Bye Bye PGX, Hello BCNE
Friday, May 11, 2012 @ 4:04 AM
Prince George Agricultural and Historical Association President Nancy Loreth and PGX General Manager Terry McConnachie with the new logo
Prince George, B.C.- “A proud past, a bright future” that is the phrase which is being used to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Prince George Exhibition, and herald the next phase of the “PG-X”.
When the annual fair closes its gates on August 12th, it will take on a new name, a new direction, it will become the B.C. Northern Exhibition, or BCNE for short. The “X” has already distributed 15 thousand complimentary passes to school children in Kindergarten to Grade 7 throughout the North.
It will be a bittersweet transition says PGX General Manager Terry McConnachie “I grew up with the Prince George Exhibition, it’s a big part of my life. I was brought there as a little kid, I still remember the days we would meet my grandparents, aunts and uncles here, then I brought my own children here. Then I realize, none of that is going to change, it’s just the name, and we’re putting our arms out wider.”
The PGX has put together a five day show that McConnachie is confident will pay homage to the 100 years of history of the exhibition, and set the foundation for a bright future. (at right, a page from the Prince George Herald of 1916 declaring the 4th edition of the fair a success)There will be a centennial exhibit featuring highlights from each decade of the “X”. Huble Homestead, which is also celebrating a centennial, hopes to have a Huble Homestead façade erected in the Heritage Lane. There will be a special mural unveiled and new attractions have been added such as barrel racing and a display of Canadian Breed Horses.
The favourites will return, including firefighter games, bull riding, lumberjack competitions, team penning, draft horse pulls, and top dog agility trials. The 4H Clubs will have their livestock on hand, the Home arts and horticulture displays will be featured, West Coast Amusements return with their midway and there is an impressive list of talent for all ages.
In addition to the entertainers for the little ones and those who appear on the community stage, the “X” has lined up 54/40 for the first day of the fair, to be followed by The Stampeders, an AC/DC tribute act, and The Powder Blues Band. Because Kin 1 will not be available, a special tent will be set up with seating for 500.
As one of the Directors on the Board remarked, “This is not just going to be another fair, it’s going to be THE fair.”
The change to the BCNE is the third phase for the fair, which started out as a fair, then transformed to the Prince George exhibition, and now, recognizing its regional impact, it is positioning itself to be the end of summer, agricultural celebration for the north. McConnachie is confident the rest of Northern B.C.will embrace the BCNE “They’re already coming, we’re just making it formal. I was surprised by the numbers of people who already come from allover the place. Now with the different livestock competitors, they’re coming from the western U.S., they’re coming from all over the place.”
The fair this year is set to start on August 8th and runs through to the 12th “I have no doubt we will welcome more than 50 thousand people through those gates this summer” says McConnachie “Now the only thing we need is good weather, so if anyone has the phone number to Mother Nature, I would love to have it.”
Comments
I like the PGX name, the new one not so much!! BCNE~~It doesn’t roll off the tongue like PGX and makes you wonder why anyone would take something that has successfully been branded and want to create anew??
If given a vote, it would be PGX for me!!!
PG-X!
I agree with Jim.
ditto
ditto
I love the PGX too – but now that name was stolen from that weight loss/food supplement pill in all the isles and on all of the commercials…drives me crazy.
PNE…CNE…IPE and now the BCNE – fits the overall theme and sounds good. Change is not easy but after 100 years it will always be our exhibition. Remember when was it, Klondike Days changed to the Capital X, it created alot of mixed feelings.
Generations have enjoyed the PGX and generations more will benefit same at the BCNE. Entertainment will be great (really stepped up) and love all the cowboys and cowgirls, dislays and the fair food, midway for the younger set, 4-H people and the dance is a blast. Good job to the volunteers they have their work cut out for them, thank you to them all, we will be there!
Some people are so change-averse around here.
From a marketing perspective, BCNE is a better name than PGX imo. I also agree with bcnorth that PGX was essentially stolen by the weight loss supplement.
I for one think it is totally retardedto change something that has been around that long…I have seen it with all club that I have been involved with the people at the top of the food chain want to make it their own hence the name change…every town around here knows it as the PGX leave to damn thing alone you control freeks at the top….
Still the same overpriced crap I would imagine.
40000 visitors a year. Huge number of visitors to PG- big economic spinoff. large number of local non profit groups benefit, almost entirely run by volunteers, ZERO cost to the city…….and the best some people cn do is shoot them down because they’ve updated their name. It’s hard to fathom the depths of shallowness and narrow mindedness some arm.chair critics spew.
“”Some people are so change-averse around here.””
Some change is good, some change is just plainly misguided!! Why would you take an established brand name and change it? Peepoor marketing unless your trying to change the name to hide something.
Change is sometimes welcome when it’s good, like repaired roads. That would be a welcome change. OR, voting out the Liberals. That would be a welcome change.
“Some change is good, some change is just plainly misguided!! “
Agreed. However, this is a simple name change. And a good one, imo. The event itself isn’t changing, just what it’s called. It’s not worth making a mountain out of a mole hill about.
My first thought is they have had to deal with the advertising onslaught of that weight loss stuff being flogged on TV using the same name: PGX.
Every time I see that ad, I think what has that got to do with our local fair? Probably, our fair never trademarked the old name and initials, why would you – except this company has and is taking over the identity of the label.
Well that is my conspiracy theory of the day, and we will learn to say BCNE easily – just like we don’t call the hospital PGRH anymore…
It’s okay the PNE is changing it’s name to BCSE to follow PG’s lead. Tim Horton’s is changing it’s name to Moonbucks. It’s all marketing like the Diamond Shaped Shreddies.
It’s only a name the Multiplex is still the multiplex and the hospital is still the Prince George Regional Hospital.
For new comers though they might ask where is the BCNE is!
While they are at it they should change the name of the Huble Homestead to “Old House By the River”.
BCIE …… spoken as “BeeSee”
British Columbia Interior Exhibition ….
Leave the term “northern” for those communities in the Peace if they want it.
Given the PNE Pacific National Exhibition, they were maybe looking to be confused with British Columbia National Exhibition.
Maybe they could not use the word Interior since little old Armstrong’s exhibition is called “Interior Provincial Exhibition Association”.
North Peace Fall Fair … FS John
Dawson Creek Exhibition & Stampede …guess where.
Kamloops Exhibition Association …. guess where.
BCNC = BC Northern Captial
so obviosly that needed to be teamed with BCNE….. even though we still have not gotten any formal word from Victoria that it is moving its winter sessions to PG … :-)
If it’s almost entirely run by volunteers then why does it cost so much just to pass through the gate’s? Who actually receives all that core door charge?
I would actually like to go this year but I was born back in the day when it was free to go to these functions and pay through the nose to win a big prize. That was fun.
But, I can see PG sticking it to the people all because it’s 100th birthday.
So I dare ask, How much is the door charge?
LOL, Jim13
JohnnyBelt wrote: “The event itself isn’t changing, just what it’s called”
Hmmmm … I was willing to accept the name change as the start of the event reaching out to a much larger geographical area. But if that is not what they are doing, then someone else might want to use the name.
How much is the name change costing taxpayers? Whose idea was it and who approved it?
Just another case of “The Bronze Plaque” syndrome!
Dragon master: how about you volunteer and fully dedicate yourself to run a high profile excellent event that 40000 people a year enjoy, at zero cost to the city, then let the rest of us shoot you down with stupid insulting dumb meaningless shallow insults.
gus: “Hmmmm … I was willing to accept the name change as the start of the event reaching out to a much larger geographical area.”
Maybe it is. I don’t recell making the point that it wasn’t. In any event, it doesn’t matter whether you or I ‘accept’ the change. It’s a done deal.
Call it what you want, I will still avoid it like the plague.
Like I said before, can’t our “new” BCNE have door prizes with their programs. The “PNE” gives away a house at the end of the fair. Maybe here in “Crater City” we can give away a four person tent from Costco as a grand prize. Also, instead of a car every day, the PGX can give away a bike everyday. They can get them with contract from the RCMP whenever they retrieve an unclaimed stolen bike. No need to buy new. We are soooo backwater.
weaksauce: “Call it what you want, I will still avoid it like the plague.”
Agreed. Their slogan could be, “We’re the BCNE but we charge like it’s the PNE”.
“The “PNE” gives away a house at the end of the fair”
I would not be surprised if the problem we have is that we are a small community and one has to be careful not to get into someone else’s “territory”.
We have the Spruce Kings home. The I think there is another one as well. So there may not be any other opportunity.
Gus, not saying I don’t agree with you with regards to PG being tagged in the Northern region of BC but please consider:
1. University Hospital of Northern BC, in Prince George
2. University of Northern BC, in Prince George
3. Northern Sport’s Centre, in Prince George
4. Northern BC Tourism Assoc., in Prince George
5. Central Interior Exhibition, formerly the PGX, Prince George
??
Just would not work for the fair, to name it after the Central or the Interior of BC and the fair folks can’t change #’s 1,2,3, 4. Further, we are in the “Northern Health” region, and as per Tourism demographics we are in “Northern” BC.
I don’t think they had a choice – other than leave it as is and continue to be named after a food supplement – or go back to the “Fort George Fair”, maybe that would shut up the complainers, LOL.
Who is complaining? It’s hilarious!! Some tourist will roll into town and ask a local “where do I find the BCNE?” and a large majority will send them to the BCR site!! LOL.
bcnorth ….
The only reason I keep on mentioning the “northern” thing is that I came here in 1973 when this region was called the Central Interior of BC, which, in fact, it is based on geography.
I came here to work for a firm which had the words “Central Interior” in its name. There were a number of other organizations that had those two words in their name.
Geographically we are closer to the border with the USA than the border with the Yukon. If one divides the Interior of BC among Northern, Central, and Southern Interior, then we would be in the centre part of the Central Interior.
So, we are not a Capital at all, nor are we northern, no more than Kamloops is Central other than in the east-west direction.
The distance from the Yukon border to the USA border is approximately 1,220km. So the south should go about 400 km from the border, etc.
Thus, the northern reach of the Southern Interior goes to Alexandria.
The southern reach of the Northern Interior is around 20km or so north of FS John.
Weather for the Central Interior of BC
http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/forecast/textforecast_e.html?Bulletin=fpcn16.cwvr
CJCI … guess what the CI stands for …
The station was launched in 1970 by Central Interior Radio
ALL, the references to the north for this region are reltively new … last 3 decades at the most, and most in the last 2 decades ….. the big change came with the UNBC.
Buzz, if you think the PGX is no cost to the taxpayers of this city I have a parcel of prime waterfront land for sale just for you, really cheap.
Oh and Buzz………………..off.
How much does the exhibition cost the city? You seem sure of yourself.
It’s just a name. Who would’ve guessed it would start a geographical debate?
JohnnyBelt: It’s just a name. Who would’ve guessed it would start a geographical debate?
You are right, however, this northern BC thing has picked alot of people as geographically it doesn’t hold water where PG is concerned, as Gus argues, and I agree. My point is, it’s too big to roll it back and the big boyz on the block, beginning with provincial gov’t sectors set the pace.
Gus, CJCI has been Vista Radio for many years now….they too, have lost the central interior words.
Dragonmaster: as someone that has been a member of the PGAHA for a few decades, as I have, and volunteered alongside thousands more volunteers over the years (booked holidays to do it)at our own expense to make the fair happen – and have seen the financial statements….please share just how much the fair costs the city of prince george taxpayer? I know, do you? Buzz is right on…ZERO my friend, no grants, no expense line item and no percentage on your taxes. Bow down to these people, man, or perhaps you would prefer PGX fall to the wayside due to lack of financial support like every other event in the city.
Better yet, get your keester down to the fairgrounds around Aug. 1 and haul stuff around for a week, run it for another just shy of a week and then take a week to put it all away – for NOTHING….other than community spirit.
Oh and Hammy….it will cost nothing to go the the fair when it is free to host it. Think about it man, it is hugely costly, you too, need to amble on down and pitch in – or better yet, get your facts straight. And door cost…well for seniors and kids theres a five buck day…cheap enough for ya? Includes the lovely HST portion the fair people have to share with the government. They don’t keep it.
Top cost is 15 bucks incl. tax. Seriously how much as a movie ticket…$12.50…a cougar’s game, theatre northwest ticket, PGSO ticket? A pack of smokes? One lunch at Fatburger?
Thanks for the rant, it just frosts me. The PGX is the best thing this town has that can bring in 40 thousand plus from all over, every age group. Good clean fun and a crap load of work.
Canada Day, which is a beloved event shuts down at 6pm with no fireworks anymore, gone is Simon Fraser Days, Mardi Gras is barely hanging on…loved Folkfest but they had to scale back to become a winter event, which is still such a nice bright spot in February. Summerfest was gone for years and is just back and starting out at one day…I’m willing to bet their budget is shoestring too.
This community needs to invest (and that includes cash!) in the grass roots events that really do incite community spirit year after year as opposed to either the “one offs” costing tens of thousands to tens of millions.
…oh yes, financial support for the aforementioned events that will give the well funded Tourism Prince George people something to talk about!
As always, I am amazed at the level of disconnect that my fellow citizens have with regards to this and other matters in our community.
Apparently the PGX’s move to change their name has given license to those that lack facts and common sence to question the cost of a ticket, the burden to the tax payers, and a comparison to Vancouver, wow.
If I remember correctly at a time when council meetings were televised this group approached the council of the day for assistance,in fact, they did a presentation. If my memory seves me right this non for profit relies on funding from small business, volunteers and butts through the gate. In fact there is no assitance given to this group at all from our city coffers.
So it would appear that this group is not hanging off the public tit, as some would have us believe. In fact this city’s biggest event is funded entirely from Public participation and those small business who see fit to give back to our community. So the next time the whiners complain about how much this event may cost, maybe come in from the sticks and go to a movie or take your kid to a fast food joint and then post an informed position.
PGX – now BCNE…who cares? A rose by any other name is still a rose!
Everything is “Northern” here, even Northern Health. The Interior begins at Williams Lake, folks! CBC Kelowna includes Williams Lake in its weather report, but nothing north of it!
We ARE the North.
People from the 604 think that P.G. is in “The North”
People in Fort Nelson would beg to differ..
Central B.C. is where we are.
BCNE is a good handle.
metalman.
My old “Canadian Oxford Dictionary ” defines Prince George as a “central” BC city. Good enuff fer me.
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