Photos 250News

Prince George, B.C. – Local history buffs are in for a treat this weekend.

Organizers of ‘The Tale of a Town’ are putting the finishing touches on a production which promises to touch on the past, present and future of downtown Prince George.

Tale of a Town Canada is a national oral history project touring the country and also ties in with Prince George’s centennial celebrations (see previous story here).

Designer and performer Eliza Houg prepares a cardboard scale model of downtown Prince George

“Preparations are going amazing, we’ve really transformed this space, which is currently used as a kind of storage locker at the Ramada Hotel,” says artistic producer Katie Swift.

“We’ve got some curtains up, there’s an amazing corridor which people will walk down, some seating. We’re going to have a scene in the cinema, a scene in the hotel bar back at the Columbus Hotel.”

The production is an immersive audio installation performance based on over 70 interviews they conducted with local residents.

“You’ll hear stories from back in the day of PG, currently what’s going on, and we’ll ask what are the dreams for the future of downtown.”

Of all the interviews that were conducted, Swift says it was the current enthusiasm for downtown that stood out most.

“People often refer to the games last year and how seeing the crowds downtown and the aliveness – especially at night – kind of reminded them of the olden days when all the hotels were busy and downtown was hopping.”

She says the interviews also revealed some great characters from the past, including original W.D. West Studios owner and photographer Wally West.

Swift notes the production will rely heavily on his collection.

“We’ve heard this in other towns too, but local photographers and studios end up being sort of the unofficial documentarian of the downtown. So his collection has been a great inspiration to us.”

Those interested in checking out one of the free performances must book ahead. You can do so by clicking here.