In partnership with St Vincent de Paul, 10 teams of two Rotarians took some time off from their own holiday to give back to those in our community with deliveries of hot turkey dinners! PG Strong!
The opening of Richmond’s new Garden City Park Gathering Space celebrates more than community connection and peace. It also provides an opportunity to recognize the remarkable legacy of Rotary leadership that has emerged from Prince George.
On September 19, 2026, the City of Richmond officially celebrated the opening of the Garden City Park Gathering Space, a beautiful new addition designed to encourage reflection, friendship and community connection.
Located in the northwest section of Garden City Community Park, the 430-square-metre gathering space features a welcoming entry plaza with a ginkgo tree, a walkway lined with dedicated benches, a circular seating area surrounding a central rock feature, and Peace Poles displaying the message “May Peace Prevail on Earth” in multiple languages.
The project was initiated in 2022 by the Rotary Club of Richmond Sunset, which contributed $300,000 toward its development in partnership with the City of Richmond through its Partners for Beautification Program. It builds upon the Club’s longstanding commitment to the park, including the establishment of its arboretum in 2009.
At the opening, Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie acknowledged the importance of public spaces that bring people together and thanked the Rotary Club of Richmond Sunset for helping make this meaningful addition possible.
A Special Connection to Prince George
Among the gathering space's commemorative features are engraved paving stones recognizing past Rotary District Governors, several of whom share a remarkable connection to Prince George and, in particular, the Rotary Club of Prince George Downtown.
Two of those recognized, Ron Neukomm (2004–2005) and Neil King (1998–1999), served as District Governors while associated with the Rotary Club of Prince George Nechako.
Even more noteworthy is the connection to the Rotary Club of Prince George Downtown, which has produced several leaders who went on to serve Rotary at the District level.
Art Erasmus (2001–2002) was a Past President of the Downtown Club before relocating to Terrace, where he subsequently became District Governor.
Del Paterson (2002–2003) also served as President of the Downtown Club before moving to New Westminster, where he continued his Rotary journey and ultimately became District Governor.
Lorne Calder (2021–2022), another member of the Downtown Club, continued this tradition of leadership by serving as District Governor of Rotary District 5040.
But the story does not end there.
Two additional former members of the Rotary Club of Prince George Downtown went on to become District Governors after relocating to other communities and Rotary Districts:
- Carol Tichelman, who became District Governor of Rotary District 5050.
- Tracie McCall, who became District Governor of Rotary District 5060.
Together, these individuals represent an extraordinary legacy of service and leadership originating from Prince George. Their contributions extend well beyond their home clubs, demonstrating how Rotary develops leaders whose influence continues across communities, regions and District boundaries.
A Lasting Recognition of Service
The commemorative paving stones at Garden City Park provide a permanent reminder of the individuals who have helped shape Rotary through their dedication, leadership and commitment to Service Above Self.
For the Rotary Club of Prince George Downtown, the recognition carries particular significance. Few clubs can point to such an impressive history of members who have gone on to serve as District Governors, both within their home District and beyond.
As visitors walk through the new gathering space, the engraved names offer a quiet reminder that Rotary's impact is built not only through projects and financial contributions, but also through the people who dedicate their time and talents to strengthening communities.
From Prince George to Terrace, New Westminster, Richmond and beyond, this legacy of Rotary leadership continues to inspire future generations of Rotarians.
The Garden City Park Gathering Space is a fitting tribute to that spirit: a place where community, peace, remembrance and service come together.
As the growing season comes to a finish for 2026, several Rotarians get together to clean, weed and prepare the Rotary Community Garden for the winter. This garden located up at UNBC was a Rotarian project completed in 2024 providing access to those with a green thumb wanting to build a sense of community.
Photo: Oct 3, 2026
Today, we were visited by Dean Hsieh, the District Governor who overseas 55 BC Clubs of Rotarians and Rotaractors. In PG alone we have 4 Clubs and 100 members from all professions, backgrounds, ages, cultures, genders and on and on and on.
Did you know that Rotary sponsors a young adults program (19-30) to stay overseas and have the opportunity to learn a new language, be exposed to a new culture, and develop their profession on the world stage? We do!
Our Club is proud to be awarded the Club Excellence and Major Donors Awards by Dean for the 2025-2026 year, representing our Club’s growth, dynamic, and commitment to Rotary, its Foundation and its values.
pgrotary.ca
Photo: Sept 22, 2026, Mindy Stroet, Past President, Nolan Nicholson, Current President, Dean Hsieh, District Governor
Certainly all of us are familiar with the Mr. PG monument that stands near the junction of Highways 16 and 97.
However, a lot of people are not aware of Mr. PG’s origin. A much smaller version of the mascot was introduced at a Rotary conference that took place in Prince George on May 8, 1960 as a symbol of the importance of the forestry industry to the city.
Later that year, Mr. PG took part in the Prince George May Day parade. In 1961 he was entered in the Kelowna Regatta and in the Vancouver PNE parade. He also travelled to Smithers. In 1963 he appeared in the Grey Cup parade in Vancouver.
Mr. PG was trademarked by the City in 1985. In 1997, children’s performer Al Simmons wrote a song about him titled “Mr. PG”. In 2009 Canada Post featured him on a postage stamp.
The original Mr. PG was constructed of wood, but the current version is made mostly of painted metal. Interestingly, in both versions his head was fabricated from a spherical plastic septic tank. He stands over 8 meters tall, and his head is 1.5 meters in diameter.
We are proud that this iconic symbol of our city was introduced to the world by Rotarians.
Together, the Rotary Club of Prince George joined up with Cops for Cancer and held a support station, BBQ and block party fundraiser outside the Prince George precinct. See the full story: https://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/local-news/cops-for-cancer-riders-roll-in-for-prince-george-block-party-12784003
(Photo Sept 15, 2026 showing Lanita Horning, Dolly Hilton, Bill and Cathy Hellier, and Kathy Carlson)
We would like to acknowledge the lasting gift to the community that two of our Club members established for the benefit of Animal Welfare here in Prince George. Donations through the Prince George Community Foundation will continue to grow the Fund and provide increasing care year-over-year: https://www.pgcf.ca/fund/Hansson-Family-Animal-Welfare-Endowment-Fund
Our Rotary sponsored student exchange recruitment has begun for the 2027-2028 term. If you have SD57 children or grand children who meet the age criteria and may consider them for a long term or short term exchange, attend the Information Session! It's a once in a lifetime experience that will provide a cultural experience unlike anything else. For information contact Toni Stedeford at tstedeford@gmail.com or by phone 250 552-0958.
Did you know Rotary supports SD57 Career Pathways programs? We do! Deciding what career you want to pursue as a teenager is daunting to say the least. The Rotary Clubs of Prince George support three programs: Adventures in Technology, Adventures in Healthcare and the Adventures in First Responders. These emersion courses fill up to capacity every year and provides students the opportunity to explore a potential career. Check it out: https://sd57careerpathways.weebly.com
Steven Foster presenting – Sept 8, 2026.
Some of us sharing our pride for being nominated and becoming a FINALIST for the best Not-for-profit Organization for 2026. (Photos Sept 8, 2026)
Today, at the Canada Games Plaza, the announcements were made for the Prince George Chamber of Commerce’s 41st Annual Business Excellence Awards Finalists.
We are very excited to share that our Club has been named as a finalist in the Excellence in Not-For-Profit and Community Service category! The great news doesn't stop there! A huge congratulations as well to our very own Tai and Rebecca Krahn, who have also been recognized with a nomination for Comfort Keepers!
The Business Excellence Awards are one of Prince George’s longstanding annual celebrations of the businesses, organizations and individuals that make a positive contribution to our community. Being selected as a finalist is wonderful recognition of the impact our Club continues to have throughout Prince George. (Aug 28, 2026)
What a fantastic day at the Touch-A-Truck event! Yesterday, our Downtown Prince George Rotary volunteers Cristina Mihis (R) and Kathleen Angelski (L) had a blast helping out at the Civic Centre alongside our friends from the Prince George Railway Museum! Events like this bring our community together, giving families and kids a hands-on look at the amazing vehicles and machinery that keep our city moving. From honking horns to riding the mini train, it was smiles all around! (Aug 21, 2026)
On August 26, 2026 international Rotary exchange student Emma Van Zutphen (center in orange jacket) arrived from Holland. She was greeted at the PG airport by some members of the Rotary Club of Prince George, and by several members of her first host family, the Reimers.
Congratulations are in order for Cristina Mihis (presented by ADG, Lorne Calder) who received the Paul Harris Award. This award signifies her efforts towards supporting the Rotary Foundation which provides world aid in so many capacities. Also today Mindy Stroet received her past-President name badge (presented by past-past-President Gary Wilson) representing the honour of her accomplishments for her year as Club President. (Photos: Aug 11, 2026)
The Rotary Club of Prince George (Downtown) has been recognized as the second fastest-growing club, by net membership, among the 55 clubs in District 5040 for the 2025-2026 Rotary year.
It's always nice to receive an award but it's what it represents that truly matters. Membership growth doesn't happen by accident. It happens because people walk through our doors and find the Club welcoming, engaged, and making a real difference in our community.
This past year, our Rotary District placed a renewed emphasis on membership, by encouraging clubs to build relationships, strengthen their culture, and share what makes their club unique. Our club embraced that philosophy.
Every one of the current member played a part in this achievement. Whether they invited a guest, welcomed a new member, volunteered at a project, or simply made someone feel that they belonged, the members of our Club helped create the kind of Rotary experience that people want to be part of.
The goal isn't simply to grow membership. The goal is to grow impact. (Photo July 14, 2026 Jon Hansson, Assistant Membership Coordinator for Prince George/Cariboo Region and Mindy Stroet, Past President 2025-2026)
We’re happy to announce that we raised $700 for Rotary! Funds to go towards breakfast programs, scholarships, bursaries, and other community projects and programs. Photo: Carol Hansson on July 7, 2026.
We welcome Saransh Tiku to our Club. Saransh is passionate about development of the downtown and looks forward to serving the community through Rotary. Each new member helps build a deeper legacy of Rotary here in PG – a legacy that goes all the way back to 1942.
Past President, Gary Wilson seen here "awarding" (pun intended) a $13,000 cheque to Natasha Rempel of SD57 who heads up the District Awards Program. Our Club has sponsored scholarships and bursaries to the School District for decades. You can view ours and countless others here: https://www.sd57.bc.ca/apps/pages/awards (June 2026)
Our President, Mindy Stroet, welcomes Kelly Enns (left picture) and Stefania Brandner (right picture) to our Club. Being a part of Rotary not only gives you the opportunity to give back to the community but also develop new friendships and business connections! It's a full circle. (Picture taken June 23, 2026)
While kayaking for the first time on one of our stunning lakes, Davi realized the perils of taking once in a lifetime pictures and selfies as he watched his smart phone go plunk and sink to the depths.
He arrived 10 months ago from Brazil not knowing much about Canadian winters, hockey, or why we apologize so often. He leaves going home having had made new lifelong friends, experiences and a greater understanding of the world from Canadian lenses.
As Rotarians, we often say that Rotary opens doors to the world. This year, our Brazilian exchange student reminded us that those doors lead to friendships, understanding, and unforgettable experiences. We are grateful to have been part of his Canadian journey and we wish him all the success in the future! (Photo taken June 9, 2026)
We welcome Raylene Janjua to our Club! Combining her experience from CNC and Northern Health with her passion for community, environmental projects and youth/education, Raylene is excited to give back to PG through Rotary. [Photo June 9, 2026 -- Mindy Stroet, President (left) and Raylene Janjua (right)]
