Governor General praises UNBC, but says “Still a long way to go”

Canada’s Governor General led a discussion on how UNBC can evolve its relationship with the community within Prince George.

The Honourable David Johnston (pictured), who left his post as President of the University of Waterloo to become Governor General, felt he has some solid advice for the university and city as a whole.

His main message is that if UNBC is to grow and succeed, it must keep diverse and receive private investments like Waterloo .

“They’ve been very dependant upon private sector support and have not had to depend upon government support,” he says, “You need to identify your main strengths and grow around those”

Johnston was joined by Mayor Lyn Hall and UNBC president Daniel Weeks, who asked rhetorically if UNBC hasn’t already become too big.

“It’s a question we’re going to have to come to grips with, very, very soon,” he says. “Growth can mean much, much more than just student numbers. It’s growth in what we do, we’re world-class in certain areas of research in environmental science and sustainability. These are the things we excel at, but we have to excel at other things as well.”

Mayor Hall’s big concern is drawing students to the downtown core and how to grow housing in the area specifically for students.