Clint Dahl PREC : Blog : Latest Blog Posts

Mining: A Driving Force Behind Prince George’s Economic Growth

Thu, 15 May 2025 13:15:51 GMT

If you’ve been following the news, you may have seen the recent CBC article about a B.C. company’s proposal to open a new sand mine just north of Prince George. This story is more than just a headline-it’s a reminder of how vital the mining sector is to our region’s prosperity and future.

Mining: More Than Just Resources

Prince George has long been recognized as a hub for forestry and transportation, but mining is increasingly becoming a cornerstone of our local economy. From precious metals to industrial minerals like sand, mining operations support thousands of jobs, drive infrastructure development, and attract investment to our community.

The proposed sand mine north of Prince George is a perfect example. If approved, it could supply high-quality sand for construction projects across B.C., supporting everything from new homes to public infrastructure. The ripple effect? More local jobs, increased demand for services, and a stronger tax base that benefits everyone.

Economic Impact Close to Home

Mining isn’t just about big companies-it’s about local businesses, skilled trades, and families. Each new project means opportunities for contractors, equipment suppliers, logistics providers, and countless other small businesses right here in Prince George and Vanderhoof.

As a business owner, I’ve seen firsthand how resource development fuels economic activity. It’s not just about extraction; it’s about building communities, supporting innovation, and creating long-term prosperity.

Responsible Development Matters

Of course, growth must be balanced with responsibility. Modern mining projects in B.C. are subject to rigorous environmental assessments and community consultations. Companies are investing in cleaner technologies and working closely with Indigenous communities to ensure development is sustainable and mutually beneficial.

Looking Ahead

As Prince George continues to grow, mining will remain a key driver of opportunity and progress. Whether it’s new projects like the proposed sand mine or ongoing operations that keep our economy moving, the sector’s impact is undeniable.

Let’s celebrate and support the industries that make our region strong. Together, we can ensure that Prince George remains a vibrant, thriving place to live and work for generations to come.

Want to learn more about how mining and other industries are shaping Prince George? Connect with me on LinkedIn or visit clintdahl.ca for more insights and updates.

Feel free to personalize this post further to match your voice or add a call-to-action specific to your business services!

Prince George home sales buck Provincial trend

Wed, 15 May 2019 15:27:24 GMT

While house sales in the Province tumbled 18.9% year over year, marking a six-year low for home sales, sales increased in the Prince George region by 2.6% year over year.

http://bcnreb.stats.10kresearch.com/infoserv/s-v1/FJPm-WlL

The average sales price in the city has increased by 4.1% year over year and on a 12-month rolling average we are up 6.2% to an average home price of $317,740.

http://bcnreb.stats.10kresearch.com/infoserv/s-v1/FJfo-YsR

While in larger centers with higher average home prices the tightening federal mortgage rules have limited prospective buyers purchasing power, the affordability that we have in Prince George means we are not impacted as hard.

Light Industrial Land in Prince George

Tue, 30 Jan 2018 17:23:48 GMT

Here is an excellent video giving an overview of the Light Industrial areas of Prince George. Some areas are very limited in what is available while others, such as the Danson Industrial site and Boundary rd have several options available for purchase.

Prince George Airport passenger numbers up again

Thu, 22 Jun 2017 21:00:34 GMT

A key economic indicator I always watch are the airport passenger numbers. As we are the service center for the Central and Northern BC, its a great indicator of the how much activity is going on in the region. Numbers for May are up 6.8% over last year and that follows growth of 9% in April and 5.5% in March. Those are very encouraging signs for our economy.

Home Partnership program for First time buyers

Sun, 19 Feb 2017 22:25:48 GMT

B.C. HOME Partnership program is the new government launched fund to help first time home buyers purchase their first homes by contributing up to 50% of the down payment. This is in the form of a repayable loan but provides a fantastic opportunity for people to get out of the rental market and start building equity into their own homes!

More information can be found here:

https://housingaction.gov.bc.ca/?WT_mc_id=NEWS&WT_cg_n=HootSuite

Want help finding the perfect new home, give me a call.

Sure fire favorite opened up in downtown

Fri, 18 Nov 2016 17:41:00 GMT

Kask Taproom on 4th ave in downtown Prince George opened its doors on November 18th, 2016. This new test kitchen and craft beer tasting business is going to be a sure fire hit in our downtown and is just another example of all the great things happening in the area.

The following is an excerpt from www.opinion250.com news report on the opening and captures what is happening beautifully:

More and more businesses are making the decision to open in downtown Prince George, an area of the City which has seen more than its share of challenges.

Investment in the downtown has been growing, with façade improvements ( the old Photo Fax building on George Street a prime example), the resumption of construction of the Courtyard Marriott Hotel, the addition of a pizza outlet to Nancy O’s on Third Avenue, façade improvements underway at the corner of Third and Quebec, the decision by HomeWork to return to downtown, the opening of Jim’s Clothes Closet on 4th , the development of Crossroads Brewery on George Street and now Kask.

The opening of Kask on 4th means 4th avenue has no retail vacancy space available. That’s the first time that has happened in several years. “This innovative business will play a pivotal role in redevelopment of downtown” says Mayor Lyn Hall.

Kask’s owner, Ross Birchall says his outlet won’t be in competition with Crossroads Brewery, in fact, CrossRoads product will be one of the craft beers featured.

Over the past year, several developers have remarked that it is clear Prince George is open for business and Birchall echoes those comments “The time is right for doing business in this city. A cooperative Mayor and Council, incentives such as the Façade Improvement Program, several young entrepreneurs that I’m pleased to call my friends and an appetite for change makes all the difference.”

There are other plans in the works to help further the revitalization of Downtown Prince George, including developing student housing, and a park next to the Wood Innovation and Design Building .

Prince George leads Canadian Cities in growth

Thu, 06 Oct 2016 18:19:00 GMT

Prince George is predicted to have the strongest economic growth in Canada as compared to other mid sized cities, this according to the Conference Board of Canada. The Western Investor recently released and excellent article on Prince George and overall prospects. With job numbers remaining strong, vacancies at all time lows, growth in both the K-12 and University student populations Real Estate in Prince George looks to remain healthy.

you can read the full article here:

http://tinyurl.com/hepydwy

Prince George May 2016 Real Estate stats

Fri, 03 Jun 2016 15:45:25 GMT

May 2016 Real Estate statistics are out and here are some quick highlights:

The overall number of sales in Prince George was up 6.6%

The number of new listings that hit the market was down 3.4%

Overall the number of Active listings was down a whopping 16.3%!! This explains why those people that are looking for houses to buy are having some challenges. New listings that are in good condition are being sold quickly.

The median sales price on a 12 month rolling average is up 4% to $255,000.....which still makes Prince George and amazingly affordable place to live!

April Real Estate Stats for Prince George

Wed, 04 May 2016 16:25:17 GMT

Statistics for April 2016 in Prince George show we continue to be in a very tight market which is great for sellers but challenging for buyers. As always a sellers market means we have upward pressure on pricing. I've used 12 month rolling average statistics in this blog as I think it shows the trends more than just viewing April 2016 vs April 2015.

The average sales price in April 2016 was up to $266,023 compared to an average of $252,824 in April of 2015.

The number of sales was relatively the same with 1318 in April 2015 versus 1304 this year.

The big change was in the number of new listings. This year was down to 1777 new listings as a 12 month rolling average. Last April had an average of 1898! This means the number of Active listings for prospective buyers to choose from has declined from 422 in April 2015 to just 356 this April and that is across all price points.

This results in a very tight market and why we are seeing competitive bids in the market place and new listings getting snapped up fast if they are priced accordingly to market conditions.

If you have property and have been thinking of selling, now may be a good time to do it!

Apartment for Sale in Prince George

Sat, 06 Feb 2016 16:43:31 GMT

16 Unit Apartment for Sale at $950,000 which works out to a great price of $59,375 per door. Unit has excellent suite mix with 2 bachelors, 4 one bedrooms, 8 two bedrooms and 2 three bedroom suites. All suites are good size with lots of natural light. Large laundry room, lots of parking and a very central location that is walking distance to Parkwood mall which has a Save on Foods, London Drugs, The Bay, Theatre and several restaurants.

View video here:

January Real Estate stats for Prince George

Tue, 02 Feb 2016 17:15:42 GMT

January Real Estate statistics are now in and the general trend of a very tight market has continued. Current active listings for the City of Prince George are at 213. The only time we have had very lisings is in January 2007 when we had 204 active listings. The number of new listings in January was also very low at just 93 new listings. Again only once have we seen a month with fewer listings and that was in January of 2006.

The median sale price for houses in the city rose year over year from $234,000 to $243,000.

The general sense in the market place is we will continue to have low inventory of houses for sale relative to past years which should continue to put upward pressure on pricing.

Prince George is NOT Shrinking

Fri, 29 Jan 2016 18:35:42 GMT

BC Stats recently reported that Prince George's population shrank by 2.7% last year. I was shocked then became angry when I seen this. These stats play a pretty important roll in the helth of the community. Everything from government funding to potential investors look at these stats so a declining population is bad news. But lets take a closer look at some other statistics:

Our vacancy rate for rental properties while up from last year is still extremely low.

Housing starts remain strong and the sale of new houses has remained strong. I've talked to one larger builder that said they cannot keep up with the demand.

Our real estate market also points to anythign but a declining population. Sales remain high and we continue to see modest increases in prices, somethign you do not see in city with a declining population. Interestingly if we lost close to 3% of our population one would assume that their would be a rise in the number of houses for sale and yet we have the lowest inventory of houses for sale since 2007 and even at that its only marginally more than that boom year. Beyond that year the mls data does not show any years where we have had less houses for sale.

While average family sizes in Canada are getting smaller, School district 57 had an increase in the number of students from 12,654 students to 12,728 students. Not a large increase but certainly not what one would expect to see if your population just shrank by 2.7%.

You don't need to look at these statistics though to see that there is something wrong with BC stats numbers, just drive around the city. There is way more traffic just about every where you go.

The bigger problem I would suggest is that the way BC Stats is getting their data is obviously not reflecting what is actually occuring. This is concerning, because from my point of view Prince George is growing!

Property assessments up by 6% in Prince George

Mon, 04 Jan 2016 04:02:00 GMT

Prince George home owners values up 6%

BC Assessment has sent out their 2016 assessments and Prince George residents can expect to see an average increase of 6%. This is slightly more than the average increase that we have seen through the nearly 1300 MLS sales this year where we have seen an average increase of about 4.2%.

What will be interesting to see what the increases will be for the different price ranges. For example the average number of active listings we have in the $200,000 - $300,000 range is down by over 22% where as the number of listing in the $350,000 and up range is up by close to 15%. This shows tare fewer and fewer houses available in the range of what our average house price is. Tight inventory usually means rising prices so will we see faster price increases in that $200-300k price range this year and has BC Assessment already factored that in?