City council honoured former mayor Lyn Hall with the Freedom of the City on Monday night.
Hall served as mayor from 2014 to 2022, and previously served as a city councillor and as chairperson of the School District 57 board of trustees. Hall has been involved in local politics in Prince George since 2001.
Freedom of the City is the highest honour a municipal government can bestow on a person or unit of the Canadian Armed Forces.
“We are here to honour a person whose contributions to our community can only be described as extraordinary,” Mayor Simon Yu said. “After having been in the chair for four months, I know how hard this job is.”
Freedom of the City includes free parking at city-owned parking lots or parking meters, invitation to city council functions like volunteer appreciation dinners and inaugural council meetings, and a photo of the recipient displayed permanently at city hall. The recipient also is awarded the right to vote in municipal elections, if they were previously not.
“The Freedom of the City is a designation that is infrequently awarded and only with Council’s full support,” a statement issued by the city ahead of Monday’s ceremony said. ‘The award is reflective of exceptional merit and public contribution.”
Hall said he was honoured to receive the recognition of a long, difficult and rewarding career in public office. He said he has no regrets about choosing not to run again in 2022.
“The journey has been an interesting one, and it’s gone by in a flash,” Hall said. “I’m very pleased to have been part of a number of things that have taken place in Prince George. (But) For me, I knew it was time. It was a good run. This is a tough job.”
