The Prince George Public Library's downtown walking tour program is on pace to set a participation record this year.
For the past seven years, the library has hired a summer student to escort visitors and residents around the downtown, highlighting the points of historical interest.
The highest number of people to take advantage of this service was 515 in 2009. The numbers plummeted last year due to the weather.
"Most of the people on the tours have been from Prince George, but we have had participants from other parts of BC, Germany, Quebec, Ontario, Australia...," said this year's guide Diandra Norburn.
When not conducting tours, Norburn has been working with Trelle Morrow, the retired architect who designed more than one of the buildings she talks about on the downtown walking tour. A couple of times now she has met with him for some enhanced knowledge that the library's books, articles and oral history resources don't provide.
"Sometimes we get into these long conversations and I don't even want to interrupt him when he changes topics because everything is interesting, I learn so much from him," she said after a guided tour inside the historic Knox United Church.
"Having this walking tour available is such an asset to the town," said Morrow. "It's great that there is so much local interest in our own buildings and books. I'm seeing a real enthusiasm for learning more about our own history. People like me and Kent Sedgwick and Bev Christensen and a few others have been at it for a long time but it is starting to rub off."
Right around the corner from Knox United Church was another Morrow construction, the Brunswick Street seniors' centre, although it was the city's first public library when he drew it up.
He told Norburn that prior to the library, the location was first an army barracks building, then was home to the Scouts hall.
Norburn was able to tell Morrow some things he didn't know, like the city's library services began with a basement operation in one of the Presbyterian churches, another book lending location then operated out of Pitman's Music, there was some book lending done out of the Assman's Building and the Ritts Kifer Hall, but when Morrow's first stand-alone library was built by the city in 1954, membership shot up by about 150 per cent.
It is today's Bob Harkins Branch of the library where the city's walking tour is based. Anyone interested in a personalized viewing of the 22 spots on the tour (interpretive signs are at each one for those out and about on their own, and brochures are available at the library, City Hall and Tourist Information Centre) can join Norburn every Monday at 11 a.m. or Wednesdays and Fridays at 1 p.m. starting from the library's front desk. The free tours continue until the end of the month.
Norburn is also available by appointment for off-hours tours.
The number is 250-563-9251 (ext. 120).
CAN BE CUT
Downtown Walking Tour atendance:
2006 - 175 people
2007 - 163
2008 - 404
2009 - 515
2010 - 270
2011 - 120
2012 (as of late July) - 255
