Originally pitched as a medal program to acknowledge outstanding Prince George residents, members of the Select Committee on Citizen Recognition Program have discussed other ways of recognizing recipients at their most recent meetings.
Last year, Prince George city council voted in favour of creating an award program to recognize the good work done by the city’s residents as its highest honour, the freedom of the city, is rarely bestowed.
In 2025, council struck a select committee that is working to establish the process through which the awards will be handed out and what forms the awards themselves will take.
At the committee’s April 25 and May 16 meetings, members have discussed finding a way to recognize recipients publicly.
At the May 16 meeting, members narrowed their focus on a few options.
Coun. Kyle Sampson suggested that a certain number of trees already being planted by city staff each year could be dedicated to award recipients.
According to a staff report, the city plants dozens of large caliper trees each year in location identified to “maximize the benefits associated with increasing tree canopy coverage while adding to the aesthetics of the urban forest.”
The cost of planting one of these trees is around $2,500.
Sampson noted that at his workplace, Pacific Western Brewery, a plaque commemorating the deceased founder of the company was placed on a tree and it kept getting stolen.
In response, he said the brewery put a certificate listing the coordinates of the tree inside the building. He wondered if something similar could be done for this program if issues arrive with the commemorative plaques.
For installing a bench, the estimated cost is around $2,500 and the installation window is between June and October.
The report noted that benches are placed by the city according to operational need and there is no need for more benches or picnic tables at Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park, Nechako Riverside Park, Cottonwood Island Park, Connaught Hill Park, Rainbow Park, Ferguson Lake Park, Hazelton Park or Paddlewheel Park.
Staff’s report said representatives from the parks department could be invited to the committee’s next meeting to discuss options.
To keep a register of award recipients, the report said possible partners could be the Exploration Place, the University of Northern British Columbia and the city’s Heritage Committee.
Other ideas floated at the meeting included engraving recipients’ names into bricks or paving stones or installing plaques acknowledging them in a public space.
Committee member Chantelle Grafton wondered whether a park still in the development stage could be designated as the area where the commemorations can be placed as they’re awarded.
Manager of event services Debbie Haywood noted during the meeting that the Novak Family Legacy Wall installed in the lobby of the Prince George Civic Centre lobby in 2014 as a fundraising initiative for the 2015 Canada Winter Games is being proposed to move to the atrium of the Kin Centres, though that process is still in the early stages.
Also discussed briefly were sample budgets for annual events where the award recipients would be celebrated.
A casual event with 500 attendees is projected to cost $20,400, with $2,500 in entertainment costs, $5,000 for audio-visual services, $400 for swag, $7,500 for food and facility rental and $5,000 for the awards themselves.
A formal event with 200 attendees is projected to have $30,400 in total costs, with $2,500 going to entertainment, $7,500 for audio-visual costs, $400 for swag, $15,000 for food and facility rental and $5,000 for the awards themselves.
The committee’s next meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Thursday, June 26 in the second-floor conference room at Prince George City Hall.
