I would like to know just how many sophisticated people we have here in P.G. that are sooo deserving of a performing arts center? You'd think this council would be more interested in building something that would draw tourism and child friendly. Being winter bound for 8 months of the year why wouldn't you build a giant covered water park, or even an I-Max theater or a covered mini golf. Do you get the picture? When an American tourist asks me what is there to do in P.G. that is kid friendly, I'm dumbfounded as to what to say. Casino? Pine center? For god sake if your going on a spending spree with taxpayers money build something that is family oriented. Something that can be frequented all year round by rich or poor, young and old! Quit being so selfish! Just how many jobs is this performing arts center going to generate 40 tops after all is said and done.

Spot on hammy! Great suggestions as well.

Vanier Hall has never disappointed me on the dozen or so occasions when I attended a live performance. Mozart's Magic Flute, Nutcracker, a few P.G. Symphony performances of the kind of classical music I like...it boils down to less than one visit per year!

If it had a modern A/C system it would be even better.

How much can that possibly cost? Half a million? Less, probably.

The newly desired PAC would have about 8 more seats than Vanier Hall, according to previous stories on Opinion250.

What is the justification and need for a new PAC?

Is it because some other similarly sized city has a newer one and we have to have one too?

If the City thinks it's alright to borrow 60 million bucks for a new PAC, why does the City not go ahead and borrow 60 million to once and for all bring the sidewalks up to date and replace all of the badly deteriorated streets throughout our city?

Take a look at Croft Road if you happen to be up in the Hart!

BTW, that narrow stretch of torture track is a BUS ROUTE!

It's been like that for at least 15 years!

There are many more streets in PG that are even worse!

Unless we go to City Council meetings and demand change things will never change.

I admire the people in the Miller Addition. They went to council and said we dont like your plan and for a change they did hear them.

We need a plan and then fill council chamber at every meeting, speak up and be herd. We have to sing to Alice.
Cheers

What to do with a child in PG?

A list of ten for your next visitors

1. water spray park

2. train at the museum (which has not operated for at least two years - in other words we have nothing in place to make sure that the brochures which advertise this type of thing actually function)

3. The Exploration Place - it has a number of wonderful hands on exhibits and games

4. Railway and forestry museum - trains and the small working train

5. Petting farm/zoo on Cranbrook hill

6. wave pool

7. downtown swimming pool with slide

8. pony ride at the farmers' market

9. rafting down the Nechako

10. Predator Paintball near the airport

Okay, now that we know some of the kids are taken care of, lets build a PAC so that the kids that are interested in music and puppetry and Peter Pan, etc. are interested in. You remember, those old fashioned things.

:-)

Do you ever wonder why there is hardly anyone other than the PG Symphony that uses Vanier Hall?

The musicals performed by the two local dance companies have audiences of 2,000+ Rather than present 3 shows at Vanier, they end up presenting around 6 to 9 shows at the Playhouse. That means some weeknight rather than weekend shows with amateurs who have other jobs and audiences who likely prefer weekends.

How often is that space available for travelling productions? Virtually nil. Two reasons, lack of stage space, backstage space, fly tower, etc.

We got Elton John here and people went crazy. Well, there are a lot of name stars who prefer to present in more intimate settings. We do not get them here because we do not have the right kind of facility.

Have you ever considered that the SD is not too interested in continuing to make that facility available to the public.

There is much more to this than meets the eye. Talk to the people at CN Centre and the dance companies to see what they say about Vanier Hall. In fact, talk to SD57 and ask them what the availability of Vanier Hall is.

Could someone PLEASE tell me why so many are afraid of a performing arts center?
No one balked at soccer fields or any othet sports facilities. For a city so family oriented I do not see the logic in not wanting a functional PAC.
Why do many including the media continue to up the price to build such a facility?
Inflation and it's not even built yet. Go figure.

Do I have this straight?
1 The downtown is wallowing in its demise
2 a downtown business association was created to address such a state
3 the dbia solicited for support through a levee
4 now business in the downtown want a city tax exemption because that will allow them to flourish
5 those exempted business taxes are now foisted on the private citizens

Sounds dumb when one says it out loud

May I suggest dissolve the dbia, the city hire a downtown business improvement planner for about the same as the communications person we have yet to hear from with a 1 year term.

opinionated:
Kids don't usually go to a performing arts anything, especially things like Shakespeare and ballet. Kids go to a performance of doodlebops. Whereas I notice the soccer fields are populated with mostly juvenile age citizens. That leads me to conclude that the youth are not moaning about not having a PAC, it is the well heeled that made significant political donations to the wrong person voted into the mayor's chair and his ilk.

It is not that people are afraid it is because of timing and needs!

We are coming out of a recession

Many have lost their jobs

The city is 111 million dollars in debt

Infrastructure is in dire need of the money

We (the tax payers) have not had a vote

We (the tax payers) have not had a vote.

I think that simple statement tells us that City Hall is out of control. We had a referendum for CN Center, Four seasons and othe facilities in ouir city Why do we not have a referendum on all the major cost . Read my first sentence again .
Cheers

Prince George. Eat here and get gas. Then goodbye to wherever you are going. It's that simple.

"Kids don't usually go to a performing arts anything, especially things like Shakespeare and ballet. Kids go to a performance of doodlebops."

Tell that to kids like fourteen-year-old Kyra Sinclair the subject of a story in the newspaper today. The Excalibur dancer is one of two people to win a scholarship from the Kelowna Dance Festival for 20 dance classes of her choice at the Edge Performing Arts Center in Los Angeles.

"Sinclair began her dancing career at age three. By five, she became more involved in soccer and didn’t get back into dancing until one birthday her mom surprised her with highland dance lessons."

Soccer, highland dancing, ballet, performing arts centre in some far away city"

I am going to go out on a limb a bit here and say that stories like that would not get too much response here, except from those well heeled union members who voted for our Mayor, right Loki?

:-)

This is outrageous. Mayoral candidate Dan Rogers said we would have a vote on the PAC... since then they have been given money for studies, and now they are being given money to buy the land... seems like the decision is being made before the vote is being taken. Is this the democratic process in PG now?

The money IPG has should go directly back to the city to pay down debt... if they have ideas on how to spend it that is a decision for the council to make at a later date on each issues own merits... its not surplus... its debt that hasn't been paid down yet, and that is where it should go.

The tax holiday for the downtown is one of the good reasons why I don't want to pay city property taxes anymore... its a wealth transfer from the homeowners to the land speculators pure and simple... if I could sell my house they wouldn't get my money anymore is all I can say about that.

"Prince George. Eat here and get gas. Then goodbye to wherever you are going. It's that simple."

------------------------------------------

That is what many tourists are doing - they are just passing through! How is a new PAC going to change that? They are on their way to some other destination. Simple.

They do stay when Prince George is their DESTINATION!

For instance: Why would I stay overnight in Williams Lake when I am going to Kelowna? I may eat and get gasoline there but that's all!

My choice.

sorry, I am missing what you are prodding me for.

I am neither well heeled nor am I union.