By Cheryl Jahn

City Capital Budget

Capital budget under construction

Feb 4, 2026 | 3:22 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – While the operating budget is often the centre of attention during the budget discussions because of its direct implications on residential taxes, there is another budget. The capital budget budget is broken down into what work you’ll see this year and subsequent years.

Right off the hop, a proposed roundabout at the intersection of Tyner and Ospika Boulevard to the tune of $2.5 million was hashed out at length.

“We want continuous flow,” says Mayor Simon Yu. “With a roundabout eventually at the top of the hill and so this is a priority. We need to get it done.”

A project that was deferred from the funded budget until next year was the installation of WiFi at the Kin Centres. Currently, that service is being provided for free by Telus. That is soon to disappear. But City Council wants more work before committing a quarter of a million dollars to it.

A handful of projects were pulled from the unfunded capital to next year’s capital plan. Those are projects that Administration felt are needed, but they’re a little rich for this budget.

Public Art

New mural for the Conference and Civic Centre

5m ago

Voices & Culture Summit is more than a conference its creates a place of belonging in the North

2h ago

Expo

4th annual Northern RV & Outdoor Expo underway at CN Centre

2h ago

One was brought up right away: the home for the Little Prince George train at Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park. For one Councillor, enough is enough.

“So the Little Prince has the shed,” explains Councillor Garth Frizzell, who brought the project out of the unfunded capital budget. “It has been downgrading and dilapidated for years. It’s been brought forward to Council repeatedly since before the pandemic. We know this is something that’s on our radar. It needs to be done. But year after year we’ve kicked it to the next year and the next year.”

One project that has been sitting in the long term projects budget is a ring road, connecting Highway 16 west with Boundary Road at Highway 97 South.

“There are some very expensive high ticket items, and we’re going to have to make some decisions before we can launch into major projects like that,” noted Frizzell. “We have to plan it out carefully, and we have to get the public ready.”

But the date for that special Committee of the Whole meeting has yet to be set, although it will happen before the end of this Council’s term.