The candidates for city council weighed in on issues including the future of UNBC, urban sprawl, addressing social issues and improving the city's reputation in an all-candidates forum on Wednesday.
UNBC's political science department hosted the second all-candidates forums of the election campaign for city council candidates only.
Candidates Frank Everitt and Lyn Hall were not in attendance.
Here is what the candidates were saying on the issues:
On UNBC
"This is the most important institution in our town," candidate Albert Koehler said.
With multiple major projects coming, the region is facing a critical shortage of engineers and technicians, he said.
Koehler, who founded the Northern Technology and Engineering Society of B.C., said he will continue to advocate for an engineering program at UNBC.
Cameron Stolz said he would like to see the proposed Wood Innovation and Design Centre include
affordable student housing.
"Imagine what having 400 students living in the downtown could achieve," he said.
To connect the university to the housing downtown and broader community, Stolz advocated for improvements to bus service including express busses from downtown to UNBC.
Dave Wilbur said the city needs to work harder to engage with UNBC and partners on important initiatives.
In addition, city council can use its connections to promote the university at the provincial and national level.
"That communication should not only be from leader to leader, and board to board," Wilbur said. "We know the story well. [But] Victoria and Ottawa have short memories."
Urban sprawl
"Prince George has made some of the same mistakes that cities all across North America have made," Murry Krause said.
However, those mistakes can be corrected and city council has become a strong advocate for urbanization and developing residential areas in the downtown.
Garth Frizzell countered that part of what makes Prince George a desirable place to live is the access to a more rural lifestyle and affordability of single-family homes.
Myrt Turner said the city has to balance the need to promote in-fill development with ensuring the city is responsive to the needs of developers.
Scot Affleck said part of promoting development is to build the city's tax base, but policies adopted by the current council undermine that.
Social issues
Harry Ulch said policing is the single largest operational cost in the city's budget, but to address the city's crime and social issues it is a cost that will have to be paid.
John Beebe said he was alarmed to hear the RCMP Downtown Enforcement Unit is in jeopardy
because of lack of funding.
Dorothy Friesen said the city can and should advocate for the provincial and federal governments to live up to their responsibilities to fund social programs, drug rehabilitation and social housing programs.
"I would work very hard for a community where no one gets left behind," Jordan Gadsby said.
Community pride
Prince George needs to do a better job promoting the many positive aspects of the community, Brad Gagnon said, while addressing some of the esthetic issues.
"First Avenue is really ugly. So many of our visitors, that's their first impression of Prince George," he said.
Travis Shaw said the city needs to take control of its image and stop allowing others to telling Prince George's story.
Garth Frizzell said the city needs to work on its "ground game," by promoting positive images of the city through social media and word of mouth.
Debora Munoz and Joanne Dickenson said the city has a lot of positive aspects, including affordable housing, which have not been sold strongly enough outside the city.
