If they thought Prince George smelt like beer and tasted like Poutine, then there can be no doubt that our first visitor from the U.K got stuck into life here! On the last night of her trip we had a chat about her time here and the impression Northern British Columbia had made.
To prepare for my Mum’s visit, I asked some of our Prince George pals to share their perspective on this city, you can read their thoughts here. It only seemed right to ask Sue some of the same questions!
Like the locals, Sue described Prince George as ‘snowy’ but also said it was an ‘interesting’ place to visit. As well as the impression the beer and poutine left on her senses, she mentioned the inescapable industrial smell, but said that it often smelt fresh and was a surprisingly quiet place.
And the people of Prince George, did they live up to their reputation for being a friendly bunch? Of course, she mentioned their friendliness, but also how open they were and what a diverse range of people she had met.
First impressions
After a month here, what do you think of Prince George?
There is lots to do! From skiing to watching ice hockey to crafting in a café to walking in the parks.
Food and drink
Have you had any memorable food and drink?
My favourite food was Poutine, I had it twice once at the Westwood Sports Bar and once at The Black Cover Irish Bar.
Speaking of bars, which ones did you visit?!
Westwood Sports Bar, which feels like you are in ‘Cheers’ because of the big square bar in the middle with locals sat at it. There is also loads of screens showing various sports and jerseys hanging from the ceiling.
Crossroads Brewery where we got a ‘flight’ and so we tried four of the different beers they make there. You can see into the brewery, there’s pipes everywhere and a great big, dead black bear on the wall!
What about the restaurants and cafes, any to write home about?!
I loved Wasabi Sushi in the downtown and Nancy Os, it was there that I had my first British Columbian beer and a delicious vegan burger. I also went to Betulla which is a really quality restaurant.
I really love Tim Hortons, I love those Timbits!
But your favourite café was..
Definitely the Makerie! It has great ambiance and really friendly staff. It’s a nice atmosphere to be creative in. I decorated a plant pot and Helen made a felted Robin.
Culture
What did you think of the Northern British Columbia culture?
It’s friendly and laidback, it feels quite rural.
It’s cool that there is a real out doorsy culture. Everyone talks about trails or having to break trails and snowshoeing or skiing. Everyone is getting outside.
Have you had any weird culture shocks or noticed any significant differences between here and the U.K?
There’s no local pubs!
As a pedestrian, the cars always stop for you and wait for you to cross the road, even if you are not at a crossing! You can’t stand by the side of the road without cars stopping to let you cross!
You hear animals you don’t recongise, like strange birds with calls you don’t know and moose bellowing. There’s lots of crows and they are massive.
The constant static shock! The colder it gets, the dryer the air gets and my hair is so static!
Have you had an opportunity to experience the local indigenous culture?
There’s elements of Lheidli T’enneh culture in lots of places around Prince George. I didn’t ever dream that it would be such a big part of every day life in Prince George.
At the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) I saw the Grizzly Bear Transformation Mask, a mechanical bear with a human inside representing the belief that everything has a human spirit.
There is indigenous art work painted on the wall outside Helen’s school and in the downtown we visited Angelique’s Native Arts shop and the Uda Dune Baiyoh (House of Ancestors) Café, where we had Bannock.
Seeing more of northern BC
Tell us about your trip to Prince Rupert on the train…
It was a 14-hour journey from Prince George to Prince Rupert. I hardly read because the scenery was so beautiful. We went through the Babine Mountains, past the Seven Sister Peaks, Catherine Glacier and along the Skeena River towards the coast, there was even a full moon.
On the way back it took 12 hours. I hardly saw anything as it snowed the whole time! I did see a moose, which I have never seen in my life before, five balled eagles and a grey fox.
What was Prince Rupert like?
It was, in places, like a typical little seaside town. By the harbor there are wooden buildings in bright colours. I think, in the summer, with the fish and chip shops open, it would have a great atmosphere.
I found a beautiful trail, along the sea front. There were people fishing and lots of boats dry docked. The big difference to Prince George was that there was no snow.
Outdoor adventures
You have explored just about all the hiking trails in Prince George, what were they like?
Cottonwood Island was beautiful because of the carvings on the trees, but when we were there it was -27’C so my nostril hairs froze! I spent a lot of time in Moore’s Meadow, it was a blessing having that right by Helen and Jacob’s house. I’ll miss it.
There are a lot of places in Prince George you can walk around and feel safe. I went up to ‘Forest For The World’ near UNBC and walked around Shane Lake. I had a legendary outing on Connaught Hill, where I learnt about stepping in tree wells!! I also had a coffee and a walk in Ginter’s.
What was your favorite outdoor adventure?
Snowshoeing in Barkerville was loads of fun, breaking trail made it very adventurous. Barkerville is a historic town from the gold rush era. We walked to the end of the town and snowshoed in the forest.
We had to follow ribbons in trees to find the trail. We were so lucky to have it to ourselves. Barkerville has beautiful wooden houses, a fantastic church and a school. It felt like your classic wild west town, but with snow and ice!
Cross Country Skiing is much harder than I thought it would be, you don’t realise how much muscle power you need! It’s hard work!
I wanted to experience Cross Country skiing and see whether I could do it. I was quite pleased that I did a loop on my own, in the dark. I was proud that I went down a slope!
The Oval outdoor ice rink is fantastic! But I hate the bumps in the natural ice, I want normal flat ice! I felt terrified the whole time!
Best bits
What were your stand out experiences from your time here?
The Winter Olympics that Helen, Jacob and their friends put on and seeing the Cougars Ice Hockey are highlights for me. We didn’t think the hockey would happen as the first game we booked got cancelled because of Covid. I met Rowdy Cat the Cougars mascot! The atmosphere was amazing because of the scoring, the music and the players smashing into the perplex! I’m glad I didn’t miss the experience of a hockey game! It made my trip!
You mentioned the Winter Olympics, which was an afternoon where we competed in hilarious, beer-fueled versions of Winter Sports, tell us more about that…
It was mental!! Really good fun! There was Beer Can Curling, Broom Stick Ice Hockey, a Human Oxe Pull and Extreme Sledding.
I loved playing Ice Hockey and being in goal. The Human Oxe Pull was great because it was so ridiculous. I also loved going down a steep hill on a floatie!
Overall, are you glad you came in winter?
Oh yeah! It’s a richer experience. It’s what I thought Canada was like when I was a child. But you can’t just sit inside moaning, you have to get out there in the snow and cold.
I’m glad you came in winter too and so proud of how you’ve thrown yourself into the adventure!
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Find out more about our first visitor’s time here and plan your own trip to Northern British Columbia…
Perspectives on Prince George: preparing to share the best of British Columbia’s northern capital
Defying a pandemic: Our first visitor from the U.K shares their travel experience
Prince George: The armpit of British Columbia or British Columbia’s best kept secret?!
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West Country Wandering 