The Prince George Civic Centre quietly celebrated its 20th anniversary Tuesday.
Staff and management hosted a modest event with a cake and a few short speeches.
The event in no way matched the impact the facility has had on Prince George during the past two decades.
Imagine Studio Fair, the Mennonite Fall Fair and the Festival of Trees without the Civic Centre. Imagine some of the city's major dinner fundraisers, such as Evening of Pink, the Bob Ewert Memorial Dinner, Taste of India, and Dancing With The Stars without the Civic Centre.
Built with legacy funds from Expo 86, the Civic Centre has served Prince George well, as a place for the private and public sector to host local, regional, provincial, national and even international conventions and workshops.
As former city councillor Don Bassermann told the small group gathered Tuesday, the facility was championed by members of the council of the day. One councillor championed the spacious foyer, fighting the urge to cut it back to something more modest. Another councillor insisted the plaza be outfitted to have a fountain in the summer and a small skating rink in the winter.
More fiscally responsible councillors would have criticized these costly and cosmetic additions but 20 years later, they were clearly worth it. The political leaders and the community had the foresight in the early 1990s to build a facility not just for the moment but for the decades to come.
More than the arena that was actually called the Multiplex, it's the Civic Centre that has truly been Prince George's multi-use facility.
During its 20 years, it has hosted everything from trade and industry shows, health and fashion shows (shameless plug for The Sweetheart Bridal Show that The Citizen is hosting at The Civic Centre on Sunday, Feb. 23 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.), political rallies and fundraisers, sports, concerts, seniors teas and funerals.
Two years ago this month, more than 900 people attended the funeral at the Civic Centre for five members of a Prince George family, killed in a horrific highway crash near Williams Lake. Many of us from The Citizen were there to mourn Matt Altizer, the Citizen's systems manager, as well as his wife, his two children and his sister.
Together, we grieved our loss and celebrated their wonderful and joyous lives cut tragically short.
Togetherness has been the Civic Centre's greatest contribution to Prince George life. It's not just a building where various events. It's a place where the community comes together. Christmas doesn't start until Santa arrives at the plaza as part of the Civic Centre light up celebrations. Looking forward, the plaza will host major outdoor festivities during the Canada Winter Games next February and will be forever known as the Canada Winter Games Plaza afterwards.
That's a fitting name. When Canada Games officials visited Prince George in the summer of 2010 to evaluate the city's bid to host the 2015 Winter Games, they met city dignitaries at the Civic Centre. Before they went inside, however, they were greeted by a party in the plaza that featured ice sculptures and an impromptu snowball fight.
Nothing says winter like a community willing to celebrate with snow and ice in the middle of August.
Three weeks after moving to Prince George from Kelowna in November of 1999, I brought my then-three-year-old daughter Claire for an early Saturday morning skate in the plaza. It was a quiet morning, with nothing but the sounds of our laughter, our blades on the ice and the Christmas carols being played on the outdoor speakers. Afterwards, we headed into the library, where we just happened to meet legendary Canadian author Roch Carrier, who was visiting Prince George as part of a tour as the honorary national librarian. To top off the morning, we headed over to the Festival of Trees.
That morning and early afternoon I spent with my daughter at the Civic Centre and the library gave me memories I treasure to this day.
It's also a perfect example of what great local facilities, like the Civic Centre, do best. They are where new residents go to join us in our community. They reflect the best of us back to ourselves.
Happy birthday, Civic Centre. Thanks for the memories and looking forward to many more.
