On behalf of the Prince George Public Library Board of Directors, this letter is in response to Ray Olson's letter to the editor concerning the Jeanne Clarke Awards.
Mr. Olson's book, Ghost Towns on the East Line, was one of the nominations highlighted at the Jeanne Clarke Awards ceremony last year and it is circulating at both branches of the library. This book, as well as Mr. Olson's other work, From Liaboe to Loos and Beyond, are also included in our local history collection.
Five years ago, the board decided to expand the scope of the Jeanne Clarke Awards to include the broader history of the region.
In part, this decision reflects Prince George's status as a hub community with a prominent presence in northern British Columbia.
We are proud to celebrate local uniqueness, diversity and sense of place while also reveling in the commonalities that connect us all as northerners. The board has received a great deal of positive feedback relating to the number and quality of nominees in recent years, as well as the ever-increasing prestige of the awards due to this expansion.
We would like to thank Mr. Olson for opening the dialogue about local, regional and northern history, and for drawing attention to our winners for 2016.
We are pleased to recognize Trelle Morrow's interesting and thorough work of local history, 100 Years of Prince George Architecture, Debra Komar's exciting regional murder-mystery, The Bastard of Fort Stikine, and the Select Committee on Prince George's 100th Anniversary Celebrations, a group of volunteers who worked to enhance local history through a downtown walking tour app, a 100th anniversary time capsule and numerous other initiatives.
Carolynne Burkholder-James
Chair of the Prince George
Public Library board of directors
Prince George
