FCM Delegates arrive in Prince Geprge

Posted on March 7, 2013 by Garth Frizzell

Elected local government officials from all over Canada have arrived in Prince George this week. Our job on Thursday and Friday will be to prepare the advocacy and workplans for the upcoming Annual General Meeting of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. That AGM takes place in Vancouver this summer.

One benefit of having these local leaders in our city is the opportunity to see our home through their eyes. Whether they hail from Tuktoyuktuk or Quebec City, Brampton or Thompson, they each bring a local government interest, and an engaged perspective.

After the first days in Prince George, here are some their observations, as found on various Social Media sites.

Halton Hills Councillor Clark Somerville addresses Prince George City Council

Halton Hills Councillor Clark Somerville addresses Prince George City Council

 

Winnipeg Councillor Jenny Gerbasi with Red Deer Councillor Paul Harris

Winnipeg Councillor Jenny Gerbasi with Red Deer Councillor Paul Harris at FCM Board of Directors meeting in Prince George

Two Rivers Gallery caugh the eye of Saskatoon councillor Darren Hill

The stunning look of Prince George’s Two Rivers Gallery caugh the eye of Saskatoon councillor Darren Hill

Construction at Prince George's new RCMP building was also a feature of a tweet by Saskatoon councillor Darren Hill

Construction at Prince George’s new RCMP building was also a feature of a tweet by Saskatoon councillor Darren Hill

Prince George City Hall, in great photo by Clark Somerville

Hallton Hills Regional Councillor Clark Somerville captured this lovely photo of Prince George City Hall.

Posted in 2013 Board Meeting March 6-9, 2013 Board Meeting March 6-9, Conference Planning, Federation of Canadian Municipalities, Garth Frizzell, Prince George, Two Rivers Gallery | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off

Leadership North

Posted on February 26, 2013 by Garth Frizzell
Night time, Hwy 97, Somewhere between Prince George and Mackenzie

Night time, Hwy 97, Somewhere between Prince George and Mackenzie

The night of February 25, I got to do something fantastic in my job as a Director on the Board of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.  I drove 149 km North on Highway 97, the first 80 through slush and mess.  I took 45 minutes longer than I had forecast, but still made it with  time to spare.

I drove to Mackenzie and back last night because I got the opportunity to Continue reading →

Posted in Celebrating our Success, District of Mackenzie, Federation of Canadian Municipalities, Garth Frizzell | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

We heart Shane

Posted on January 29, 2013 by Garth Frizzell
Shane Dehod, Lorin Dehod in Happy Times

Shane Dehod, Lorin Dehod in Happy Times

Shane Dehod has touched many hearts in Prince George. He’s not a household name, but if you’ve lived in BC’s Northern Capital for any length of time, chances are you’ve benefited from something Shane has done.

Yesterday, on January, 28, BC Transplant released their news on 2012 transplant Success stories.  Shane  was one of them.

 

You may have recently seen the story on:

Shane has served the City of Prince George well, as a business leader, as a director on the Prince George Chamber of Commerce, as a coach to many young people just starting out in business, as a member of the Royal Canadian Legion and as an integral part of its pipe band.

If you’ve watched fireworks in Northern BC anytime in the past decade, chances are it was Shane who set them up, working diligently with frozen fingers in the cold hours before the show so that families could enjoy a few minutes of wonder.

If you watched the Remembrance Day ceremonies this past November, you may have noticed something missing: there was no one holding the mace at the front of the honour guard. That’s because Shane was the only person qualified to lead the parade to honour our fallen heroes, and he couldn’t be there this year.

Shane, 46, discovered last year that he needed a new heart. He wasn’t going to live without a transplant. And with only 10 to 12 such operations taking place in B.C. every year, it could have been a death sentence.

But on Saturday, October 27th, 2012, Shane got the call he had been waiting for. A matching donor heart had become available. Could he get to Vancouver immediately?

Continue reading →

Posted in Building Stronger Communities, Celebrating our Success, Garth Frizzell | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Podworthy or “Goodbye, last official Starbucks® coffee pod on the planet.”

Posted on January 15, 2013 by Garth Frizzell

Our office bought a Tassimo® coffee maker by Bosch® last year.

The Last Coffee Pod

The Last Coffee Pod

We bought it for a number of reasons: one-cup-at-a-time, simple maintenance, diversity of hot drinks, and the fact it advertised Starbucks® coffee in their T-Disc® coffee pods.

Our satisfaction was short-lived.

Weeks after purchasing it, Tassimo® stopped its relationship with Starbucks®, and the coffee pods were discontinued.

In  a determined campaign, I bought the last box of these coffee pods that were available in any grocery store in my home city of Prince George.  As you can imagine, around the office we were pretty selective about how to use those precious, rare pods… Continue reading →

Posted in Celebrating our Success, Garth Frizzell, Prince George | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Proud of my Hot Dog

Posted on January 3, 2013 by Garth Frizzell

Our kids are growing up.

Hot Dog and Malteds, courtesy of my son

Hot Dog and Malteds, courtesy of my son

2012 was the year that our eldest child began holding down a morning job, delivering newspapers for the local daily, the Prince George Citizen.

In Northern BC, that is a significant undertaking. It means waking up at 6:15 a.m. before school , suiting up in temperatures as low as -20°C, then getting Mom or Dad (or both) to come along.

In the first weeks he wanted us with him to check for black bears along the route.  My wife Sue only saw one directly in the cul-de-sac next to us, and that was from at least a block away.

So when the first paycheque was dropped off, there was a lot of excitement.

He immediately asked us to take him to the local shopping mall – he had something important to do, and he wanted his siblings there too. Continue reading →

Posted in Prince George Citizen newspaper, Small Business | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

Good Sport

Posted on November 27, 2012 by Garth Frizzell
Mayor Gray in Cougars Jersey - screenshot of castanet.net site

Mayor Gray in Cougars Jersey – screenshot of castanet.net site

Congratulations to all in Prince George for their contributions to the Canadian Blood Services Blood Drive.  We beat Kelowna!

As a good sport, Kelowna Mayor Walter Grey is seen on castanet.net wearing the Prince George Cougars Jersey.  Click screenshot to see their site.

Posted in Building Stronger Communities, Prince George, Prince George Cougars Hockey | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off

Report on Last Day of FCM Advocacy Meetings

Posted on November 24, 2012 by Garth Frizzell

The last day dawned.

There was a lot to get done in the last morning.  The morning’s agenda included a formal board meeting, presentation from the Minister, and getting through some serious policy work.

That said, by the end of a FCM advocacy work, the last thing you’re looking forward to is the dawn.  You just want a few more hours of sleep.

Check-out was a breeze, and the only difference in my daily routine from the other days on this trip was that today I was pulling my suitcase behind me.  Aside from developing extended networks of colleagues, the big value that has come out of these years of conferences and policy debate has been the moments when our work has led to positive policy change in Canada.  The side effect of all this travel, however, Continue reading →

Posted in 2013 Board Meeting March 6-9, 2013 Board Meeting March 6-9, Federation of Canadian Municipalities, Garth Frizzell, Infrastructure Gap, International Relations, Prince George City Council, Uncategorized, United States | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Report on Third Day of FCM Advocacy Meetings

Posted on November 23, 2012 by Garth Frizzell
Garth Frizzell and Bob Long outside the Senate of Canada

Garth Frizzell and Bob Long outside the Senate of Canada

Early meeting – the first meeting of FCM was for governance reps.  By 7:15 the small conference room was full of 8 elected officials and 5 staff, reviewing current reports, and making suggestions for future ones.  I enjoy opportunities to practice my French, but in some cases like this, the work we are doing uses such technical lanaguage that it is quickly beyond me.  I spoke English throughout.

At 8:45 I ran down to the lobby to meet our FCM staff liaison, Marilyn.  With her and Bob Long I walked to the Senate building on Wellington street.   We arrived early and rendezvoused with Cameron Stolz, the fourth member of our party. Continue reading →

Posted in Crime Prevention and Public Safety, Federation of Canadian Municipalities, Garth Frizzell, Infrastructure Gap, International Relations, Northern and Remote Forum, Prince George | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

Report on Second Day of FCM Advocacy Meetings

Posted on November 21, 2012 by Garth Frizzell

There is a spot in Ottawa near the National Arts Centre, where Elgin Street crosses Albert as it goes over the Mackenzie Bridge. It should be an inconsequential spot, an interesection in two busy streets.  It is simply a place, and I’m going to walk right past that spot 10 or maybe 12 times in total as I go between my hotel and FCM meetings for the week I’m in Ottawa.

I didn’t pay attention, or even smile or connect the first times I walked by. It wasn’t until Monday night that I even noticed the music that had been playing every time I walked by. Continue reading →

Posted in 2013 Board Meeting March 6-9, Conference Planning, Crime Prevention and Public Safety, Downtown, Federation of Canadian Municipalities, Garth Frizzell, Infrastructure Gap, International Relations, Prince George, Rural / Urban Lifestyles, Rural Forum, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Thoughts from Day One of FCM Advocacy Days

Posted on November 21, 2012 by Garth Frizzell
Top 6 Items, FCM Advocacy Days

Top 6 Items, FCM Advocacy Days

6:30 am feels early when your internal clock says it’s still 3:30, but your body adjusts pretty quickly when you tell it to.

As the first day of the meetings began in Ottawa with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, I was lucky to be the first delegate to arrive.  That was only because Don Downe, the Mayor of the District of Lunenburg, held the door open for me.  Nancy Bepple is a Councillor from Kamloops, and she became the third member of our trio.  We talked infrastructure, family, snow conditions and how to use Twitter effectively.  As happens at every conference, Continue reading →

Posted in Bringing Canadians Together, China, Federation of Canadian Municipalities, Garth Frizzell, Hangout-on-Air, Infrastructure Gap, International, International Relations, Prince George, Prince George City Council, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments