Prince George, BC
MARKET PROFILE
REGION DESCRIPTION
Prince George is growing! Known as BC’s northern capital, Prince George is a bustling city of over 77,000 situated at the crossroads of Hwy. 97 (north-south) and Hwy. 16 (east-west), and at the confluence of the Fraser and Nechako Rivers. As a major City of the Pacific Rim, Prince George is firmly tied to the global market.
The area offers a lifestyle that is definitely worth boasting about. Residents enjoy affordable housing, incomes above provincial averages, and an extensive range of quality services, cultural and sports events. Recreation opportunities are second to none and range from golfing, skiing, fishing and hunting to any team sport you can think of. Local educational facilities include the University of Northern British Columbia and the College of New Caledonia.
Quick Facts
Latitude: 53°53′00″
Longitude: 122°40′00″
NTS50: 093G15
Elevation: 691.30 metres (approximately 575m (1886ft) in city centre)
2001 Population: 72,406 (1996: 75,150)
Size: 315.99 square kilometers
Population Density: 229.1 per square kilometer
TRANSIT DISTRICT FACTS
Prince George Transit System, or PG Transit, is the main public transit provider in Prince George, British Columbia. PG Transit is funded in conjunction with the City of Prince George and BC Transit (The provincial Crown corporation responsible for transit services outside Greater Vancouver), and operated by Prince George Transit Ltd., a subsidiary of Pacific Western Transportation.
There are 12 routes that run throughout Prince George:
1 Heritage/10th Ave.
5 Victoria/5th Ave.
11 Heritage/10th Ave.
12 Parkridge
14 PG Pulp Rd.
15 UNBC/15th Ave.
16 UNBC/College Heights
46 Queensway
55 Victoria/5th Ave.
88 Hart/Westgate
89 Westgate/Hart
90 Hart Local
Prince George Regional Map
FLEET SIZE
Consists of 23 Buses;
1 Low Floor Flyer
10 35’ Dennis Darts
12 Novas
RIDERSHIP STATISTICS
Based on a survey conducted by The City of Prince George and BC Transit last November (2008), transit ridership has increased over 12.6% (November 2007 to November 2008). The rise is mainly attributed to the introduction of the university bus pass, U-PASS, and recent transit expansion, which added approximately 3600 annual service hours and three buses to its fleet.
81% of Transit Riders report using transit 4 or more days a week,
Trip Purpose are reported as (in order of Magnitude)
Post Secondary
Work
Other
Shopping
High School
Medical/Dental
Prince George Transit System ridership is up 13 % over the previous year. Ridership for 2006-07 is now 1.2 million. The increase is mostly due to student based population.
Sunday service was introduced along with Sunday Handidart service.
AREAS SERVED
See Map for Coverage.
SHOPPING CENTER/RESTAURANT COVERAGE
Pine Centre Mall, Westgate Mall, Spruceland Shopping Centre, Brookwood Plaza, Parkwood Place, along with the new Treasure Cove Casino and over 140 Dining options.
INDUSTRIAL/BUSINESS COVERAGE
Wood drives the local economy, with forestry, plywood manufacture, 12 sawmills and three pulp mills as major employers and customers. Other industry includes two chemical plants, an oil refinery, brewery, dairy, machine shops, aluminum boat building, log home construction, value added forestry product and specialty equipment manufacturing. Prince George is also a staging centre for mining and prospecting, and a major regional transportation, trade and government hub. Several major retailers are expanding into the Prince George market, a trend expected to persist.
RECREATION/ENTERTAINMENT COVERAGE
Recreation facilities include 116 playgrounds and parks, plus tennis courts, ice rinks, two swimming pools and an 11 kilometer riverfront trail system. Four provincial parks in the region provide downhill, cross-country and heli-skiing. Prince George has a WHL hockey team, the Prince George Cougars and a 7,000 seat multipurpose arena, the CN Centre, as well as a BCJHL team, the Prince George Spruce Kings. An art gallery, craft guild, theatre workshop, symphony, playhouse, Civic/Convention Centre and 800-seat Vanier Hall provide a cultural base. Along with the new Treasure Cove Casino & Hotel, 37,000 sq ft Entertainment facility.
COLLEGES/UNIVERSITY COVERAGE
Prince George’s education system encompasses 37 elementary, 8 secondary, 2 junior secondary, 1 middle school and 8 private schools. Post-secondary education choices include the regional College of New Caledonia (CNC), which offers two-year university courses plus vocational and professional programs. Several BC universities, British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) and the Open Learning Agency have integrated their local programs with CNC.
The University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) is the first new university to be built in Canada in over 25 years. A total of 55 undergraduate programs, 15 masters programs and two PhD programs are now offered at UNBC as well as the new Northern Medical Program.
HOSPITAL COVERAGE
Prince George Regional Hospital
TOP TEN AREA LIFESTYLES
Hunting, Fishing, Camping, Outdoor Sports (Hockey), Golfing, Skiing (Downhill and Cross Country), Caving/Spelunking, bird watching, horseback riding, guide outfitting and ATVing.
DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE (Population, Avg Household Income, avg age etc)
Population: 70,981
Median Age: 36.5
Median Household Income: $72,055 (Median income in 2005 – All census families)
Permitted Products
All Signature Products (with Window Coverage)
All Traditional Products
Restrictions
None
