The History of MR. PG

Harold Moffat (who was Mayor of Prince George from 1970 to 1979) is credited as being the person who dreamed up the idea for Mr. PG. He believed Prince George needed a mascot to promote the forestry industry (similar to Oregon's Paul Bunyan statue in Portland).

Moffat approached local Rotarian and sawmill owner Hans Roine with the concept in the 1950s.

Mr. PG made his first public appearance outside the Hotel Simon Fraser, welcoming delegates to a Rotary International Conference.

He was an instant hit! Many of the delegates - and local residents - posed for photographs beside him.

Mr. PG's popularity gave Bill Jones, the City's Public Works Superintendant, the idea to feature him as a parade float.

A 38-foot-tall Mr. PG made an appearance at the annual Elks Day Parade in 1961 and stole the show. The giant figure featured a loudspeaker in his nose that let him "talk" to the crowds.

The float used a garbage hoist to raise and lower Mr. PG in order to avoid overhead wires on the parade route.

Mr. PG attended many more local parades throughout B.C. over the next few years. The Mr. PG float won first place in the 1961 Kelowna Regatta and second prize at the 1961 PNE opening parade.

In 1963, the float took part in the Grey Cup Parade in downtown Vancouver

Mr. PG eventually found a home - for a time - in front of the Prince George Chamber of Commerce building located at George Street and 1st Avenue.

In 1970, Mr. PG moved to the intersection of Highways 16 and 97, which is the busiest intersection in Northern B.C.

In 1970, BC Tel presented the Chamber of Commerce with a Mr. PG Junior telephone booth. The local press dubbed him the "Son of Mr. Pee Gee" and he stood 12 feet tall.

In 1983, Mr. PG moved across Highway 16 to his current location. He also took on his current 8.14 metre-tall metal and fibreglass form. His makeover cost the City $6,700.”

Mr. PG is often lit in different colours to feature various activities or to mark important events.

Mr. PG often celebrates community activities and events by holding the flags of different organizations or being lit in different colours.

In 2020, he was dressed in a scarf and held a curling broom to celebrate the 2020 World Women's Curling Championships, which was scheduled to take place in Prince George. Unfortunately, the event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”

While Mr. PG normally holds a Canadian flag, he often also holds flags of community organizations as part of raising awareness of community events.

Mr. PG's popularity resulted in him appearing on countless items such figurines, plush toys, quilts, commemorative coins, pins, and more.

 The Exploration Place's  Mr. PG exhibit, which opened in 2019, houses many examples of Mr. PG memorabilia.

Mr. PG celebrated his 60th birthday in 2020. In addition to signing up for his very own  @therealmrpg  Instagram account to share with fans, other fun birthday activities and memorabilia included:

• A Mr. PG Facebook frame for photos.
• Mr. PG Zoom conference backgrounds.
• Limited-edition Mr. PG stuffed toys with hand-knitted scarves sold through The Exploration Place Museum.
• An online draw for free spruce tip ice cream from local retailer the Frozen Paddle.
• A Mr. PG colouring sheet drawn by Community Arts Council artist-in-residence Erin Stagg.
• A spot-Mr.PG contest held through the Active Living Guide.