Sometimes it is important to take a step back and look at things from a perspective of gratitude. And in that regard, I want to give a shout out to two people who made something really amazing happen recently in Prince George.
I'm talking about Sue Judge and Colleen Van Mook,
the respective leaders of the P.G. Folkfest Society and the P.G. Downtown Business Improvement Association, who, along with their dedicated staff members and volunteers, produced two exceptional events that had significant impact on the quality of life here in Prince George. These were the 2017 Coldsnap Festival and the Downtown Winter Carnival, which, for 10 days in February, truly made the city come to life, especially in the downtown core.
I have the pleasure of interacting with both Sue and Colleen on a regular basis, and what I found remarkable was that with limited budgets, they created two very cool cultural events that brought out approximately 5,000 people (in spite of volatile winter weather) for a series of concerts and workshops, and a Sunday winter carnival.
I visited the carnival on Sunday and I couldn't help but wonder if we are in the midst of a baby boom here. But what I sense is that folks in Prince George simply love to get outdoors, they have a lot of civic pride, they look forward to meeting up with friends and neighbours at cultural or celebratory events, and they truly enjoy events that provide a mix of programming that works for people of all ages.
I've said before that the Coldsnap Festival really puts Prince George on the cultural map. This year's festival brought in 30 bands or individual performers, at 13 different venues across town. In spite of the weather working against them on opening night, 500 people enjoyed a free concert at the Civic Centre, which was a great opener for the approximately 3,000 people who came out 10 days later to the winter carnival.
One of the things I love about living in this city is the opportunity for real participation, where, from the grassroots up, we get to figure out what we like as a community, and then take steps to make it happen. In many other cities in which I've lived and worked, public events such as music festivals or outdoor celebrations are staged for citizens. You show up, consume what is being offered, and then go home. Repeat next year. No one ever really asks you what you want, and opportunities to get involved and help the organizers make the event work, often get lost along the way.
Not so here.
In Prince George, the volunteer city, you can easily get involved. For example, Sue Judge, as artistic director of Coldsnap, wants to hear from residents, and get feedback on programming and ideas for future seasons. She quite literally has asked me to spread the word that she wants to hear more about what people liked and didn't like about this year's festival, and to hear what they would like next. I rarely hear of an artistic director being so completely open to public consultation on their artistic process. So please, feel free to send your comments or feedback about Coldsnap by email to [email protected].
I find that community-focussed process to be utterly refreshing, and a very encouraging sign that one day soon we could evolve into a major cultural centre within the province.
And so, on behalf of the entire city, thank you Sue and Colleen, and your teams and sponsors, for making February come to life for us. And folks, let's keep these events and festivals coming, as our quality of life depends on a vibrant and varied arts and cultural sector.
