ELECTION 2022: Meet the six Prince George mayoral candidates

(Editor’s Note: this article was first published on our website on Friday, October 7th)

The Municipal Election will be held on Saturday, October 15th.

MyPGNow reached out to each candidate running for Mayor in Prince George for their response to the following five questions:

1. Can you provide a brief bio of yourself?
2. Why are you running for Mayor of Prince George, and what makes you the best candidate for the position?
3. How would you address homelessness and the social crisis in Prince George?
4. What are other pressing issues in Prince George, and how could you improve the situation?
5. Are there any final thoughts on any topic that you would like to share?

IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER (Last Name):

Adam Hyatt: 

I was born and raised in Prince George and graduated from PGSS. I studied Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) at both the British Columbia Institute of Technology and the University of Northern British Columbia, earning my OHS Practitioner Certification from the latter.  I currently work in the private sector for a global manufacturer of industrial safety products, equipment, and tools.  I help ensure industry is meeting its legal OHS requirements and provide a variety of product training to help ensure safe and productive workplaces. Some may recognize me from the hockey arenas where I spent 12 years as a BCHL & WHL referee. I also spent 5 years as the Hockey Canada “Supervisor of Officials” for Northern BC where I helped develop aspiring officials and bridge them from the minor hockey level to the junior and major junior levels. I’m a multi-instrument musician and play the piano, drums, bass, and guitar.  I have played in many bands and also write, compose and record. Music remains a great passion and pastime. I have supported several worthy local organizations including the St. Vincent de Paul Society and the PG Council of Seniors to name a few.

Adam Hyatt’s website can be found here.

Terri McConnachie:

I have been a resident of Prince George for more than 40 years, growing up in the Millar Addition and Hart areas and graduating from Kelly Road Secondary School (Shas Ti Kelly Road Secondary), where I met and married my high school sweetheart, Kevin. Together, we have raised three children and our family continues to grow. I thoroughly enjoyed my tenure as the general manager of Prince George’s oldest community event, the Prince George Exhibition (British Columbia Northern Exhibition) and I have built a career in the dynamic not-for-profit sector. Currently the Executive Officer for the Canadian Homebuilders’ Association of Northern BC, I have been a Prince George city councilor since 2014 and currently serve as a trustee for the Prince George Public Library, a director for the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George and I am a proud member of the Nechako Rotary Club.

Terri McConnachie’s website can be found here.

Lisa Mitchell:

Lisa Mitchell has 15 years of experience as a legal secretary, serving with the Attorney General for the Province of BC, as well as private practices in Prince George.

Mitchell moved to Prince George from Victoria in 2014.

Lisa Mitchell’s website can be found here.

Roy Stewart:

Roy Stewart became involved in public life by being elected as a School Board Trustee in 1981 and remained on that board until 1988. He was chair of the board from 1984. At the same time, he was the Canadian Bar Cariboo Representative on the Provincial Counsel from 1981 to 1987. In 1988 Roy Stewart joined the Interior University Society as a director and became president of that ground-breaking society in 1989. He guided the Society until the University of Northern British Columbia was officially created by Act of the Legislature in 1992. The Provincial Government appointed him as the first president of the UNBC Foundation in 1992 for a three-year term. In 1998 Roy Stewart led a group of lawyers in their quest to have the new Court House developed in Prince George. It is a solid development in the Downtown area.

Roy Stewart’s website, along with the rest of his bio can be found here.

Cristopher Wood:

I am mayoral candidate Christopher S. Wood, CEO of Brazen Jester Studios creator of four video games distributed in 173 countries, and recently produced a 7-episode nature documentary series “BC Legacy: The Parks of Prince George” to be released on Telus Optik before the end of the year. I live in Prince George, with my wife and two children.

Christopher Wood’s website can be found here.

Simon Yu:

Simon Yu, P. Eng came from Hong Kong at the age of 15 with just two suitcases, I attended residential school at Prince George College. I am a UBC graduate, a professional engineer, a business owner, a developer, a teacher, and a community builder. I was an instructor at CNC, a board of director of UNBC, Prince George Airport Authority and the Downtown Business Association.

My primary working experience includes decades of consulting engineering services to Northern B.C. I was an instrumental leader in the 2003 Aceh Post Tsunami housing relief effort. I also was the municipal manager for Rankin Inlet, Nunavut.

I have six successful children who are entrenched in the fabric of this community through their work in teaching, coaching, medicine, business, engineering, and music. I am also a proud grandfather of eight beautiful grandchildren, who all live in Prince George.

Simon Yu’s website can be found here.

2. Why are you running for Mayor of Prince George, and what makes you the best candidate for the position?

Adam Hyatt

I’m passionate about this city and I know the great potential it has. Unfortunately, I feel it has been poorly managed for many years and is in need of a BIG change to realize this potential. I want to offer the people of Prince George a vision for a big change, a platform I believe in, and ideas that can work. I feel with proper management and respect for public money, Prince George can be one of the richest and most prosperous cities in the nation! The next leader of our city needs to be strong, courageous, resilient, smart, and effective and I look forward to bringing these qualities to city hall as your next mayor.

Terri McConnachie

The decisions made at the municipal level of government affect residents with the greatest impact. Where they build their education and career opportunities, raise a family, operate a business, spend leisure, and volunteer time, and their retirement years. Prince George is known for its heart and can-do spirit! Whether it is the 2017/2018 wildfires, hosting world-class and major events, rallying for a doctor shortage, coming together for higher education opportunities, galvanizing for a cancer centre, managing through a world pandemic…the City of Prince George is an incredible city. We are a little tired and there are some pressing issues…

Working together we can tackle them.

I have the experience, superior work ethic, and ability to work meaningfully with senior levels of government, partners, residents, council colleagues, and staff to find long-term and sustainable solutions- while we continue to capture current and future economic opportunities for our city. No one person can do it alone.

Lisa Mitchell

I’m running for Mayor because I’ve not seen a lot of action in the past 6-8 years. In the last election, there was nothing coming up, and we know what happened then, we got settled with a lot of debt that we were blindsided on. I believe we need to do something different with the downtown section, what they’ve been doing has not been working, so we need to address that, and we need to address it sooner than later. It can’t be something that’s going to be done over the next year or two, but it’s got to be done piece by piece.

Roy Stewart

As my biography demonstrates I offer leadership qualities, vision, and integrity.  I believe I am qualified to be the best candidate for the position because I can provide leadership, and I get things done.  I have a plan for the homeless issue, which is lacking in other candidates.  I have a plan to deal with accountability, integrity, and openness of council and city business.  I have a plan to make sure that the business of the City is conducted openly and that citizens are as fully informed as can be so that all elected officials are accountable.  I want to make doing business with the City very understandable and efficient.  I want to introduce the City to the World as it has never been done before to ensure that the City is perceived properly as the best place to live, work, invest and raise a family.

Christopher Wood

I am running for mayor as a part of a five-year plan that started when my children were old enough to go to school full-time. I am the best choice for Mayor due to my specialty in developing teams of individuals (councillors) to become an efficient team. Something we will desperately need after the election. In addition, my professional focus has been one of a generalist with training in all topics, as opposed to being only good at one thing like housing that only duplicates the skill set of the entire Ministry of Housing.

Simon Yu

I came here with nothing, and I want to give back to the City I love with all my passion, energy, and knowledge. I have a generational vision for our city. I understand the interrelated difficulties currently facing our city from a professional engineer’s perspective. I have the character, the capacity, and the courage to lead the city council and administration to get things done, thus, steering Prince George to its prosperous global potential.

3. How would you address the homelessness and social crisis in Prince George?

Adam Hyatt

1. Turn the near-empty 60-bed facility known as the Prince George Youth Custody Center into a world-class mental health and drug rehabilitation center.
2. Provide housing and basic essential services to those who need it most.
3. Have police officers “feet on the street walking the beat”.
4. Help those who are capable now, or will be capable after completing treatment, attain gainful employment and become productive members of society.

Terri McConnachie

The City of Prince George cannot solve these issues alone and is very much positioned ‘down stream’ from the responsibilities of the provincial government which includes housing, mental health, and addictions we must continue to advocate on behalf of our community, in the spirit of collaboration, to find long-term, sustainable solutions. It is essential to collaborate with our partners, the Lheidli T’enneh Chief and Council, the business community, and the not-for-profit organizations working at the ground level, to find immediate and short-term solutions to keep our community clean, safe, and able to continue to thrive. Out-of-the-box thinking without the consequences of knee-jerk decisions. The combined voices at the UBCM and FCM tables in addition to continued advocacy with leadership in other communities through the Mayor’s Caucus are moving the needle in the right direction. As your mayor, I will work with the council team to stay engaged and keep ahead of the issues.

Lisa Mitchell

We have to address the addiction issue. I’ve gone down to Moccasin Flats and I’ve gone down to the First Avenue encampment and there are a lot of sad stories, but the fact of the matter is they’re not living their sad stories anymore.

We need to help them address their issues, whether it be drug addiction, mental health, homelessness, whatever it is, we’ll have to get various agencies in our city down there to help, and we’ll have to get our citizens out, I think everyone can agree they have a vested interest in cleaning this up, so we can’t just rely on a few people, it’s going to have to be a joint effort.

Roy Stewart

My platform unfolds a three-staged strategy to deal with this issue.  First, is the issue of security: we need to increase the number of law enforcement officers actually patrolling the City day and night and we need a monitored security camera set up to respond to arson, vandalism, and other crimes taking place, particularly in the downtown core.  Second, we need to get First Nations, local governments, and the provincial government involved to ensure that the solution to this problem is dealt with appropriate legal jurisdiction and with sufficient funds.  Third, the ultimate solution is treatment for the addicted and mentally ill homeless: we must have an institution outside of the town where those requiring mental health and addiction treatment can be kept.  That institution must be fully staffed and treat such people holistically, medically, and legally and when rehabilitated, such people should be merged back into society with proper sheepherding and guidance.  This is set out in my platform.

Christopher Wood

Homeless: Enact the Emergency Shelter Program we created for the wildfires for the homeless.

Mental Health: Find a friend with resources for those in need, we call them Outreach Workers.

Addiction: Safe supply is coming, and in combination with the Emergency Shelter Program, we should see an improvement in treatment.

Crime: This comes down to each citizen of Prince George, we have to start with the top and vote out the current council responsible for the $32 million Parkade fiasco, intimidation tactics of using a bulldozer on homeless housing, and perception of the paying of cash for votes in the city council chamber. Solutions start at the top.

Simon Yu

I have proven design and construction experience in supplying emergency disaster relief shelters. Safe sleeping quarters at the right locations will be built under my leadership to end the current encampment issue. As a long-time downtown building owner at the epicenter of the current crisis, I understand fully the underlining economical and social factors that have exacerbated the homeless problem here. I have empathy for all the people affected. As your mayor, I will effectively address the Prince George homeless problem in the spirit of community building and in close collaboration with other levels of government. Along with my council colleagues, I will provide real action-oriented solutions to address the homeless and social crisis in Prince George.

4. What are other pressing issues in Prince George and how could you improve the situation?

Adam Hyatt

As our debt continues to grow (like the nearly $3M we just added to it to cover the new pool), and as the interest to service this debt continues to dramatically rise, the people of PG are staring down the barrel of a massive tax increase. Add to that the fact that council just voted themselves a 7% pay increase, and it’s not going to be pretty. To combat massive tax increases we need to “Cut the Fat” at city hall and increase efficiencies/streamline processes/identify and consolidate duplications of work.

The unelected yet highly tax-paid executives in city hall are not being held accountable. I feel it’s past due we ensure the city “fat cats” are accountable and are actually earning their large 6-figure wages. A performance-based pay scale can greatly help with this initiative. I believe in paying great wages, but only in return for great performance and I can think of 53 million reasons these executives are not currently earning the huge wages they are receiving from the taxpayers.

We pay nearly 40% of our entire tax pool for “protective services” yet we continue to make the list of the most dangerous cities in the nation. With some re-prioritization, I feel we can gain much better results. We need to get back to the essentials of policing, protecting people and property – people from violent crime and property from theft and vandalism.

We need to get back to the basics of what a municipal government should be; a lean, mean, efficient, infrastructure and service-providing machine. This includes completing projects on time and on budget.

Terri McConnachie

We have experienced unprecedented investment in our city, development, and growth. Hotels, student housing, market housing downtown and throughout our city. We have not seen multi-family housing, infill development, narrow lot, and new rental housing like we have in recent years, in decades, if ever, in addition to social and seniors’ housing opportunities. A brand new firehall #1, library entrance (which sat on a shelf for decades), and a new pool, upgraded trails, and new civic parks. The big change, which was needed with costly overruns, especially with the unacceptable management of the parkade project, started immediately. Staff changes were made, and policies were adopted to ensure that the mayor and council have the necessary and timely information to make sound decisions and maximize oversight. As your mayor, I will work with council to abolish the current finance and audit committee model to move it to a committee of the whole. It will be all eyes on the spreadsheets and all hands on deck to stay ahead, as opposed to managing in crisis mode, once the horse is already out of the barn.

Lisa Mitchell

The homeless issue is first and foremost. The reckless spending, everyone’s talking about infrastructure, green space, climate change, and things like that, but I think for the citizens of Prince George, I think they’re more interested in ‘how am I going to keep food on my table, a roof over my head, pay everything I have to pay.’

We have to start thinking of ways that we can start utilizing our own infrastructure and getting that backup, instead of just building more things to build more things. I think we have to fix what we have here first.

We have sidewalks that are in very deplorable shape, the litter in the city, I don’t know what’s gone on with that, the needles, we have to start addressing the stuff in our own backyard.

Roy Stewart

With the city council in agreement I would do the following: revise the attitude of the City to investment and development: a new attitude must be inculcated: the City should ask itself: how can we help you do what you want to do, not how can we stop you from doing what you want to do.  Second, make sure that all elected officials are fully accountable for their decisions in an open forum.  The mistakes made must be acknowledged and responsibility must be acknowledged and dealt with.  Third, revise practices to ensure public spending on projects is controlled so as to avoid repletion of overspending.  Fourth, change the image of the City of Prince George, within the City, the Province, and the world at large.  The details are set out in my platform.

Christopher Wood

Trust is the number one issue in this election. After the parkade, “accidental” bulldozing of housing, and flat-out admission of cash payments in the council chamber, how can we trust any of the current council members? A new council is needed, and I have the specialty and training to be your Mayor.

Simon Yu

Prince George must have a generational community development plan and a complementary infrastructure plan to enhance the city’s competitiveness in attracting and retaining the 21st-century workforce.

We must enhance Prince George’s long-term investment climate to become a global transportation hub, and a leading-edge centre of education and research while continuing as an industrial powerhouse of global importance.

This generational development plan will also sow the seeds to transform Prince George into an all-year-round tourism centre with world-class parks, and recreational, sport, and cultural facilities.

5. Any final thoughts on any topic that you would like to share?

Adam Hyatt

(Editor’s note: Hyatt decided not to add anything here)

Terri McConnachie

Whether it is the chair of the mayor or a councillor, each person gets one vote, and each person is elected for their experience and leadership qualities. It is essential that all 9 people elected have the information necessary to make sound decisions and one person cannot move the needle (in any direction), it takes at least five. A consensus is not always possible, and this is democracy at the ground level! The decisions made at the council table impact the residents of Prince George more robustly, than those at the provincial and federal levels. Please make an informed vote. Please vote!

Lisa Mitchell

I think the biggest issue is we have to get the message out there this is the most important election we’ve had in a very long time. The people have to come out and vote, it has to be a bigger percentage than 27 percent.

This is where the line’s going to be drawn in the sand, how important is your city to you? Is it worth 15 minutes to come and put your name on a ballot to show you actually care about the city?

I would like to see at least a 50 percent if not better turnout.

Roy Stewart

The City has great potential, which is not being realized.  I believe that with the consent of the council my platform will change this very positively.

Christopher Wood

Prince George is a beautiful city, and a vision to behold. With our successfully demonstrated strengths in park management, we should be known as the “Park City of the West”. As part of this vision, we need to keep our natural assets undeveloped. To achieve this, we have to remove the city’s current plan of burying Ginter’s Field under a road. Ginter’s is our top-rated off-leash dog green space. It is hard to believe, it has been six years since the city tried to replace this prized treasure with a bus depot. We must fight again to save Ginter’s Field.

Simon Yu

Our city is crucial to Canada’s long-term economic success as our nation’s Pacific gateway. Prince George is B.C.’s Northern Capital representing 60 percent of our province’s foreign trade; if nothing else, I want to use my mayoral campaign to restore our collective confidence in Prince George’s potential to become The Global Northern Capital.

TOGETHER, Yu can do it!

Editor’s note: Mypgnow would like to thank the six candidates for taking the time to respond to our questions. Reading their responses should better prepare each voter for the candidate of their choice.

Voting stations will be open from 8 AM to 8 PM on Saturday at these locations:

• Blackburn Elementary School
• College Heights Secondary School
• DP Todd Secondary School
• Edgewood Elementary School
• John McInnis Learning Centre (Centre for Learning Alternatives)
• Prince George Conference and Civic Centre
• Shas Ti Kelly Road Secondary School
• Vanway Elementary School

BC Transit will be offering free service throughout the day to help people get to the polls.