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Prince
George - 'BC's Northern Capital'
Prince George, or PG for short, has a population of over 77,000
people and is often referred to as 'BC's Northern Capital.' Prince
George sits on the generally flat Fraser Plateau and is located
118 km (73 miles) north of Quesnel
on Hwy 97 and 376 km (234 miles) west of Jasper, Alberta, on Hwy
16.
Lheidli
T'Enneh First Nations
Prince George sits at the confluence of two large rivers, the Nechako
and Fraser. This large salmon spawning watershed system with an
abundant supply of resources is the traditional home to the Lheidli
T'Enneh First Nations.
Crossroads
of Hwy 97 and Hwy 16
Prince George is your gateway into northern British Columbia. Located
at the crossroads of two major highways, Hwy 97 traveling north-south
and Hwy 16, "The Yellowhead" goes in an east-west direction.
Circle
Routes
By going to Prince George you can have a choice of traveling in
all four directions throughout BC. Then, if you combine other highway
systems with various circle routes, this plan can allow you to see
most of British Columbia's north without retracing your route.
Transportation
hub of the north
Prince George is home to a large modern airport, providing flights
to Vancouver, Northern BC and Alberta. CN Railway also operates
a large switchyard delivering coal and grain cars to the port of
Prince Rupert plus service lumber
to Vancouver's port facilities. The trucking industry also uses
Prince George as a main terminus to deliver goods in all directions
across British Columbia and Alberta.
Great
Destination Point
PG makes a great destination point when traveling to northern BC.
You can expect to travel for around 8½ hours by car from
either Vancouver
or Edmonton. If you're staying the night, there are various places
ranging from small lakes on the outskirts featuring RV resorts to
excellent hotels and motels downtown.
Things
for you to do
There are lots for you to do when visiting Prince George. The choice
is quite varied ranging from various summer and winter recreation
activities, to a good variety of shopping and experiencing good
restaurants and pubs, to the new Treasure Cove Casino and Hotel
located by the Mr. PG where Hwy 16 crosses Hwy 97.
Prince
George Railway and Forestry Museum
If you have time, take a must-see look at the Prince George Railway
and Forestry Museum. Displayed here is a great display of old machinery
and items from the Grand Trunk Pacific and Canadian National Railway
dating back from 1899 to the 1960s. There is also an excellent collection
of vintage forestry equipment from BC's proud past.
Other
Attractions
Prince George has a long list of other attractions for you to visit.
Included is The Exploration Place, The Fraser-Fort George Regional
Museum, UNBC, Prince George Astronomical Observatory, Two Rivers
Gallery and the Huble Homestead located on Mitchell Rd 40 km (25
miles) north of Prince George on Hwy 97.
Ester's
Inn
If you need a workout, the recreation centre downtown features a
good pool and exercise room. For kids, take them to Ester's Inn
which features a waterslide and various pools. Ester's also has
rooms and makes a nice diversion from the snow if you're traveling
in the winter.
Located
on Hwy 16
Located on the western end of the city on Hwy 16, towards Vanderhoof,
is where you can find most of the large "big box" style
stores. Costco, Canadian Superstore, Home Depot, Wal-Mart, and Western
Canada's largest Canadian Tire are all close to each other.
Supplies
They are conveniently located on Hwy 16 with good access and contain
large parking lots. If you're running short on supplies, Prince
George makes a good choice to stock up while traveling throughout
northern BC.
Purden
Lake Provincial Park
If you like the campsites available in the Provincial Parks system
make sure you try Purden Lake. Only located 64 km (40 miles) east
of Prince George on Yellowhead Hwy 16, Purden makes a great destination
when traveling to Prince George especially if you like canoeing
and swimming.
City
Information
Accommodation
Attractions
Education
Links
First
Nations
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