We read with interest the special report in the Feb. 11th edition of The Citizen entitled Prince George Poised to Become Major Hub City.
While we agree that recent developments have placed Prince George in a very enviable and promising economic position. We hope that this is the first in a series of articles that examines this issue from all sides, and not just from the perspective of Initiatives Prince George, COSCO, CN Rail and the Port of Prince Rupert. In terms of economic development, there are indeed many benefits to being a hub city, but there are also negative consequences: air and noise pollution, increased road and rail traffic, and added stress on local infrastructure.
In the past the whole Pacific Gateway project has been characterized as transformative for the economy of northern B.C., but it could also involve regional economic shifts that may see a gradual movement of people, goods and resources from outlying communities to
Prince George. We hope that further investigation into the development of Prince George as a hub city also includes a very careful look at the spokes because communities across northern B.C., including Prince George, deserve a full and objective assessment of this very complicated issue.
Gary Wilson, Tracy Summerville
Prince George
