A new local history book shines a light on a newspaper editor whose journalism career in the region spanned five decades.
From The Corner Table is a collection of columns written by the late Pete Miller during his days at the Prince George Citizen and the Quesnel Cariboo Observer. The columns were chosen by longtime friends John Harris and Vivien Lougheed, along with former Citizen reporter Jim Stirling.
Miller started as a photographer at The Citizen in 1963, then became city editor, moved to then sister paper the Quesnel Cariboo Observer in 1968 and returned some years later to resume city editor duties, did layout and computerized the newsroom. He worked until he got sick and died in 2001.
Stirling recalls how Miller thrived during his time at the Quesnel Observer where he did the news side as well as writing humorous columns about his small town life.
"He covered environmental stuff seriously and funnily," said Harris. "He covered the drug thing, and always provided people with information about what was going on and he was very sympathetic to hippies, which might have been unusual in conservative circles."
Stirling agreed that Miller was sympathetic to the underdog.
"I think he was sympathetic to the person who wasn't allowed to have their say," said Stirling. "It was as simple as that."
The title of the book is a nod to Miller's habit of holding court and engaging in debate at local bars after meeting his afternoon deadline at the Citizen.
The three collaborators believe the columns they chose reflect Miller's personality.
"The vignettes in this collection resonate today, I think, because of the universality of their themes," said Stirling in the preface of the book. "They're about real people in a small town, presented with Pete's wry touch and a distinct Cariboo seasoning."
Miller's talents weren't just as a writer.
There was a tribute in The Citizen years ago and most often the comment made was that Miller was a killer of an editor - he was a real stickler and that's why on the back of the book there is an image of the Canadian Press style guide he owned, Harris added.
"He had it memorized," said Lougheed.
As Stirling, Lougheed and Harris reminisced, Miller's headline writing talent quickly became the topic of conversation.
When Charlton Heston, the Oscar-winning actor best known for his role as Moses in the 1956 movie The Ten Commandments and president of the American gun advocacy group the National National Rifle Association, came to Prince George as guest speaker for the B.C. Wildlife Federation's annual general meeting in 2000, Miller's headline for the story was 'Guns N' Moses'.
"He did lots of those," said Stirling. "He was awful at puns. He loved them."
Neil Godbout, managing editor of the Prince George Citizen, kept a note on the bottom of his computer monitor for years after Miller died that read "WWPD?" for "What Would Pete Do?"
Whenever there was pressure in the newsroom Miller took it in stride and got the job done, Godbout added.
"I just thought that is the way an editor should carry himself," said Godbout.
From the Corner Table, selected columns by Peter Miller is available at Books & Co., 1685 Third Avenue or e-mail [email protected].
As part of The Citizen's 100th anniversary in February 2016, we're sharing stories of local residents and former staff members who played a role in the newspaper's success over the years. If you have a story to tell, we'd love to hear it and share it with our readers. Drop us a line at [email protected].
