As a recent university graduate from Vancouver, local travel did not appeal very much as opposed to international travel. COVID clamped down on international travel and one of the things i thought about was local travel.
I decided to backpack across Canada and B.C. and noticed how different cities are managed as well as how people treat each other in many forms. Kindness and openness define a place and its people. Travelling across Canada made me feel interested in local traditions as well as how people live and if they are happy. In cities like Vancouver, Toronto, St John’s, and Winnipeg, I've noticed a lot of people are unhappy and suffer anxiety and depression, especially in major cities.
One of the cities in BC I travelled to was Prince George. I was interested because i only heard about this city from my social studies class in high school and it only talked about logging and that's pretty much it. When I travelled to Prince George, one of the things I noticed is how people were polite and compassionate as well as really happy and open. I got lost and people were really helpful in giving directions to visit the university. I noticed how people were relaxed even walking around the city. It was a really slow-paced lifestyle as opposed to living in a major city where I do and people are always in a rush and stressed out.
Now in 2022, I remember Prince George as one of the few cities in Canada where I saw how kind and compassionate people are. I feel compassion and kindness, especially in major cities, is forgotten and replaced. Prince George was one of the most memorable cities across Canada for me because of the people.
Brian Jones
Vancouver
