PG Staycation | 2014 by Prince George Citizen

Prince George

STAYCATION 2014

PRINCE GEORGE STAYCATION | 2014

If you’re reading this, you are already falling under the spell of Prince George – the whole NechakoFraser region we full-time residents have chosen for our home.

For thousands of years people have willingly given themselves over to the abundance of this area. This is Lheidli Territory, and it has gone by many other names as well. In the days following Alexander Mackenzie’s canoe trip through this region in 1793 it has been called New Caledonia, it has been called The Cariboo, it has been called Fort George and other variations, and today’s City of Prince George is built on all those foundations. Spend any amount of time in this city’s modern urban setting nestled in the wilderness and If you are new to the city, or just visiting, you you’ll find out from the local population just are probably already feeling the flirtation of the how passionately the place is loved. If you four seasons, the mountains and valleys, and have eyes to see, ears to hear and a heart that the natural wonder dovetailed into a modest loves to beat a little faster than the average urban centre. bear, you’ll likely be falling in love with BC’s Modest, but not timid. We know what we’ve northern capital yourself. And why not? Check got here and we aren’t shy about showing it. out the price of a home here; investigate your We didn’t have to drink any mystical kool-aid career opportunities; calculate how many or pick between the pink pill or the blue to times you can travel to the ‘big city’ with the make our choices. The population of Prince money you’d save on the costs of living; do George has gathered here with clear minds and the figuring on how much personal time and open arms, and with gratitude for the bounty family bonding you can do with a commute it offers. These pages are loaded with it, and of minutes instead of hours; and by all means plenty of it wouldn’t fit. research all the things to do here.

COVER PHOTO CREDITS: Bill Campbell Clarity Photo Design

PRINCE GEORGE STAYCATION | 2014

If you find yourself bored in Prince George, it is your own fault. This city punches tonnes above its weight class for sports, arts, culture and recreation. And it’s not an accident. Innovative people with an affinity for this rare place figured out a long time ago that you cannot change the winter and you cannot change the distance to other centres. You have to change your own setting instead, if you want to live a happy life. So plans were made at the grassroots all the way through to senior government that any community development opportunity we could envision, it would be built. The college and university, the professional symphony orchestra and theatre company, the two junior hockey teams, the athletic associations and arts guilds, the cafes and bookstores and bowling alleys, the rinks and trails, all of it grew organically out of hard volunteer work and investments in the rich future these people insist on providing to new generations. The beauty of the landscape and the beauty of the people are too good to pass up. So join us in our feast of fun things to do and good folks to do them with. It’ll change your life.

EDITORIAL: Frank Peebles

PRINCE GEORGE STAYCATION | 2014

Start At Tourism PG – Where Better? Don’t forget that Tourism Prince George is there for local people too, and hosts thousands of visitors each year from all over the world. Their Tourist Information Centre is an eye-popping combination of art, information and interior design. Come take a look at the premises and talk to any of the Tourism Prince George ambassadors. You’ll probably learn something new about the area, and you’ll probably gaze at the artistic works on display. It’s a fun place even if you lived here all your life. It’s inside the impossible-to-miss building on First and Quebec that also houses Via Rail and Initiatives Prince George.

Mr. PG OK, due respect to the cutbanks, but maybe our cool kitch statue is the most iconic Prince George thing to do. He was built originally in 1960 out of wood but weather and vandalism caused a more industrial version to be made. He has been a float in the Grey Cup Parade, the subject of a song by children’s entertainer Al Simmons, his likeness has adored souvenirs and tourists’ photo albums, he has been the central theme of art exhibits. He is a little taller than 8 metres (26 feet) and always smiles for pictures. Do you have your selfie with Mr. PG yet? He’s waiting for you at the corner of Highway 97 and Highway 16.

Lheidli T’enneh First Nation Cleaved by the Fraser River at the community of Shelley just east of Prince George, this is where you’ll find the modern-day community where the Lheidli T’enneh First Nation people are headquartered. This culture that first called Prince George home and had a complex civilization at the confluence of the Fraser River and Nechako River can confirm their habitation here many thousands of years. The Shelley Reserve has an education centre, band offices, a long abandoned but still picturesque church, and many other points of interest.

Hike The Cutbanks Of all the Prince Georgey things to do, scaling the cutbanks is the Prince Georgeyist. The towering sand cliffs on the north side of the Nechako River are the city’s signature natural feature and despite how steep they look from afar, the angle is perfect for a challenging huff up or down. There is even a rope to cling to on the upper section. Expect to get buckets of sand in your shoes, bring water, and be prepared to stop frequently to drink in the views of the urban valley behind you and the Nechako’s confluence with the Fraser just a bit downstream. There is a whole trail network around McMillan Park for those wanting an easier hiking experience in the cutbanks area. And yes, the legends of people skiing down are true.

PRINCE GEORGE STAYCATION | 2014

Tour A Factory Prince George was built on hard work in the resource sector. The industrial peak was in the 1950s when hundreds of sawmills dotted the immediate area. Although most traces of this are gone, there are still plenty of blue collar sights to see. Tour any of the three Canfor pulp mills, the Pacific Western Brewing beer factory (“Strange Brew” was filmed there!), the pellet plants making bioenergy out of wood waste, or one of the highly modern lumber facilities still producing the construction products the world uses in their homes and commercial buildings. See how ‘world class’ is made right here in P.G.

Sporty Spice This city is an athletic one. Bicycle road racers, mountain biking downhillers, speed skaters, sprint canoing, golf, tennis, skiing of all sorts, roller derby, inline hockey, swimming or diving, rugby, auto racing, track and field, triathlons, even cricket and ultimate marathoning can be found in Prince George. There are few sports that don’t call P.G. home, and the professionals and Olympians on the walls of the PG Sports Hall of Fame are there to prove it. Play, cheer or volunteer for a local sports league. The main ones are hockey, baseball, soccer, lacrosse, basketball, volleyball and nordic skiing, but the options are thick and growing thicker, for males and females of all ages.

Fore! In a city so richly endowed with natural beauty, it’s no wonder there are golf courses at every corner of the city. The original is the Prince George Golf and Curling Club, joined later in local links history by Aberdeen Glen, Alder Hills, Aspen Grove, Links of Maggie-May, The Woods at Ness Lake, Pine Valley and Yellowhead Grove.

PRINCE GEORGE STAYCATION | 2014

For The Birds Hudson’s Bay Wetland collects the water from melted snow and rains that run down the hills of town into this boggy pond. It then opens its mouth into the Fraser River. It is surrounded by walking trails, there is a park with a fountain feature, a footbridge connecting to Fort George Park, the wide intersection with the river was once a seaplane base, and today the whole slough is a living interpretive centre for birding. The Prince George Naturalist Club is particularly active with improvements to this natural feature of the inner urban landscape. Not far outside the city is the community of Giscome where marshes abound – another key destination for birders with binoculars. Another is McMillan Park at the base of the cutbanks where the titular creek meets the Nechako River (there’s a car park and landscaped picnic area just east of the Cameron Street Bridge roundabout).

Native Friendship Our Native Friendship Centre is the largest of Canada’s 120 NFCs. Come see this headquarters of social support, community development and positive spirit. It specializes in hosting brunch at the Smokehouse Restaurant, open Monday to Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at 1600 3rd Avenue. The Prince George Metis Community Association holds an annual culture fair each Father’s Day at Fort George Park while June 21 is National Aboriginal Day and also brings up festivities at the same park where Lheidli T’enneh culture once resided.

Sacred Ground There are two places inside Prince George where the past can be honoured most humbly. The Prince George Cemetery is a memorial park on Ferry Avenue alongside Highway 16. It features a special monument to the Chinese pioneers of the city, many military veterans’ graves are marked for their valour, and it is a place of peace and remembrance. The oldest place of internment is the ages-old Lheidli T’enneh burial ground (still active) at Fort George Park where the resident First Nation once had their main village. Surrounded by hedge and highlighted by an artistic interpretive archway, this place is a learning point about our aboriginal history as well as a place of reverence.

Thriving Pro Theatre One of the city’s cultural success stories is Theatre North West. The professional playhouse puts on four mainstage plays per year, plus special events like the city’s popular annual wine festival. The plays are mostly from the core mainstream library of Canadian theatre, but popular international productions like “Biloxi Blues” and “A Streetcar Named Desire” are also on their roster, staged and acted by pros. TNW is so beloved that they have sometimes surpassed the Cougars hockey club for most season tickets sold in a year. Tickets are available at Books And Company.

Duchess Park The latest addition to the municipal family recreation menu is Duchess Park. Situated alongside the green-focused new DPSS secondary school is a playground with more than 20 hanging, climbing, sliding and balancing apparatuses, a pump track for bikes, tennis courts, and a separate fenced dog field. All of it is free and open all hours.

PRINCE GEORGE STAYCATION | 2014

The Scratch On The Cats Those Cougars have helped define Prince George over the years. For two decades the Western Hockey League (the No. 1 NHL development league in the world) has made this city roar for their Cats in black, red and white. Fans have been treated to Cinderella playoff runs, magical moments of athleticism and sportsmanship, and a bevy of ice stars who’ve worn the home uniform: two Olympic gold medalists, two Stanley Cup winners, many others who have done P.G. proud on the national and international frozen stage. They play at CN Centre.

Kings Of The Castle Even longer than The Cougars, this city has cheered for the Spruce Kings. The BC Hockey League club calls the downtown Coliseum home, and they have proudly donned the blue, white and red for more than 40 years. Owned as a community cooperative, the Spruce Kings also function as an active not-for-profit organization that happens to also compete for B.C. Junior-A success each winter. The players from this team have gone on to lucrative university scholarships, the NHL draft, and even donned Team Canada’s jersey in international competition.

A Place For Exploration

The Little Prince

The original Prince George museum, this historical preservation and science appreciation centre is an A-class gallery of fun. Outside you can see an actual vintage schoolhouse from the area, a portion of Simon Fraser’s original Hudson’s Bay Company fur trading fort (Western Canada’s forts were business centres, not military installations), and the famous Little Prince steam train that chugs around the park’s actual licensed railway tracks. Inside you will fall deep into the awe of dinosaurs, mentally expansive family fun centre, history displays (some that stay, some that change), a real jail cell from the bygone days of law enforcement, a sports participation spot, a splendid glass-and-wood atrium, a unique gift shop, and many other engaging amenities.

This train deserves its own mention. It operates from late spring to early autumn on weekends and holidays (noon to 4pm). Rides cost $2 (babes in arms are free) and load up in front of Exploration Place museum and science centre, in between Simon Fraser’s fort and the vintage schoolhouse. Don’t let his size fool you. This little 1912 steam engine on narrow-gauge rails was an actual working locomotive in its day. To operate it, the engineer must be officially certified to pilot a steam train (there aren’t many of those tickets anymore!), and the railroad itself is governed by federal regulations as an actual commercial rail line.

PRINCE GEORGE STAYCATION | 2014

Trailing Off Into the Distance Prince George is renowned as one of Canada’s top cities for urban trails. The parks and outskirts are almost entirely interconnected by a vast web of groomed and distinct trails accessible for bicycles, pedestrians, strollers and wheelchairs. Many are paved for additional use of skateboards and inline skates, while others are crush/packed gravel that lead up challenging hills, past fascinating wetlands, and expose wonderful views. It isn’t by accident – the Active Transportation Plan is the latest municipal policy by which the City of Prince George has spotlighted the making and maintaining of trails as an official city priority. Some of these points of interest are themselves worthy of special mention, but from UNBC to the Fraser River, from Pidherny Mountainbike Centre to the Blackwater Motocross Track, Otway Ski Centre to Cottonwood Island, and a hundred other places around and between, you’ll find a picturesque trail to get you there. Maps are available online, at City Hall and at the Tourist Information Centre.

Lakes, Lakes, Lakes Our urban lakes are magnets for hiking, photography, fishing, environmental appreciation of all kinds. The city is sprinkled with high-profile wetlands, creeks and of course our two major rivers – Fraser and Nechako – but three lakes also play their own interesting role. To the north, a boardwalk and interpretive displays demonstrate the features of Ferguson Lake. To the south, within easy hiking distance of UNBC, Shane Lake has an observation deck and covered picnic area as part of Forests For the World parkland. To the west, the Beaverly neighbourhood has Lost Lake where pedestrians can see all the features of a typical watershed miniturized into one wetland.

Forests for the World Part municipal park, part large-scale nature preserve, this in-city wilderness has lovely walks, challenging hikes, fishing and picnicking options at Shane Lake, interpretive signage and shelters for group activities or weather respite, a tall wooden viewing deck at the height of land that gives a panoramic vista of the whole Prince George bowl, and many other all-seasons natural attractions. In winter, the hikers swap sneakers for snowshoes and carry on enjoying this unique place. Only 15 minutes from downtown, with highprofile trails that connect to UNBC’s pathways and the Greenway trail system leading to the Otway Ski Centre.

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Eyes On The Sky When you look up the Royal Astronomical Society, you will find a Prince George chapter. They are headquartered on Tedford Road west of town, not far from West Lake Provincial Park, where stargazers can look up into the black heavens. Yes, PG has its own observatory. Inside you will find group tours, drop-in nights, special events like meteor showers and eclipses, and society meetings where celestial information is swapped. You will also find a .61m Cassegrain or an 8-inch Celestron (aka very cool telescopes) in the retractable dome viewing deck. There is also an attached classroom with video feeds showing what the main telescope sees, plus other features. It is considered one of the top observation posts in Canada for viewing the interesting spots in space. Call 250-964-3600 for information.

Fort George Park

Cottonwood Island Park

Fort George Park is the crown jewel of Prince George’s rec sites. It is the eons-old location of the main Lheidli T’enneh First Nation village prior to colonization. Today it is preserved as a clear indication why local civilization was based there. It is beautiful! And set high alongside the Fraser River not far from the Nechako River’s confluence. It features the Kiwanis Bandshell, a covered concert / demonstration stage at the edge of splendid fields surrounded by spectacular trees. Northern BC’s most amazing children’s playground is also there, featuring a repurposed firetruck in amongst all the climbing and swinging apparatuses. There are beach volleyball courts, tennis courts, Gyro Park little-league baseball diamond, paved trails, a footbridge over the Hudson’s Bay Wetland, even the public bathrooms will wow you. It is also the home of the Lheidli T’enneh memorial ground and Exploration Place.

Set alongside the southeast extremity of the Nechako River, this park has two boat launch points, a covered picnic area, the Spruce Capital Wildlife Association headquarters, the Railway And forestry Museum, and a landscape of riparian curiousities. Massive cottonwood trees, river-fed marshes, the mighty Nechako shoreline, and criss-cross network of trails draw people to this entry point into the iconic Fraser River. The wooden pedestrian replica of the Cameron Street auto bridge (dismantled years ago) is one of the city’s favourite places for photos.

LC Gunn Park Overlooking the rail bridge and vantage points seeing the north-south and east-west rail lines at the same time, LC Gunn Park is a forested gem in the city’s collection of recreation preserves. Named for Luther Colins Gunn, one of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railroad’s foremost surveyors who had an affinity for the area, this park is a set of rustic trails through raw wilderness. The most popular route is on the brow of the Fraser River cutbanks directly across from Fort George Park. Frequented by pedestrians, joggers and bicycle riders, it runs from bridge to bridge – the Yellowhead to the Simon Fraser – provided with occasional viewing areas.

Connaught Hill Park During the glacial activity of the ice age, a meadowy mesa was left behind in the Nechako-Fraser valley conveniently – for sightseers and picnickers – located in the centre of modern downtown Prince George. This park literally stands alone from all the others in the area. The flat top of the park is acres of grassy open fields amply adorned with birch, spruce, and other regionally significant trees. The steep walls of the hill are thickly forested. A paved road rings the park, with parking lots, washrooms and tables here and there to support the panoramic viewing. It is open to vehicles from spring through fall, and open year-round for pedestrians. A limited opening in the winter allows carloads of viewers to enjoy the annual Festival of Lights. In summer, the colours atop the hill are of gardens. It is a popular location for romantic walks, workday picnics, weekend frisbee and football tossing, and wedding photos.

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Railway And Forestry Museum

CN Rail’s Confluence Bridge

History Walk of Downtown

At Cottonwood Island Park, near what once was known as the Island Cache (a residential community and paddle-wheeler port) and the place where Prince George’s antiquated nickname The Big Smoke originated (due to all the sawmill beehive burners consuming wood waste along Planer Row in the early/mid 20th century) now sits an active monument to the industrial way of life Prince George was founded on. An actual beehive burner is on display, a mini-train hauls people around the grounds, while right next door are several rail and forestry operations still underway. The city’s Railway And Forestry Museum is one of the tops in Canada at illustrating these features intrinsic to the nation’s building. The grounds are surrounded by a high fence for family peace of mind, and inside the interpretive centre gates is a wonderland of fun. Many rail cars (one once hosted Prince Charles and Lady Diana), locomotives, heavy forestry equipment and other industrial displays can entertain and inform the viewer all day long. The facility is often home to special events, tours, school functions, and is a central meeting point for people enjoying the fields, trails and natural spectacles of Cottonwood Island Park.

If any image of Prince George is painted and photographed by it’s own residents most, it is the visually arresting rail bridge over the Fraser River at the confluence of the Nechako River. It was also once the auto bridge that linked northwestern BC to the rest of Canada to the east via the Yellowhead Highway (our nation’s second TransCanada road). Imagine driving the narrow steel side-lanes as a rumbling freight rolled past on the rail side! This went on until 1987 when the adjacent vehicle bridge was completed. Another co-vehicular feature no longer in use is the lift section, originally placed to allow for riverboats to pass underneath. This hasn’t been done since at least 1920 as steamships faded from use. The 1914 completion of the bridge, along with the rest of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway was the death knell of commercial river shipping but helped ensure the urban future of Prince George – a collection of villages at the time. The bridge was built at a cost of $1.6 million (equivalent to almost 40 million today) and had to use concrete and steel instead of the preferred wood materials of the day, due to the heavy loads of ice discharged by both the Fraser and Nechako. It is a colossal 800 metres long, the fourth widest rail span in Western Canada.

The casual pedestrian around the downtown commercial and business districts will notice plaque signs along the sidewalks that tell the story of that particular spot. These signs have an historic picture and a short essay about the history of that location. The Prince George Public Library is home to the tours that lead pedestrians to each of these locations in their arranged order. A map brochure is available for self-guided tours, and a free guide is also available at certain times to give additional personal information.

Greenway Trails Bikers, hikers, horseback riders, nordic skiers, snowshoers and a lot of wildlife take steps on the splendid Greenway Trails on Cranbrook Hill. More than 25 kilometres of these interconnected pathways – all of them carefully groomed and well maintained – run through the urban wilderness on the city’s west side. These trails can be enjoyed in small bites or those who are well prepared may cover the distances between UNBC, Forests For the World and Otway Ski Centre.

PRINCE GEORGE STAYCATION | 2014

Fishing Cast a line into local waterways. Please check the local regulations for times and places fishing is permitted, and ensure you have a license (Tourism Prince George can supply all this information, as well as the outdoor adventure desk at Northern Hardware), but many plumb fishing spots are available right inside the city. Some of the favourites include Shane Lake, Ferguson Lake, and McMillan Park where it empties into the Nechako. The main rivers are also active with fish, including the iconic salmon and (no harvesting permitted!) the enigmatic sturgeon. Those who venture outside of the city only a few minutes will find themselves in an angler’s and fly-fisher’s paradise. You could spend a year dropping lines in new locales within one hour’s drive and still only ripple the surface of what is available. Highly recommended: The Angler’s Atlas is one of North America’s premier map and info online resources for freshwater fishing. It breaks down local fishing like no other information source – and it was invented right here in PG.

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College of New Caledonia The first post-secondary institution in the city (founded 1969) has expanded and adapted many times, with satellite campuses now in Burns Lake, Vanderhoof, Fort St. James, Mackenzie, Quesnel and multiple locations in Prince George. They specialize in trades and careers training, with some liberal arts avenues as well. Famous writers Barry McKinnon, John Harris, Vivien Lougheed, Jacqueline Baldwin and others have either taught or learned there. Take a class! Join a program (many courses ladder to universities) or pick from the wide ranging Continuing Education menu. Take a tour! The main campus has distinctive architectural and landscaping elements. It is also home to Cinema CNC, a series of unique films shown in the college’s main lecture theatre.

Soooo Dramatic Prince George has a long list of personalities in the ranks of actors, directors, dancers, stunt-people, acrobats, stage crew, and other professions of the stage and screen. This city loves its theatre. With a long history embodied in the now dormant Prince George Theatre Workshop, Sonia Fabian Dance Studio, Josie Smith’s Wonderland Players, etc., what has been built on top of that is a smorgasbord of choices in today’s thespian realm. Professional company Theatre North West tops the list for actors, while musical theatre buffs are well served by Judy Russell’s Enchainement Dance Studio, Excalibur Theatre Arts, Dance Your Hart Out studio, Pocket Theatre for amateur drama, and Improv Ad Nauseum for upstart comedians. There are others. Join and find a role, onstage or off.

Pedal Power Downhill mountain biking is not a craze any longer, it is an industry. Bike shops in Prince George are aimed at the sport of hurtling down mountainsides on bicycles – bouncing off of rocks and taking breathtaking drops all the while – on purpose! And there are plenty of trails set up for the task. Cranbrook Hill is criss-crossed with the subtle lines through the trees. There are more in the College Heights neighbourhood, and the most family-friendly are at the Otway Nordic Ski Centre duringthe summer months. But by far the most challenging and appreciated trails by the local hard-core downhill bikers are at the area simply known as Pidherny. They start at the height of land off of Foothills Boulevard where the regional district operates the municipal garbage dump. When you get to that parking area you can go north for trash, but turn south in a mad dash of thrash. Many routes will propel you to the bottom, most coming to terminus at Pidherny Road. It sounds death defying, and for many it can almost be. There are many highly skilled amateurs and even some sponsored professionals from Prince George. But Pidherny is also perfectly enjoyable for novice riders and even children as long as you take it slowly and avoid the hand-made wooden “trials” added to the trails for more dramatic bike effect. Wearing protective gear and riding with a guide are highly recommended for first-timers on any downhill mountain biking trail.

PRINCE GEORGE STAYCATION | 2014

University of Northern British Columbia

Charles Jago Sports Centre

Prince George hasn’t been seen until UNBC has been seen. Students have opted to school here based solely on the jaw-dropping architecture. Wavy roofs, amazing gardens, outstanding views of the city below, a stone turret, shocking interior views of glass, wood and rock – it is a visual treat. The education features are just as rich: small campus, small student population (about 4,000 altogether), a well-resourced research division, many Canada Research Chairs and acclaimed professors on staff, stellar alumni outcomes following graduation, a heavy emphasis on northern and aboriginal studies, and more (including frequent visits by moose). Their position as “Canada’s green university” is founded on their world famous bioenergy system. No matter what your age or origin, if you see UNBC and aren’t a student, you’ll wish you were.

Yes, it is a division of UNBC but it has its own place in Prince George culture. It is one of the most spectacular field houses in the world. It has the longest indoor running track in BC (three 280-metre lanes plus a five-lane 80-metre sprint straightaway) suspended above the full-size twin soccer fields (FIFA indoor turf), trio of regulation basketball courts, plus offices, meeting space, officials rooms, concession, storage areas, fitness studio, weight rooms, squash courts and onsite services such as physiotherapy, sports medicine and massage therapy - all under one gigantic roof. At more than 145,000 square feet, it is a tour all its own. It is part highperformance training centre, part everyday gym, part community centre, and the home of the popular UNBC Timberwolves basketball teams that play in the Canada West Universities Athletic Association. A lot of complaints about Prince George’s winter weather got iced when this facility opened in 2007.

Pinning Down Some Fun Bowl, bowl, bowl. There are five-pin and 10-pin options at Prince George’s three laneways for having a ball. Leagues and lessons are available, plus cosmic bowling, mini golf, cafe’s and party services are all within striking distance.

Try Your Luck The area has two casinos for live entertainment, hotel getaways and games of chance. In Prince George the Treasure Cove Casino is the place, and in Quesnel it is the Billy Barker Casino.

Giscome Portage One of the reasons Huble Homestead was established where it was, was with the knowledge provided by early explorers John Robert Giscome and Henry McDame who, in 1862, followed the advice and guidance of the region’s aboriginal traders and took a chance on a shortcut they were told of. It turned out to be true – a geological pressure point – the northern divide. The southflowing watersheds to the Pacific were separated from the north-flowing watersheds to the Arctic by a 16-kilometre walk from this spot on the Fraser River over to Summit Lake. The Huble-Seebach place became an appreciated host location for the many passers-through. The water dependent trading industry of that era (furs, gold, etc.) was handed a great gift still appreciated today by the followers of history. It is now a designated Heritage Trail by BC Parks.

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The Dirt On Bikes Motorcycles rev like chainsaw warriors in Prince George. The Prince George Motocross Association is headquartered down Blackwater Road where the trail system has gunned the engines on family fun for many years. Family recreation and major competition is under the PGMA umbrella. And this year, the track system is getting a comprehensive facelift, so even those familiar with the forested place will enjoy seeing it again. The Northland Dodge Motorsports Park is also tooling up for motocross action. The activity is also loved and supported by the many motorcycle shops and suppliers in the city.

Round and Round They Go One of the city’s proudest sports organizations is PGARA, the Prince George Auto Racing Association. Their playground of power is the oval only a few minutes from downtown, on Highway 16 East across from Richie Brothers Auctions and the Prince George Airport. This thunderbowl is home to hornet-class racers, mini-stocks and street stocks. National stock car races have been a routine fixture here over the years, plus annual special events like hit-to-pass races. Some of Canada’s best drivers and pit crew have come from PGARA, with large sponsorship support invested by the local auto industry, from body shops to parts suppliers and everything else touching four wheels.

What A Drag to the Checkered Flag Northland Dodge Motorsports Park is not only the region’s only straightaway drag strip, it has so many other autocentric amenities completed or almost built, it is billed as Canada’s premier motorsports park. Alongside the quarter-mile runway designed for speeds as high as 350 km/h and sanctioned by the National Hot Rod Association and International Hot Rod Association, the NDMP also services motorcycle events, snowmobile drags, there’s a mud bog pit, a rally car circuit, grass drags, a 10-acre motocross facility, an ATV/dune buggy course, a lake, utility buildings for holding meetings and community events, and much more. There is a unique additional feature that adds to the mystique of NDMP. It is founded on 100 per cent charity. The 140-acre facility was purchased (some of it preexisted, some has been added since Northland Dodge proprietor Brent Marshall, with partners, took it over in 2012) and developed in order to generate funds for a list of community causes. The corporate events, fan tickets, and other revenue-generating streams at the site feed that money back into key community causes. It is located on Chief Lake Road near the drive-in theatre.

SPONSORSHIP PROMO R001813352 10.00x143.0-4C PG21 / 381585

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The Really Really Big Screen

Take A Hike

There aren’t many drive-in theatres anymore, but Prince George has one. Duringthe warm weather months the Park Drive-In on Chief Lake Road shows a double feature almost every night. Due to the long hours of daylight in northern BC this ensures the shows are late, so families often come armed with sleeping bags and pillows to tuck the little ones in, and youths make it a long evening of fun in the safe confines of the theatre grounds. A concession and washrooms make it a full-service theatre experience in the comfort of your own vehicle.

It probably comes as no surprise that Prince George’s favourite footwear is the hiking boot. The trails across this city and region are like the lifelines across the palm of northern BC. To get the best directions and tips for plying the Prince George pedestrian paths, there is a shortlist of recommended reading. Books by Rob Bryce, Mike Nash, Vivien Lougheed, and several editions of the Caledonia Ramblers Hiking Guide will point you in the best directions. The Ramblers have regular group hikes anyone can join, as does the Prince George Naturalist Club. Maps and brochures can also be found at City Hall and Tourism Prince George. If you want to get started on well-groomed trails that give you good views, some historical context, and satisfaction at the end, we humbly recommend Teapot Mountain and Fort George Canyon.

Good Day to You, Good Sir One of the most curious and impressive attractions in the Prince George region is an ever growing monument to nature planted – painstakingly and with great attention to detail – by one lover of flora. Jim Good bought his 160 acres with one plan in mind, and he made good on it. He turned the entire place into a garden with a difference. Nothing is ornamental. With a mission to educate and entertain, he has chiseled trails through the forest, he converted a former house into a museum and interpretive centre, he built a small cabin by the beaver pond, and he travelled the nation seeking out all the most representative trees, shrubs and flowers of Canada to transplant. They are now established on his lovely spread about 30 kms north of the city on Old Summit Lake Road. Plants with no record of survival in such climactic conditions are thriving, others are soldiering bravely through life, and some did not survive. But so many alien species are arranged at Good Sir Nature Park it qualifies as the most wonderful Frankenstein garden ever grown in the name of Canada. Camping and RVing spots are available. Self-guided tours are welcome without appointment, and guided tours by Jim Good are possible to arrange. He charges only a nominal donation to walk the trails, a bit more for overnighting, and there are items for sale in the gift shop.

The Art of Prince George Join a guild or crafters group! If you don’t think you can do much better than drawing a stick figure or shaping clay into more than a lump, take a class! The arts community in this city is loaded with talent and enthusiasm and it is all headquartered conveniently in one place: Studio 2880. The Community Arts Council is the resident organization. It is an umbrella agency for potters, weavers, painters, sculptors, wood turners, musicians, and many other creative genres. They run a three-building complex that is home to an all-local arts gift shop, a resident artist, the Prince George Symphony Orchestra, community radio station CFIS, and many workshops in which guilds and clubs get together to make wonderful art. The council also hosts special events, some randomly and some annually, that puts local art and culture in the spotlight. The two most popular are the Spring Arts Bazaar and Chili Cookoff and the Studio Fair giant art sale.

Otway Is the Right Way If Prince George has done anything consistently well, it is embrace winter. The Otway Nordic Ski Centre – one of the top such facilities in the world - is the pinnacle of this attitude. More success on the world sporting stage has come from this place than any other athletic facility in northern B.C., with cross-country and biathlon stars like Tuppy Hoehn, Eric De Nys, Tony Fiala, and Canadian history-making two-time Olympian Megan Tandy-Heinicke (plus many others) calling Otway home as a competitor or coach at some time in their careers. Otway was the second set of ski trails initiated by the Sons Of Norway local branch (the first being Tabor Mountain). They opened in 1984 and today the resident association – Caledonia Nordic Ski Club – boasts one of the biggest membership lists in BC, routinely topping 1,000 people per year. The centre has a world-class biathlon shooting range opened new this winter, a big lodge with kitchen, rental shop and log cabin, lit trails for night skiing, more than 20 routes of varying degrees of difficulty, plus dog-friendly trails, showshoe trails, and in summer it all gets flipped over to hiking and biking. Otway has been home to a 1987 Canada Cup race, the 1991 Canadian Junior National Championships, the 2000 and ’02 Western Canadian Championships, the 2005 Nationals and in 2015 the Canada Winter Games will come to play. Won’t you? You can head out there today.

Outdoor Ice Oval When winter sets in, yes, there are many rinks for the enthusiasts of hockey, speedskating, figure skating, ringette, etc. But sometimes schedules, finances and recreational moods dictate an outdoor experience. Prince George is served better than most cities with the Outdoor Ice Oval, a regulation-size longtrack sheet lovingly installed and maintained all winter by a team of volunteers. It is a training centre for some on the long blades, it is home to the skating component in the annual Iceman winter quintathlon, and it is loaded in families dropping in for birthday celebrations or just to go for a good rush around the giant rink.

PRINCE GEORGE STAYCATION | 2014

Tabor Mountain

High Marks For Hart Highlands

Where to begin? Without exaggeration, Tabor Mountain is one of the most comprehensive outdoor recreation facilities in Canada. Almost the entire mountain is adorned with some adventureland or other. You can see the peak from almost anywhere around the city – it’s the one to the east with the cluster of towers on top. Just below those towers, off of the reasonably well maintained dirt road, is a trail system popular with hikers, ATVers, bikers and horseback riders heading in to the picnic cabin at Troll Lake. On the north access point of the mountain right alongside Highway 16, the Sons of Norway has a nordic skiing trail system with more than 100 kilometres of winter fun, complete with shelters and cabins along the way. Although they are non-competitive now, these trails were the first in the Prince George area, established by the SON group in about 1959. These trails hosted the Canadian Nationals in 1966, ’71 and ’73 before the competitive skiers took up residence at their Otway location. Tabor Mountain Ski Resort is only a 20 minute drive from downtown, and it has ample downhill skiing thrills to hand out. Also, thanks to the 2015 Canada Winter Games, it is a legacy site. All the additional construction on their vertical playground will make them one of Canada’s premier freestyle and snowboarding facilities for years to come. On the south side of the mountain is another scenario again. The Prince George Snowmobile Club partnered with the city’s ATV club and horse enthusiasts for a trail system and lodge to keep year-round adrenalin pumping and families busy in the bush. This facility off of Scott Road, believe it or not, connects by alpine trail all the way to Barkerville. At the bottom of this active peak lies Tabor Lake, where more fun is found boating, fishing, water skiing, and BBQing.

Tabor Mountain might seem like the closest downhill skiing destination any city could hope for but Prince George can celebrate one even closer. The Hart Highlands Winter Club is so close it has a city address: 3740 Winslow Drive. It’s a surreal scene to drive through this quiet residential neighbourhood and happen upon a full-service ski hill, with a t-bar and tow rope getting skiers and boarders up the modest but effective slopes. This is snow lesson central. Many of the city’s children learn to ride the freeze at this volunteer-run, society-operated facility. It has ample rental options, the grounds are fully lit, a cozy lodge with café sits at the bottom, and enormous windows look out onto the slopes so parents can see their kids at almost every point. The prices are modest, the lineups are quick, and you can get a multitude of runs in each visit.

Two Rivers Art Gallery The city’s municipal art gallery not only represents the region’s artists and art lovers, it represents the region’s physical shape. The Two Rivers Art Gallery won architectural awards for the way it was built to symbolically demonstrate the cutbanks and riverbeds that define the local landscape. Inside are three gallery rooms in which national-level exhibitions are shown, some by worthy local creators and some from afar. There is also a gift shop that is itself an art showcase. Up the architecturally interesting stairs are more fascinating building traits (like tables that roll open to revel skylight windows into the galleries below), children’s area, meeting spaces, and the latest addition: MakerLab. This studio is dedicated to the do-it-yourself craftsperson, from the knitter to the motherboard builder. Come take part in an activity, or just appreciate the art. Private galleries are also available. Groop Gallery at 3rd Avenue and George Street is one of the top options, along with Studio 2880, and some of the downtown’s coffee shops.

Food For Thought From fast food to fine cuisine, Prince George has several restaurants at every level of pleasure and price. Brunch, special occasions, ethnic, entertainment…whatever your mood, there is your kind of food. Explore the many options, some tucked away in surprising locations and many of them right downtown.

Paddling Your Wares Canoes and kayaks are favourite modes of recreation transportation in the local region. There are nationally victorious paddlers here, and large communities interested in each of these disciplines. There is a sprint canoe club, a kayaking school, and all the facilities – lakes and rivers – you could ever want. The two most coveted waterway excursions are the Nation Lakes chain and the Bowron Lakes chain, but many more are available in every direction. Check with local contacts before heading out, however, some local waters are extreme.

Historic Huble Homestead When Alberta and Annie Huble and their business partner Edward Seebach homesteaded their farm on the shores of the Fraser River about 40 kms north of Prince George just after the turn of the 20th century, they would scarcely be able to predict that more than 100 years later their home, barns, store, blacksmith shop, and entire way of life would be visited each year by thousands of marveling people. The Historic Huble Homestead is a living museum, with period costumes on the staff and a full calendar of activities that bring the modern world in touch with the rustic agricultural hand-hewn past this region was built on. Special events are held each week, it is one of the most acclaimed wedding locations in the province, the pioneer-era Salmon Valley Post Office has been moved to the site to add to the historical value, and the general store is loaded in goods that keep with the vintage theme.

Ginter’s Field One of the most colourful figures from Prince George history is industrialist Ben Ginter (he owned construction companies and founded Pacific Western Brewery). He built himself a palatial home in a birch grove overlooking a broad meadow at the end of Massey Boulevard. Ginter passed away, the house is now razed (some traces remain) but the trees and fields are still there and have been turned into offleash grounds for pets. It is a popular area for family walks and bike rides (the trails connect to UNBC and Cranbrook Hill), and one of the best places to let Fifi and Rover go for a scamper. Please clean up after them, but enjoy the great outdoors.

PRINCE GEORGE STAYCATION | 2014