Keep a finger on Prince George's economic pulse. Read our quarterly Economic Development eNewsletter to learn about:

According to a staff report going to Prince George City Council later this month, building permit values registered at the City of Prince George climbed to record heights in 2021 driven largely by private sector multi-family housing construction. Traditionally, building permit values are an important economic indicator.

In 2021, the value of permits sold at the City of Prince George passed $237.6 Million, a 6.3 percent increase over the values in 2019, formerly the all-time record, which totalled roughly $223.4 Million. This total also brings the value of permits issued in Prince George in the past five years (2017 to 2021) to nearly $1 Billion ($985 Million).

Remarkably, in 2021 the value of new multi-family building permits again reached an all-time high of $115 Million – an impressive 62.7 percent increase over the previous record of $70 million set in 2020, which was itself an all-time record.

If you're interested in investing in Prince George, you're encouraged to contact the City of Prince George Economic Development Division at 250-561-7633 or by emailing ecdev@princegeorge.ca.

Wallace Wu and his family arrived in Prince George in the summer of 2021. He is the first entrepreneur to be approved to establish a new business in Prince George through the BC Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) Entrepreneur Immigration - Regional Pilot.

Wu is using his over 15 years of experience operating warehouses and international logistics businesses in China to offer logistical consulting services and warehousing in Prince George.

Learn why Wu believes locating his business in Prince George is one of the main reasons for his success.

Born and raised in the city of Udaipur, India, Sagar’s passion for international business led him to pursue an MBA from Cardiff University in Wales, UK. After completing his MBA in 2009, he returned to India and pursued numerous business ideas.

Sagar and his family relocated to Prince George in 2014, where he continued his entrepreneurial journey. He is currently the lead consultant of YELL Canada-North, Director of Boreal Sierra Capital, and Co-founder of Bucky Technologies Inc.

Sagar credits his success, in part, to the support of local service providers and mentors.

Since moving to Prince George in 2002, it has been apparent to Craig Briere that the City is full of opportunity, and unlike other communities, there aren’t as many barriers to entry.

Prince George’s central location in British Columbia created the perfect opportunity for him to develop the Prestige Treasure Cove Resort at the intersection of Highways 16 and 97.

Read his story to discover all of the reasons locating his business in Prince George was so integral to his success as an entrepreneur.

The City of Prince George, in partnership with Downtown Prince George, is developing a downtown placemaking and marketing strategy and needs public input.

Prince George residents are encouraged to fill out the Downtown Prince George Community Survey by February 7, 2022 to provide their feedback.

The Downtown Marketing and Placemaking Strategy will include recommendations on actions to enhance the attractiveness of the downtown, improve the offerings in the downtown and make it a more desirable location for businesses, residents and visitors.

Creating, embracing and promoting place in the downtown is one of the strategy priorities identified in the City’s 2020-2025 Economic Development Strategy.

The City has released a five year Forestry Cluster Development Strategy which was developed following consultation with local forestry representatives and stakeholders.

The Strategy includes a sector profile for forestry in the Prince George region and explores opportunities to diversify and expand product offerings and operations. The strategy also identifies existing workforce challenges and skills gaps. The action plan highlights key initiatives and actions that will guide the City in efforts to support the sector.

Three key initiatives are identified in the Action Plan:

1.     Promote the industry to improve public perception and attract workers.

2.     Facilitate collaboration between industry, educational and research institutions, and the Province.

3.     Promote wildfire prevention and mitigation work.

In October, nine aspiring entrepreneurs stepped into the Titans’ Den to pitch their ideas to five local business Titans. Four of the contestants successfully pitched their ideas and, combined, received over $11,000 in funding to move their ideas forward. The participants included students, inventors, and side business operators.

Titans’ Den is a City of Prince George project that gives entrepreneurs the opportunity to pitch their ideas to local business leaders. These anonymous “Titans” can then contribute their own money towards concepts they feel have serious potential. Titans' Den resembles CBC’s “Dragons’ Den,” but unlike the TV show, the business leaders do not take any stake or control in successful projects, and the event is not conducted in public.

“The experience of pitching was exciting and one of the most fulfilling things I’ve ever done in my life. I felt honoured to participate,” said participant Courtney Hayhurst who was awarded $3000 in seed funding to put towards a cultural podcast startup. “I know that the funding and advice I got from the Titans will help set me up to achieve really good things going forward.”

Work Integrated Learning (WIL) is a process that allows students to experience the workplace as part of their post-secondary studies.

Students who participate in Work Integrated Learning benefit from taking part in a genuine real-work environment or project, while the employer and workplace benefits from participating in the student's learning and supporting their workplace development.

Are you an organization or business that wants to learn more about Work Integrated Learning and how it supports students and workplace needs?

Melissa from the College of New Caledonia wants to hear from you! Email her at fournierm5@cnc.bc.ca to talk about Work Integrated Learning. #WILTALK

Are you a small or medium-sized employer in Prince George looking for a way to connect directly with students at the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC)? You can do so through the Interior & Northern Work Integrated Learning Initiative (INWIL), which is a partnership between UNBC, Thompson Rivers University, and the University of British Columbia Okanagan.

INWIL aims to create a direct connection between industry and post-secondary, opening the door for employers to cost-effectively innovate, increase capacity, and contribute to a future skilled workforce. Small and medium sized organizations face challenges in their business that large sized enterprises might not face, including staffing levels, resources, funding and more. These challenges, among many others, can become barriers for an organization when implementing a change or considering involvement in Co-op and Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) programming.

INWIL removes these barriers, ensuring access to resources, funding and student talent are available to those who could benefit as they plan for their future. Visit the INWIL website to start the process of connecting with student talent or to post a job.