Closing P.G. Hotel -Just Part Of The Solution

By 250 News

Prince George, B.C.- Office workers and merchants in the down town say there appears to be fewer problem street people in recent months. Many of these same people are pointing towards the Prince George Hotel, saying that when that hotel and its Cold Beer and Wine store closed it seemed to ease the problem.

However, others quickly point out that while the PG hotel closing resulted in about 70 people who were living at the establishment being required to find new housing, the closing of other establishments in the core has been taking place over the past two years.

Here is the list of those venues:

(1)  The Columbus Hotel operated both a bar and a hotel which rented rooms on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. With the Columbus burning down that reduced the attraction of not only the bar, but the availability of cheap rooms in the down town.

(2)  Cadillac Ranch – The City of Prince George (who was the landlord of the Cadillac Ranch) pulled the plug on that night club, by not renewing the lease. Recently the City Of Prince George called for expressions of interest in re opening the Cadillac. There was only one expression of interest received and that came from the former operators of the Prince George Hotel. The City decided not to move on the proposal.

(3)   Astoria Inn, operated a hotel, bar, and cold beer and wine store. While the bar (Joe's Place) has now been closed, the cold beer and wine store is no longer there, the rooms have been converted into transitonal housing for women. That took about 20 rooms off the regular market.

(4)   Prince George Hotel – The PG hotel operated a bar, cold beer and wine store, and provided rooms for about 70 people. The entire facility has now been closed. The Ramada did express an interest at one point in operating a cold beer and wine store, but say they would cater to a different clientele.

Left operating in the down town core are the Croft, Generator, the Rum Jungle,  Jordy's Lounge  and the National Hotel (which operates only a portion of the week), who either cater to a certain section of the public or are a night club venue. If one goes even further back, the  list of night clubs and drinking establishments has dropped dramatically in the core of the city over the past decade.

The observations being made are that while the PG George Hotel closing has contributed to a reduction in the number of number street people in the core, the closing of other venues has also had a major affect on the street problem down town. As  a final note, one down town office worker asked, "If the street people have left the core because they are unable to find accommodation or liquor, where did they go, whose neighbourhood did they move to and whose problem is it now? It is hard to believe they just quit drinking,  or left the city."  

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