At Paladin, we pride ourselves in being an active part of our local communities from coast to coast. Over the summer, our team at Prince George had the opportunity to take part in the City’s pilot Downtown Host Team Initiative. The team provided a security presence in the troubled downtown core, keeping the City’s visitors and tourists safe. While visiting the area, you may have noticed a prominent figure, Mr. PG, the City’s official mascot dating back to the 1960’s.
Mr. PG, the official mascot of Prince George, BC, was constructed in 1960 to symbolize the importance of the lumber and forest industry in the region. Originally built from spruce wood for the Pacific Northwest Exhibition, the 40-foot-tall Mr. PG won best float. After the parade, Mr. PG lived on at the Chamber of Commerce building and later at the Tourist Information Centre.
In 1983, the iconic sculpture began to rot, so a reconstructed version was erected in the summer as a replacement. At 27 feet tall, the new Mr. PG is 13 feet shorter than his predecessor and has a body made from simulated logs, wearing a lumberjack’s hard hat and holding a flag. He also contains a time capsule filled with memorabilia representing Prince George in 1983.
While not associated with any businesses, Mr. PG is symbolic of an industry and region where Paladin provides service for a number of clients. Carrier Lumber utilizes our Security Officers at their mill, while Canfor relies on Paladin for Officers and patrols. In the surrounding area, Paladin serves the University Hospital of Northern BC as well as the CN Centre.