Former city councillor Cliff Dezell has another accolade to be humble about.
Dezell has been awarded Prince George's highest honour, becoming the latest person to carry the mantle of Freeman of the City.
In addition to the nearly two decades he spent on council between the late 1980s and mid-2000s, Dezell is a tireless community volunteer, committing time and energy to a variety of organizations.
The son of former mayor Garvin Dezell and Bea Dezell, joins a short list of people and organizations that have the key to the city. The honour is awarded by city council, which must agree by a unanimous vote in a closed meeting.
The last person to be named Freeman of the City was Shirley Gratton last year, who took full advantage of her rights to graze a cow on the lawn of city hall. Other Freemen of the City include former mayors Colin Kinsley, John Backhouse, Garvin Dezell, Carrie Jane Gray and Harold Moffat, as well as pastor Lance Morgan; founding city solicitor Peter Wilson; former B.C. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Owen Wilson; and local historian Ted Williams. The Rocky Mountain Rangers Royal Canadian Army Cadets Corps and Canadian Forces Station Baldy Hughes have also received the honour.
