Mr. P.G. returns to town after makeover, now stands on opposite side of highway

PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. – Mr. P.G. has had his makeover and is back to watch over Prince George, B.C., after some citizens feared he’d gone for good.

The eight-metre-tall icon, with the letters P and G carved into his long wooden body, was moved from his perch at the southwest corner of Highway 16 and Highway 97 in September to get a little work done.

Now, refreshed and refurbished, Mr. P.G. has resumed his post at the opposite side of Highway 16, ready as ever to greet residents and visitors with his broad smile.

Tourism Prince George CEO Aiden Kelly says some people weren’t aware Mr. P.G. would be returned to the other side of the highway, where he’d been perched for 30 years.

Mr. P.G. was constructed in 1960 as a symbol of the forestry industry in the northern B.C. city.

A time capsule from July 25, 1983 was extracted from his frame when he was relocated, and items such as newspaper articles, travel guides and a letter from then-mayor Elmer Mercier have been put on display at the local visitor centre for the next two weeks . (Prince George Citizen)