The University of Northern British Columbia and a volley of local volunteers hosted the Performing Arts Festival of BC (PABC) in Prince George–Lheidli T’enneh. Hundreds of performers and their families attended from numerous corners of the province, as did a number of adjudicators from across Canada. Happening June 1st-5th 2026, the non-profit festival moves to a different BC municipality each year, retaining only a few board members and stalwart volunteers along the way to guide the ship through competitive sessions of dance, music, speech-arts and more.
Heilwig von Koenigsloew is one such volunteer and adjudicator who has been supporting youth to achieve excellence since the 1970s, witnessed the withdrawal of Provincial funding in the 2000s, and the survival of the organization since. She remains committed to fostering confidence in performers, as does Executive Director Antonia Mahon, who both raved of the volume and quality of our local volunteers, or “the best of the best,” as Koenigsloew stated.
Michelle George walked away from the piano, victorious, after an intermediate Canadian composer performance. Although her ambitions after high school are focused on medicine over musicianship, she attributes her ability to focus, and persevere, to her hard earned piano skills. The event wrapped up Friday June 5th with a memorable collection of champion performances at the Knox Performance Centre.
- Ian Gregg, CFURadio 88.7FM, Due North News, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
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