Prince George Free Press, April 13, 2012

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ENVIRONMENT: Snow packs at or near record levels A3 Friday, April 13, 2012 Theatre North West presents Neil Simon’s Brighton Beach Memoirs A10

Newsline 250-564-0005

www.pgfreepress.com ■ POLICE

Search for dog finds human remains Discovery made just off Foothills Boulevard near Fifth Avenue DELYNDA PILON newsroom@pgfreepress.com

Human remains have been discovered in the Fifth and Foothills area of the city. Prince George RCMP received a report about the discovery from the public at about 1 p.m. April 11. Police attended the scene and confirmed it. Since then an area has been cordoned off and is being investigated by members of the general duty unit, serious crimes and forensics. “It’s still in the early stages of the investigation,” RCMP media liaison Cpl. Craig Douglass said. “Every situation is different.” A local family looking for a lost dog discovered the remains. Identification will depend on the condition of the body, whether or not there is some sort of identification on the body, and a number of other factors. A forensic autopsy also may be part of the process, something that usually takes place in Kamloops. Douglass added it typically takes a few days before more information becomes available, and added the first duty of the RCMP is to notify the next-of-kin.

De Ly nd a PILON/ Fre e Pre s s

An RCMP officer guards a cordoned-off area along Foothills Drive near Fifth Avenue. Human remains were discovered at the site Wednesday by a family looking for a lost dog.

Two separate projects bring $140M to North New $40 million hotel/condo project set for downtown

TELUS puts in $103 million

DELYNDA PILON

DELYNDA PILON

newsroom@pgfreepress.com

newsroom@pgfreepress.com

A $40 million hotel and condo venture will begin construction this summer in downtown Prince George after Rod McLeod, owner of Royal LePage, and his partners decided it was time to go forward with the project, the brain child of Clint Dahl, a realtor at McLeod’s company. The project will include 35 executive-style condos atop a 150-room premium-brand hotel, with the operator yet to be confirmed. It will rise 12 storeys, with the first seven floors hotel and the top five divided into the condos, and be located between the library and the existing RCMP detachment, and will include vacant property along Patricia Blvd. Dahl had the listing for the vacant land on 10th for about 16 months, and knew of interest in a project for a Holiday Express type hotel in the same location about 15 years ago. Convinced that the time was right for another full service hotel downtown, and that the time might be right for condos, he approached Tim McEwen, then CEO of Initiatives Prince George, who agreed with him. The pair then approached Ian Wells, the city’s property manager, for his thoughts about attracting a hotel and investors for the project. Previously, former IPG vice-president Kathie Scouten attended a hotel convention and met with several people representing hotels interested in the city. A few visited Prince George and supported the

TELUS will invest $100 million in northern B.C. over the next three years, and $60 million of those dollars will be infused in Prince George. TELUS president and CEO Darren Entwistle made the announcement at the Inn of the North Thursday morning, joined by MLA Shirley Bond and Mayor Shari Green. “TELUS’ $103 million investment in northern B.C. over the next three years is only possible due to the hard work and outstanding commitment of our 775 team members and retirees in the region and the support of our customers, and for that I am deeply grateful,” Entwistle said. “TELUS will bring the world’s fastest wireless technology to Prince George this year and expand Optik TV to even more neighbourhoods at the same time as we extend broadband Internet service to many more northern commu-

proposed site. Dahl, the city and IPG worked with them to build a business case. The next step was a market study. At the same time, Dahl scheduled meetings with a number of local investors who expressed interest in the project. McLeod took a walk downtown in the summer of 2011 with his wife, Denise, and decided he didn’t need to see the results of the market study, which he thought would only confirm what many already knew. With the support of his two partners he moved forward with planning the project. “It was compelling,” McLeod said. “I agreed with turn to PAGE A3

nities. With this commitment, we are providing the wireless and wireline communications backbone local companies depend on to compete in the world economy, creating local employment opportunities and advancing healthcare, education and connectivity for citizens across the region.” The funds will go towards extending the new 4G LTE network to Prince George as well as extending Optik TV to more Prince George homes. It will connect Cluculz Lake, Kitwanga, Hansard, Wet’suwet’en and Reid Lake to broadband Internet and extend wireless coverage along northern highways. This investment comes on top of the $11 million TELUS put into the city last year, which includes $3 million to expand its customer care centre, which employed 150 new team members. The company plans on hiring another 70 employees across northern B.C. this year.


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