Featured Stories

Neda Jelali and Eric Tompkins perform during the first of three back-to-back all-local Coldsnap shows, January 25 at Art Space, the venue above Books and Company on Third Avenue downtown. January 26 and 27 will also boast all-local shows at Art Space, beginning at 8 p.m. both nights. 

By Tyler Clarke, editor of Cutbanks - the Prince George Cultural Magazine

The first of three back-to-back evenings of local music certainly exhibited a Prince George flavour, with six local musical groups performing at Art Space, the venue above Books and Company on Third Avenue downtown. 

Festival organizer Jo Beattie put it best when she addressed the audience near the end of the evening, saying “It’s great having out-of-town artists, but in the end this is our people.”

With some of the musician’s lyrics inspired by Northern BC, others by Prince George, and specifically their personal history in the city, the evening’s talent was enough to make one fall in love with the city all over again.

The first local group to play their four-song set was Rose Wood & The Thorns. After a few upbeat songs, the band closed their set off with a negative page from Prince George’s past – about former local judge David Ramsay, who was charged about five years ago with abusing local survival sex workers. Band member Greg Beattie was inspired to write the song after reading an article in the Prince George Citizen by Frank Peebles describing the life of one of the sex workers, who just wanted to get home to her dad.

“It struck me how important it would be for one particularly young woman to have a voice,” Beattie said before launching into the catchy but dark song titled Safe. Although the song had dark undertones, the overall vibe was a positive one, exuding the overall idea of hope for one’s future.

An impressive set by local family band Stamo followed Rose Wood & The Thorns, a band whose patriarch Moses Kostamo will be recording all three evenings’ performances for a special Live at Art Space CD compilation, consisting of one song by each of the 20 musical groups. The band’s clean sound exuded the down-to-earth nature of the city, whereas local group Clann Cara, who followed, helped exemplify the more hippy-esque groovy scene.

With clear Celtic undertones, thanks mainly to member Julie O’Reilly’s work on the violin, the band launched into a number of locally-inspired songs, many of which written during yearly retreats the band takes to Barkerville each summer. The local highlight of their set came about when band member Richard sang a song highlighting his family history in the Prince George area, starting with his parents’ settling in Vanderhoof.

Local music staple Eric Tompkins, who heads the weekly Friday Night at Café Voltaire, performed with his partner, Persian singer Neda Jelali, followed by local music teacher Dawn Boudreau, who sang songs mainly inspired by local events, such as the moment when her and her former husband decided to get a divorce while eating breakfast at a local McDonald’s.

Closing off the evening by kicking things up a few notches with her jazzy full-band accompaniment was Maureen Washington. Although she has since relocated to Victoria, Washington’s set began with a couple of songs she’d written and performed with her first band, the Prince George-based BOP.

There are still two more evenings of all-local music, with an additional 14 musicians and groups performing four-song sets at Art Space.

On Tuesday January 26, under the evening’s theme of Teachers and Students, Ray Bourque, Benedict Beattie and His Delightful Gang, Kevin Hutchings, Mike Footit, 22-9, Ben Brown, and The Concerns of Royalty will perform.

On Wednesday January 27, under the theme of Motley Crew, Chris Camilli, John Rogers, Out of Alba, Shae Morin, Lee-Wai Yu, Jeremy Stewart and Erin Arding, and The 3 Amigos will perform.

Both of these final shows will begin at 8 p.m. with admission by donation.

By Tyler Clarke, editor of Cutbanks- the Prince George Cultural Magazine

The talents of 16 Prince George residents are to be showcased January 23, during what organizer Sufey Chen hopes will be the first annual talent show, titled PG’s Got Talent. 

“I’ve always wanted to organize a talent show and I finally got around to doing it,” Chen said of organizing the show.
Having lived in Prince George for the past six to seven years, after living in Michigan, China, Singapore, Vancouver, Richmond, and other places, Chen said that the talents in Prince George are certainly comparable to those in these other cities. The only difference, she said, is that these larger places may have more opportunities than Prince George, which is where the upcoming talent show comes into play.

During the latter months of 2009, Chen auditioned over 70 people to share their talents during the talent show, a number she had to dwindle down to just 16 performers.

“There was a lot of talent,” she said, adding that deciding upon who would perform was a difficult decision considering the talent she was dealing with. In the end, she decided upon several musicians, comedians, actors, as well as people of other talents, making for a diverse evening of entertainment.

Although it’s now too late to audition for the show, Chen said that art submissions of various kinds will be accepted to help line the PG Playhouse’s lobby during the event, until January 15.

For an event organized entirely by volunteers, with everyone including performers, sound and lighting people volunteering their time, a $20 admission price has been accused by some as seeming rather steep. Chen defends the price by saying that it’s “a really good show with 16 performers.”

She also said that any funds earned at this event will be carried over to help fund next year’s talent show.

For more information on PG’s Got Talent, Sufey Chen can be contacted at 250-961-9788. There is also a Facebook page – just search “Prince George Talent.”

The PG’s Got Talent Show starts at 7 p.m. Jan. 23 at the Prince George Playhouse. Tickets are $20, and are available at Books and Company and UNBC.
 

In response to the difficult times Two Rivers Gallery is facing, the organization has had to cut its operating budget by $74,000. Staff and Trustees have had to make many difficult decisions over the last eight weeks and as a result the Gallery will be closed Mondays and Tuesdays until the Victoria Day long weekend. The Gallery will remain open for art classes, preschool programs and tours seven days a week, however, some programs and staff hours have been lost and other programs are in jeopardy. Managing Director Peter Thompson states, “we have had to evaluate everything that we do very carefully and give priority to the services and programs that are of greatest value to the community”.

For the time being, Two Rivers Gallery is pleased to be able to continue to offer the popular Family Sunday program from 1-4pm each week during which anywhere from 40-120 individuals visit the Gallery to create works of art projects alongside their family members. The make Art make Sense program which is still in its infancy has been saved from the cutting block for the meantime. This innovative program, which includes a “Self-Guided Experience” brochure for all visitors and an open studio with stimulating and enjoyable art making projects, helps visitors of all ages connect with the exhibitions. The Gallery sees these programs as a way to engage the people of Prince George and the region in encouraging their creative thinking skills.

The Art Heals program where Gallery staff creatively engage children and youth in the Paediatric and Adolescent Psychiatric Units at PGRH and the Nechako Treatment Program is in jeopardy and requires more funding to continue throughout this year and in upcoming years. Plans to expand Art Heals into the larger community have been put on hold while the organization concentrates on maintaining current levels of service. Programming cuts include artists’ talks offered to UNBC and CNC art students and the very popular “After Party” events which have been radically restructured. The “After Party” is a recent addition to the Gallery’s line-up which saw 150-250 people attending each event in 2009.

“It is a shame that we have had to curtail some of these new initiatives aimed at broadening our engagement with our community,” says Thompson. However, he stresses that the Gallery is working hard to secure long term sustainable funding. 2010 marks the 10th anniversary of Two Rivers Gallery and the staff and Trustees will strive to continue to provide the top-notch programs, exhibitions and creative activity for the Regional District of Fraser Fort-George and beyond. They are running a membership drive until mid-February and encourage everyone in Prince George to buy a membership, take advantage of the wonderful programs and exhibitions, and show their support for the Gallery.

Oxyvox, consisting of Isaac Smeele, Marc Burns and Sam Watkinson, perform December 26 at The Raven Haven, during the first of three electronic shows in the coming week. 

By Tyler Clarke, editor of Cutbanks - the Prince George Cultural Magazine

Improvised dance music was the item of choice for fans of dance music, December 26, when DJ Walko (Sam Watkinson) unveiled the tunes with local electo group Oxyvox, consisting of Isaac Smeele on drums and Mark Burns on keyboards.

The Boxing Day evening’s danceable fun kicked off a trio of electronic music shows, with the first taking place at the intimate Raven Haven venue next to Sassafras Savouries on George Street downtown. With Smeele behind the drums, Burns behind the keyboards and electronic equipment, and Watkinson behind another set of electronics, the trio faced a daunting amount of equipment. Although the trio of musicians were playing other people’s music, they added their flair to it with a layer of musicianship mixed within the songs, creating a sound uniquely their own.

“This thing is exactly how the artist wants it to go along,” Watkinson said of their largely improvised style of music. Another challenge, he added, is to make the songs blend together seamlessly into one long song, which can be a challenging task at times.

The mixing of songs is Watkinson’s forte, and includes the mixing of various software. One inspirational figure to Watkinson is DJ TSO, a person he refers to as the best DJ in the world. Watkinson met his idol in Vancouver a while back and had sign the laptop he currently uses to DJ.

This was the trio’s first time performing together in public, although Smeele said that he hopes it won’t be the last. One aspiration currently on the horizon is to play the Generator downtown, as soon as they hit the legal drinking age of 19.

Two subsequent similar electronic shows are to take place within this week. On December 30, DJ Walko (Sam Watkinson) will present a show titled Electrolicious.  The show is to also take place from 8:30 p.m. until 11:30 p.m. at the Raven Haven, next to Sassafras Savouries on 421 George Street. Admission is $10 at the door.

Mark Burns is hosting the week’s final electronic music show January 2. Also at The Raven Haven, doors will open at 7:30 p.m., with records spinning by 8 p.m. Doors will close at midnight. Burns promises a “rave-style” dance party.

A Grand Children of The North member dances a traditional Métis Dance during an event celebrating the life of Louis Riel, November 15 at the Kinsmen Hall. A group is to continue the celebration November 16, marching from the Prince George Courthouse to City Hall. 

By Tyler Clarke, editor of Cutbanks- the Prince George Cultural Magazine

Louis Riel, who died on November 16 1885, was part of resistance movements against the Canadian government in an attempt to preserve Métis rights and culture. Now, on the days surrounding his death, there is a yearly Canada-wide effort to help preserve the man’s memory, as well as to celebrate rich local Métis culture.

The Prince George Métis Community Association organized one such evening of traditional Métis entertainment at the Kinsmen Hall, November 15, as well as an upcoming march from the Prince George Courthouse to City Hall, to take place at 4 p.m. on November 16.

“These events are taking place across the Métis homeland, Canada,” Prince George Métis Community Association president Tom Spence told Cutbanks at the November 15 event. “We get together and celebrate Louis Riel’s life.”
This yearly celebration is still important because of the ongoing movement that Riel started in the 19th century to preserve Métis culture, Spence added.

“He started the Métis movement with all the letters he wrote to the Canadian government to hear the Métis people and their land claims,” he said.  

The November 15 event sported a nearly-full Kinsmen Hall worth of people in full support of Métis, enjoying a banquet of food and traditional Métis entertainment, including the Grand Children of The North youth jiggers. Musician Rick Stavely also performed.

This is one of four yearly events that the Prince George Métis Community Association organizes every year that help promote Métis culture. There is also a Christmas party with elders that takes place sometime during the first two weeks of December, Metis Heritage Day on June 21, and a Turkey Shoot, which consists of shooting paper targets and various family-friendly activities.

A group of people are scheduled to march from the Prince George Courthouse to City Hall, beginning at 4 p.m. on Monday November 16. Upon their arrival at City Hall there is to be a series of performances, including one by the Grand Children of The North.

Kylie Kirby, Matthew Cluff, Meghan Page and Marcy Mills take the lead roles in this year's Nutcracker production, December 18 to 20 at Vanier Hall.

Between the four of them, they've been dancing for over 53 years, yet their combined age is only 66.

When Matthew Cluff, Kylie Kirby, Meghan Page and Marcy Mills take to the Vanier Hall stage this December 18 to 20 for the Nutcracker, audiences will be treated to exquisite performances by extremely seasoned performers. Veterans this magical holiday tradition, each has performed numerous roles in at least four previous Nutcracker productions, in addition to hundreds of group and solo performances at dance festivals and in large musical theatre productions.

These dancers are about as close as you get to being a professional without actually being one. "Matthew Cluff, who is playing the Nutcracker Prince this year, has all the skills and talent to be a professional right now," says Judy Russell, who's been instrumental in his development over the last 14 years. "He excels at all styles, including jazz, lyrical, contemporary, modern, tap and hip hop, but where he really shines, and what people will get to see, is his tremendous ballet artistry."

Others have noticed Matthew's command of the stage, too. He was named Senior Performer of the Year at the 2009 Prince Rupert Annual Dance Competition and this past summer was awarded a full scholarship for the Summer Intensive Program at Pacific Northwest Ballet School in Seattle.

Partnering with Matthew and playing the role of Clara on alternating performances is Kylie Kirby, Meghan Page and Marcy Mills.

"Like Matthew, these girls grew up with the Nutcracker," says Judy Russell. "It's a very demanding role, physically and emotionally, and I wanted to give as many dancers an opportunity to shine as possible and that's why I've cast three Claras this year." On the nights they're not playing Clara, they will be joining the cast in other key roles, including the Sugar Plum Fairy. "They are so versatile, as many others in the cast are, and all of them, having gown up together and having spent so much time performing together, really shine as a true corps du ballet," says Russell.

Of course the magic on the stage wouldn't be the same without the superb live sound of the Prince George Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Les Dala, the PGSO Musical Director.

"We've been partnering with the orchestra since the beginning, and the PGSO brings a lot to this co-production," says Russell. "They go all-out in putting together the orchestra, and the musicians are great and really enjoy being part of this spectacle. As an audience member, you experience a tremendous feeling when the dancing, lights, costumes and powerful music all come together. It still gets me every time."

The Nutcracker runs for five shows at Vanier Hall from Friday, December 18 to Sunday, December 20. The three evening performances start at 7:30pm, with matinee performances on Saturday and Sunday starting at 2:00pm. Tickets are $32.00 for adults, $27.50 for seniors and $22.00 for students and youth at Studio 2880, 2820 15th Avenue. Call 250-563-2880.

Local photographer Bobbi Knight poses with the 2010 calendar she created for the local St. Vincent De Paul, featuring a different local homeless person for each month. 

By Tyler Clarke, editor of Cutbanks- the Prince George Cultural Magazine

Artistic and cultural inspiration hit local photographer Bobbi Knight a while ago while in Vancouver witnessing a protest taking place in front of a police department, protesting police ticketing homeless people for jaywalking. After the protest, Knight proceeded to explore the city, talking to and taking photos of the city’s many homeless people, promising them that she would do something with the photos. Making true to her promises, Knight is holding a launch for a new art exhibit Thursday November 12 at the Two Rivers Art Gallery in Prince George, complete with photos she took of the Vancouver homeless as well as those in Prince George.

Arriving back home in Prince George after the protest, Knight was in talks with the St. Vincent De Paul Drop-In Centre, who encouraged her to take similar photos of homeless people in Prince George. Having sold calendars at St. Vincent De Paul in the past that featured pictures of homeless people in Vancouver, they thought it appropriate to make a more local calendar, complete with a different person for each month as well as a quotation by the person.

Singling out one homeless Prince George citizen per month with the calendar will help put a face to homelessness in our city, Knight explained.

“They really do feel that people haven’t heard their story,” she said. “They are people with hopes and dreams. They have families… I think what I’d like to do is make a bridge between the public and the homeless. It’s a public health issue downtown.”

It’s easier to walk past faceless people asking for change downtown, Knight went on, than to walk past people you might recognize from the calendar.

“After I took the photos and had them tell me their story they seemed so happy that some cried,” Knight said, adding that it helped give them a sense of importance long-since stripped from them.

The most memorable photo Knight remembers having taken took place in Vancouver with a man named Seville, who burst into tears when she asked if she could take his photo.

“Lots of people have taken his photo, but no one has ever asked,” she said.

The art exhibit of photographs Knight took in both Vancouver and Prince George will be launched at the Two Rivers Art Gallery Thursday, November 12, from 5-8 p.m., with Knight on-hand to describe her inspiration. The event is free of charge.

The calendars will be available at the Two Rivers Art Gallery, as well as the St. Vincent De Paul thrift store downtown and the St. Vincent De Paul Drop-In Centre and Ooh… Chocolat.

The Pucks joined numerous other arts and performing arts groups in the city to give School District 57 elementary students a taste of some of the area's top cultural talent.

The long-time trio of Murray Gable, Cindy Larsen and Lloyd Larsen has been a busy group lately, recently finishing up its 4th studio album, Martha, performing at the grand opening of the Vancouver Convention Centre and getting ready for its upcoming CD release concert at the Prince George Playhouse on May 3.

Tickets for the CD release concert art $15 each at Books and Company, with $5 of the ticket price able to be used towards purchase of the new CD at the show.

After nearly three months of grueling rehearsals and performances on So You Think You Can Dance Canada, Izaak Smith returned to Prince George a local hero.

(Youtube video may take a few moments to appear below. Courtesy Prince George Citizen)

For the CKPG TV report click here.

A packed house of about 150 people took in the Downtown Prince George Mayoral Candidate Debate on Monday, November 10, 2008 at the Ramada Hotel Skylight Ballroom.

Candidates Eugene Fetterly, Dane Greenwell, Dan Rogers and Don Zurowski answered numerous questions posed by moderator Bruce Strachan, as well as those asked by members of the audience and by the candidates themselves.

More background on the evening can be found here.

Download Mayoral and Council Candidate's responses to questions from Downtown Prince George. (164 KB pdf)

Here is the video from the evening:

Part One (55:22)

Part Two (54:10)