Since Then...

Since our move, we have grown to love living in the North.

Now, there are a few problems in Prince George. Travelling to anywhere is difficult, especially in winter. The town has a problem attracting medical doctors so each practising doctor has a waiting list and many cannot find a family doctor. Weather inversions can make the air horrid on some days.

Crack hit PG a few years ago. It especially hit the Native and Metis population. It took a long time for the City and RCMP to get a handle on that. Our neighbourhood, locally known as "The Hood" was worst hit. Of recent, higher values for houses has seen the former rental units bought by people who intend to live in them and that has resulted in a general upgrade. The RCMP and City have cooperated in attacking the crack shacks. When we first moved in, there were ten or more crack shacks within six blocks. Now, not a one. The police raid the places and break up as much as they can; then city inspectors arrive and list those things that must be repaired before the place can be rented. This has led to major renovations of the older duplexes, with prices rising form $49,000 two year ago to asking $136,000 today.

So, compared with when we moved in five years go, the neighbourhood has gone through major changes and upgrades. We were just a bit early.

When we first moved in, the house next door was a grow-op. Then after months of being a nice fellow, Tom, moved in downstairs. The Gills, landlords of the place, then rented the upstairs to total creeps. Druggies and dumpster divers, they made life for us miserable one summer by burning off the coating of wire they salvaged. But we worked with the city and landlord and finally got them out . They (or someone else) came back the next day and torched the house, a major fire. The house was left as a ruin for some time until we again complained to the City. It was rebuilt, torched again, and finally finished and is now on the market for $225,000 (we had been offered it for $79,000 before the first fire).

One reason why the neighbourhood has cleaned up is our friend - and perhaps protector - Dennis. Dennis is a character. A semi-retired Hell's Angel, Dennis is a great guy to do renovations and a wonderful type to do evictions. One problem in prior years was that Mr. Gill was not good at enforcing any evictions. Then he got Dennis, with a nice aluminium baseball bat somewhat modified. Now, Dennis has a lot of stories, but he looks after us, "the Girls". Any troublemaker in the area knows that Dennis is watching, sometimes walking the area at night. It makes for a very trouble free time.

Dennis also did out two major recent renovations - a back deck and a front porch. A great job for an affordable amount.