I?ve written in a previous article about the inferiority complex that I believe many people in Prince George have about the city that we live in.
On that note, it?s confession time.
I grew up on the Hart Highway and I?m not ashamed of it. When my husband and I relocated to Prince George and we started looking for a place to buy, our realtor was surprised on my insistence that I wanted to live in the Hart. So convinced was she that other neighbourhoods were better, we were shown house after house in College Heights, Heritage, Tabor and other neighbourhoods in the shadow of the University. During one of our discussions, she told us that most buyers in Prince George want to see houses in any neighbourhood except for the Hart, and the VLA.
I was, and still am, completely surprised by this.
I?ve found that many of the people who tease me about my love of the Hart haven?t spent a lot of time up here. Yes it?s true that we get the snow for longer than downtown. When we?ve chosen to live in a city where we get can snow from October until May, does an extra two weeks really matter? I am a second-generation Hart dweller and I am proud of it. I grew up in a trailer and I?m proud of it.
One of the greatest things about Prince George, I believe, is our ?closeness? to each other. Our neighbourhoods are mixed. You may have a street full of newly-built giant homes but one street over, there are more ?lived-in? homes, houses and trailers alike. We build a lot of self-importance into our addresses. There are many things to consider when you?re choosing your neighbourhood: safety, schools, privacy, access to shopping, public transit, annual snowpack, wildlife, etc. It?s easy to forget that most people just want a place to call their own. I am grateful that I have a home in a safe neighbourhood for my family and I to live in this city.
I?m not necessarily advocating living in the Hart over other places in our city. Every neighbourhood in Prince George has value to those who live in it and people are happiest in the places where they are the most comfortable.
Love your neighbourhood, love your neighbours, love your city.
It?s where we all live together.
