You may have seen a familiar shipping container sprout up in Canada Games Plaza earlier this year.
This temporary outlet for Tourism PG has proven to be a giant success. Despite being open for fewer hours, visitors have increased by almost 15 per cent, with visiting parties increasing by 16 per cent, over the tourism agency's previous home on 1st Avenue beside Via Rail.
This increase in foot traffic and sales has boosted the confidence of PG Tourism to move to the Prince George's Conference and Civic Centre. This move has been coming for a while as the city council has been in talks to move the location for almost a decade. The first initiative was taken in 2021 visitor centre relocation task force which decided on the new location in the plaza.
This two-story rotunda has recently been renovated to accommodate the move and will centralize the business in the plaza. Making it easier to access and more visible to tourists and locals alike.
The new location has easy access to downtown hotels, Two Rivers Gallery, and Connaught Hill Park. Making it an effective centralized spot for tourism in Prince George.
“We're thrilled to have the support from the city of Prince George," said Colin Carson, CEO of Tourism Prince George. “We've been fortunate to secure some grant funding to create the container market and ice skating rink outside the New Vista Information Centre. So that whole location, we're very proud of the work that's been done to date. I'm looking forward to that work continuing as we continue that work and by the spring, it'll be a really exciting space that people can access and be a great thing for visitors and locals alike.”
The new location is set to open its doors in the new year after the finishing touches on construction.
It will offer the same amenities as the previous location including maps, specialized PG merch, pottery, Indigenous art and more. The shop will also be offering ice skate rentals to go with the new outdoor rink nearby.
“I think it's a positive move for Prince George, especially activating that space downtown," said Christina Watts, communications and engagement specialist for Tourism PG. “They've seen a run-through with the Festival of Trees and it was just such a great experience for everybody, especially that outdoor plaza with everything going on just added to a sense of community in the area. So I think there's a lot of pride in that.”
Carson and Tourism PG credit the City of Prince George, Lheidli T'enneh First Nation, Northern Development, Pacifican, Prince George Community Foundation and TC Energy with supporting them during the process.
