August 14, 2009

Monday, August 17, will mark the anniversary of one of the most memorable days in the history of Prince George. On that day 15 years ago, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II officially opened both UNBC and the Prince George Civic Centre.

“It’s a day I’ll never forget! It was as significant an event as any in the history of this region,” says Murray Sadler, Chair of UNBC’s Interim Governing Council and one of UNBC’s key founders. “There were thousands of people in attendance throughout the day, both for the ceremony and the festivities that continued on campus well into the evening. It really was a community celebration; everyone was so proud of what we had achieved together. They still are.”

The opening ceremony was broadcast live, nationwide, on CBC television. There were about 60 members of the news media on campus that day. Many of the cameras captured the moment shortly after The Queen’s arrival on campus, when 5-year old Erin Beckett of Prince George presented Her Majesty with flowers and welcomed her to campus. Today, Erin is a UNBC student and a member of the women’s basketball team.

"Maybe it's fate that I ended up being a student at UNBC," says Erin, who first went to the University of Saskatchewan after completing high school in Prince George. "I don't remember too much from that day other than everyone making me nervous with all their talk about how famous the Queen was. Other than that, I have a less-than-positive memory of the long appointment at the hairdresser!"

The University has experienced incredible growth and development since 1994. That year, there were 6 graduates; today, the number of alumni totals nearly 6900. Annual research funding in 1994 was $340,000; now, it’s about $18 million. Both in terms of student numbers and physical size of the Prince George campus, the University has tripled since 1994.

See www.unbc.ca/15_years for more info, including high-resolution photos.

Contact:
Robert van Adrichem, Vice-President External Relations, UNBC – 250.960.5622
Michael Kellett, Communications Officer, UNBC – 250.960.5621