MEDIA RELEASE FROM DOWNTOWN PRINCE GEORGE
Downtown Prince George Explosion – Tuesday August 22, 2023
This morning at 7am an explosion shook our downtown and was heard and felt in many parts of our city. Our hearts were heavy as we saw the smoke billowing over the centre of our downtown! Sadly, we understand that there were serious injuries, and our thoughts go out to those who were wounded. There was also a tremendous amount of building destruction from the impact of the explosion, the fire, smoke, and the water being used to battle the flames.
Eoin Foley, the President of Downtown Prince George, and owner of several downtown businesses says, “We are grateful for the quick response from fire and police and the support coming from the City of Prince George and our community. Earlier today much of the downtown had been cordoned off to ensure that the response to this fire was unhampered. It appears that the fire itself has been dealt with and now our businesses are left to deal with the aftermath.”
Several businesses in that immediate area will remain closed today as the power and gas have been shut off to ensure no further incidents. Many more businesses will have much longer lasting effects as they deal with shattered windows, damaged interiors, and lost merchandise.
“This is heart-wrenching to see how instantly this incident impacted our downtown. Many people, businesses, shops, restaurants, and service providers started their day very differently than they expected”, says Colleen Van Mook, Executive Director, Downtown Prince George. “4
th Avenue, often described as Specialty Avenue, has
been hit the hardest and it pains me to think they were all in the midst of hosting a fabulous block party this coming Saturday. Now they are faced with repairing windows and cleaning up their shops and restaurants. We hope the community will be there when they open their doors again.”
Once again, the merchants of Downtown Prince George are showing their resilience and commitment and
passion as they clear up the mess and get ready for a new day. We know the community will be patient and do what they can to support our business.
CONTACT:
Colleen Van Mook, Executive Director
Downtown Prince George
colleenvm@downtownpg.com
office: 250-614-1330
