I am very unhappy with the Maclean's magazine's ranking of PG as the 'most dangerous city' in the country.
We moved here in 1998 for employment reasons and have never felt unsafe, even walking downtown at night. There are a number of down-and-outers in our city centre, but they are usually friendly, and are just happy to be acknowledged as you pass by. Despite a small amount of minor crime in my neighbourhood involving theft from yards, I am not afraid to walk my dog even late at night - she ain't no guard dog either, weighing in at about 25 lbs. max.
This city has its problems, but for what it is, a smaller city with a large responsibility for services to the many small towns and villages in the surrounding area, we don't have the level of crime of southern cities doing the same thing. I lived in the Vancouver area for nearly 40 years before coming here, and can tell you I have not been unhappy about making the move north. People here are friendly, housing is affordable, services are reasonable, and major crime has not touched my life in nearly 15 years in PG.
Where I live I could allow my child to play with friends down the street and not be worried about them, can walk the streets without being accosted, enjoy the green spaces and parks with my family and dog, and get anywhere in town in a matter of minutes.
The major crime issues here seem to primarily centre on the drug trade and gangs, which to my mind is an imported problem from the coast. Poverty and lack of resources in the outlying areas bring people with troubles to the bigger community and sometimes it is a struggle to help those folks to become model citizens, but I can only say, that I do not feel afraid in this city - this was not the case when living or visiting in the GVRD.
Prince George has its problems: potholes, bad highway conditions, crazy civic government, boom and bust economic cycles and all that comes with being a resource-based community. But this city also has a big heart, lots of innovative thinkers, the attitude to develop great ideas like a new university and medical school, a northern cancer centre, upgrades to our airport to improve services and a remarkably generous spirit for giving back to the community.
We chose to move here to employment reasons, but when I visit the coast these days, I choose to stay up north for the quieter but definitely not boring life it affords me.
Heidi Shearman
Prince George
