Here are some highlights from the March 24, 2025, City Council meeting. For more information – including the full agenda listing – read the Regular Council Meeting Agenda and its attachments.
Grant recipients confirmed
Council confirmed their approval for the latest recipients for the 2025 intake of the limited duration operating grant funding following a committee of the whole meeting on March 5, where the item was discussed in more detail.
The limited duration operating grant helps provide funding for up to two years to registered not-for profits towards overall operating costs and are not designated for any specific project or activity. In total more than $120,000 in funding from this grant stream is being handed out to non-profit organizations in 2025.
Housing Action Strategy
Council received the City of Prince George Housing Action Strategy (HAS), prepared by Parcel Economics and Third Space Consulting. This report examines the feasibility of both financial and non-financial incentives to address the housing demand in Prince George.
Administration explained they now intend to prioritize the implementation of incentives that do not require upfront financial investment from the City. This includes exploring measures such as zoning bylaw reform, pre-approved housing designs, and streamlined approval processes. Council also directed administration to return a report exploring opportunities for working with non-profit housing providers and seeking externally funded grants that align with ongoing housing objectives, such as the NDIT Northern Housing Incentive.
Downtown Strategy update
Council received an update from the Downtown Strategy Implementation Team a year since its formation.
The team’s purpose is to identify initiatives, projects and strategies that support the goals and outcomes in the Downtown Strategy, which includes a vision of being a destination and gathering place of business and culture, while recognizing the challenges facing that vision.
The report explains that City staff joined the proposed team core comprised of Downtown Prince George as the lead, along with Tourism Prince George, and the Chamber of Commerce. This team has since met bi-monthly and supported better interagency communication and identified projects and events in the downtown that have either been carried out by one of the strategy team members or other community organizations.
Council has directed administration to return a report exploring options regarding a Nightlife Economy Action Plan to see if there’s further ways to boost the Downtown economy.
February building permit summary
Council received a building permit and development permit summary for February with 16 permits issued for the month. The report includes all residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional permits, and the estimated total construction value of each development.
The February total is made up of seven commercial/industrial permits and nine residential permits, worth a combined total of $3.18 million.
The year-to-date total as at the end of February is 53 permits worth a combined $15.1 million. The year-to-date total for the previous year 2024 was 72 permits totaling 35.5 million.
April meeting date change
Due to the Federal Election now taking place on April 28, and voting hours that day set from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., there was an item on the agenda to reassess the regular council meeting scheduled for that date.
Council approved moving the regular council meeting from April 28 to the week before on Wednesday, April 23 at 6 p.m. You can view the updated council calendar here.
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Media contact:
Claire Thwaites, senior communications advisor
Mobile: 778-349-1386
Email: media@princegeorge.ca