Mayor Lyn Hall, Chief Dominic Frederick and Murry Krause – photo submitted

Prince George, B.C.-  Celebration on the steps of City Hall  this morning as  Mayor Lyn Hall, Chief Dominic Frederick and Councillor Murry Krause cut the cake to mark the City’s 100th anniversary.

With the Canada Winter Games behind us, the 25th Anniversary of UNBC just ahead, and our 100th anniversary upon us, now is a good time to reflect with pride on the history we have built, and the  opportunity we have ahead of us,” says Mayor Hall. “It’s important now that we all work together as a community to build on the legacy of the past to further develop the social and economic diversity of the city.”

The origins of Prince George can be traced to the fur trading post of Fort George, established in 1807 by Simon Fraser. The post was centered in the centuries-old homeland of the Lheidli T’enneh First Nation.

Agricultural settlement around Fort George began about 1906 when it was announced that the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway (later CN Rail) would pass near the fur post. The railway arrived in 1914 and construction of the railway town site commenced. The City of Prince George was incorporated on March 6, 1915.

“As a community, we should be proud of our history and hopeful for the future and that future includes the Lheidli T’enneh, who are a part of the fabric of our community,” says Mayor Hall. “Our shared history has not always been easy. But I think it’s fair to say the Lheidli and the City have managed over the last decade or so to build a relationship built on trust and a mutual interest in building the future of our community together.”

“The history of our people is a big part of the history of the City of Prince George” says Chief Dominic Frederick of the Lheidli T’enneh. “Today, we can collectively work together, side-by-side, and build upon the economic prosperity that will see Lheidli T’enneh take its rightful place alongside our local government, the City of Prince George, and the entire region.”

The City has a number of events planned during 2015 to commemorate the Centennial, starting tonight with the 100 Anniversary Civic Appreciation dinner to honour all the volunteers and other community leaders who help make the City all that it is.

The full celebration of the 100th anniversary takes place in July, when a series of events takes place throughout the City from July 10 to 19, 2015. Visit www.pg100.ca for further information.