The three MLAs representing Prince George–Lheidli T’enneh residents all attended a UNBC event on September 11th, 2026 which connected academics and politicians to create dialogue between the two assemblies, and equip policy decisions with current accurate information. Six University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) researchers participated in science policy training sessions between them and BC MLAs earlier this 2026 as part of the Science Meets Parliament program, facilitated by the Canadian Science Policy Centre. This led to the localized September 11th version of the initiative on UNBC’s Prince George campus being coordinated by Dr. Ben Daniel, Director of the university’s Centre for Teaching & Learning, and Computer Science Faculty.
Offering an opportunity to connect community-informed research with real-world policy decisions, all three MLAs which represent the three electoral districts intersecting through the city’s footprint attended the event on September 11th: Kiel Giddens of Prince George–Mackenzie, Rosalyn Bird of Prince George–Valemount and Sheldon Clare of Prince George–North Cariboo.
Upon conversing with the representatives, email still stands out as the most typical & reliable method of communicating information to the MLAs, but events like this hold the focus of all participants, politicians and academics alike. Each group outlined some best practices for presenting and accessing information to and from each other. MLA Clare requested, in addition to presenting information clearly and in simple terms, to also highlight potential opposition to any proposed course of action, saying “...nothing is worse for us than surprises and ambushes.”
While the event marked the first of its kind for our northern region, it is unlikely to be the last, with all participants and organizers keen to repeat it in the future. Dr. Daniel hinted at an upcoming event, “I don't know how often we’re going to have them, but certainly we’ll have at least more than this, and perhaps before the end of the year we’ll have another fall event.”
- Ian Gregg, CFURadio 88.7FM, Due North News, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
This audio featured in this story has been edited for clarity and brevity.
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