Art and music and dance, oh my! There's more to Prince George than meets the eye. Scratch the surface, and you'll find the city teeming with venues ready to bring you top-shelf arts and culture. Local Realtor Dean Birks highlights, in no particular order, ten locations to see all of arts & culture this city has to offer.

1. Books & Company, and the Artspace, 1685 3rd Avenue

We include these two together because the beloved 3rd Avenue bookstore is a one-two punch of two amazing arts venues in one building. Below, the bookstore and its ensuite Cafe Voltaire play host to regular author meet and greets, spoken word events, and open mic nights with local hosts. Upstairs, the ArtSpace holds regular punk shows, theatre nights, and even a recent art exhibit curated by local tattoo artists. http://www.booksandcompany.ca/

2. Prince George Public Library, 888 Canada Games Way

Not only can you retrieve books and CDs about multiple forms of art here, the library also holds free art events such as acting workshops, meet and greets for poets and writers, and sessions for those wanting to learn more about art forms such as animation or comic books. http://www.pgpl.ca/events

3. Theatre NorthWest, 556 North Nechako Road #36

Theatre Northwest is in its 25th season of providing quality theatre and musical theatre entertainment to the people of our fair city. This year features 6 total productions and 4 main stage productions. From classic plays such as Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol to more contemporary fair like the 2oo4 Governor General Award-winning Canadian production, Girl In The Goldfish Bowl. http://theatrenorthwest.com/shows/

4. The Prince George Playhouse, 2883 Recreation Place

Beloved annual events include performances by "Judy Russell Presents," a local musical troupe, as well as Cinema CNC's annual indie film festival, and features from Coldsnap, PG's winter music festival. Check their website for other offerings like local artist showcases and the occasional operatic performance. http://pgplayhouse.ca/events/

5. The CN Centre

Big name artists, Comedians, and productions have graced the CN Centre over the years, including but not limited to: Elton John, Marilyn Manson, Shania Twain, Russell Peters, Jerry Seinfeld, Cirque De Soleil. Prince George's Northern Fancon is also a yearly top-class Northern BC event. http://cncentre.ca/Pages/Welcome.aspx

6. University of Northern BC, 3333 University Way

The university regularly plays host to photograph workshops, student theatre performances, events from in-house radio station CFUR, and anthropological talks on First Nations art. Make sure to check out the Rotunda Art Gallery while you're there! www.unbc.ca/events

7. Two Rivers Gallery, 725 Canada Games Way

Northern BC's only world-class art gallery features 4 high-concept shows in their main galleries each year, as well as a monthly rotating artist feature. Check their website for other recurring participatory art events for the whole family. Attendance is free for the public on Thursdays. http://www.tworiversgallery.ca/ 

8. Omineca Arts Centre 369 Victoria Street

This up and comer features sponsored artists from Emily Carr University, as well as local artists, musicians, films, Karaoke nights, and comedians. https://www.ominecaartscentre.com/

9. Vanier Hall, 2901 Griffiths Avenue

This diverse hall regularly hosts the Prince George Symphony, ballet performances, and comedy performances. https://www.ticketmaster.ca/Vanier-Hall-tickets-Prince-George/venue/139490 

10. The Prince George Legion #43, 1335 7th Avenue

The local legion has exploded as an underground music venue in the past few years, hosting local favourites like Canadian Waste, Crones, and Children of the Wave. Visiting bands include stars such as BA Johnston, Kitty & the Rooster, Carolyn Mark, and CR Avery. https://www.facebook.com/MadLoonEntertainment/

We hope that this list helps you find your cultural niche in our wonderful city. Dean Birks  PREC* has been a national award-winning realtor in the Prince George area for over 25 years and is dedicated to the happiness and satisfaction of his clients and our community. For more information about his Realty practice, please visit his website at https://deanbirks.com/.

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PRINCE GEORGE — In the next few days, owners of more than 247,500 properties throughout Northern BC can expect to receive their 2019 assessment notices, which reflect market value as of July 1, 2018.

"The majority of residential home owners within the region can expect a moderate increase compared to last year's assessment," says Deputy Assessor Jarret Krantz. "There are some exceptions to this such as Kitimat where owner’s will see increases of 20 per cent or greater. Also, the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality where there have been decreases in the range of 20 per cent or more.”

The summaries below provides estimates of average 2018 versus 2019 assessed values of properties throughout the region. The average is represented by the median, or mid point, value which removes the influence of outliers.

These examples demonstrate market trends for single-family residential properties by geographic area: