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By Caden Fanshaw

Downtown

Local woman sounding alarm after repeated break-ins, smashed windows downtown

Jul 19, 2022 | 5:39 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – After 13 years of working downtown Prince George at the Immigrant and Multicultural Services Society, Jane Wei Liang has reached a breaking point.

Every day Liang starts by moving people out from under the entrance to the IMSS on Second Avenue. A common sight is needles scattered across the sidewalk, people on the ground, human waste, and even vandalism to their building.

“One big issue is our client numbers going down dramatically,” said Liang, Program Delivery Manager at the IMSS. “One reason over the last two years was because of COVID-19, but you see the trend and that is not the only reason.”

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A secondary entrance for the IMSS has been taken over and vandalized, Liang said she doesn’t even bother trying to move the folks there as it can create an unwanted conflict.

This past week she reached her breaking point, while working part-time at Wasabi Sushi her car, parked in the parkade attached to City Furniture, was vandalized with the suspect leaving behind a smashed window and blood stains on the driver seat.

Until it gets fixed she will be out a car to get to and from work, the second time this has happened to her in the last six months.

According to Liang, the staff at Wasabi Sushi have become accustomed to, at least once a month one of the employees has their vehicle damaged.

With frustrations boiling over, the longest serving employee of the IMSS is calling on the City of Prince George for action, adding that elected officials need to do more to bring back a downtown people can enjoy without fearing their safety.

“It’s been a constant battle and we have been up against it for years,” said Prince George City Councillor Garth Frizzell. “The important piece is to always report those incidents…It’s not going to be fixed overnight but every little bit helps.”

Frizzell added relief may be coming in the form of policy from the multiple levels of government including municipalities that he says are working hard to try and improve conditions.

“In the background, the duck may seem like it’s moving slowly on top of the water but it is paddling its feet like crazy underneath the water, we know the problems,” said Frizzell.

Until then, Liang will try and do her best to prevent any more damage, although morale is at an all-time low for her, other members of the IMSS, and the countless staff members at downtown restaurants she has spoken to.