 12 months on probation, pay a $300 victim surcharge by Sept. 9, 2026 and pay a $2,000 fine by Sept. 9, 2028.

Under the probation, Crossman is only allowed to be in the driver’s seat of a vehicle for the purpose of driving to and from work.

The Crown stayed the Motor Vehicle Act charge of excessive speeding relative to conditions.

“David Smith’s death was tragic, no sentence I could impose on Donald Crossman could ever bring him back to his family and no sentence, no matter how punitive, can reflect his value to his loved ones or assuage their pain or loss,” Doulis said in her ruling. “Where there is death, there really can be no reparation for the harm done to the victim.”

An agreed statement of facts said Valemount RCMP received a call at 9:22 a.m. on Dec. 23, 2022 about a collision on Highway 16, northeast of Valemount, near the Lucerne campground turnoff. It took officers until 9:55 a.m. to arrive due to finishing other calls and the poor winter conditions.

A fatal collision on Dec. 23, 2022 led to Motor Vehicle Act charges against a Maple Ridge man.

They found three, single-occupant vehicles: a Dodge Ram 2500 driven by Crossman, Chevrolet Equinox by Smith and a Honda Civic. Crossman and the Civic driver both suffered minor injuries, but Smith was dead.

An RCMP crash reconstruction expert determined Crossman’s Ram was travelling 88 to 95 kilometres-per-hour and the Equinox and Civic 94-97 km-h. Crossman steered the westbound Ram left, then right and collided with the Equinox in the eastbound lane.

Crossman’s lawyer Scott Wright said his client, who has worked in logging, fibreglass, construction and trucking, was returning home from Jasper, Alta., but conditions worsened when he

entered BC.

He said there was no evidence of impaired driving, fatigue or distraction. Crossman told police his vision was obscured by blowing snow when he did not notice a semi truck slowing down in front of him.

When he noticed the truck, he applied the brakes and slid into oncoming traffic, hitting the Equinox head-on and subsequently the Civic.

Crown prosecutor Stephanie Bowick read victim impact statements from Smith’s daughter Tara Elliott, son Matthew Smith and his widow, Carrie Woodman-Smith.

Elliott said her father’s death “shattered our lives.”

“I cannot stress enough what you’ve done to me, my children and my family,” said Elliott’s letter, directed at Crossman.

“My dad was a person you will never forget, so full of life, always remembered by everyone who met him. He worked all his life, serving in the Royal Welsh military under the late Queen Elizabeth for over 30 years to going on to a school bus driver just to give back something to the Canadian people for welcoming him.”

Son Matthew said the crash affected “a multitude of lives because of one person’s impatient and selfish decision making.”

“(My dad) had a wife, four children, 12 grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and a whole army of friends from whom he was stolen on that day,” he wrote. Woodman-Smith had been married to Smith only three years. She recalled they had plans to finish Christmas shopping, but he was more than two hours late in returning home.

Then the doorbell rang and she answered the door. It was a police officer with horrible news about her husband.

“I have wished so many times since this happened that I was in the vehicle with him so I could have gone as well, for the life I’m going to live without David is not one I ever would have wished for,” Woodman-Smith wrote.

“You have forever linked me and his family to your story, Mr. Crossman, in the most tragic way possible. I still just can’t wrap my head around why.”

Man convicted of fight from police, driving while banned

BOB MACKIN

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Guilty as charged for fleeing from police and driving while prohibited.

That was Prince George Provincial Court Judge Peter McDermick’s Sept. 2 verdict for Jared Wesley Stacker, born 1997.

Stacker was charged of committing offences on Dec. 19, 2023, the former under the Criminal Code, the latter under the Motor Vehicle Act.

In his oral reasons, McDermick pronounced Stacker guilty of the Motor Vehicle Act offence first.

Specifically, that ICBC documentation established beyond a reasonable

doubt that Stacker was prohibited from driving at the time and that he was the driver of a red Honda Civic seen at a Co-op gas station.

“Beyond a reasonable doubt, beyond a shadow of a doubt,” McDermick said.

For the Criminal Code charge, McDermick said the “only issue” was whether the Crown proved beyond a reasonable

doubt that Stacker knew he was being pursued by a police officer.

At the trial, the police officer who drove a marked police vehicle testified that he made eye contact with the driver, Stacker, activated his lights and pursued Stacker for five blocks.

Stacker will be sentenced at a date to be determined.

Jail tme for drug enforcer caught afer police pursuit

Court heard he tried to evade capture by wearing a blonde wig

BOB MACKIN

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A 35-year-old described by a Provincial Court judge in Prince George as an “enforcer in the drug underworld” was ordered to spend almost three years and nine months in jail on Sept. 11. Judge Cassandra Malfair sentenced Pride Dawson Moore to six years in jail for firearms possession and dangerous driving charges, but Moore received more than 27 months of enhanced credit for time served since his March 8, 2024 arrest.

Malfair said Moore’s criminal record and the dangerous situation he created to avoid arrest were aggravating factors that outweighed his mitigating guilty pleas negotiated shortly before a

COURT NOTES

Charged man wants to withdraw his original pleas of guilt

The lawyer for a man who pleaded guilty to seven of 16 counts told a Provincial Court judge in Prince George on Sept. 10 that his client would formally apply to strike his original guilty pleas.

Sebastian Gordon Goudreau, born in 1988, had pleaded guilty to drug and firearms possession charges, some of which were laid more than three-and-ahalf years ago.

There is a ban on publication of evidence against Goudreau, who is in custody.

Defence lawyer Tony Zipp told Judge Cassandra Malfair that, a day earlier, he delivered Goudreau’s application to strike the guilty pleas and permit withdrawal of an agreed statement of facts to federal and provincial Crown prosecutors.

The prosecutors asked for two weeks

planned trial.

“This was not a crime born of desperation or intoxication,” Malfair said in her judgment. “His criminal record and these offences are consistent with Mr. Moore being an enforcer in the drug underworld, not just a user.”

Moore was arrested Feb. 23, 2024 after a Prince George RCMP officer did a pat down search and found a baton, large knife, small spring-loaded knife, Leatherman tool and loaded .22 calibre pistol strapped to Moore’s chest in a small fanny pack.

Moore was not brought into custody, but released on a promise to appear in court.

He was, at the time, under a lifetime firearms prohibition order.

On March 4, 2024, a woman called police to report her Buick Century had been stolen from her driveway. Four days later, on March 8, 2024, an officer saw the stolen vehicle on a Vancouver Street alleyway.

to consider the application.

Malfair set Sept. 17 as the next court date to consider the next steps in the judicial process.

Psych evaluation after obscene phone calls to family member

A Provincial Court judge ordered a man to undergo a psychiatric and risk assessment after he admitted Sept. 3 to making at least six obscene phone calls to a relative more than a year ago.

Joseph Neil Johnny pleaded guilty in Prince George before Judge Cassandra Malfair to the charge of making indecent communication.

Court heard that, during the phone calls over three weeks in August 2024, Johnny identified himself to the victim, told her that he was arousing himself, used her name and described sexual acts he wished to perform on her.

Malfair set Johnny’s next court date for Nov. 5.

— Bob Mackin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

“A female got out of the passenger seat and left the car,” Malfair said. “The police drove up beside the vehicle and saw the driver and lone occupant as Mr. Moore.

They noted the vehicle had a licence plate hanging by one bolt. It was the wrong licence plate, not the one properly associated to the car.”

Four hours later, an officer noticed the same vehicle parked outside a Nicholson Street residence.

A warrant was issued for Moore, but police expected a difficult arrest. So they planned to nab him at the Nicholson Street alley.

Moore began to leave the residence wearing a blonde wig at 8 p.m. An officer tried to intercept Moore’s vehicle, but Moore got away and police pursued him for 1.1 kilometres before the chase was called off for safety concerns.

Near Tyner Boulevard and Highway 16, Moore veered around a spike belt, but over-corrected and crashed, coming

to rest in the middle of the highway. An occupant of the vehicle fled to a nearby Canadian Tire. Moore ran away, but was eventually arrested at gunpoint.

Police seized a wallet, butterfly knife, torch lighter, clear-stained pipe, multitool, silver folding knife and a black knife case, which held two small knives and a throwing knife.

In the stolen vehicle, police found a loaded sawed-off, lever-action, .357 Magnum gun on the driver’s seat beside a flashlight, bear spray and a bag containing the blonde wig.

Malfair acknowledged Moore’s “very serious criminal record,” with the longest sentence being four years. Offences included common assault, uttering threats, unlawfully at large, possession of stolen property, unlawfully discharging a firearm, break and enter, wearing a disguise with intent to commit an offence, possessing a firearm without a licence or registration and possessing a firearm contrary to a prohibition order.

CITY OF PRINCE GEORGE

PROPOSAL:

PUBLIC HEARING

• “City of Prince George Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 9525, 2025”

• “City of Prince George Zoning Bylaw No. 7850, 2007, Amendment Bylaw No. 9526, 2025” APPLICANT: SUBJECT PROPERTY: City of Prince George City Wide WHEN: WHERE:

6:00 p.m., Wednesday, October 1, 2025 Council Chambers of City Hall, 2nd Floor 1100 Patricia Boulevard, Prince George, BC

The City of Prince George is proposing to replace the “City of Prince George Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 8383, 2011”, adopted in 2012. Subject to the adoption of the new “City of Prince George Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 9525, 2025”, consequential amendments to the “City of Prince George Zoning Bylaw No. 7950, 2007” will also be required. Accordingly, “City of Prince George Zoning Bylaw No. 7850, 2007, Amendment Bylaw No. 9526, 2025” is also subject to a public hearing.

At its September 3, 2025 regular meeting, Council amended the “City of Prince George Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 9525, 2025” in response to input received at the April public hearing. As a result of these amendments, a new public hearing is required.

• Review the amended “City of Prince George Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 9525, 2025” here: https://getinvolved.princegeorge.ca/ocp-review

• Review the “City of Prince George Zoning Bylaw No. 7850, 2007, Amendment Bylaw No. 9526, 2025” here: https://pub-princegeorge.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=31625

A speaker’s list will be available for individuals wishing to speak in person at the public hearing. The list will be in Council Chambers at 5:30 p.m. on October 1, 2025. Each speaker may address Council for up to 10 minutes on their first submission and up to 5 minutes on any subsequent submissions.

WAYS TO PARTICIPATE:

Email: cityclerk@princegeorge.ca

Fax: 250.561.0183

Mail/Deliver Written Comments: Corporate Officer, City Hall, 5th Floor Submit Comment Form: www.princegeorge.ca/CommentForm

Phone: 1.877.708.3350 Access Code: 1269574#

In-Person at the Public Hearing For date, time, and location, see “When” and “Where” above

Written comments received by the corporate officer by 12:00 p.m., Wednesday, October 1, 2025, will be provided to Council for consideration during the public hearing. Comments may also be submitted in person at the public hearing, until the public hearing is closed.

For more information on how to submit comments to Council, please visit www.princegeorge.ca/publichearings

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

MORE INFORMATION:

A copy of this notice and the proposed Bylaws will be available on the City’s website www.princegeorge.ca/ publicnotices beginning Monday, September 22, 2025. A copy of the Bylaws are available to view at the Development Services office on the 2nd Floor of City Hall on September 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, and October 1, 2025 between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

QUESTIONS?

Contact: Development Services: devserv@princegeorge.ca | 250.561.7611 | 2nd Floor, City Hall

Arbios Biotech leases a parcel of land from Canfor for its plant, which turns wood waste into bio-oil.

Canfor property reclassifed as light industrial

BOB MACKIN

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A 20-acre parcel of the 303-acre Canfor Pulp Ltd. mill property in Prince George has been re-classified as light industry by the Property Assessment Appeal Board.

Canfor leased the parcel to Arbios Biotech Canada Limited Partnership to build a demonstration plant to convert wood waste and woody biomass into bio-oil. In the 2023 taxation year, the Assessor of Area 26 deemed it a major industry property.

A central issue of Canfor’s appeal was whether biooil meets the definition of a chemical.

At the three-day hearing last December, a lawyer for the Assessor argued that the facility is similar to plants classified as major industrial.

Canfor argued the facility has similarities to plants like those that produce wood pellets, which are classified as light industry.

Panel chair Robert Wickett and panel member Fiona Anderson found, in their Sept. 11 decision, that the facility should be reclassified because it is “a property used for the purposes of manufacturing but was not designed and built for the manufacturing of chemicals.”

The panellists determined the intention of the Legislature was to include plants designed and built for producing chemicals “with some degree of purity as a final product.”

“To find otherwise, would be creating a new, very broad category of industrial improvements that would be over-reaching,” said the decision.

The value of the facility was not an issue and it was unclear whether it would be the same under different classes. So the panel asked the parties to discuss valuation and provide the board a recommendation.

According to BC Assessment, Canfor’s 303-acre property was assessed last year at $79.73 million, including almost $76.05 million in buildings and $3.68 million in land.

Six fnalists chosen for frst Northern Angel Summit

They’ll pitch their ideas to investors live on Sept. 25

COLIN SLARK Citizen Staff

The investors for the inaugural Northern Angel Summit have selected six entrepreneurs as finalists, setting the stage for a Thursday, Sept. 25 event where the remaining competitors will compete for up to $100,000.

The summit, which is run by the Northern Innovation Network, has been hosting a series of training sessions and pitch competitions since late May.

The 24 participating startups have been whittled down, leaving only these six after the second-to-last round of voting on Monday, Sept. 15:

• DesignTIME Solutions Inc., which makes project management software called Stackd,

• Open Waters Design and Manufacturing, a Prince George-based manufacturer of solar panels designed for marine applications,

• skiKrumb GPS Trackers, a manufacturer of GPS trackers built for skiers and snowboarders,

• Squiggly Greens, a Fort St. Johnbased farm focused on fresh vegetables, microgreens and cut lettuce,

• Tree Track Intelligence Inc., a Port Coquitlam-based agricultural technology company that uses customized drones for reforestation,

• Trueleaf, a Vernon-based manufacturer of natural health products for pets.

Twenty angel investors, including Citizen owner and publisher Cameron Stolz, will hear a final round of pitches on Sept. 25 at the finale event being held from 5 to 9:30 p.m. at the Prince George Civic Centre.

City building permit totals exceeded $17M in August

COLIN SLARK Citizen Staff

The City of Prince George approved just over $17 million worth of building permits in August, according to a report presented at the Wednesday, Sept. 17 city council meeting.

Of that total, $8.147 million was for permits for commercial and industrial buildings.

That included one commercial building valued at $1 million, two commercial building alterations valued at $1.39 million, one new industrial building valued at $5.5 million and $257,000 in industrial building alterations.

The remaining amount, $8,923,771, came from residential developments.

That included seven garage or carport permits worth $361,008, seven single-family dwelling alternation permits

Mary Mytting, the NIN’s executive director, told The Citizen in a Sept. 15 interview that the angel investors started their training on May 26 while the startup founders started training in June.

On the investors’ side, they were taught how to do their due diligence in evaluating investment opportunities, while the founders were taught about how to pitch themselves to prospective investors.

“I think the angels have been very happy with the training that they’ve got. I mean, when you have an accountant say ‘hey, I thought I knew everything about business, but now I know so much more,’ that’s a good thing,” Mytting said.

At the finale event, Walsh Business Growth Institute founder Michael Walsh will be giving a keynote address. Each $75 ticket for the event will include a copy of his book Freedom by Design Doors open at 5 p.m., with networking opportunities with angels and founders

running until 6 p.m.

Opening remarks will take place from 6 to 6:30 p.m., final pitches from the founders will be delivered from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. and more networking with the founders will be held from then until 8 p.m.

Walsh will deliver his address from 8 to 8:45 p.m., followed immediately by an announcement of the winning founder and a celebration until 9:30 p.m.

The final pitches will be a chance for the founders to put themselves over the top and endear themselves to the crowd, which will be able to vote on a people’s choice award.

Unlike what guests might have seen on Dragon’s Den, Mytting said there won’t be any deals made live on stage. Also unlike Dragon’s Den, she said the angels have received information on each of the finalists ahead of time to help them make an informed decision. Tickets are available online at northernangelsummit.ca/tickets.

worth $453,046, 13 new single-family dwellings worth $6,682,997 and one new four dwelling unit building worth $1,426,720.

Together, the value of the permits totaled $17,147,596. That’s more than double the value of the approximately $8.43 million worth of permits issued in August 2024 and almost double the approximately $9.77 million worth of permits issued in August 2023.

From January through August 2025, a total of 280 building permits worth $231,803,215 had been issued.

That’s fewer than the 183 year-to-date permits issued by the end of August 2024, but the value of those only totaled $206,873,073.

It’s also much higher than the 261 year-to-date permits valued at $90,968,005 that had been issued by the end of August 2023.

Chamber announces 2025 Business Awards fnalists

The Citizen, founded in 1916, will receive Lifetime Achievement Award in November

MATTHEW HILLIER Citizen Staff

A crowd of business leaders and innovators met at the Knox Performance Centre Thursday, Sept. 11 to hear which businesses are the finalists for the 40th annual Prince George Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards.

Finalists were selected by 13 judges who worked independently throughout the summer to narrow down a list of 200 nominations.

Kate Ames of Baller Foods presents her finalist plaque alongside her previous awards on Thursday, Sept 11.

— to me, that completely underscores the spirit that The Citizen has brought throughout its 110 years,” said Godbout.

“Much of that time, The Citizen was corporately owned, but it was still local people who worked at The Citizen — in the newsroom, in advertising and in all the departments. They were the ones that really made The Citizen such an integral part of the community.”

One of the finalists in the Excellence in Customer Service category is Baller Food, a previous winner of both the Best Food and Beverage and Best in Marketing and Promotion awards.

Owner Kate Ames spoke about how she reacted to being chosen as a finalist again this year.

The award for Lifetime Achievement was also announced at the event — it will go to The Prince George Citizen Chamber executive director and former Citizen managing editor Neil Godbout spoke about why The Citizen was chosen.

“Unlike the rest of the awards, we didn’t open it up to a nomination process,” said Godbout.

“That was really just a discussion

between me and the board of, like, really, who do we want to recognize? And of course, I have a long-time connection to The Citizen. So does our membership manager, Colleen Sparrow, with the two of us having (a combined) 50 years at The Citizen. But then it was also our office manager, Natasha, who was preparing a congratulations to The Citizen on their 110-year membership anniversary and was like, ‘Hey, wait a sec — maybe they are really good recipients of our Lifetime Achievement Award this year!’”

He also mentioned the long-standing history of The Citizen in the Prince George business community as a reason it was chosen.

“The City of Prince George was incorporated in March of 1915. The Citizen joined the Board of Trade in December of that year — nine months after the city was incorporated. An argument could be made that the Fort George Board of Trade, which was founded in 1911 — the businesses that were here even before the city incorporated — helped found this community. The fact that The Citizen has been a member for 110 years, I think, speaks to the fact that The Citizen helped build this community too.”

He added that the local focus and local staff help make The Citizen a valuable part of the community.

“Locally owned, community-focused

“It was pretty shocking to, first off, be a finalist this year — but then to also win for Best Food and Beverage. Then afterwards, one for Marketing and Promotion — I was pretty shocked, especially to get the second one, because I only had one speech prepared!” said Ames.

Ames added that her business has been busy this summer, and she’s looking forward to a break.

“This summer has been absolutely balls to the wall,” said Ames. “Not many people say this, but I’m so glad summer is over. We’re slowly starting to wind down. The official end of the food truck season is the end of October. And then I switch gears and do other things in the wintertime. So I’m excited for the slowing down and getting to spend a little bit more time with my kids.”

Ames had her food truck set up at the event, serving lunch to other business leaders in attendance.

Another finalist in the Excellence in Environmental Impact category is Goodsir Nature Park. The Citizen spoke to owner Jim Good about the environmental diversity his park supports in the community.

“Many of the trees that I planted years ago — some of them go back almost 40 years,” said Good.

CITIZEN PHOTO BY MATTHEW HILLIER

Awards will be presented at a ceremony Nov. 1

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

“Some of them are approaching 50 feet high now. I’ve planted trees from every province and territory in Canada that I’ve collected over the years — except Nunavut. They are all growing, and it’s in a natural environment — no landscaping or anything like that, it’s all natural.”

Good added that his park serves as a teaching tool to foster environmental awareness among students in Prince George.

“It’s a place to come, to learn about nature, to learn about the trees and the different kinds of trees found in other parts of Canada,” said Good.

“It’s a huge impact on getting more school groups out there. Not just elementary — I’m now getting secondary and high school students. Everybody that comes out to Goodsir learns something.”

Chilako Meats, a craft smokery that also offers custom domestic and wild game meat processing to local hunters and farmers, is a finalist for Business of the Year. Jenn Saunders talked about her reaction to being named a finalist.

“It’s always flattering,” said Saunders. “It’s always nice when you get recognized for the things that you’re doing — even though you don’t know they’re going on. A little bit shocking sometimes, but it’s very flattering.”

She also shared why she believes her business was selected.

“We go above and beyond for our customers, and we don’t say no to things,” said Saunders.

“We try our best to make whatever they’re after to the best of our abilities, and we don’t shy away from the challenge of those types of things. We take really good care of everybody’s meat that they trust us with — when they bring in their animals, like game or domestic — we always do our best, and

I think they appreciate that.”

Here are the finalists:

Business Person of the Year Award

• Bruce Johnston, DesignTIME Solutions

• Stephen Neudorf, MDN Trinity Financial Services Inc.

• Jenn Saunders, Chilako Meats

• Holly Keech, Busy Boss Communications

• Kyndra Farrell, Worth A Shot Mobile Bar and Champagne Events

Business of the Year Award

• Access Engineering Consultants Ltd.

• MDN Trinity Financial Services Inc.

• The Current Hair Salon and Academy

• CBIG

• Chilako Meats

Excellence in Entertainment and Attractions

• The Caledonia Nordic Ski Club

• The Huble Homestead Historic Site

• The Exploration Place

• Theatre Northwest

• Woodhouse Cottages and Ranch

Excellence in Business Philanthropy

• IREN

• Four Rivers Co-operative

• Rolling Mix Concrete

• Primetime Entertainment

• United Way BC – North

Excellence in Food and Beverage

• Grama’s Inn

• Northern Lights Estate Winery

• Ivy’s Family Kitchen

• The Open Door Café

• House of Ancestors

Excellence in Promotion and Marketing

• Blackwood Gifts

• Busy Boss Communications

Excellence in Environmental Impact

• EDI Environmental Dynamics Inc.

• Goodsir Nature Park

• Homespun Refillery

• KJM Sales Ltd.

• Wall To Wall

Excellence in Customer Service

• Baller Food

• Birchwood Veterinary Clinic

• Cait’s Sweet Bites and Beanery

• Lash Lounge by Hannah

• Prince George Florist

Excellence in Not-for-Profit and Community Service

• Intersect Youth and Family Services Society

• Live Well Prince George Society

• Kiwanis Prince George

• Prince George Council of Seniors

• Spirit of the North Healthcare Foundation

Excellence in Technological Innovation

• Acres Enterprises

• Canuck Mechanical

• KJM Sales Ltd.

• Skylerloop

• Stackd

BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Colour) Business of the Year

• Erickson Roofing

• Girlfriends Brow Bar

• House of Ancestors

• Karahi King

• Renee’s Hair Boutique

Finalists and business leaders from across Prince George will gather on Nov. 1 at the Prince George Conference and Civic Centre to hear the winners announced in the 11 award categories.

The Citizen’s award will also be formally presented at the ceremony that night.

• Cheeseneeds

• Surge Consulting

• Tyler Macsemniuk Photography and Video

To purchase tickets to the event, visit https://pgchamber.chambermaster. com/eventregistration/register/2006

Fort St. John man not guilty of assaultng daughter

Court heard he was trying to stop her from riding with a possibly drunk driver

BOB MACKIN

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A Provincial Court judge in Fort St. John ruled a father who intervened when his daughter was on the verge of taking a ride with a potentially drunk driver was not guilty of assault and uttering threats.

The Aug. 20 written verdict by Judge Darin Reeves, after a three-day trial in June, contains a ban on publication of

the identities of the father and daughter and their location.

On May 18, 2024, the date of the incident, the father was organizing branding and inoculation of 200 cattle and 200 calves at a barn on a rural ranch.

Family and neighbours assisted him and he provided food and beverages, including beer, to the crew. The man’s daughter “repeatedly asked him to go out with an older girlfriend who had been drinking all day,” but he refused. That sparked several arguments. One of their heated exchanges was captured on a cell phone audio recorder.

The father remained at the barnyard at the end of the day, after most helpers departed. The daughter returned to the

Engineer suspended six months afer landslide risk assessment

EGBC orders him to complete online courses and pay $7.5K in legal costs

BOB MACKIN Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A member of Engineers and Geoscientists BC based in 150 Mile House has agreed to a six-month suspension after admitting to unprofessional conduct.

The Aug. 19 consent order says that Robert Gordon Wilson was cited last October over allegations related to a residential landslide risk assessment in Williams Lake.

Wilson failed to refer to relevant guidelines and requirements set by EGBC and the Cariboo Regional District; failed to conduct sufficient fieldwork to evaluate landslide hazard or risks; failed to report on relevant background about the land and water conditions; and failed to account for and explain nearby damage linked to slope movement and risks to the project.

farmhouse, which is several miles from the barn.

The father, Reeves said, was obviously annoyed and upset and he did apply force in an attempt to raise his daughter to her feet and to seat her in his truck, all against her will.

“This force was applied, however, for corrective purposes. (The father) was fearful that (his daughter) would continue in her attempts to be transported by a driver he feared was intoxicated, thus placing her safety at risk.”

Reeves said it was “entirely reasonable” that the man felt disrespected and became frustrated and angry. He threatened to report his daughter’s friend to police for impaired driving if she drove

her to the town where her mother lived. The friend instead brought the man’s daughter to her home and the daughter was later transported to her mother’s home by a sober driver.

Reeves said the daughter’s testimony “varied considerably,” while the father testified in his own defence and much of what he said was “plausible.”

“In all circumstances,” Reeves decided, he used reasonable force intended to restrain, control or express disapproval of his daughter’s behaviour.

“I do not find that (the father) struck, kicked or slapped his daughter, or that he used or threatened to use an object,” Reeves said.

FireSmart visits Valemount

Wilson also relied on outdated landslide assessments and failed to provide an estimate of the landslide hazard or risk to the project site, the ruling determined.

The order said EGBC members are required to retain complete project documentation for a minimum 10 years and must protect the environment, hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public and uphold workplace health and safety.

When an EGBC member provides an opinion on a professional subject, it must only be “founded upon adequate knowledge and honest conviction,” states the ruling.

The six-month suspension began Aug. 25.

Before his suspension is over, Wilson must, at his own cost, complete an online seminar, a soil engineering fundamentals and applications course and professional practice guidelines webinar.

His practice will be reviewed, at his own cost, six months after the suspension is over and he must pay $7,500 toward EGBC legal costs, the ruling determined.

Regional District of Fraser-Fort George emergency service coordinator Colby Molcak shows off a miniature house designed to help kids to learn FireSmart principles during an event in Valemont on Sept. 5. FireSmart is a nationwide program that encourages Canadians to make their homes more fire-resilient. The program, created in 1990, gives guidelines on how to protect the 30 metres immediately surrounding a house; examples include clearing gutters from dried debris and cutting back brush.

Mackenzie librarian emphasizes need for more funds

COLIN SLARK Citizen Staff

As BC’s local governments get ready to debate a motion calling on the provincial government for increased library funding at an upcoming convention, the director of the Mackenzie Public Library says more funding is needed from multiple levels of government to stave off service cuts.

The Union of BC Municipalities, which is made up of representatives from regional districts and municipalities across the province, is holding its annual convention in Victoria from Sept. 22 to 26.

Every year, members submit resolutions that they’d like the UBCM to advocate for.

Special resolution three on this year’s list calls on the provincial government to raise its core funding for libraries from $14 million split across all of BC to $30 million and to further commit to yearly increases tied to inflation.

The text states that core funding for libraries hasn’t increased since 2010 while BC’s population has grown by 29 per cent and inflation has raised costs by 36 per cent in the intervening years.

Speaking to The Citizen by phone on Wednesday, Sept. 10, Mackenzie Public Library director Alice Pritchett said she doesn’t think people realize the situation that libraries like hers are in.

Pritchett said she had been with the library since 2017, starting off running programming for school-aged kids and working her way through multiple positions until she became director.

“We’re exactly in the same position that most libraries are facing in BC where we don’t have enough funding and we don’t expect to get an increase in funding from the municipality next year,” Pritchett said.

“Over the last few years, I have worked the budget so that … it’s tight as it can be.”

She said she believes that her library is one of the busiest per-capita in the province, partly due to its proximity to Mackenzie’s schools and kids visiting

during lunch break and after classes have finished for the day.

Because staff at the library are unionized, Pritchett said the cost of wages goes up every year. Without corresponding funding increases from the province or municipality, she said she wonders how they’ll keep paying staff.

“I don’t think people realize the situation that libraries are in,” she said.

“When you walk into a library, it feels like you can feel the library magic, but that doesn’t come from nowhere. That comes from funding from both sources of government and without that funding, you won’t feel that magic anymore.

“You’re going to see a decrease in programs, a decrease in staffing, a decrease in hours … we’re dipping into a surplus at this point, but that can’t go on forever.”

While Pritchett said the library hasn’t gotten its full funding requests from the District of Mackenzie, she acknowledged that the municipality has its own financial challenges due to the closure of the Paper Excellence pulp mill in 2021.

“Mackenzie’s in a really difficult financial situation with the closing of the mill, but often, what happens when people lose their jobs or they don’t have financial stability is that they use

also lends out sports equipment.

When The Citizen visited Mackenzie in June, the library was closed for renovations with much of its collection shifted to one side of the main room to allow for part of the carpeting to be replaced.

Pritchett said half of the carpet has been replaced but not enough material was purchased to complete the other half so the contractor is waiting for more to arrive to complete the work.

The library is open in the meantime.

Funding for that project, Pritchett said, came from one-time funding that also helped the library replace some of its furniture.

the services and programs at the library because we’re free.”

Beyond lending out books, the library

“These were capital projects, they don’t address the need for staffing and paying for staffing and so when you have to implement projects like this, it takes staffing time,” she said. “And so what we really need is an increase in core funding that’s reliable so that we can pay staff to do these awesome things.”

TOYS • COMICS • GAMES

CHECK OUT

THE BEST GAMING ROOM IN PG FREE USE AND FREE DEMO GAMES

CITIZEN FILE PHOTO BY COLIN SLARK

The Mackenzie Public Library is located in the community’s Recreation Centre.

COMMUNITY

What’s happening in PG

Goodsir Nature Park Pot-Luck Lunch and Fundraiser goes Saturday, Sept. 20, noon-5 p.m. in Salmon Valley. Walk the wheelchair accessible trails, see native trees from all over Canada, visit the Goodsir Botanical Museum with thousands of plant samples from all 10 provinces and three territories, see the JLG Record Museum and travel back in time 100 years in the home of CGNP Radio Goodsir. More info: 250-971-2337, goodsirnaturepark.ca, tourismpg.com.

Seniors’ Paint Club goes Wednesday, Sept. 22 and Thursday, Sept. 23, presented by Prince George & District Community Arts Council, at Studio 2880 2880-15th Ave. in the Jack Bryan Room. Learn the skills of water colour painting with Lorri-Anne Mayley-Bell. This group is designed for those 55+ and is on the main floor. Each session is $25 each. Register today, space is limited. For more information visit www.studio2880.

com/programs/art-classes

Beads & Bannock: Orange Shirt Pins goes Thursday, Sept. 25 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Two Rivers Gallery. In recognition of National Day of Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt day, join together to make beautifully beaded pins to honour residential school survivors and their families. Join Indigenous programmer Crystal Behn to create customized accessories. Enjoy freshly made treats while learning traditional Indigenous art. Everyone is welcome. Fee is $63 for two sessions. To register call 250-6147800 or visit www.tworiversgallery.ca/ orange-shirt-pins.

HockeyFest

Sunday, Sept. 21 at CN Centre. This is world’s biggest road hockey festival coming to Prince George for the first time as a fundraiser for Spirit of the North Healthcare Foundation to help bring cancer care closer to home.

Age-based divisions with men’s, women’s, and mixed teams, capped at 100 teams total. All teams guaranteed to play 4+ games. For more information and to register visit www.spiritofthenorth.ca/hockeyfest.

PG Mud Bogs goes Saturday, Sept. 20 from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 21 from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at NITRO Motorsports Park, 9285 Raceway Rd. There will be 4 Class Mud Racing, expo booths from local companies, food trucks, cool side events, giveaways and prizes. $30/weekend pass, $20/day pass, 16 and under or 65+ are free. No alcohol or pets please. Bring camp chairs.

Hosted by local off-road YouTube channel Bearded Boggers, RTI ramp on location-taking donations for MS Society

CMHA Dallas Werbecky Memorial goes Saturday, Sept. 20 from 2 to 5 p.m. at Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park. This free event will provide an opportunity for community to step outside and join the movement for mental health awareness. This event promotes action, solidarity, and openness to talk about mental health and access professional resources while benefitting the Canadian Mental Health

Perfectly Paired: An Evening of Cheese, Cider and Trains goes Saturday, Sept. 20 from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Central BC Railways and Forestry Museum, 850 River Road. This event is in partnership with Cold Front Cidery. Spend an evening learning the secrets of pairing cheese, cider, fruit and nibbles. After the lesson there will be cider and light snacks for purchase and the museum park will be open to explore. For tickets and more information visit https://pgrfm.bc.ca/news-events/pennydays-a-celebration-of-small-town-life/ Bryan Adams Rolls with the Punches Tour goes Tuesday, Sept. 23 at 7 p.m. at CN Centre. As part of CN Centre’s 30th Birthday Week celebration Bryan Adams will perform along with guests The Sheepdogs. In the CN Centre’s 30-year history, Bryan

Adams has appeared more times and sold more tickets than any other musical artist. Playing the CN Centre in 1998, 2000, 2003, 2010, 2016 and 2023, Bryan has sold nearly 30,000 tickets. For tickets to this concert visit www.ticketsnorth.ca/event/ bryan-adams-roll-with-the-punches Soles Remembering Souls Memorial Walk goes Thursday, Sept. 25 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park. In recognition of Suicide Prevention Month the walk honours loved ones lost to suicide and supporting survivors of suicide loss. Remembering people for who they were in life first and how they died second. This event will include live music, a silent auction, artwork, and a short walk to reflect on loved ones lost. Any donations will go towards crisis prevention services, which include 24-hour phone lines, youth chat and text, and community education. If you have a loved one lost to suicide and would like to have them memorialized at the event register at https://crisis-centre.ca/events/.

30 Years of Laughs goes Thursday, Sept. 25 at CN Centre. Laugh along with Brent Butt — Canadian comedy legend — to celebrate: 30 Years of Laughs at the CN Centre. Joining Brent Butt guests Katie-Ellen Humphries and Chris Griffin. Prince George’s very own Alex Mackenzie will serve as MC. It will be a full night of hilarity. For tickets visit www. ticketsnorth.ca/event/30-years-of-laughs Prince George Rock N’ Gem Show goes Friday, Sept. 26, Saturday, Sept. 27 from 10 a.m.to 8 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 28 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Civic Centre. it’s time to discover something brilliant like ancient fossils, breathtaking crystals, and handmade jewelry. Dig into vibrant polished stones, genuine fossils, healing crystals, unique gifts and geological wonders. Perfect for families, collectors, and anyone who loves to sparkle. Admission is $3 each or $7 per family. Children five and under are free.

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

Welcome Back Cadillac Ranch goes Friday, Sept. 26 at 7:30 p.m. at CN Centre. The 30th birthday celebration continues as the CN Centre presents Welcome Back Cadillac Ranch featuring Fresh Horses, a Garth Brooks show band. Partygoers will be transported back to 1995 and Prince George’s legendary country bar, complete with a mechanical bull, the hits of Garth Brooks, and some of the best country music ever written. The Chris Goodwin Band, will start the night’s celebrations. For tickets visit www.ticketsnorth.ca/event/ welcome-back-cadillac-ranch.

Hoferhamp Farm Fest goes Saturday, Sept. 27 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 2400 Hoferkamp Rd. This is the first Farm Fest and will feature local vendors with homemade goods, food truck, family activities, cabin open house and more.

CN Centre 30th Birthday Party goes Saturday, Sept. 27 at 7:30 p.m. Trooper performs at the Centre for the first time – with special guests – The Chevys. Trooper is Canada’s party band and sold millions of records and been named to both the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and Canada’s Walk of Fame. Fans of all ages will be able to enjoy all the hits like We’re Here for a Good Time (Not a Long Time), Raise a Little Hell, and The Boys in the Bright White Sportscar as the CN Centre parties like it’s 1995. Trooper is joined by good-time Prince George rockabilly band, The Chevys, playing

their first gig at the CN Centre. For tickets visit www.ticketsnorth.ca/event/ cn-centre-30th-birthday-party-Trooper.

The BC Old Time Fiddlers’ Dance goes Saturday, Sept 27 from 7 to 11 p.m. at the Senior Activity Centre, 425 Brunswick St. Live fiddle music will be performed so folks can do polkas, waltzes, two-steps, barn dances and called group dances. Prizes and ice cream bar snacks included. Coffee, water, pop and chips available by donation. Everyone is welcome. Tickets at the door are only $10 for adults, children with parents are free.

Drive Thru Fall Community Shred It event goes Saturday, Sept. 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Prince George

Secondary School parking lot. An opportunity to shred personal or important documents in an effort to prevent identity theft. In collaboration with Shred-it Mobile Shredding Services, Mr. Mike’s, PGSS and School District 57, Northern BC Crime Stoppers offers this service for a minimum donation of $10 per bag or box and is not meant for business owners. Mr. Mike’s community barbecue will be available 11a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Enjoy a Mr. Mike’s burger for a $5 donation.

Clue: On Stage at Theatre NorthWest runs until Sept. 27 at 7 p.m. with matinees at 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Step into a mansion full of

secrets, suspicion and side-splitting comedy — the whodunit based on the iconic board game and the cult classic film. When six quirky guests arrive for a dinner party, murder is on the menu and everyone is a suspect. With rapid-fire dialogue, outrageous characters and many twists the production is a madcap mystery you won’t want to miss. Based on the screenplay by Jonathan Lynn. Written by Sandy Rustin. Additional material by Hunter Foster and Eric Price. For more information and tickets visit www.ovationtix.com/ TheatreNorthWestClueOnStage.

City on a Hill documentary goes Sunday Sept. 28 at 6:30 p.m. at Lakewood Alliance Church, 4001 Fifth Ave. It’s a film depicting a courageous humanitarian mission to the front lines in Ukraine. The evening includes an ice cream social. Come wearing yellow and blue in solidarity with a country devastated by war. The event is free.

Parkinson Support Group meetings are the third Saturday of each month at 1 p.m. at the Spruce Capital Seniors Centre, 3701 Rainbow Drive. 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.

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

ALLEN DOUGLAS/KTW FILE PHOTO

Bryan Adams brings his Rolls with the Punches Tour to the CN Centre on Tuesday, Sept. 23 at 7 p.m. as part of CN Centre’s 30th Birthday Week celebrations.

Back to where it all began

This year’s Terry Fox Run followed the route he took when he ran the Prince George to Boston Marathon before making the nal decision to set out on the Marathon of Hope

LEFT: Mayor Simon Yu addresses the crowd from the bandstand. As of the time we went to press, the run had raised $25,000 and counting. Hundreds of people took part in the 45th annual run, which covered part of the route Fox himself followed when taking part in the Prince George to Boston Marathon in 1979, organizer Sylvia Masich told The Citizen earlier this month.

‘You’ll be literally running in Terry’s footsteps in this route because he ran along Patricia Boulevard and Taylor Drive in 1979,’ said Masich. ‘And you get to walk along Patricia Boulevard and Taylor Drive in the 45th annual Terry Fox Run.’

The 45th Terry Fox Run gets underway with two young cyclists and members of the Timberwolves women’s basketball team leading the way for the three kilometre loop at Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park on Saturday, Sept. 14.

ABOVE: The members of the UNBC Timberwolves men’s basketball team gather for a quick photo with coach Todd Jordan.

BELOW: Terry Fox cookies as well as fruit and other goodies are made available to participants.

BELOW: UNBC Timberwolves women’s basketball team member Viktorii Filatova, 19, was the first woman to cross the finish line.

ABOVE: Participants of all ages and abilities take part.

BELOW: Cheryl Moors (left) and Kenzie McAnulty, 11, look through the memorabilia displayed in honour of Tom Masich and Dick Voneugen, the early organizers of the Terry Fox Run and many other athletic events.

CITIZEN PHOTOS BY CHUCK NISBETT

Cops for Cancer pedal out of PG on Tour de Nord

MATTHEW HILLIER Citizen Staff

Cops for Cancer Tour de North began its long-awaited, week-long trek to Prince Rupert Friday, Sept. 12.

Members of the RCMP, paramedics and community riders from across Prince George and northern BC kicked off their 877-kilometre ride at Heritage Elementary School before officially beginning their journey in front of locals at the Prince George Canadian Tire at 5008 Domano Blvd.

The student body at Heritage Elementary was full of excitement, smiles and cheers as riders walked their bikes into the gymnasium.

The assembled students heard from several high-profile guests, including Insp. Darren Woroshelo, officer in charge of Northern BC Highway Patrol; Darren Waller, manager of clinical operations with BC Emergency Health Services; and Prince George Mayor Simon Yu.

These guests spoke about the importance of the ride and the funds it raises for childhood cancer research and vital support programs like Camp Goodtimes in addition to the importance of bike safety and the impact this ride will have on Prince George.

Guests also received plaques commemorating their involvement in Cops for Cancer.

Tour de North coordinator Laura Nelson also spoke to students about the origin of Cops for Cancer.

She explained that in 1994, a student undergoing cancer treatment was bullied after losing his hair. In response, an Edmonton RCMP officer — a friend of the student — rallied fellow officers to shave their heads in solidarity. That gesture sparked a wave of fundraising that eventually led to the creation of the Cops for Cancer Tour de North.

Nelson also spoke to the media following the assembly and emphasized that the kickoff was a special moment for the riders — for one simple reason.

“I mean, the whole point of this is we’re doing it for the kids,” said Nelson. “We love, love, love coming to schools

to share this special moment — to share any of these special moments — with the kids. It’s also an opportunity to get the kids involved, get them learning a little bit about what we’re fundraising for, what we’re doing to help kids just like them. That’s the best part — coming to schools like this and hearing the kids cheer and get all excited and cheer us on for our big journey ahead.”

Heritage Elementary also presented Cops for Cancer with funds raised through an ice cream fundraiser, which amounted to $168. Nelson spoke about what it meant to see students engaged in the cause.

“It’s great to see Heritage Elementary School,” said Nelson. “They did some fundraising for us. That they all got together, selling ice cream for us, is amazing. Having the kids there is always a huge benefit for our riders, too. Once again, it always comes back to this — why we’re doing it. We’re doing it for the kids. So getting them involved as much as possible is always awesome.”

These funds will be added to the approximately $216,000 already raised, with the overall goal of $250,000 well within sight.

The day was also bittersweet for many riders and family members, who are still mourning the death of Shane Kelly, who was killed during a training

Cops For Cancer Tour de North riders cheer along with BCEHS manager Darren Waller and RCMP Cpl/ Jennifer Cooper while taking part in an assembly at Heritage Elementary School on Friday, Sept. 12.

ride for Cops for Cancer in July.

RCMP Cpl. Jennifer Cooper led students at Heritage Elementary in a moment of silence. Nelson also addressed the media about the impact Kelly’s passing has had on riders and the community.

“It’s greatly impacted not just our riders, not just our crew, not just everyone involved in our organization — and the community as well,” said Nelson. “I think this tour has taken on a whole new meaning this year. The outcry of support that we’ve received has been incredible. We couldn’t be more proud of our riders who have come together and continued on with this tour in

honour of Shane Kelly — in honour as well of the other member who was injured. It’s been incredible.”

Riders officially began their journey at the Prince George Canadian Tire, cheered on by locals as they set off down Highway 16.

They will spend the next week visiting schools in towns along the route, including Smithers, Houston and Terrace, before arriving in Prince Rupert at approximately 5:45 p.m. on Sept. 18 at the Crest Hotel.

To learn more or to donate, please visit: https://support.cancer.ca/site/TR/CopsforCancer/ COPS_NW_even_?pg=entry&fr_id=30363

CITIZEN PHOTO BY CHUCK NISBETT

Cops For Cancer Tour de North riders arrive at Canadian Tire for their final stop prior to heading out on their ride from Prince George to Prince Rupert Friday, Sept. 12.

CITIZEN PHOTO BY CHUCK NISBETT

A big move before a big year for the Festval of Trees

MATTHEW HILLIER Citizen Staff

Spirit of the North’s Festival of Trees is preparing for a major venue change.

After 31 years at the Prince George Civic Centre, the Festival of Trees will now be hosted at the CN Centre — a significant shift that promises more space and opportunity for expansion. The change was announced Tuesday, Sept. 9.

Spirit of the North emphasized that the larger venue will allow the festival to build on beloved elements from past years, such as the Big Tree, the Children’s Area and an expanded gift shop and vendor space.

The move also makes it possible to extend public hours, ensuring more people in Prince George can attend the annual event.

This year’s Festival of Trees will open on Wednesday, Nov. 26 and run through Sunday, Nov. 30.

“We’ve seen a growth of 20 per cent year over year just in general admissions coming into the festival,” said Aimee Cassie, CEO of Spirit of the North. “These events typically sell out. We’re just excited to expand our footprint. I think we’ve maximized all the space that we possibly could at the Civic Centre. With CN, we’re able to grow the areas that are people’s favourites. We can grow the kids’ area. We can grow vendors in the concourse. We’ve got way more space for our big trees. I think it is a natural evolution of the Festival of Trees.”

In the past, the Festival of Trees has raised money for specialized medical equipment at UHNBC. Spirit of the North is currently considering several options for this year’s fundraising focus.

Cassie noted the fundraising record stands at $680,000, set in 2013 — a number she hopes to beat with the larger venue.

The theme of this year’s Festival of Trees at the CN Centre is Whoville, inspired by the classic Dr. Seuss story. Cassie introduced the theme during the venue announcement.

“In Whoville, they say that the Grinch’s small heart grew three sizes that day,” said Cassie. “This year, the

Festival of Trees is doing the same. Our heart is growing — growing to welcome more people, growing to build on 31 years of tradition and growing to create even more magic for the next generation. With this move to CN Centre, the Festival’s heart is indeed three sizes bigger, and we cannot wait to celebrate the season with all of you.”

Board chair Lance McDonald also spoke at the announcement, thanking the volunteers who make the event possible year after year.

“The heart of the Festival of Trees event is the army of volunteers,” said McDonald. “Who, year after year, help us bring this event to life. It’s inspiring to be involved with such a collective effort and a collective focus on that goal. I have heartfelt gratitude for everybody who was involved.”

Glen Mikkelsen, manager of the CN Centre, was thrilled to be hosting the Festival of Trees. He was spotted wearing his Christmas best, despite the warm weather.

He said visitors can expect a very different Festival of Trees this year.

“People can look forward to having a new experience within our venue,” said Mikkelsen. “We’re not the same setup as the Civic Centre. Obviously, we have a higher ceiling. We’ve got different spaces that’ll be used to energize the event. It’s going to be a different kind of experience than people have seen before at the Festival of Trees — but the people, the volunteers, the committee

Centre. There’s lots of parking available, so I think that’s going to encourage people to come throughout the whole festival. They can also take part in other events happening around the park at the same time — hockey tournaments and things going on in the Kin Centres. So I think there are all kinds of opportunities we haven’t even fully seen yet.”

Mikkelsen told the media at the announcement that the Festival of Trees is a unique Northern tradition that means a lot to the community.

are already very energized about what they can add to the event here.”

He added that he’s particularly excited to see the CN Centre filled with families and festivalgoers.

“Tens of thousands of people are coming! Honestly, our parking space is a little more advantageous than the Civic

“It’s got such warmth to it, right?” said Mikkelsen. “For many people, it’s a kickoff to the Christmas season. It’s a tradition that they participate in — either through sponsoring trees or through bringing their families.”

To sign up to volunteer for this year’s Festival of Trees, visit Spirit of the North’s website: https://app.betterimpact.com/ Application?OrganizationGuid= bbf50760-55f9-4cf9-beb3-50e4c19

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY

Volunteer to be on the Library Board

• There are 3 vacancies for a 2-year term

• Term: December 1, 2025 to November 30, 2027

For informaton about the board, visit www.pgpl.ca/board

For informaton about how to apply visit www.princegeorge.ca/commitees

Deadline to Apply:

5:00 p.m., Thursday, October 16, 2025

Questons?

Contact Legislatve Services

250.561.7655

5th Floor, City Hall, 1100 Patricia Blvd. legislatveservices@princegeorge.ca

CITIZEN PHOTO BY MATTHEW HILLIER

CN Centre manager Glen Mikkelsen (left), Spirit of the North CEO Aimee Cassie and Spirit of the North board chair Lance McDonald pose for a picture after announcing that the Festival of Trees will be held at the CN Centre this year at a press conference on Tuesday, Sept. 9.

From that Corner Gas staton to the CN Centre stage

Brent Butt brings his comedy to Prince George on Sept. 30

TED CLARKE Citizen Staff

Making the cover of Rolling Stone was once the ultimate dream for rock ’n’ roll musicians.

Brent Butt used to play in a band as a singer and guitar player, but music was never going to be his career.

His destiny was to make people laugh.

At 12 years old, growing up in Tisdale, Sask., Butt saw a standup comedian featured on The Alan Hamel Show and knew then and there he wanted to pursue his own future as a comic.

Best known as the creator and star of Corner Gas, which became a hit comedy on CTV for six seasons until its run ended in 2009, Butt and his cast of characters brought hilarity to a lonely gas station in Rouleau, Sask.

Corner Gas won Gemini, Leo, Directors Guild and Canadian Comedy awards — and perhaps the ultimate tribute for Butt came from readers of TV Guide magazine, the bible of TV listings for decades at every supermarket checkout in Canada — when it was voted the funniest show on TV.

“I grew up with two channels — CBC and CTV — and we didn’t get cable TV in my hometown until the ’80s, and even then my mom didn’t get it,” said Butt. “So I got to see stuff at my buddy’s house and we’d watch Letterman and Saturday Night Live over there.

“The Alan Hamel Show later became The Alan Thicke Show, and that was my first exposure to standup. Just seeing somebody come out and talk and be funny — I’d never seen that before until The Alan Hamel Show. Kelly Monteith, an American, was the first comedian I ever saw, and I was hooked from that moment.

“The Alan Hamel Show/Alan Thicke Show was very encouraging for me because they would feature Canadian comedians all the time, and that made it more possible and plausible to me, so it

was very inspirational and instrumental in my pursuit of comedy.”

His first standup gig was at a variety night show in his high school gym in Tisdale. It was well-received, so he kept at it.

“School was just an excuse for variety night and drama night. I wasn’t interested in learning anything — that was where all my buddies were and twice a year you could be in a play,” said Butt.

“I never had stage fright. I used to emcee the grandstand shows from the time I was 14 — any excuse to get a microphone and get up in front of a crowd. I was in a band, I wrote plays, I acted in plays — it was just all about the performance for me.”

Corner Gas remains popular in reruns on several networks and streaming platforms. The fact it aired on TV in 26 countries made Butt world-famous.

“It was a fantastic time — I wouldn’t change anything,” Butt said. “Having a No. 1 sitcom in the country — I would recommend it highly to everybody, no downside.”

For the first time since 2018, Butt is coming to Prince George on Thursday,

Sept. 25, for a night of standup comedy, backed by Katie-Ellen Humphries, Chris Griffin and Prince George emcee Alex Mackenzie — part of the 30th anniversary celebration of CN Centre.

Butt says he’ll be digging into his “tickle-trunk of material” that dates back over three decades of standup. He tours the country regularly, staying close to home in the summer months and December, and he’s continually writing. Following up on his first novel, Huge, built around the untimely deaths of three murdered comedians, Butt is working on a second book — another dark psychological thriller. He’s also writing a pilot for another TV show, and if he likes how it turns out, he says he’ll shop it around.

He lives in Vancouver with his wife, Nancy Robertson, who also starred in Corner Gas as Wanda Dollard, the employee of Butt’s character, Brent Leroy. Butt moved there from Saskatchewan 32 years ago, and the comedy club circuit is quite different from when he arrived. Like many cities in Canada, many of the small venues he used to play — like Yuk Yuk’s — are no longer

operating, and there are no longer any full-time comedy clubs in the city.

“It’s kind of an interesting comedy scene here, where comedians will make a deal with some club to do comedy one night a week in a small venue — 50 or 100 seats — and comedians will go up and work on new material and hone their craft,” he said.

“In terms of the art form, it’s very good. There are a lot of funny, creative people playing around with the art form in low-stakes situations, which is great for creativity.

“There’s a comedy theatre that opened up in Gastown. It used to be out on the east side of Vancouver — Little Mountain Gallery — and they do various artistic endeavours, but they’re really comedy-heavy, and so that’s become a really great venue.”

He’s a diehard Saskatchewan Roughriders fan and likes the fact they have the best record in the CFL. He hasn’t been to a game in a couple of years but hopes to end that drought soon.

HANDOUT PHOTO

Corner Gas star Brent Butt is coming to Prince George on Thursday, Sept. 30 for the 30 Years of Life comedy show at CN Centre.

Comedian

never made it to the cover of TV Guide

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

Butt played high school football for two years at Tisdale Unit Composite School, and in his playing days he was a stocky 210-pound bulldog who played defensive tackle.

“I’m not a tall guy — I’m like five-footnine — and they started me at centre, but I didn’t have the mass, so they moved me to the defensive side of the ball and I liked that,” said Butt.

“My coach said to me, ‘The thing I like about you is you can run full-tilt with your chin an inch above the ground.’ So I was able to swim under the guys with my low centre of gravity and get to the quarterback.

“The year before I joined, Tisdale (Tucsons) won the provincial championship, and then me and my buddies came along and we just stunk.”

Butt doesn’t venture deeply into politics in his comedy shows, but couldn’t resist taking a shot at the reason Canadians are boycotting American products and have chosen not to cross the border into the U.S.

“I have no problem pointing out that Trump is a lunatic and menace, and I’m mind-boggled that anybody would think he’s anything other than a con man — and that usually goes over big,” Butt said. “Ninety-nine per cent of the people are on board with that idea. I won’t be going back (to the States) until he’s long gone and I get a sense that things are back on track, so you won’t get put in a gulag or sent to El Salvador with no due process.”

Butt got through the pandemic years better off than most comics because that’s when he was producing Corner Gas Animated, which ran for four seasons from 2018 to 2021.

“I was fortunate compared to a lot of my buddies who relied exclusively on doing live shows, and I had a steady gig — we used to record together in a room, but when the pandemic hit we would record individually and you still had that flexibility to do the show that

way,” said Butt.

“I’ve said before to people I’ve kind of always thought of myself as a cartoon — seeing myself as a cartoon was the most natural thing in the world for me,” he said.

“That was a fun experience. I got to work an eight-hour day doing that show, versus when we were doing live action and it was always 16- or 17-hour days. That was a wild pace for me because I wore a lot of hats. On any given day I’d be acting in one episode, writing the next episode, and the next step was editing the previous episode — and I would be working from 6 a.m. to midnight every day.”

Corner Gas did well in the United States, and Butt always wanted to do standup on Late Night with David Letterman and got to the interview stage — but that’s as close as he got.

“The guy who was booking the show was on board — he was a fan,” said Butt. “I auditioned once and he liked it, but thought the material I chose was a little dated and wanted me to come back with some other stuff, and then he got canned for doing some very questionable stuff.

“I can’t squawk, because in terms of life dreams I’ve had, that’s about the only one that hasn’t panned out.”

There was one other ambition Butt thought might be within his grasp.

Having seen the likes of Jerry Seinfeld, Bob Newhart and the SCTV gang on the cover of TV Guide, he often wondered if the success of Corner Gas would put him there as well — but it never did. TV Guide Canada stopped publishing in 2014.

“I remember being 12 or 13 years old, with my comedy aspirations — I sort of envisioned being on the cover of TV Guide,” he said. “It was important. That was a highlight for me, the first time I could see (Corner Gas) in the TV listings — I clipped it out.”

Tickets for the 30 Years of Laughs show are $41.50, available on the Tickets North website.

A good day for a Dog-a-thon

PG Humane Society Trails for Tails Dog-a-thon at Cottonwood Island Park Sunday, Sept. 14. The annual fundraiser included a barbecue, games, vendors, kids activities and more.

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Onyx Nguyen, 2, held by his father Phoenix and Christa Calfa, pets Finley and Iya , five-week-old Pembroke Corgis carried by Jenny Saunders, at the

Goodsir Nature Park celebratng 35 years of growth

In addition to the trails and trees, there’s a vinyl record museum and more

CITIZEN STAFF

A beloved northern attraction is set to host a special event next weekend in celebration of a milestone decades in the making.

Goodsir Nature Park is holding a Pot-Luck Lunch and Fundraiser on Saturday, Sept. 20, from noon to 5 p.m. Visitors can explore wheelchair-accessible trails, take in the country’s native flora and tour its other attractions.

Park founder Jim Good says the event is a chance to celebrate years of work turning his vision into reality.

Everyone is welcome to

visit Goodsir

Nature Park on Saturday, Sept. 20 for a special fundraising day.

“I travelled to every province and territory, personally collecting seedlings,” Good told The Citizen earlier this year. “It covers the entire country, coast to coast to coast.”

Goodsir Nature Park now features trees and plant samples from nearly

every corner of Canada — thousands of them — all nestled on a private plot off Old Summit Lake Road just north of

Prince George.

The park also houses the Goodsir Botanical Museum and the JLG Record Museum, which boasts a collection of more than 43,000 vinyl records. Visitors can tune into CGNP Radio Goodsir, a homemade broadcast system that plays music throughout the park.

With improved trail access and a new wheelchair-friendly washroom, Good says the park is more inclusive than ever.

Good was recently announced as a finalist in the Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards’ Excellence in Environmental Impact category.

Admission is by donation, with all proceeds supporting ongoing maintenance. Tax receipts are available for larger contributions, as the park operates as a registered non-profit.

The event is open to all, and guests are encouraged to bring a dish to share. For more information, call 250-971-2337 or visit goodsirnaturepark.ca.

Looking to the stars as observatory welcomes visitors

MATTHEW HILLIER Citizen Staff

The Prince George Astronomical Society will be hosting weekend events this fall, providing people the opportunity to learn more about the stars and check out the observatory’s advanced telescopes.

These will run nearly every weekend until Nov. 29.

The observatory hosted its first event on Sept. 5 when approximately 39 people learned about the “Transient Universe” from Malhar R. Kendurkar, director of the Prince George Astronomical Society

During the events, the main 24-inch telescope will be open for supervised use by the public with two other smaller telescopes 12- and 10-inch telescopes also available for use.

Telescope sizes refer to the diameter of the primary lens, not the length of the telescope itself.

“Right now we’re in a pretty good time of the year to look at some really cool objects in the night sky,” said Kendurkar. “We have M57, which is a ring nebula in the constellation called Lira. Then there is the star called Vega. Then star clusters like the Beehive, some other

nebulae, and globular clusters. So there are lots of really cool objects which are visible right now in the night sky. And also, visually we have a summer triangle, which is visible to the naked eye!”

While speaking to The Citizen, Kendurkar explained what he hopes to bring

to people interested in learning more about our universe and night sky.

“It brings a unique experience for the people,” said Kendurkar. “When people think about looking at the stars and looking at the moon, visually, it’s different, and when you look to the telescope, it gives you a whole different perspective of the night sky and of all the astronomical objects. You can see the surface of the moon. You can see the rings of Saturn. You can see different moons of different planets. That unique experience is what we try to provide at the observatory and also for people to learn about the night sky and our place in the universe.”

The observatory, being a non-profit, relies on donations to keep bringing these events to the public. A suggested donation of $2 per person or $5 per family is suggested.

The observatory is located at 7365 Tedford Rd. More information is at www.pgrasc.org.

CITIZEN 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.

Throwback Thursday: Week of September 18

Sept. 19, 1983: A group of more than 800 Prince George residents took part in the Terry Fox Run and raised more than $10,000 for cancer research. CITIZEN FILE PHOTO BY BROCK GABLE

Sept, 18, 1967: His freedom was shortlived — escapee Earl Beamish was escorted into Prince George Regional Hospital to be treated for an arm wound he received as he ed the jail exercise yard. Roadblocks were set up before he was recaptured. CITIZEN FILE

Sept. 19, 2014: Sonya Hunt, the Pine Centre Mall’s general manager, held up a Prince George Citizen supplement from 1974 as part of the celebrations of the mall’s 40th anniversary. CITIZEN FILE PHOTO BY BRENT BRAATEN

OCTOBER 11TH 6:00 PM Evening Bingo Know your limit, play within it.

PHOTO BY DAVE LOOY

Sept. 16, 1999: Justin Soles, left, and Jamie Landolt took a highvelocity drift through the dirt on one of the corners at the Supertrak BMX Club track at Carrie Jane Gray Park during the expert Grand Prix race for 16-year-olds. CITIZEN FILE PHOTO BY BRENT BRAATEN

Navigatng FASD in the North can be complicated

LARA FREDERICK Northern Health

Content warning: This story discusses the challenges of raising a child with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and may be emotional for some readers. Please take care of yourself as you read, and reach out for support if you need it.

Introduction

Adopting our daughter at nine months old was one of the most beautiful and life-changing moments of my life. She made me a mom! From the start, we knew she was prenatally exposed to alcohol. Even with my background as a nurse, I needed to learn about and find the right supports for her and our family.

I’m sharing our family’s journey navigating FASD in the hopes that our experience serves as a gentle reminder to other families going through something similar — they are not alone.

FASD is a lifelong disability

FASD affects the brain and body of people who were exposed to alcohol before birth. Here’s more about it:

It’s a spectrum disorder — This means that no two people with the diagnosis are exactly alike. Effects can vary widely — FASD can make it harder to remember, pay attention, handle emotions, learn new things or interact with others.

It’s not always visible — Many people don’t have physical signs. Some have

challenges in their everyday life and need specialized support. These challenges are not the result of poor parenting or lack of effort — they are caused by permanent changes to the brain due to prenatal alcohol exposure.

People with FASD have unique strengths — They can be creative, compassionate, determined and deeply intuitive. With the right supports at home, in school and in the community, they can thrive.

It can be a struggle

NOTICE OF

Public Hearing

Zoning Bylaw No. 2892, 2014, Amendment Bylaw No. 3393, 2025

Subject property: Corner of Chief Lake Rd and Ness Lake Rd

Purpose: To permit general store use to be established on the subject property

Next steps: The Regional District is holding a public hearing meeting on September 23, 2025 at 7:30 pm at the Nukko Lake Community Hall.

For more details visit rdffg.ca/landuseapps

Our daughter needed a formal FASD diagnosis, but the path was not easy. While the process through the Northern Health Assessment Network (NHAN) is comprehensive, it was daunting. Assessment wait times can be up to two years from the date of referral. During this time, families are often left in limbo — trying to manage complex behaviours without a formal diagnosis or access to specialized supports. I often felt alone and frustrated while waiting for our turn. I didn’t have a support group or network to lean on, which made the waiting even harder.

Break the silence

One of the most important things I’ve learned on this journey is the power of words.

Talking about FASD needs kindness and no blame.

When people blame birth parents or commend adoptive families for parenting a child with extra needs, it stops good communication and hurts the support that families need. Stigma can silence people, as it:

• Prevents birth parents from

seeking help

• Discourages adoptive families from sharing their experiences

• Isolates children with complex challenges

• Approach conversations with compassion

Instead of saying

“Why would someone drink during pregnancy?”

Try: “I imagine there are many reasons someone might struggle during pregnancy. What supports are available for families affected by FASD?”

“That must be so hard. Do you ever regret adopting?”

Try: “It sounds like you’ve faced a lot of challenges. What’s been helpful for you and your child along the way?”

“Isn’t FASD preventable?”

Try: “I’m still learning about FASD. Would you be open to sharing what you’ve learned through your experience?”

“I don’t know how you do it.”

Try: “You’re doing an incredible job. How can I support you or your family right now?”

Resources for families

These resources have been helpful for my family and may help you too:

• Northern Health Assessment Network (NHAN co-ordinates assessments for children and youth with developmental or behavioural conditions in Northern BC.

• Canada FASD Research Network (CanFASD) is a national organization focused on FASD research, education and policy. Their website offers resources for families, caregivers, educators and health care providers.

• Family Support Institute of BC. provides peer-to-peer support and practical tools for families of children with disabilities, including FASD.

FASD-specific resources help families understand the assessment process, connect with local supports and advocate for their children’s needs.

NORTHERN HEALTH PHOTO

There are resources for families raising a child with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.

Expanded mental health resources coming to PG

CITIZEN STAFF

Adults and youth in Prince George are among those across British Columbia set to benefit from two new provincial investments aimed at improving access to mental health and addiction services.

The initiatives, though separate in scope and target audience, both aim to expand care and support for mental wellness, particularly in communities where access has historically been limited.

Adults in Prince George and surrounding areas will continue to have access to free or low-cost mental health counselling, thanks to a renewed $6.7-million provincial investment.

The funding is part of BC’s broader effort to make community-based mental health support accessible to more residents, regardless of income or background.

Since the program’s launch in 2019, more than 362,000 counselling sessions have been delivered across the province, with 72,000 people accessing counselling for the first time — a milestone that highlights the gap these services have helped fill.

In Prince George, three local organizations will share in this funding to provide mental health support:

• Canadian Mental Health Association – Northern BC

• Prince George Native Friendship Centre

• Central Interior Native Health Society

These organizations provide a variety of culturally sensitive and trauma-informed services, including one-on-one therapy, outreach counselling, virtual care, and connections to housing, employment and addiction treatment.

“When someone takes the courageous step of reaching out for mental-health support, services must be there for them,” said Health Minister Josie Osborne.

“With this investment, we’re ensuring that people can continue to find affordable, life-changing mental-health care when they need it most.”

The funding is administered through

the Community Counselling Fund, led by the Community Action Initiative (CAI). Since 2019, the province has invested more than $43 million in community counselling capacity, emphasizing support for trauma, grief and loss, isolation, and economic hardship — key mental health stressors in the wake of the pandemic and ongoing cost-of-living challenges.

“As a result, community members from all across the province have gained new skills and supports to move forward in their lives,” said Julia Kaisla, executive director of CAI.

“This has undoubtedly reduced the burden on our health-care system and has enhanced community health and capacity.”

One Prince George client began attending counselling during active addiction and eventually entered treatment with the support of their counsellor, states a press release from the health ministry. Today, they’re more than a year sober, steadily employed, and enjoying healthy relationships.

Another Indigenous client, S.C., found healing through culturally grounded counselling that included talking circles, smudging, and drum-making. After battling multi-generational trauma and addiction, S.C. is now four years sober, has completed his adult education diploma, and is pursuing a university degree.

The Foundry

While adults receive continued care, young people in Prince George will soon benefit from an expansion of the PreVenture program — a school-based, evidence-based prevention initiative targeting youth aged 12 to 18. The program teaches students how to manage stress, navigate peer pressure and build resilience — skills that help prevent early substance use and mental-health challenges.

This expansion is supported by $2 million in annual provincial funding, and is being rolled out across more than 80 schools in over 20 school districts. In northern BC, delivery of the program is being facilitated by Foundry, a provincewide initiative offering integrated health

and wellness services to youth.

Prince George is one of the communities with an active Foundry centre, making it well-positioned to benefit from this expansion.

“Foundry is committed to breaking down barriers to access mental-health and substance-use support so young people feel more comfortable reaching out for connection, support and life-saving services,” said Steve Mathias, executive director of Foundry.

Foundry supports schools by offering staff training, coaching and implementation resources — at no direct cost to schools.

The PreVenture program, developed in Canada and backed by research from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, has been shown to reduce substance use by up to 80 per cent, as well as lower rates of depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation among youth.

“Programs like PreVenture give youth the tools to manage stress, deal with

peer pressure and look after their mental health,” said Lisa Beare, minister of education and child care. “By providing these kinds of resources, we’re reinforcing our commitment to keeping kids safe and supported.”

The initiative’s rollout in Prince George comes at a time when young people are facing unprecedented mental-health pressures — ranging from academic stress to the isolating effects of social media and economic uncertainty.

For more information about the services and programs mentioned:

• To learn more about PreVenture, visit: https://preventureprogram.com/

• To learn more about Foundry and the services offered, visit: https:// foundrybc.ca/

• To learn how B.C. is building better mental-health and addictions care, visit: https://gov.bc.ca/ BetterCare

NOTICE OF

Public Hearing

Salmon River-Lakes Offcial Community Plan Bylaw No. 1587, 1996, Amendment Bylaw No. 3386, 2025 and Zoning Bylaw No. 2892, 2014, Amendment Bylaw No. 3387, 2025

Subject property: 16695 Eena Lake Rd

Purpose: To permit subdivision of a portion of the subject property to create a 2.1 ha (5 ac) lot.

Next steps: The Regional District is holding a public hearing meeting on September 23, 2025 at 6:30 pm at the Nukko Lake Community Hall.

For more details visit rdffg.ca/landuseapps

Local Sports Move from Germany brings out the best in UNBC goalie

TED CLARKE Citizen Staff

Biochemistry and the chance to complete masters studies at UNBC to focus on cell wall structures and how they are affected by neurodegenerative diseases brought Johanne Rathke to Prince George.

Since she left her home in Germany early this summer, Rathke’s pursuit of a career as a scientist producing cutting-edge research has been overshadowed by her exceptional athleticism and splendid ability to make saves on the soccer field.

The 22-yearold goaltender’s season debut with the UNBC Timberwolves has been nothing short of spectacular.

With 78 saves to her credit through six games, no other goalie in the Canada West Conference comes close to Rathke. Playing in one of the toughest divisions in U SPORTS, the TWolves are short on experience with 22 of their 27 players either in their first or second years, and that’s made her life extremely busy in game situations.

The UBC Thunderbirds came to Prince George Sept. 5 for the first of a two-game set at Masich Place Stadium and learned early in the game how valuable Rathke has been to UNBC’s last line of defence.

The two-time defending national champions and top-ranked team in Canada fired 12 shots on goal in the opening half, but thanks to Rathke, none of them went in.

“That was a win for us,” said Rathke. “We have to realize a lot of the time here we’re the underdog here, so we don’t have to feel the pressure. Even if we didn’t get any points out of the

game, the team made a really big improvement and a really big step.”

UBC scored three in the second half for a 3-0 victory and also took the rematch Sept. 7 by a 5-0 count. In those two games alone, Rathke made an astounding 36 saves.

Rathke continued her strong efforts in goal Friday, Sept. 12 against UBC Okanagan (more on Page 38).

Rathke could threaten the Canada West record for most saves in a season (141) set last year by Madison Priebe of the Winnipeg Wesmen.

As a youth player in Bremen, a city of 577,000 in northwest Germany, Rathke was a striker until her teens. Inspired by watching national team goalie Manuel Neuer get his team to the semifinals of Euro 2012, she eventually made the switch to goal.

Judging by what she’s shown this summer wearing the green and gold, it was a wise choice.

“I kind of try to help my team if somebody in front of me makes a mistake

and of course there’s pressure on me because nobody will save me from my mistakes,” said Rathke, who stands six feet tall. “But I definitely appreciate having really good centrebacks next to me because they drop back when I go out and if I miss the ball or only deflect it they are a wall behind me.”

Backed by coach Neil Sedwick’s encouragement, Rathke has tried to emulate her hero Neuer playing high out of the box and rushing out to break up scoring chances, and it’s working.

Rathke had considered a move to an American university but put that thought aside in the wake of all the chaos caused by the Trump administration. Her parents were relieved when she settled on UNBC.

Rathke played last year for a third division amateur club team in Göttingen, where she attended university, and she found it difficult to balance her school and team commitments. She figures she will be at UNBC for at least

two seasons while she completes her degree.

“We don’t have university soccer back home and I really like having the opportunity to combine both because the professors are OK if you miss a class and your coach is fine if you have a lab and miss a training session,” she said.

“It’s really nice so far, I really enjoy being here, I have a nice team and I feel so welcome here in the university, it’s kind of wild people recognize our teammates and me and they speak to us on the campus.

“I feel like Canada is really close to the European style and from the soccer aspect it seems like it’s more professional than in Germany, there’s much more money behind stuff.”

While technically a rookie in her first year of university soccer, Rathke’s experience in club soccer in Germany transcends her resume. Sedgwick knew he was getting a seasoned ‘keeper, and the UBC series only highlighted how good she is at her job.

Rathke

CITIZEN FILE PHOTO BY CHUCK NISBETT

UNBC Timberwolves goalie Johanna Rathke jumps to block a high shot by TRU Wolfpack forward Kat Stewart during their season opening game at Masich Place Stadium Friday, Aug. 22

Kodiaks batle Valley Huskers to a te at Masich Place

CITIZEN STAFF

The Kodiaks ended the weekend in third place in the BC Football Conference after battling the Valley Huskers of Chilliwack to a 35-35 tie at Masich Place Stadium Saturday, Sept. 13.

The tie puts the team at 4-3-1 for the season, with two games left.

Next up for the Kodiaks: The team plays the Kamloops Broncos, winless so far this season, at Masich Place at 6 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 27.

The Kodiaks wrap up their season on the road with a rematch against the Huskers on Oct. 4 at Expedition Stadium in Chilliwack.

As of this week, the Okanagan Sun’s 37-24 win over the Westshore Rebels put them at 8-0 and clinched them the BCFC regular-season title.

More information about the Kodiaks is available at www.kodiaksfootball. com.

CITIZEN PHOTO BY CHUCK NISBETT

Kodiaks quarterback Sawyer Thiessen ducks under the Valley Huskers’ defense at Masich Place Stadium Saturday, Sept.13.

CITIZEN PHOTO BY CHUCK NISBETT

ABOVE: Kodiaks quarterback Sawyer Thiessen dives into the endzone to score.

CITIZEN PHOTO BY CHUCK NISBETT

ABOVE: Kodiaks receiver Andrew Brown escapes the clutches of Valley Huskers lineman Ty Folk.

RIGHT: Kodiaks receiver Quinn Neukomm makes a diving catch.

Cricket in full swing in Prince George

Batter Madani Shareef hits off bowler Harman Singh to score a run during their match at the PG Cricket Ground on Vanier Drive Saturday, Sept 13. Several local cricket teams took part in a two-day tournament. Cricket is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 11 players. One team bats, aiming to score runs by hitting the ball and running between wickets. The other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss batters and limit runs. A run is scored when batters successfully run between two sets of stumps. Wickets fall through being bowled, caught, or run out. The team with the most runs at the end of the match wins.

Spruce Kings add size, scoring depth to forward group

TED CLARKE Citizen Staff

The Prince George Spruce welcomed two new 19-year-old forwards into the fold last week as they prepare for the start of the BC Hockey League season on the weekend.

Spencer Masters, a veteran of two seasons with the Camrose Kodiaks in the Alberta Junior Hockey League, and Matic Percic, a native of Slovenia who has represented his home country in four world championships, will be with the team this weekend for preseason games in Langley and Chilliwack.

Masters, a six-foot-two, 205-pound native of Edmonton, collected 17 goals and 22 assists for 39 points in 44 regular season games with the Kodiaks last season and also contributed four points on five playoff games. He was

the second-leading scorer for Camrose in the 2024 playoffs with a goal and seven assists in nine games.

“Spencer is a very smart wellrounded player with good size,” said Spruce Kings general manager Mike Hawes. “He plays the middle and is very responsible in all areas of the game. He’s a great addition for us.”

Percic also brings above-average size to the forward group at six-foot-three, 220 pounds. He played last year in the North American Hockey League for the Chippewa Steel, where he picked up 14 goals and 24 assists for 38 points in 51 games.

He started his junior career in Finland

playing for Kiekko-Espoo U18 and played for Slovenia at the IIHF U20 Division 1A and 1B World Junior Championships and twice played in the U18 B World Championship.

Percic’s older brother Maks played defence for the Spruce Kings last season.

“Matic is a hard-working power forward with great size and hockey instincts,” said Hawes. “He can excel in all zones and areas of the game. His addition really enhances an already strong forward group.”

The Spruce Kings will play their season-opener Sept. 19 against the Chiefs in

Chilliwack.

They’ll be back in Prince George to face the Surrey Eagles in their homeopener at Kopar Memorial Arena on Friday, Sept. 26.

In other news, Nick Poisson, a key ingredient in the Spruce Kings’ run to their first BCHL Fred Page Cup championship in 2019, has been invited as one of 13 forwards to the Vancouver Canucks’ Prosects Showcase this weekend. Poisson, a 24-year-old Vancouver native, played two seasons with the Kings from 2018-20 then went on to a five-year US college career at Providence College.

The Canucks prospects will practice in Abbotsford Thursday and Friday, then travel to Washington state to play the Seattle Kraken prospects Saturday night in Everett and Sunday afternoon on Seattle.

Percic

Masters

CITIZEN PHOTO BY CHUCK NISBETT

Ashe brings experience, ofence and grit to PG Cougars

TED CLARKE Citizen Staff

Before he gets immersed in US college hockey at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, Riley Ashe wants to test himself against the best of his age group peers.

He wants to find out what it’s like to play with and against some of the future stars of the NHL and he’ll get that opportunity this season as a right winger with the Prince George Cougars, the team that drafted him four years ago.

Ashe made the choice three years ago as a 16-year-old kid from Saskatchewan to follow a junior A route to the NCAA, back when any future game involvement with the Cougars would negate his college eligibility. Those rules abruptly changed last year when the NCAA chose to allow players with major junior experience to join college teams, starting this season.

But there’s a lot more to the story of how Ashe ended up in Prince George and it has a lot to do with the Cougars’ performance on the ice. They’ve been one of the top teams in the WHL the past three seasons, compiling a 12760-11-6 record since 2022-23 and that reputation as contenders carried a lot of weight with Ashe.

The Cougars coveted Ashe’s strong skating stride and grit on the ice that make him so difficult for opponents to deal with and Cougars general manager and head coach Mark Lamb and director of scouting Bob Simmonds made him an offer he could not refuse.

“After the conversations we had it was a no-brainer to come here,” said Ashe, who had 13 goals and 14 assists last season in the BCHL with the Salmon Arm Silverbacks.

“I want to see where I stack up against top competition. I was super-excited to come up here and take that next step to go the next level and everything here has been amazing so far, with the players and the coaching staff and all the resources we have to use,” he said.

“No one wants to play for a bad team and I knew with the players the Cougars

have coming back and the coaching staff this would be a perfect place to come. Our forwards are ridiculously deep, this is a team that will be able to roll four lines and just bury teams when it comes playoff time. Not a lot of teams can do that and I think we will be able to. Expect a long season.”

The Cougar coaching staff recognizes Ashe’s leadership qualities and he sets the example with his intense work ethic. So what kind of player can Cougar fans expect when he jumps over the boards?

“I bring a two-way style,” he said. “I’m a guy that can play anywhere and I can bring anything to the team. If you need me to be a goalscorer or if you want me to fight, I can do that, and I kind of carry that with pride, I like being a reliable person, that’s the most important part to me, whether that’s creating offence of shutting guys down, I’ll do it all.

“In the room and during games I’m pretty vocal and loud and I like to hold guys accountable here and there. It’s something that I enjoy doing. With my age, it’s my fourth year playing junior and I feel I carry a lot of knowledge and experience and hopefully I’ll implement that with this team and be one of the

On Sept. 20, 2020, two years before Riley went to Melfort his 18-year-old brother Dylan — a Mustangs defenceman — was killed when his pickup truck rolled in a single-vehicle accident.

“He was such a free spirit,” said Ashe. “It was a short life but he lived it to the fullest.”

Dylan was 3 ½ years older and they spent hours playing together as kids on the backyard rink.

“He was a stay-at-home defenceman, super smart, great first pass, good skater, just a solid d-man,” he said.

After his first junior season Ashe jumped at the chance to play in the BCHL for Salmon Arm and helped the Silverbacks get to the third round in the 2024 playoffs and he returned for a second season.

“I loved it there, it was an amazing two years, great people,” he said.

leaders.”

Ashe offered a glimpse of his capabilities in a pair of preseason games against Edmonton Sept. 5 and 7 in Hinton, Alta., and contributed a goal and assist in the two games.

Picked by the Cougars in the thirdround, 56th overall, of the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft, the native of Warman, Sask., a former Saskatoon Blazer, started his junior career in the SJHL in Melfort.

The Mustangs picked him 10th overall in the SJHL bantam draft, and he went on to become the league’s top rookie after a 38-point rookie season in 2022-23. He visited the Omaha-Nebraska campus on a fly-in and at the time it was an easy decision for him to sign a college commitment.

“I wanted to continue developing and I thought the best choice for that was to go to junior (A) hockey and here I am now and I don’t regret it,” said Ashe.

“It was lots of fun in Melfort, I had a great year there. (Mustangs GM) Trevor Blevins was amazing to me, the whole Melfort organization treated me so well and it would be hard for me not to find success in that environment.”

Ashe has two years of junior eligibility left and could be back with the Cougars as a 20-year-old if he decides to defer his college scholarship.

“It’s the landscape we’re in now, he was going the school route and now we can add a player like that and he’s been a real good player for us,” said Lamb.

“He’s a real powerful skater, he’s a 200-foot player and he’s got excellent speed and physicality, and he can make play. He’s a responsible guy but I think there’s some more untapped offence in him also.

“He’s a leader and the work he did over the summer is noticeable, he’s in unreal shape. He’s been taking a leadership role here and he’s just like a veteran. He’s been excellent on and off the ice since he’s been here.”

Ashe spent the first eight years of his life growing up on a cattle ranch near Warman, where his parents, Della and Mike, have downsized to an acreage. They plan to be in Prince George for the season opener Sept. 19 against Portland and will get to see their boy play again in February when the Cougars tour Saskatchewan.

The Cougars wrapped up their exhibition schedule against the Kamloops Blazers last Friday in Kamloops and Saturday in Quesnel.

PRINCE GEORGE COUGARS PHOTO

Right winger Riley Ashe, 19, is about to begin his fourth junior hockey season in the WHL as a first-year Prince George Cougar.

Twin home losses for Timberwolves men and women

UNBC SPORTS

In his fourth season at UNBC, Prince George product Trevor Scott became the latest local to find the scoresheet in Timberwolves colours.

Unfortunately for Scott and his teammates, his late strike wasn’t enough to spark a comeback, as UNBC fell 3–1 to the visiting Saskatchewan Huskies at Masich Place Stadium.

Dante Molina, Ty Lee and Tao Hein each tallied for the visitors, who earned their first win of the Canada West campaign.

The headline performance, however, belonged to Huskies goalkeeper Jaron Slopinski, who turned aside nine shots — several of the spectacular variety. At the other end, all three of Saskatchewan’s attempts on target found the back of the net.

The visitors struck first in the 13th minute after a defensive miscue allowed Molina to pounce and bury his first of the year. It stood as the only shot on frame for Saskatchewan in the opening

45, but UNBC carried momentum into halftime with their heads held high despite the 1–0 deficit.

Early in the second half, Molina again made his presence felt, this time delivering a perfectly placed corner that Lee muscled home for a 2–0 advantage. Then in the 77th, Hein added insurance when he finished low past Logan Pierce off a feed from Misgana Killoh.

The Timberwolves kept pressing and were rewarded in the 88th minute.

Isaac Tate, who was a constant threat, forced yet another save from Slopinski. The rebound fell to Mehdi Bounaaja, who slipped the ball to Scott in space atop the area. The veteran midfielder struck cleanly with his left foot, beating Slopinski for his first Canada West goal and giving the home fans a moment to cheer.

But the late push came too little, too late, and the final whistle confirmed a 3–1 defeat, dropping UNBC to 3-3-1 on the season. Steve Simonson’s squad now heads on the road for matchups with Calgary and Mount Royal next

weekend.

Meanwhile, on Friday night at Masich Place Stadium, the UNBC Timberwolves women (0-7-0) fell 6–0 to the UBC Okanagan Heat, who spread the scoring across six different players en route to their second win of the season. Heat keeper Allyson Ford stopped all four shots she faced to earn the clean sheet, while UNBC’s Johanna Rathke added nine more saves to her U SPORTS–leading total.

The Heat opened the scoring in the 17th minute when Caitlyn Chiu drifted into the middle of the box and onetimed a perfectly placed cross from Megan Sun.

Rathke, who posted 36 saves the previous weekend against UBC, came up big again in the opening half with a pair of highlight-reel stops. Her best came in the 30th minute when Sun ripped a shot bound for the top corner, only for Rathke to sprawl to her right and get just enough to push it away.

UBCO doubled their advantage in first-half stoppage time, as Neala Peters

pounced on a loose ball and buried her second of the campaign.

UNBC generated a pair of shots on target before the break — one each from Kate Rattee and Aimee Glasser. First-year midfielder Laney Stewart continued to impress with her relentless two-way play, showing growing confidence with every Canada West appearance. At halftime, both goalkeepers had two saves apiece, with the Heat clinging to a 2–0 lead.

The visitors pulled away in the second half. In the 54th minute, Eleni Georgacacos redirected an Abigail Taneda delivery to make it 3–0. Twelve minutes later, Rathke made the initial save on a Heat chance, but the rebound sat up kindly for Haden Thomas, who slotted home her first of the season.

Anabelle Walker added a fifth in the 71st minute, before Maria Georgacacos capped the scoring in the 87th to seal the 6–0 result.

Up next for UNBC is a trip to Kamloops next Saturday to take on TRU, with kickoff set for 1 p.m.

UNBC PHOTOS BY RAJ BANGA

The UNBC Timberwolves men’s soccer team (left) played at Masich Place Stadium on Friday, Sept. 12, as did the UNBC Timberwolves women’s team.

HockeyFest raising funds for Spirit of the North

CITIZEN STAFF

The CN Centre will host HockeyFest — North America’s fastest-growing travelling street hockey festival fundraiser — from Friday, Sept. 19 to Sunday, Sept. 21.

Making its Prince George debut, the

event aims to raise money in support of the Spirit of the North Healthcare Foundation, with proceeds helping bring cancer care closer to home.

HockeyFest is a multi-day outdoor road hockey tournament featuring three-on-three or four-on-four games, plus a goalie, depending on the division.

The event is open to all genders and ages, from seven to 75 years old.

Each team is guaranteed at least four games, with 70 per cent of teams advancing to the playoffs.

Games are played on half-sized NHL-branded rinks equipped with real dasher boards and netting to keep play

moving.

Organizers say financial contributions remain in the community to support the cause.

Registration, sponsorship and team support opportunities are now open at www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ ticketing/2025-hockeyfest

The strongest man in the province is from Fort St. John

ED HITCHINS Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Three years after trading in his bodybuilding card for a foray into strength sports, Alex Lorincz was crowned the province’s strongest man.

Back home in Fort St. John, he was able to reflect and speak to Energeticcity. ca about his victory at BC Strongman Amateur Provincials, which took place over the Labour Day long weekend in Williams Lake.

Lorincz says he goes to each competition “wanting to win” and having finished second in Edmonton at the Alberta Provincials, he knew he was ready.

“If I feel like I won’t quite win, or that I’m not really going to have a good placing, then I won’t really bother,” said Lorincz. “The fact that I waited and it paid off, it feels amazing.

“I’m super happy with how it all worked out.”

Lorincz said during training for the competition, he nursed a forearm injury but wasn’t going to pull out of the event.

He added it left him unable to train for the final’s first event, the overhead medley, where he placed third.

“It was a really big milestone for me, just overcoming that pain,” said Lorincz. “(I was not) able to train it like I wanted, but being able to do it on the day was fantastic.”

Lorincz’s road to the championship included a first-place finish in two events: the frame carry, where he said his time was “near the fastest,” and the bag carry, where he carried a 300-pound bag for 40 feet.

It set up a climactic finish in the last

event, the sandbag ladder, where he edged rival Cameron St. Amand, finishing in style with a sandbag lift of 350 pounds.

“A lot of people managed to get to that bag,” said Lorincz. “Lots of people tried moving it. Some of them even got it to their lap, but they just couldn’t get it to their shoulders.

“(St. Amand) got the bag to his shoulder and the whole place blew up. Everybody was so excited. I was the very last athlete in the entire contest to go and do that event, and I managed to get it as well. I thought it was a pretty special moment.”

Although he placed at the top and qualified for the Amateur National Championship, Lorincz says his forearm will need rehab, so he won’t make the trip to Calgary.

He did say he will “absolutely want to do” a future strongman national championship.

“With my arm being as (messed) up as it is, I just don’t feel I’m ready for that,” said Lorincz. “I don’t want to hurt myself and cause any permanent damage.

“Right now, I’m just going to take it easy. I’m just going to focus on work. I’m going to focus on training some more people at the gym and start a rehab process. I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure that I’m healthy for next season.”

The BC Amateur Strongman Provincials took place on August 30th in Williams Lake. Follow Lorincz on Instagram or Facebook to learn more about his strongman career.

This story originally appeared at energeticcity.ca.

ALEX LORINCZ/FACEBOOK PHOTO

Alex Lorincz (centre) is named the strongest man in BC at the BC Strongman Amateur Provincials in Williams Lake on Sept. 1.

Life Events

Celebration of Life

Christne Luise Reichenbach

Christne uise Reichenbach, born in Paderborn ermany, September 1 , 1 3 , passed into od’s lo ing arms uly , in Prince eorge.

celebraton of Christne’s life will be held Saturday, ctober th, at Saint ichael and ll ngels nglican Church, 1 th enue, Prince eorge at 11 a.m.

Please come and oin us in celebratng Christne’s life. ight refreshments to follow.

Lawrence “Larry” Donald Barry

June 26, 1953 - August 11, 2025

Lawrence (Larry) Donald Barry, born June 26, 1953, in New Westminster, BC, passed away at the age of 72 on August 11, 2025. As per his wishes Larry ended his journey at his home in Prince George with family by his side. arry fought a short but courageous ba le with cancer.

Larry was pre-deceased by his mother Rachelle Barry, sister Charmaine Parker, both maternal and paternal grandparents, and many family and friends who have passed before him.

arry lea es behind his sisters eannine Drewi (Roy, deceased Jan 2014), Maxine Johnson (Cal) and nephews Brad (Elesha) and Sheldon, brother-in-law Larry Parker (Charmaine deceased March 2015) and nieces Lisa McBurnie (Ryan), Shari Deines, Krystal Sekulic (Mike), six grandnieces and one grandnephew

For the complete obituary see the online version at www.princegeorgecitzen.com/obituaries/lawrencelarry-donald-barry-obituary-11165225

Mabel Blocka

1929 -2025

MEMORIAL / CELEBRATION TEA

Saturday, September 20, 2025 at 2:30 pm

Prince George Golf and Curling Club – Remax Room

Audrey Jean Kelly

February 2, 1932 - September 3, 2025

It is with love and sadness that we announce the peaceful passing of Audrey Jean Kelly on September 3, 2025, at the age of 93.

udrey was born in Shorncli e, ngland. hile serving in post-war peacekeeping, she met the love of her life, Jack Kelly. The two married in July 1953 and later journeyed to Canada, where they built a life and family together.

She was predeceased by her beloved husband Jack, her son Timothy, and her daughter-in-law Barb.

Audrey will be deeply missed by her children Michael, Glenn, and Ron, as well as her many grandchildren and great-grandchildren who brought her so much joy.

he family would like to e tend hear elt thanks to the caregivers at Rainbow Lodge and Rodica House for their compassion, care, and support.

In lieu of fowers, donatons in udrey’s memory may be made to the Prince George Hospice Society.

ser ice to celebrate udrey’s life will be held on ednesday, ctober 1 th, at the Hart Pioneer Centre, from 4:00 to 8:00 pm.

Patricia A. Kemble

November 6, 1940 - May 29, 2025

Celebration of Life

Saturday, September 20, 2025 at 1:00 PM

Ferndale Community Hall

3595 Upper Fraser Road

Drive highway 16 east from, 7-11, PetroCan 13 km turn lef onto upper Fraser Rd 2 km turn into hall parking lot.

In lieu of fowers a donaton in Patricia’s name to one of the following, would be appreciated. Diabetes, Cancer, Hospice Society

Thank you, Kemble family

Please carpool as parking is limited

A Funeral Mass will be held at: Immaculate Concepton Parish, 3 Cathedral enue Prince eorge, C Saturday, September , at 1 p.m. his will be followed by a recepton in the Church Hall.

CANCELLATION

Celebraton of ife P olf Curling Club Sunday, September 1, 1 3 p.m.

DOUGLAS CHARLES DALTON

Classifeds

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

FOREST OPERATIONS MAP

Sinclar Group Forest Products Ltd (Lakeland Mills n inton o ro ose forest o er tons map (FOM), ID:2565, will be available for public review and comment from September 19, 2025 nt to er , e is v i for t ree e rs n e re ie on for n ro er its to rvest t o or onstr t ro s o n on t e It e esse o ents e s i e t t e fo o in e site orest er tons ov o is ss t e it in r re resent tve, s e e n oint ent rin siness o rs, on ri et een ont t i e tson, t or i e tson sin r o to s e e ri en o ents n e i e to i e tson, in r oo n s, i o son t , , ,

I represent a Californian trust and have been given the t s of n in Michelle Blacker and brother, Jonathan Blacker, whose parents came from Wales, UK, in the 60’s. If this is you, or have infor ton to e contact please email nirojo@protonmail.com

s ie to t e inistr of ter, n n eso r e te r s i , ine e ion, for A i en e o on for Roadway r oses sit te on rovin i ro n n o te nort e st of est e, , es ri e s rt of s , istri t ot , rt of istri t ot , s o n s e se ent oinin so t o n r of o of istri t ot , rt of se , istri t ot , rt of istri t ots , f n rt of istri t ot esi n te s ro on n , ri oo istri t e n i e for t is i ton is 7410377

ri en o ents on ernin t ese i tons s o e ire te to Lauren Wheeler, t ori tons e i ist, inistr of ter, n n eso r e te r s i , ine e ion t t oor eor e treet, rin e eor e, , or lauren.wheeler@gov.bc.ca o ents i e re eive inistr of ter, n n eso r e te r s i , ine e ion to October 25, 2025. inistr of ter, n n eso r e te r s i , ine e ion not e e to onsi er o ents re eive er t is te e se visit t e e site t h ommen nr o b for ore infor ton

e vise t t n res onse to t is vertse ent i e onsi ere rt of t e i re or ess to t ese re or s re ires t e s ission of ree o of Infor ton I re est isit h o b ree omo n orm on to e rn ore o t I s issions

r o s o in t e o ton n e tent of t e i ton re s e ire e i in t e t ori tons e i ist n e ove

* On Sept. 29, 1780, British spy John André, an accomplice of Benedict Arnold, was court-martialed, found guilty and sentenced to death by hanging. He wrote to Gen. George Washington asking to be executed by firing squad instead, which was considered a more “gentlemanly” death, but though Washington attempted to have him

• On Nov. 11, 1831, Nat Turner, an American slave and educated minister who believed that he’d been chosen by God to lead his people into freedom, was hanged in Jerusalem, Virginia, for leading a revolt with 75 followers through Southampton County, killing about 60 white people.

exchanged for Arnold, the original sentence was carried out on Oct. 2.

* On Sept. 30, 1918, President Woodrow Wilson gave a speech before Congress in which he supported a guarantee that women would be granted the right to vote. The House of Representatives had approved a 19th constitutional amendment giving women suffrage, but Congress would not pass the amendment for another year.

* On Oct. 1, 1958, the American Express company issued its first charge card, made of purple paperboard, in the U.S.

and Canada, to give traveling customers more flexibility.

* On Oct. 2, 1965, during a football game between the University of Florida Gators and the Louisiana State University Tigers, UF players tested a new sports drink developed in the school’s science labs to help them regain essential chemicals their bodies lost through sweating. The Gators won their match and the drink now known as Gatorade went on to make its investors wealthy.

* On Oct. 3, 2011, an Italian appeals court overturned the murder conviction

of American exchange student Amanda Knox, who’d been found guilty of stabbing her British roommate, Meredith Kercher, to death in 2007. Imprisoned since her arrest, Knox flew back to the States the following day.

* On Oct. 4, 1970, singer Janis Joplin was found dead of an accidental heroin overdose in her Los Angeles hotel room after failing to attend a recording session. She was putting the finishing touches on the album titled “Pearl,” that would prove to be the biggest hit of her career.

ARIES (March 21 to April 19) While you prefer to meet troublesome situatons head-on, you might want to stand back from this one untl you know what (or who!) started it. Cauton should be your watchword.

• On Nov. 12, 1969, investigative journalist Seymour Hersh revealed the extent of the U.S. Army’s charges against 1st Lt. William L. Calley at My Lai, Vietnam, in a cable picked up by more than 30 newspapers, saying that “The Army says he [Calley] deliberately murdered at least 109 Vietnamese civilians during a searchand-destroy mission in March 1968, in a Viet Cong stronghold known as ‘Pinkville.’”

TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) Once again, your common-sense approach to a problem helps you sort it out before it gets out of control. Expect to learn some startling facts as events contnue to develop.

• On Nov. 13, 1979, Philadelphia 76ers center Darryl Dawkins leaped over Kansas City Kings forward Bill Robinzine for a memorable slam dunk that shattered the fiberglass backboard. His equally memorable comment on the move, which was not his last and the sound of which spectators likened to a bomb going off: “It wasn’t really a safe thing to do, but it was a Darryl Dawkins thing to do.”

GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) Positve infuences dominate your sign, but you’ll have to work hard to get the great rewards that are out there. Meanwhile, personal relatonships thrive on tender, loving care.

• On Nov. 14, 1882, outlaw Frank “Buckskin” Leslie shot and killed Billy “The Kid” Claiborne, who had publicly challenged him, in Tombstone, Arizona.

• On Nov. 15, 1984, Baby Fae, a month old infant who received the world’s first baboon heart transplant, died at California’s Loma Linda University 20 days after the operation. Three other people had received animal heart transplants, but none survived longer than a few days.

• On Nov. 16, 2001, British author J.K. Rowling’s most famous and beloved creation, the bespectacled boy wizard Harry Potter (played by Daniel Radcliffe in his first major role), made his silver-screen debut in “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” which went on to become one of the highestgrossing movies in history.

• On Nov. 17, 1903, the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party split into two factions: the majority Bolsheviks and minority Mensheviks. The

CANCER (June 21 to July 22) A friend seems to be drifing away. You might feel betrayed, but you need to know the facts before you pass judgment. Perhaps you made too many demands that couldn’t be met.

LEO (July 23 to August 22) New people start to come into the Lion’s life at this tme. Some of them could infuence important career changes. Keep an open mind and weigh all the possibilites.

VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) It’s a good tme for agreements, contracts, and other positve commitments, including one with Cupid. Also, expect good news about a health mater.

LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) A recent change of plans upsets your penchant for keeping things in order, but once you adjust to the new situaton, you’ll be able to make new plans.

SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) Aspects favor personal commitments. Family plans could include moving to a new home or even to a new city. Be open to any and all consideratons.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) Both atached and single Archers can expect to see a positve reversal in certain relatonships that had seemed to be on a collision course to nowhere.

CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) Family and friends take priority over everything else. Exercise a litle more fexibility in your well-planned life so that you can spend more tme with your kith and kin.

AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) A pesky person who caused you some problems recently will soon move out of your life. Meanwhile, an ARIES is ready to help you get a fresh start romantcally.

PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Yours is the sign of change and creaton. This is a good tme for you to experience changes that can open up new personal and professional opportunites.

Homes & Living

Getng your lawn ready for a northern BC winter

In Northern BC, winter has a way of sneaking up on us. One week you’re enjoying crisp fall afternoons, and the next you’re scraping ice off the car. While your lawn might look like it’s slowing down for the season, a little extra care in the fall will make a big difference when the snow finally melts. Here’s how to set your grass up for success.

Give it one last mow

Before the first big snowfall, mow your lawn for the final time. Aim for about 2 to 2.5 inches tall. Grass that’s too short can get damaged by the cold, while leaving it too long invites mold and disease under the snow pack.

Rake up leaves and debris

It’s tempting to leave those fallen leaves as a blanket, but doing so

dream door starts here

can smother the grass. Thick layers of leaves trap moisture, encourage fungus, and block sunlight. Take the time to rake everything up and clear away twigs or other debris so your lawn can breathe.

Aerate the soil

If you’ve got access to an aerator, fall is the perfect time to use it. By poking small holes into the ground, you help water, oxygen, and nutrients reach the roots. This gives your grass a stronger foundation to handle freeze-thaw cycles all winter long.

Feed it with fall fertilizer

A good fall fertilizer is like a winter survival kit for your lawn. Look for one with nutrients that encourage root growth rather than leafy top growth. Feeding your grass now

means it’ll wake up greener and thicker in the spring.

Repair bare patches

Got a few thin spots? Fall is a great time to overseed. Cooler temps and extra moisture help seeds germinate, and the young plants will be ready to thrive once the weather warms.

Water before the freeze

Even though Northern BC usually sees plenty of rain and snow, giving your lawn a good deep watering before the ground freezes ensures roots go into winter hydrated and healthy.

A little fall effort goes a long way. By mowing, raking, aerating, feeding, and watering now, you’ll save yourself frustration later—and be rewarded with a fresh, green lawn once spring finally returns.

Tips and tricks for drying herbs from your garden

One of the best parts of growing your own garden is enjoying the harvest long after the season ends. Fresh herbs bring incredible flavor to meals, but they don’t last forever once picked. Drying herbs is a simple, cost-effective way to preserve that garden-fresh taste and enjoy it all winter. Here are some easy tips and tricks to help you get the most out of your harvest.

Pick at the Right Time

Timing is everything when it comes to herbs. For the best flavor, harvest them in the morning after the dew has dried but before the sun gets too hot. That’s when the essential oils in the leaves are most concentrated. Snip healthy stems—avoid leaves that look damaged or yellowed.

Wash and Pat Dry

Give your herbs a gentle rinse to remove dirt and insects. Shake off excess water and pat them dry with a towel. Herbs that are

too wet can mold during drying, so make sure they’re as dry as possible before you start.

Air Drying: The Classic Method For sturdy herbs like rosemary, thyme, oregano, and sage, air drying is the simplest option. Bundle a few stems together with string or a rubber band and hang them upside down in a warm, dry, and well-ventilated space. Avoid direct sunlight, which can fade color and flavor. In about 1–2 weeks, they’ll be crisp and ready to store.

Try the Oven or Dehydrator

If you want quicker results, you can use your oven or a food dehydrator. Spread herbs in a single layer on a baking sheet or tray. For the oven, use the lowest temperature setting (ideally under 180°F) and leave the door slightly open for airflow. Check every 15–20 minutes until they’re dry. A dehydrator is even better, as it dries herbs evenly at lower

temperatures.

Microwave for Small Batches

Yes, you can even dry herbs in the microwave! Place leaves between two paper towels and heat in short 30-second bursts until they’re dry and crumbly. This works best for small amounts of softer herbs like basil or parsley.

Store Properly

Once your herbs are fully dry, strip the leaves from the stems and store them in airtight jars or containers. Keep them in a cool, dark cupboard to preserve their flavor. Label each jar so you don’t forget what’s what.

Pro Tip: Crush Just Before Use

To keep the strongest flavor, don’t crush your herbs until you’re ready to cook with them. Whole leaves hold their oils longer than pre-crushed ones. With just a little effort, you can enjoy the taste of your summer garden all year round. Dried herbs

are perfect for soups, stews, roasts, and even homemade teas—bringing a bit of sunshine to your winter table.