The bustling city of Prince George paused this July to open its doors to hundreds of northern and central B.C. residents driven from their homes by one of the worst fire seasons in provincial history.
As of mid-July, more than 180 fires were burning, many considered out of control, as the B.C. government declared a provincewide state of emergency to co-ordinate the crisis response. The BC Wildfire Service said more than 173 fires were reported on one day alone as lightning storms rolled over several parts of B.C.
A total of 1,000 firefighters were battling the wildfires with an additional 600 people backing them up. Another 200 contractors were helping.
Kevin Skrepnek, chief information officer for the fire service, said it was “an extraordinary day in terms of fire activity across the province.”
In Prince George, the forest fires to the south – Williams Lake was threatened and other towns burning – has meant the city’s hotels are working flat out to meet demand.
“Most of the hotels are fully booked and I know lots of them are working around the clock to accommodate the evacuees, the fire crews,” said Tourism Prince George marketing and communications manager Annie Doran.
Doran said some are also giving evacuees a discount rate.
The tourist information centre has also been a hive of activity as staff have helped visitors with finding alternate routes and changing bookings and just generally providing updates on the forest fire situation.
“Just letting people use our phone to call, letting people use the internet,” Doran said. Northern Health was working to accommodate an influx of patients from Williams Lake. They’re being accepted at University Hospital of Northern BC in Prince George.
Clinics are being set up at the College of New Caledonia and the Northern Sport Centre, and room for more than 100 seniors was found at residential care and assisted-living facilities in Prince George.
Evacuees are also welcome to use the YMCA of Northern BC’s facilities free of charge to shower and clean up, get some rest or use the gym equipment.
“We’re a mid-size city with a small-town feel, and we all are coming together as a community because this is a tragic event,” Doran said.
Strong economy
Prince George is a mid-size town – with about 90,000 residents – but its big-city amenities and economy have helped it welcome fire victims and firefighters.
It is a city that can afford to be generous.
Prince George’s overall economy is forecast to expand 2.8 per cent this year, outpacing Canada, with the largest gains coming in construction, finance and real estate sectors, according to the Conference Board of Canada.
The city’s unemployment rate stood at 5.9 per cent in May, according to Statistics Canada, compared to a B.C.-wide rate of 5.6 per cent. Prince George’s jobless rate in May was down from 6.6 per cent for the same month last year.
In June, the Prince George unemployment rate was 6.3 per cent, with 47,500 working.
Its housing market is reflective of the improving economy, according to a BC Northern Real Estate Board (BCNREB) first-half report.
In all, 515 single-family homes have sold so far this year for an average price of $311,850. That’s up from the same point last year, when 484 went for an average $300,903.
“Prince George seems to be slugging along,” said BCNREB director Bob Quinlan.
Rental homes also appear to be drawing interest from buyers based in the Lower Mainland, he said.
“We’re seeing investors who have cashed in down there and they can get into, say, a duplex here for $100,000 or $75,000 and it’ll cash flow them, it’ll give them a return,” Quinlan said.
The upswing in construction includes a new $35 million Marriott hotel being built downtown, an expanding industrial base and the opening of a giant Lowe’s home improvement outlet in July.
Located in Pine Centre Mall in what was once home to Zellers and the short-lived Target, the new $20 million Lowe’s covers 101,000 square feet of retail space and is accompanied by a 7,500-square-foot garden centre.
