Mr. P.G. Reveals Glimpse of the Past
Friday, October 26, 2012 @ 4:00 AM
Items pulled from three time capsules tucked inside Mr. P.G. on display at First Avenue Visitors Centre – photo 250NEWS
Prince George, B.C. – Mr. P.G. is expected to be placed at his new location later this morning.
The Prince George icon was removed from his spot at 16 /97 a couple of months ago so he could be restored and if the weather permits, he will find a new home next to the Prince George Playhouse this morning.
The decision to move Mr. P.G. was made by Prince George Tourism, which had plans to cease operations at the Visitors Centre at the junction of highways 16 and 97. That building was in poor condition and had access issues for visitors. Tourism Prince George CEO, Aiden Kelly says while the property which housed both Mr. P.G. and that visitor’s centre is owned by the Treasure Cove Casino, the decision to move operations was not prompted by the casino “They were happy to have it there as long as we wanted” .
In a presentation made to Prince George City Council earlier this year, Kelly outlined how the centre was in need of major repairs, and visitors could be better served using the 
Visitor Centre on First Avenue. Council endorsed the decision to move Mr. P.G. and have the old Visitor’s Centre demolished.
Visitor Centre on First Avenue. Council endorsed the decision to move Mr. P.G. and have the old Visitor’s Centre demolished. Having undergone $9,100.00 worth of restorative work ( paid for by the Treasure Cove Casino), a shiny , powder coated, restored Mr. P.G. is ready to be set in place.
The restoration project also uncovered three time capsules that had been tucked into Mr. P.G.’s chest cavity, just under his right arm.
The three tubes revealed a treasure of pamphlets, photos, and newspapers from 1983, and the “blue print” for the 1983 version of Mr. P.G.. ( shown in photo at right)
The items include a history of Baldy Hughes, a book of documents “ of Government and Railway Involvement in the Incorporation of Prince George, 1914-1915”, post cards, Spruce Dollars, Mr. P.G. pins, and minutes of Chamber of Commerce meetings.
A letter from the Mayor of the day ( Elmer Mercier) talks about the importance of the forest industry to Prince George, and brags that IWA members of the day ( July 1983) were commanding some of the best wages in the Province with a “base rate of $12.96 per hour” and that pulp prices were $450.00 per tonne while 1,000 board feet of 2×4’s were fetching $225.00.
Also squirreled away in the time capsules , a cassette tape from CKPG Radio 55 ( which used to be on the AM dial, and is now 99.3 The Drive) and a letter from what was then 620 CJCI radio which is marked “Do not open until 2083!!!” .
The items are on display for the next couple of weeks at the Visitor’s Centre on First Avenue.
“It is amazing how many people want to have their picture taken with Mr. P.G.” says Kelly. He says heli-skiers who had come to the region from California last year, refused to leave Prince George until they had their photos taken with the City’s mascot, and just a couple of weeks ago a woman who had just arrived from Banff was extremely disappointed to hear Mr. P.G. was undergoing a facelift and wasn’t available for a photo shoot.
Kelly says the new location will give Mr. P.G. a more prominent display as well as provide for safe parking and access for visitors.
Comments
Aiden Kelly is not very bright IMO if he thinks giving up that prime location for a tourism center was a good idea.
‘Aiden Kelly is not very bright’
Just about sums it all up….
I don’t think any tourists in their big motorhomes are going to drive downtown to find the 1st Ave Tourist centre. I think this is another backwards step made by this ‘town’. Note I said town not city.
Two stps forward-three back.
The casino should of built a shiny new visitors Center like the one in Williams Lake. But then again the motor homes seem to know where the casino is and Walmart.
A visitor centre at a major hwy junction totally makes sense. Nobody driving north-south is going to 1st ave.
The whole point of Mr PG there was the intersection of 2 major hiways. People coming from the States probley told their friends, when you see Mr PG turn left etc as a land mark going to Alaska etc.
Too bad they moved it.
Potholes – they are moving him across the street. At first I was skeptical but if he is going where they are digging the dirt then I actually think he will be more visible. He was hardly visible from the South and now I think he will be more visible. From the West, well, time will tell.
Whether Mr. P.G. is more visible in his new location or not, where will photo seekers park in order to gain access to him? The best place in Prince George for a tourist information center is right where it was. And that is where Mr. P.G. should be as well. It sounds as though the casino people did not mind, so what gives?
metalman.
I actually remember when they put the time capsules in Mr. PG. I believe the original intent was not to open them for 100 years. Looks like we’re a little early.
Interesting what was important to the city when the time capsules were put in Mr. PG.
I was just driving by there on Wed and felt a twinge of longing for Mr. PG, and wondered when he’d be out in front of the Playhouse. I’ll head down there today and watch them place him in his new home.
I guess the Casino donated the $9100.00 restorative work, because they didnt care whether Mr PG moved or stayed. Not likely. In addition he was not gone more than a day or so, and they had machinery knocking down the old building and working on the property. They will probably use it for more parking and then do an addition to the hotel or casino.
Nothing is ever as it seems. Especially in Prince George. You dont get the real reason for things until sometime later. The real reason is usually somewhat different than the one reported at the time.
In order to get your picture taken with Mr. PG you have to make a right hand turn (going west) into the Golf Course off Highway 16 West at the Playhouse. Or you have to access it from 16 West and Ferry. This gets you into the area, however you can only get out again by going back to 16 West and Ferry, turn around somewhere and head back to town. Or you have to turn right on Ferry to Westwood, and go to Massey turn right and head into town.
No matter how you do it, it is a stupid place to put this mascot, and it in fact very hard to access. People will just say to hell with it.
There was talk a while ago about putting an underpass from Masse to the Golf Course lands.
Seeing as the City is hot to trot to sell off this land to commercial developers, maybe that is the long term plan. If so you would be able to get out on the North end of the property. Who knows?
People in motorhomes don’t spend any money in Prince George – they fuel up and buy cheap necessities at Walmart. Why cater to them? The people who spend money in our region book skiing charters, fishing lodges, hotels, etc. They seek out adventures and unique experiences – they don’t expect to find it all laid out for them at the highway intersections. Having the Visitors Centre on 1st Ave funnels and lot of people into the downtown shops and restaurants. Glad Kelly is running this operation and not the fools in this forum.
I don’t think the comment from curmudgeonscurse was at all called for. We are NOT fools; we are entitled to an opinion.
The Visitors Centre has been on 1st Ave for years, and in fact does attract some tourists, however not that many.
What we are talking about here is the **second** tourist building that was at Highway 16 and 97 that has now been torn down, and the relocation of Mr. PG.
Most people coming in from 97 South, or 16 East, or 97 North, will not go looking for a Tourist Centre somewhere down town. More likely they will hit the one’s beyond Prince George, because most of them are passing through in any event.
There are none of the experiences in the greater Prince George area that **curmudgeoncurse** talks about. These types of facilities, ie; fishing charters, sking lodges, are far removed from PG, and are usually booked on line.
That is whats wrong with the PG Tourist Bureau. We have nothing here to attract tourists, so we set up a hotel tax, to collect money from people who come to Prince George to shop. (We call them tourists, instead of shoppers from the Region)
PG Tourism is nothing more than a **rip off** of peoples money to feather the beds of a chosen few.
Lets see what transpires at the corner of 16 and 97 where Mr PG stood in the next few years. This will give you an idea of the **real** reason he was moved.
I will definitely be making a trip down to 1st Avenue to look at the time capsule items. Very cool. Glad to see that Mr. PG will stay in the same general area.
Funny, Mr PGs first location was at 1st and George but that’s when 1st Ave was a much more used street by the town’s population than it is now.
sjm, you are entitled to an opinion. My rudness was a retaliation to the comments above yours, which attack an individual personally.
Eagleone why would Tourism PG spend millions on a new visitors center when their current one is nice and updated – have you even been there? You would be the same person saying they are stupid for wasting money on a new one. Furthermore it is on the Casinos land and ultimately up the them to decide usage.. Maybe you should think a little before you start calling people not very bright…
Keep in mind that Tourism PG’s main target markets are actually local and regional residents, businesses and sports teams.
http://www.tourismpg.com/sites/default/files/CTFTPGPlan_000.pdf
Eagleone why would Tourism PG spend millions on a new visitors center when their current one is nice and updated – have you even been there? You would be the same person saying they are stupid for wasting money on a new one. Furthermore it is on the Casinos land and ultimately up the them to decide usage.. Maybe you should think a little before you start calling people not very bright…
“In order to get your picture taken with Mr. PG you have to make a right hand turn (going west) into the Golf Course off Highway 16 West at the Playhouse. Or you have to access it from 16 West and Ferry. This gets you into the area, however you can only get out again by going back to 16 West and Ferry, turn around somewhere and head back to town. Or you have to turn right on Ferry to Westwood, and go to Massey turn right and head into town.
No matter how you do it, it is a stupid place to put this mascot, and it in fact very hard to access.”
As opposed to wandering through the casino parking lot if you were north or east bound before and if you are west bound then forget it? I think the playhouse parking lot is more accessible. You do know that the road runs through, albeit behind the Sandman? Its not that far to Ferry, really…
Strange to think that the access was poor to where the Tourist Bureau was at 16 and 97 seems the Casino didnt have a problem with the access to thier property.
Chrees
Maybe someone could tell us why someone opened the timecapsule(s) before it was supposed to be opened. Obviously no respect for the wishes of others, many of whom are actually still with us.
Anyone interested in putting a new time capsule in …… make sure we put on the the outside … “open whenever you feel like it”
Mr. PG is unique …. a moose is the symbol of the City of Moose Jaw ….. and likely a few others cities as well.
Why would we want something unique on our letterhead?
Reminds me of the episode of Corner Gas where they open thier time capsule every year because they cant wait – lol
gus: “Maybe someone could tell us why someone opened the timecapsule(s) before it was supposed to be opened. Obviously no respect for the wishes of others, many of whom are actually still with us.
Anyone interested in putting a new time capsule in …… make sure we put on the the outside … “open whenever you feel like it”
Ditto gus.
I agree, mr Woody should be our logo, instead of a moose. Somebody needs to get on track.
On Vancouver Isl they had a portable that is placed in Cathedral Grove during the the summer months and students posted there.
They provided pamphlets for any tourism attraction in the near vicinity that included Qualicum,Parksville,Bamfield, Uclulet,Tofino and Port Alberni…Maybe they should put a shack like that in Wallyworld parking lot.
If you want Tourism Prince George to have Mr PG on the letterhead then why don’t you tell them so? Just go in there, write a letter via snail mail, email, or Facebook. I’d like to see it, so I’m going to send them a message on Facebook.
Sherry Green fit in the new time capsule? If so, don’t forget to punch air holes in it.
I stand corrected again, I thought that the new location for Mr. P.G. was next to the welcome to Prince George sign. Turns out it is in an area with some parking at least.
metalman.
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