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Meet the residents who made Prince George better in 2023

Prince George residents do so much to make their community better. Here is a short list of those who made a difference in 2023.
Christine Dalgleish
Christine Dalgleish
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Brad Gustafson stands near donated materials he used to build tiny homes for the unhoused at Moccasin Flats.

Extraordinary fundraiser Jim Terrion, a Prince George resident, has raised $879,501 since 1991 for the Terry Fox Foundation with a goal of raising $1 million by 2024.

Wesley Mitchell has been a community booster since the Covid-19 pandemic and started by drumming to offer healing to those healthcare workers and patients at UHNBC. He and Ivan Paquette drummed in the hospital’s parking lot for 47 days straight and then moved to Monday nights to keep up the spirits of those in a most difficult time. Mitchell continues to do the weekly drumming along with other members of the UHNBC Traditional Drummers Group while also making appearances throughout the region to promote healing and bring awareness and reconciliation to communities.

Selen Alpay, owner of the Prince George Canadian Tire, is a philanthropist who supports many local causes and has continued to meaningfully contribute throughout the years. Most recently, Selen and Anita Alpay donated $500,000 in support of a fundraising campaign for a new cutting-edge international precision radiation clinical trial, led by Dr. Rob Olson, research lead and radiation oncologist and his team at the BC Cancer Centre for the North in Prince George.

Brad Gustafson is a resident of Prince George who, after he met a stranger on the street, invited him to live at his house for two months while he navigated his way through the system to get housed. Gustafson was inspired to do more and is now busy building tiny homes for the unhoused in Prince George. He is fundraising for supplies to build as many as he can for those living at Moccasin Flats.

Eli Klasner, Prince George & District Community Arts Council executive director, was moved to donate $20,000 to help Ukrainians arriving in the city to escape war. Klasner contributed to Miracle Theatre’s Refugees and Hope Endowment Fund at the Prince George Community Foundation that supports Share Hope Prince George, which helps Ukrainians coming to Prince George.

Ted Price and Anne McLaughlin are director and producer of Miracle Theatre, that through the years raises funds for local causes. This year Miracle Theatre raised $190,141.10 from its production of Dancing Lessons to establish the Refugees and Hope Endowment Fund of Prince George at the Prince George Community Foundation. In total, Miracle Theatre has created endowment funds in the amount of $530,956.

Wheelin’ Warriors of the North founder Karin Piche started the cycling group in 2012 after she lost a friend to skin cancer. She captains the Tour de Cure team who raises funds for the BC Cancer Foundation by riding 200km over two days down south. So far Wheelin’ Warriors of the North have raised more than $1.5 million and all the money stays in the North. It’s thanks to Karin’s continued dedication to the cause that has made the cycling group such a success.

Those dedicated duck feeders who go the Cottonwood Island Park every day in the frozen winter to make sure the quackers get enough to eat to survive the season are Paul Cailleaux and Brock Bailey. They are members of Ducks Unlimited and want the duck population to be healthy each year. With donations from the community they continue their mission. The community and the ducks are grateful.