Interesting how one ethnic group will pay for signs, makes one go hum?

Longer poles are going to be needed, for all the other languages that should go up! If you move here and want to live here you would think that you should and want to learn the streets names in your community. When you travel to foreign countries you manage to get around by asking for help for finding places. Also new city maps of Prince George will have to be printed up I suppose, to show street names in both languages?

Is it April 1st today?

So far typical comments from enlightened Prince George residents.

They paid for their signs so what’s the problem? When this was first talked about the signs were for people from out of the city .

If you can’t find the temple following the existing signs, how on earth did you get a license?

I agree starbright if you come to canada you should learn to read english or French.

There are 2 official languages in Canada. I find it ridiculous that City Hall allowed this to go through. We don’t even have french on any of our street signs!

“If you can’t find the temple following the existing signs, how on earth did you get a license?”

Show me a booklet which is used to learn the traffic rules in BC or a driving test used to determine whether you will get a license which deals with the issue of finding one’s way from A o B by using street signs. It is not a requirement.

This is actually similar to some of the signs in the USA which have a second sign used to signal that the cross street has a church on it and names the church. That is all these are and it makes eminent sense to have them in the language used by the church. In some cases that would be English. Not in this case.

English only, this is Canada not the united nations. Unbelievable, if you move here to better your life you had better become fluent in English and French. Adapt to our way of life and accept our customs and way of life. IF you don’t like that idea, go back to where you came from.

Turning a molehill into a mountain!

This is a great example of how one small change can mean so much to some while having minimal to no impact on others.

Isn’t this how we should live our lives… with a little give and take?

I would love to understand the root of why something like this bothers so many.

Watch out for the cosmapolititation of PG .

I’ve always wondered why the back of the stop signs are so under utilized , even by taggers but I don’t care about that either .

Literally no reason to hate on these, unless you’re a racist. They do no harm and they don’t block your ability to read the English part of the sign. Just xenophobia and racism, which doesn’t surprise me at all in this town LOL

axman: How did they even find Prince George?
Further: Why is ICBC allowing people to get drivers licenses, not knowing English?? If you can’t read street or traffic signs, I don’t think you are safe on the roads.
I guess, just like in that movie, yellow light means go faster. Red light means go very fast!

A big welcome to our Sikh visitors! And all the crybabies out there who feel slighted, boo hoo. Get a life, please.

Well on the bright side… they didn’t try to get the street renamed…Guro Gobind Singh Park err um Temple……
They simply want to ensure their Temple followers can find the place especially given some of the older peoples do have some language challenges.

I guess the City will have fun now with street signs on Queensway with some unpronounceable gibberish to tell me how to get to Fort George Park. However, the temple on Kelly doesn’t pay property taxes either, but their members do.
And French has been a dying language for years and even Canada (and France of course) subsidize use of the french language in dozens of countries who’s citizenry would rather learn English, Spanish or Arabic to get with the real world.

English only, this is Canada not the united nations.

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Based on the 2011 Census, there were more than 200 languages reported amongst Canadians as their mother tongue, or home language.

Also, 14% of the population (4.7 million people) spoke a language other than English or French most often at home and roughly 6% reported speaking such a language on a regular basis as a second language.

There is obviously a big difference between what you think should be the case and reality. Said another way, you are wrong.

All this complaining over a couple of street signs? Did you know there are also some restaurants in town that are owned by immigrants and have names in their native language. How did we let that happen… Time to shut them down to I guess. Not even sure why this even made the news.. But some of the responses show how petty some people are.

I’ve spent some time in the Punjab and saw lots of English-language signs there. Reciprocity, anyone?

This signage in PG is symbolic, to make people feel welcome. People from the Punjab have made important contributions to BC’s development for over a century and continue to do so. We should be really glad they came here and stayed.

CL

Bi- and multi-lingual street signs are far from unknown around the world. Here’s a tri-lingual street sign in Jerusalem: http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/image_content_width/hash/39/b2/39b29ab9b7345c9415327c922cce4117.jpg?itok=T9UjmoVw

By the way, to those concerned with the inability of drivers to read English, some people might approach the gurdwaras on foot.

contractor@ The signs you are worried might be put up on Queensway would only be “unpronounceable gibberish” to someone unable to read Carrier. Too bad you can’t. English signs are “unpronounceable gibberish” to the millions of people who can’t read English.

Get over it people!
The signs are just a courtesy, a welcome, to temple goers.

Only a blind person would not notice that the sign at 5th & Kelly is less than a stones throw from the temple, and architecturally speaking, the building is rather obviously not a house in P.G.
metalman.

Gotta love it when people dissent a change they are immediately labelled ignorant, “unenlightened”, racist, redneck etc. I’m getting fed up with the feel good mafia trampling free speech and thought. There are a lot of educated people that don’t agree. Diversity through conformity huh? As long as you agree with their liberal thinking, you may have an opinion?

I don’t have a problem with any group approaching the city to install signage on public land that they get permission to do so, in their language, that they pay for.

But municipal, provincial, and federal signage in this country should be in either or both OFFICIAL languages of the country. PERIOD.

Once again, the feel-good do-good liberal minded left wing types think with their hearts and not their brains.

Unintended consequences people!! This opens a precedent. Now the potential is that some or a large part of the special interest groups mentioned in NMG’s post, 14% ( 4.7 million people ) speaking one of 200 languages is going to hear about this and run on their councils, provincial and federal govs to allow special signage for them.

Common sense people. Leave official government signage ( streets, highways etc ) to the country’s official languages. All others, can be accomodated separately.

You telling me the east asian community can’t give directions to their monster churches with sky high masts and garish lighting in a small city like Prince George?

This is about cultural dominance of the surrounding area. You really think the non-english speaking members of that community are only going to find their big box churches served only by a local sign right beside the church? What … besides not speaking the language, they can’t see?

Well said BCGrog.

To those who have an issue with this, go drive through Richmond and read the signs there (mandarin..I think).
The Punjab churches here in PG will gladly feed ANY person of ANY religion who walks through their doors. The Guru Nanak holds a festival every year at CN centre which celebrates their culture and heritage. At this festival, all of PG is invited to attend and participate in the functions and feast on their food. How many other groups in town can claim to do this…all at their expense. These signs are to pay tribute to their temples, nothing more. I see no reason for debate on this. Their followers are hard working contributors to our multi national society and pay their own way. So what if they get 2 street sign with their language on it? I for one, am happy to accomodate them on this symbolic gesture.

Still got issue with this? Please find a better reason for your hate.

Sigh.

I didn’t say I hate these people. I actually like them and they are my neighbours. I acknowledge their contributions to our city, especially the food drives, the fellow that serves pizza out of his house, the enrichment of the parade and festival at CN center. I also work with them and admire their character and their community.

However, I don’t endorse the use of official government signage to promote any special interest group.

Ours is a secular society that promotes multiculturalism.

That means at all government levels, public spaces, buildings and signage should remain neutral.

Look at the “other” newspaper website story. Our mayor is quoted as saying this opens it up for other groups to do this. We’re going to have signpost forests all over town. What if an Orthodox Ukrainian church is on the same street as a mosque? We gonna have six green signs of multiple languages on top of the pole?

Practically, a person doing 50 km/hr is trying to find a street, at that velocity now their eyes have to navigate four green signs to find the street name.

Common sense solution: I am all for the blue signs with white lettering, on a separate sign post for the purposes of these groups.