The gift was presented during the North Central Local Government Association convention
The first full day of the North Central Local Government Association (NCLGA) convention ended with the unveiling of a chainsaw-carved statue courtesy of the town of Chetwynd at Canada Games Plaza.
Artist Ken Packie’s Black Pearl was created during the Chetwynd International Chainsaw Carving Championship in 2012.
Mayor Simon Yu told The Citizen that he has been hoping to receive a carving for years now.
“I have been asking the mayor of Chetwynd constantly every time I met him, and finally he surprised me this year,” he said. “Through great effort they brought this big tall piece of carving to Prince George and to be set here in Canada Games Plaza, it’s really a marquee moment because whenever I see this piece of carving it makes me look back of my entire 50-some years in Northern BC,” said Yu.
Yu also sees the sculpture as more than just a work of art.
“I want to be a piece of education and for as well as a symbol of Northern arts,” said Yu. “Chetwynd basically built itself and now it’s a carving capital of Canada. They do this international competition every year and we need to learn from that. Prince George, we need to have multiple events and to promote our city through arts, through sports. Northerners have to tell the rest of the world we not only have a beautiful scenery, but we also have great artwork.”
Chetwynd Mayor Allen Courtoreille told The Citizen that the gift to Prince George will help both communities, noting that people visit Chetwynd specifically for the carvings and having one in Prince George will help point travellers to his community.
“People hear about it from Europe,” said Courtoreille. “They come through Chetwynd just to see them, rather than driving Highway 16 to Edmonton. That’s tourism through art, and art through tourism.”
Yu said he hopes that this new art piece can become a part of a growing Prince George and hopes that it can contribute to the arts scene in the City.
“We don’t want to be in an industrial town, where people come, do their project and leave,” he said. “We want people to come, stay, and raise their family here, to understand this is a beautiful city. This piece of artwork is an asset to the beauty of this plaza.”
Yu said he has a personal connection to the town and was happy to see its art and culture reflected in Prince George.
“I started my life in Northern BC in Chetwynd,” said Yu.” At the time, my aunt owned a restaurant in Chetwynd, and because of her relationship with one of the priests there, I found myself sent to Prince George to do my high school here in a boarding school and my firstborn, my son, was also born in Chetwynd.”
Courtoreille thanked Prince George for hosting him and his delegation during the NCLGA.
“Prince George has been fantastic,” he said. “I can’t say enough about how we get treated in other communities, regardless if it was the art or not. British Columbia and the communities that we go to, they treat us fantastic.”
Ellen McAvany, Chetwynd’s economic development officer and parks manager, commended the City of Prince George Public Works staff for unloading the carving after its long trip and caring for it before the unveiling.