2025 collective agreement ratified between University of Northern British Columbia and UNBC Faculty Association

In a situation that doesn’t often make headlines in labour politics, a collective agreement was ratified between the University of Northern British Colmbia's Faculty Association and its employer, UNBC, over a number of months of professional and respectful dialogue. Image Credit - UNBC & UNBCFA

20260708 - UNBC Collective Bargaining Agreement Reached

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The University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) and its Faculty Association (UNBCFA) have officially ratified their collective agreement under the University’s Mission Statement, representing stable relations between the institute and the lion’s share of the instructional staff for another three years. This may come as a relief to students, and all parties, who may recall instructional interruptions experienced during past negotiations. Both Administration and Faculty report a relatively smooth bargaining process. Chief Negotiator for the Faculty Association, Dr. Jaqueline Holler noted that compromise is an expected, and possibly necessary feature of the process, she appreciates that common ground was found. Holler also expressed the importance of making room for newer members of the collective “Let’s make sure that we’re doing things for our most precarious and vulnerable members, not just for the folks like me who have been here for 23 years in a professorial position.”

UNBC’s Provost Dr. Michel S. Beaulieu weighed in as well with the hope that communication and resolution won’t stop at the bargaining table, and that conversations will carry on between now and the next collective agreement negotiation in 2029. Commenting on the nature of these negotiations more broadly, he offered, “It’s not,’you’re going in to build bridges’. You already have bridges that exist, and you’re teasing out different aspects about how you walk along those bridges together.”

With that labour process satisfied, the University continues to negotiate with UNBC Food Services UNITE HERE Local 40 union and CUPE 3799, with both of those outcomes to be determined.

Northern BC writers prepare for inaugural, month-long, festival - July 1st, 2026

The inaugural Northern BC Writers Festival launches Thursday July 2nd and runs until the end of the month at various Prince George–Lheidli T’enneh venues. CFURadio spoke with the association’s President Amber Ingham about the excitement of drawing authors together into a stronger community of creatives. Photo Credit - Amber Ingham

July 1, 2026

Kicking off July 2nd, writers of Northern BC will emerge from their ink wells and gather through the month of July in Prince George–Lheidli T’enneh for the Northern BC Writers Festival across many venues & events. Northern BC Writers Association (NBCWA) President, Amber Ingham is excited to bring together local creatives to network, promote northern literature, and strengthen community. Among a number of goals, Ingham stated the event aims to, “connect with writers across genres and across disciplines, but also give you a chance to connect with writers that are within the same ones.”

The festival offers four streams of affordable events for participants to explore: presentations, mixers, workshops, and writing salons. Challenging the idea that a writer must toil in solitude with a tiny lamp, Ingham declares, “Writing is community.” Emphasizing the importance of people further, the festival’s presenters have signed an AI Policy to ensure that content shared at the festival is human generated.

With published works coming out of the community for decades, and Ingham having hosted a writing club locally for about 10 years, events like this have been few and far between. To get this one off the ground, it took a couple years of networking between Ingham, local author Devon Flynn, then Raegan Cote to express their common desire for a festival, acknowledge they couldn’t do it on their own, then finally, “now we had enough people, to convince other people, to join the writing conference.” Seven total founding members now have their pencil tips sharpened as they invite creatives across the region to get writing and bring more Northern BC perspectives to readers everywhere with the motto, “Write the North.”

- Ian Gregg, CFURadio 88.7FM, Due North News, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

20260630 - NBC Writers Fest - Amber Ingham - LJI 2

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Caterpillars crawl into Prince George–Lheidli T’enneh, but set to fly off by June’s end - June 18, 2026

June 18, 2026

Forest tent caterpillars, or “t’angoo dughai” have been spotted massing on deciduous trees locally, and across the west of Canada this summer, returning after an approximately 10 year cycle. If you find them yucky, luckily this year’s cycle will soon be over, but next year could support them in larger numbers. Photo Credit - Ian Gregg

Caterpillars have inspired many-legged creativity from children’s books, famous literary characters, theories involving government intervention, culinary exploits, to the Stranger’s rockabilly hit The Caterpillar Crawl. Perhaps more commonly, forest tent caterpillars inspire revulsion in those who happen upon a writhing infestation of them roughly every ten years. Locally, they’re doing just that as their blue-striped presence has re-emerged. They’re even making appearances as far away as Chetwynd, Calgary & Edmonton this June 2026. While it’s evident that many people find forest tent caterpillars yucky, CFURadio wondered if they pose any serious threat to people, the environment, or the plants they actively munch on.

Dr. Dezene Huber, an entomologist in the University of Northern British Columbia’s Ecosystem Science and Management Program spoke with us to essentially say, “No.” While their presence may be alarming, they do have a number of natural enemies which eventually bring their numbers down, all are an integral part of the ecosystem, and the critters have been present long enough locally to earn the Lheidli Dakelh name “t’angoo dughai.” While the forest tent caterpillar can cause allergic reactions in some people, and stress the trees after repeated outbreaks, ultimately, “a lot of forest insects, things we call pests, things like the mountain pine beetle,” said Huber, “they’re just here in low levels doing their thing. You’d have to go look hard for them to find them nine years out of ten, but then suddenly they show up and everyone is like, ‘Where did they come from?’ Well they were here. They just haven’t… they haven’t left.”

Meanwhile these arthropods will continue to munch until they mature into moths later this month. At which point they will lay their eggs, locally, and we will get to see if our environment can support their numbers next spring or not. Have a listen for lore, curiosity, and hopeless prevention tips.

• Ian Gregg, CFURadio 88.7FM, Due North News, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

202606 - Tent Caterpillars - Dezene Huber

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This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

In the collection of photos above, a stand of aspen trees has been eaten by forest tent caterpillars on the east side of Tyner Blvd near the University Heights neighborhood in Prince George—Lheidli T’enneh. One of these trees is featured in the photo collection. Another photo shows the pedestrian path on the East side of Tyner Blvd, which is littered with the desiccated remains of thousands of forest tent caterpillars.
Photo Credit - Ian Gregg

A mass of forest tent caterpillars is pictured. They tend to gather on hammock like structures of their own design, spun from the silk they can produce and dangle from.

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Due North Info Bulletin - 15 June 2026

Weekly News Bulletin

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An audio bulletin for the weeK of June 15th 2026

Looking at the next seven days in Prince George–Lheidli T’enneh, the weather forecast contains a bit of welcome precipitation, and a mix of sun & clouds. In the newsroom, here is what we’ve picked up on:

• A city council meeting occurred Monday June 8th on the second floor of City Hall. Items on the agenda included a report on downtown fires, a zoning amendment for high density housing on 2000 Central St. East, an economic development strategy was approved, and a number of expenses totalling roughly 19 million dollars were ultimately approved the following day after an April 2026 Alternative Approval Process ran its course.

• Prices at the pump dropped from last week, with highs of ¢176.9/L and lows of ¢157.8/L for gasoline reported. 

• There are three active fires in the Prince George fire district.

• June marks Pride Month in Canada, with a Mayoral Proclamation kicking off Pride Week events June 26th at City Hall. The week includes a drag show on the 27th, followed by a dance, featuring a theme of queer history through the 20th century.

• June 16th, 8pm @ Omineca Arts Centre BA Johnston entertains with Crones. $20 at the door.

• June 20th, 8pm @ Prince George Legion 43, Master of Justice: A Metallica Tribute performs. $30 presales, $35 at the door (19+).

• June 27th, 7pm @ Omineca Arts Centre Heatseeker & Vagabond play. $15 presales $20 at the door.

• Beading workshops occur Wednesdays at Omineca Arts Centre, 6:30-9:00pm, hosted by Lynn Biles. Swing on by with a couple bucks for beading supplies.

- Ian Gregg, CFURadio 88.7FM, Due North News, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

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