Prince George, British Columbia
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Prince George is a city in British Columbia, Canada, located at the junction of the Fraser River and its tributary Nechako River. Its 2001 population was 72,406, making it the principal city of northern British Columbia. It is the seat of the Fraser-Fort George Regional District.
The town began as a fur trading post named Fort George, established in 1807 by Simon Fraser. The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway (now CN Railway) came to the area in 1914, and in 1915 the City of Prince George was incorporated, named after Prince George, the thirteen year-old son of King George V. Growth was slow until the modernisation of the local sawmills and the construction of three pulp mills in the 1950s.
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The mainstay of the economy is the forest industry, including logging, plywood manufacturing, sawmills, and pulp mills.
During the 1970s, there was talk that the provincial capital would be shifted from Victoria to Prince George, due to the latter's more central location. Much of this enthusiasm for the city has died down; nevertheless, Prince George has still managed to grow culturally with the recent opening of the University of Northern British Columbia in 1994.
It is also the treeplanting capital of British Columbia. Some refer to Prince George as "The Spruce Capital of the World." Others have more earthy nicknames for the city, however, as the sulfide odour created by the digestion of pulp (through a sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide process) is instantly recognizable to anyone who calls Prince George home. Even with the introduction of scrubbing stacks, and the predominantly easterly winds, the sulfide smell is still noticeable.
Sporting teams include the Prince George Cougars (the Western Hockey League), the Prince George Spruce Kings of the British Columbia Hockey League, the Prince George Secondary School Polars Soccer Teams, Volleyball Teams, and Rugby Teams (though it is to note that there are other highschool/ementary school teams as well), Youth Bowling Club (YBC) bowling teams (Nechako Bowling, 5th Avenue, and also a ten pin team), Prince George Curling (Prince George Golf and Curling Club). The city also has at least 6 golf courses.
Parks include Fort George Park, Connaught Hill, Foot Park, Ginter's Property, Forests For the World, and Cottonwood Island Park.
Vanier Hall is the home of the Prince George Symphony Orchestra. The Prince George Playhouse has many different uses such as theatre workshops and major plays put on by small businesses. Other notable facilities include the Prince George Public Library, Prince George Courthouse, Prince George City Hall, and Massey Place Stadium. Prince George has one airport and one bus depot.
Local wild edible fruit include Rose hips, blueberries, raspberries and saskatoons.
Famous people from Prince George include the writers Barry McKinnon, Brian Fawcett and Lynda Williams.
External links
- City of Prince George homepage (http://www.city.pg.bc.ca)
- Prince George Citizen newspaper (http://www.canada.com/princegeorge/)
- University of Northern British Columbia homepage (http://www.unbc.ca)
- College of New Caledonia homepage (http://www.cnc.bc.ca)
- Initiatives Prince George homepage (http://www.initiativespg.com)
- PGMap - Online GIS (http://www.city.pg.bc.ca/pgmap/)
- http://www.sd57.bc.ca/Schools/Profiles/PVIE/
- UNBC Land Reserve Satalite image (http://www.gis.unbc.ca/projects/unbc/)
- Lynda Williams (http://www.okalrel.org/saga/createhist/people/lynda_BW.html)pt:Prince George (Colúmbia Britânica)