Events from 1950

In the early hours of January 2, city firefighters fought back a fire at minus 58 degrees Fahrenheit temperatures—believed to be the lowest temperature in the world at which a blaze had ever been fought. The fire began on the premises of H. H. Douglas & Company Stationers and, if not extinguished, would have spread through the city’s entire business section.

Opening day for the curling rink at the new Civic Centre, built at the corner of Eighth Avenue and Brunswick Street, was January 6. Six sheets of ice were used in the opening bonspiel, which was so large that other clubs were called upon to donate sets of stones for the event.

In February, B.C. Premier Byron Johnson announced that the Pacific Great Eastern Railway would establish a terminal and freight yards in Prince George. He claimed that an extension of the railway from Prince George to Vancouver would take precedence over building it north to the Peace River.

Prince George has always been a city of readers eager to support their civic library. An increased demand for library services resulted in the relocation of the library from Third Avenue and Victoria Street to two converted army huts brought to the corner of Fourth Avenue and Brunswick Street. The huts were replaced a decade later with the brick building which eventually became the Seniors’ Centre.

On April 15, Canadian Pacific Airlines commenced regular flight service between Prince George and Vancouver.

The RCMP assumed responsibility for policing in British Columbia in all areas where there was no municipal police force. The first sub-divisional headquarters in Prince George was established in the provincial government building downtown at Third Avenue and Brunswick. During the December elections, citizens supported the purchase of the Campbell-Mannix building on Seventh Avenue, as well as alterations to provide a more suitable building for the police. Renovations were needed to provide living quarters for six staff members, garages, cell blocks and administration offices.