With Canada at war, the people of Prince George celebrated their first Second World War Christmas in December 1939. As if to light the way out of that darkness, that was the first year that the idea of using electric lights to decorate house exteriors really caught on. Some displays were fairly elaborate and added to the festive feeling associated with the season.
Prince George residents managed to greet the beginning of 1940 in a happy mood and with some style. The main focus of celebrations to greet the new year was the annual New Year's Ball at the Princess Ballroom, hosted by the Army & Navy Veterans' association. Prior to the main event, which began at midnight, revelers attended pre-dance parties in private homes and dinners held at the P.G. Grill and at the Shasta Cafe. The party at the Shasta Cafe was enlivened by a film presentation offered by Gus Lund who projected images of local scenes and the antics of local residents against the wall at the end of the dining room.
This city and its businesses exhibited a determined effort to push ahead and recover from the 1930s Depression. People believed that a return to prosperity was "just around the corner." Evidence of that can be found in the activities and increased enterprise in the early months of 1940. Some examples:
-- The city opened its new ice arena (100' x 216') at Sixth Avenue and Quebec Street on Jan. 10. Braving cold temperatures, 600 people attended a masquerade carnival on the first weekend. Costumed skaters competed for prizes and the Hockey Club played the first game with the team from Wells.
-- Prince George trappers benefitted from a huge demand for squirrel pelts. Valued by Canada's air force for lining the airmen's flying suits, local trappers shipped 50,000 pelts. Trappers got 15 cents for each pelt, but they were worth much more than that to the squirrels!
-- The local symphony played on. Their second public concert since organizing as an orchestra was held April 5 at the Princess Hall. They were led by A. Manzinoja and sponsored by the Junior Chamber of Commerce.
-- A new one-storey commercial building was started at the corner of Third Avenue and George Street. John McInnis began construction in May to house I.B. Baird's expanded men's clothing store.
-- Further up Third Avenue at Brunswick Street, the Northern Hardware doubled the floor space in its furniture department by annexing the building next door (formerly the post office) and cutting an archway to connect the space.
This column first appeared in the Prince George Citizen in September 1999.
