If 'pandemic' is the standout word for 2020, then 'unprecedented' is certainly second.
This year has been jam-packed with change and struggle in all of its forms around the world, across the country and right here in Prince George.
With coronavirus necessitating so much change so quickly, it can be difficult to remember what exactly happened this year.
Not only did the pandemic change our daily lives but 2020 was also a year of social movements, and changes within the city itself.
Let’s look back at the photos and moments that marked this year:
Premier John Horgan visits Prince George
A rally for resource workers was held outside the event for the second straight year / Jess Fedigan, PrinceGeorgeMattersIt may seem like a lifetime ago, but at the start of 2020 Premier John Horgan paid a visit to Prince George for the B.C. Natural Resources Forum, which was also attended by The North Matters Rally outside the Prince George Civic Centre advocating for the province's resource sectors.
Northern Hardware closes after 100 years
The official last time the doors of Northern Hardware were locked / Jess Fedigan, PrinceGeorgeMattersPrince George said goodbye to an iconic landmark this year. Northern Hardware, which had been a part of the city since 1919, shut its doors this year. Even before the pandemic landed in the north, the family-run business made the decision to close the store. Northern Hardware had been a downtown fixture at its Third Avenue location since the 1940s.
Division over the Kelly Road/Shas-Ti Secondary School name change
Students changed outside Kelly Road Secondary School today after SD 57 approved to rename Kelly Road to the Dakelh name Shas ti Secondary School / Jess Fedigan, PrinceGeorgeMattersAfter School District No. 57 (SD57) voted to engage in the process of re-naming the new school building, constructed to replace Kelly Road Secondary, many students and community members protested the decision. The board was considering naming the school Shas-Ti Secondary School which is the Dakelh word for 'grizzly bear path.' A petition, protests, and sometimes racist rhetoric erupted from the community. After a consultation process, SD57 ultimately voted on giving the school a dual name: Shas-Ti Kelly Road Secondary School.
Pandemic fears create empty shelves in Prince George stores
As you might have expected, there's no toilet paper / Hanna Petersen, PrinceGeorgeMattersIn March of this year shortly after the pandemic was declared, many people across the country stock piled-up on food and toilet paper, as facilities closed to promote social distancing. Prince George was no different and for a time the shelves in local grocery stores were nearly empty.
Hearts in the windows phenomenon starts in Prince George
The windows of homes and businesses in Prince George have put hearts in their windows to bring the community together / Jess Fedigan, PrinceGeorgeMattersWith the uncertainly and isolation of the pandemic, Prince George resident Bailey Grose started a phenomenon this year when she decided to raise community spirit by placing a heart in her window. Wanting to have a community “heart hunt” she posted the idea on social media, and hearts soon began to spring up all over town. The movement quickly spread throughout the country and even the world.
Prince George birthday car parades boost spirits
Volunteers have started throwing birthday car parades to cheer up those who are celebrating during the pandemic / Hanna Petersen, PrinceGeorgeMattersBirthday and other celebration car parades were a fixture around Prince George this year. When the pandemic forced nearly everyone to stay home under phase one of B.C.’s restart plan early in the spring, one of the only ways to connect with others was through car parades. A group of volunteers organized car parades throughout the city for months to help residents celebrate their special occasions.
Prince George celebrates frontline workers
Nurses and healthcare professionals at UHNBC come outside to express gratitude for Prince George cheers during the COVID-19 pandemic / Kyle Balzer, PrinceGeorgeMattersSimilar to the birthday parades celebrations and support for frontline workers were a fixture this year, especially during the beginning stages of the pandemic. The University Hospital of Northern BC (UHNBC) was greeted by local first responders, volunteers and other essential workers to show their appreciation for healthcare professionals in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic during a special parade in April to lift spirits.
Prince George holds two Black Lives Matter Protests
Hundreds took to the streets during the first Black Lives Matters protest in Prince George / Jess Fedigan, PrinceGeorgeMattersHundreds, maybe even thousands of people marched through Prince George this year to voice their support for Black Lives Matter. Two rallies were held, the first was in downtown, which saw the crowd march through the streets and the second at Mr. PG. The protests were spurred this summer by global outrage after 46-year-old George Floyd was murdered by a police officer in the United States on May 25.
Hundreds of people showed up at Mr. PG this afternoon for the second Black Lives Matter protest in Prince George / Kyle BalzerEcono Lodge Fire claims three lives
Prince George Fire Rescue crews battle a blaze engulfing the Econo Lodge near 15th Avenue and Victoria Street on July 8, 2020 / Kyle Balzer, PrinceGeorgeMattersAnother tragedy that happened in Prince George this year was the devastating Econo Lodge fire that claimed three lives. The fire started on July 8 at 9 a.m. and crews found the three individuals deceased around 12:30 p.m. The fire is believed to be arson. One of the survivors. Leonard Hay, has filed a class-action lawsuit to recover damages for wrongful death, personal injury, loss of property and economic losses on his own behalf and of other registered guests. He and other guests claim fire alarms and sprinklers were never deployed.
Northern Hardware's Champ moves to the Exploration Place
A new, revamped 'Champ' had ridden his way into The Exploration Place / Jess Fedigan, PrinceGeorgeMattersNorthern Hardware’s iconic mechanical horse Champ also found a new home this year. After a lifetime of offering Prince George kids a ride for only 10 cents, the horse found a new home at the Exploration Place Museum and Science Centre. Because champ was so old, the museum staff determined he wouldn’t be able to sustain the level of ridership he would receive at the museum, so a second replica champ was created. The original Champ will be preserved, and the Replica champ will be ready for riders when the museum reopens in 2021.
Shas-ti Secondary Kelly Road Secondary School officially opens
The entry corridor in the new Shas-Ti Secondary Kelly Road Secondary school / Hanna Petersen, PrinceGeorgeMattersThe controversially named, Shas-Ti Secondary Kelly Road Secondary School, officially opened this fall and welcomed students to the new building. The new state-of-the-art building cost a little over $30 million to build and accommodates 900 students.
Prince George Public Library gets a new look
Prince George Public Library Board Member and City Councillor Terri McConnachie; Mayor Lyn Hall; Library Board Chair Mike Gagel; and Library Director Paul Burry at a ribbon-cutting ceremony held recently to mark the opening of the new Library entrance / City of Prince GeorgeAfter years of advocating for a new safe, modern and accessible entrance, the Prince George Public Library completed its renovation project near the end of this year. The downtown branch of the public library now has a new modern look including a of a two-and-a-half story, roughly 5,000 sq-ft addition to the north side of the building and renovated circulation area.
Northern Health administers its first Pzifer COVID-19 vaccine in Prince George
Biserka Becker, a care aide in Prince George's Jubilee Lodge, was the first in Northern Health to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine / Northern HealthOne of the last photos of the year is a hopeful one. A care aide in Prince George's Jubilee Lodge has made history in Northern Health on Dec. 22. Biserka Becker was the first in the region to receive the free Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine more than 24 hours after the authority's first shipment had arrived.
What do you think were Prince George's big moments of 2020? Want to share your thoughts? Email your feedback to news@princegeorgematters.com.
