1. www.pgcitizen.ca
Newsstand $
1.45 incl. tax | Home Delivered 70¢
/daytuesday, july 15, 2014
THE CITIZENPRINCE
GEORGETHE CITIZENPRINCE
GEORGE 0 858307 00100
RBC is proud to have served Prince George for 100 years. We would like to
take this opportunity to thank all of our clients for their continued loyalty.
Celebrating 100 years
in Prince George
A business can only survive if it has
good people. So imagine the world-
class people a business must have
in order to last 100 years in Prince
George and become global as much
as it is local.
The Royal Bank of Canada - RBC -
has earned the affection of staff and
clients alike. For nearly 40 years
Donna Currie has been happy to
come to work at her Prince George
office, after she was spotted as a
clerical talent while still in high
school.
Currie likens the relationship to a
happy marriage and they’ve never
been apart since her start date:
June 13, 1977. She had just been
named the stenographer student of
the year at PGSS. Her teacher was a
client of RBC and knew they needed
skilled personnel like Donna, so
introductions were made.
“I didn’t think this was a long term
career for me when I started, fresh
out of high school,” she said. “In
fact I had to ask for an afternoon
off so I could go to my PGSS grad
ceremonies. I joined into their
stenographer typing pool. When
you’d get to work in the morning
you’d have a drawer full of folders.
A personal loans officer might
have a letter they’d dictated on
dictaphone and I would transcribe
it. I can tell you, there was some
well used carbon paper back in the
day. Those drawers would keep
filling up, but it worked pretty
efficiently.”
Technology changed over the years
and RBC made sure Donna and
her fellow staff members stayed
abreast of the changes. They also
valued their skills and aptitudes so
much that when the time came to
start a family, bank management
found part-time work and flexible
duties for Donna to do so she could
keep involved in her profession but
take the time she needed to be a
mom.
It’s not like upper management
didn’t understand family values
firsthand. After graduating from her
entry level job at the 3rd Avenue &
Quebec Street branch, she worked
at the Victoria Street main branch
directly for the company’s senior
managers. Several of those being
John Goodwin, Bill Edmonds,
Art Robin and Terry Kehler, and
Assistant, Sheila Ireland. Then
for 18 years it was Terry’s brother
Don Kehler she worked for until his
recent retirement. She then went to
work for Sean Kehler, Terry’s son
and Don’s nephew.
The people at the bank have felt
like family to Betty-June “BJ” Gair
ever since she arrived in Prince
George in 1968. She was actually
an employee herself, starting in
Toronto then in Kamloops and
when the main branch opened to
accommodate the industrial growth
of this area triggered by the pulp
mills, she knew it was the place to
be.
“My father [an orchardist in Vernon]
told all of us kids, if you want to be
successful, you move north. And
our family has all done well here.
We love it here,” she said.
She only left the banking sector
when her brother’s business
ventures [he started Northway
Electric, then Lakewood Electric,
then Westcana Electric which is
still one of the family businesses]
needed her administrative
leadership. She has been one of the
community’s top volunteers and
most recognizable boosters ever
since, even earning Citizen of the
Year finalist status last year.
Through it all, she has remained
loyal to RBC. She still has Safety
Deposit Box No. 13 and she still
has her original 1968 bank account
even though RBC doesn’t have that
kind of account anymore. They
kept it active because it made their
dear friend BJ happy.
“They were great people to work
for,” said Gair. “And as a customer,
they were always great to me.
That goes to what happens behind
the scenes. People treated me
so nicely. Always so helpful and
accommodating, and involved in
the community. You know me, and
what I think of our wonderful city.
If they didn’t think Prince George
was wonderful, too, it might be
different, but they have always
shown a lot of support for Prince
George.”
That was also an important element
for Donna, who values community
involvement as a person so it
added to her sense of workplace
fulfillment to see RBC take a
strong stand in support of Prince
George development. She played
a large organizational role in the
annual client reception parties the
company would host as a thank-
you to their customers, and she
rolled up her volunteer sleeves
for initiatives like the 2007 Royal
Bank Cup national Junior A hockey
tournament held at CN Centre
(producing some of the brightest
moments in the history of the
Prince George Spruce Kings, who
took the silver medal), the 2010
Vancouver Winter Olympics Torch
Relay festivities, and is now part of
the Registration and Accreditation
Committee for the upcoming 2015
Canada Winter Games.
“I’ve had choices over the years. I
could have gone to work at another
bank and other opportunities, but
the thought honestly didn’t cross
my mind,” Donna said. “RBC has
been so good to me, I have enjoyed
the people I’ve worked with, we do
a lot of community work and that
is important to me, I love dealing
with the clients, so I knew this was
where I wanted to be. And it still is.”
While Gair and Currie reluctantly
admit they probably won’t be
around for RBC’s 200th anniversary
party, they are proud to be here for
the centennial celebrations so they
can applaud the company that has
been so vital to their community
and their own happy times in Prince
George.
Community values a
big part of business
On Tuesday, July 15, RBC will
mark a significant milestone in Prince
George by celebrating its 100th year in
the city.
Prince George will celebrate its
own centennial in 2015, but even long
before Prince George officially became
a city, RBC already had its roots firmly
planted.
On July 15, 1914, the first Royal
Bank branch opened as the Traders
Bank of Canada which had merged
with The Royal Bank of Canada in
September 1912.
Since then, this first Royal Bank
branch has undergone many changes
and has been relocated or renovated
numerous times.
In 1915, the branch moved into a
two-storey wood frame building at
the corner of 3rd Avenue and Quebec
Street. Thirty-two years later in 1947,
the building next to it was bought and
renovated to become the bank’s new
home.
Throughout the 1960s it became
clear that a bigger branch was needed
to meet the needs of the growing
Prince George population. In 1964, the
building on 3rd Avenue and Quebec
Street was torn down and a new two-
storey building was constructed.
Only a few years later in 1967, the
branch had completely outgrown its
two-storey building and construction
began on a new nine-storey Royal Bank
of Canada office building at the corner
of 6th Avenue and Victoria Street.
On April 1, 1968, the branch opened
on the whole main floor while the 3rd
Avenue and Quebec location became
home to a brand new branch which
opened on the same date. Since that
day, 550 Victoria Street has been known
as the Prince George Main branch and
it is where RBC’s 100th Anniversary
celebrations are taking place.
Also joining in the festivities are
RBC employees from the other two
branches in Prince George – Pine
Centre and College Heights. The
Pine Centre Mall branch opened on
February 21, 1976 in what was the
largest shopping centre in northern BC
at the time. After a few renovations
and expansions, the branch moved to
a new site in the mall and only seven
years later, it relocated once again to a
larger free-standing unit located in the
mall parking lot at 3185 Massey Drive.
The College Heights branch team
became the newest members of the
RBC family in Prince George when
they opened their doors on September
16, 2008 at 6111 Southridge Avenue.
“All of us at RBC want to recognize
and celebrate the privilege it has been
to serve the people of Prince George
for the past 100 years,” said Scott Hart,
Prince George Main branch manager.
“Since the day our first branch opened,
we’ve been committed to helping our
clients, and the community, build a
better future. We are very excited and
proud to share this special occasion
with our clients and staff, as well
as with the entire Prince George
community!”
On July 15, the day of 100th
anniversary, all three branches in
Prince George will be offering cake
and beverages for all visitors. The
Main branch will also be decorated
with historical photos from RBC and
Prince George’s past.
RBC has shared a long history
with the residents and businesses
in Prince George. In many ways, the
bank and branches have grown right
along with the community - and they
continue to do so. In fact, the ten
employees at College Heights branch
represent various cultures
and are able to offer service
in English, Hindi, Mandarin,
Portugese, and Punjabi.
“I would like to acknowledge
the Lhiedli T’enneh First
Nation as we are located on
their traditional territory,” said
Trent Waughtal, Regional Vice
President, BC North, RBC. “We
are honored to be operating and
participating in the Prince George
community for the past 100 years.
We have grown as part of the
community and look forward to a
bright future for the city and for the
region.”
Clarissa Lee
{ {“
“In many ways, the
bank and branches
have grown right
along with the
community - and they
continue to do so.
*ADVERTORIAL - FIND YOUR FULL CITIZEN NEWSPAPER INSIDE*

2. 1869-1901 1901-1962 1962-1974 1974-2001 2001-Current
Evolution of the brand
History of the logo 1869-present
You are invited!
H.C. SEAMAN 1914 - 1914
H.F. MONTGOMERY 1914 - 1915
A.S. LOUDEN 1915 - 1916
S.A. MORLEY 1916 - 1917
W.L. HORNSBY 1917 - 1936
H.C. SMITH 1936 - 1943
F.W. DOBSON 1943 - 1947
A.N. DANDO 1947 - 1947
L.S. YATES 1947 - 1949
N.D. NAPIER 1949 - 1956
J.T.H. MCCONNELL 1956 - 1961
W.H. PATTENDEN 1961 - 1965
G.R. SIBORNE 1965 - 1968
J.E. GOOD 1968 - 1974
J.C. WEMYSS 1974 - 1977
H.J. ATKINSON 1977 - 1979
D.E. REES 1979 - 1982
M.C. ROBBINS 1982 - 1985
P.W. KONKIN 1985 - 1987
A.P. MCEACHNIE 1987 - 1988
P.R. STALEY 1988 - 1996
M. FUCHS 1996 - 2002
B. SIMKINS 2002 - 2002
G. WALLACE 2002 - 2008
T. CARMACK 2008 - 2010
S. HART 2010 - present
Managers
RBC...Advice you can bank on
“Trent Waughtal and Sean Kehler would like to take this opportunity to
thank the community of Prince George, all of our clients, and especially
all of our employees, past and present, for their support in building a
legacy that we can all be proud of today and well into the future.”
Trent
Waughtal
Regional Vice
President,
Personal
Financial
Services,
BC North
Sean
Kehler
Vice President,
Commercial
Financial
Services,
BC North
from 11am to 4pm, with a cake cutting to be held at 2:30pm.
Coffee, beverages and cookies will be served.
Join us at the Main Branch (550 Victoria St.) at 2pm for a cheque presentation to the Spirit of the North.
On July 15th
come celebrate with us at all
the Prince George branches
Staff from the Royal
Bank of Canada
Prince George
Branches, gather at
Mr. PG to show their
community spirit.
Thirty years ago,“Anna”and“Marion”(their
names are changed, but the basic stories
are real) each inherited few dollars from a
passing relative. Regulations being what
they are, I can’t quote specific numbers
and rates of return without tattooing
a four hundred word disclaimer on my
forehead. Suffice it to say that they
inherited about enough to buy a small
used car - a rusty one, with bald tires.
Anna’s Story:
Thinking kindly toward her children Anna
thought:“Wouldn’t it be nice if they each
had a few hundred dollars to spend? Let’s
think of it as one last parting gift from
grandma.” Her young adult kids each took
their little wad of cash and spent it on
consumables. One had a nice shopping
spree at the mall, buying some new
clothes. Another used the proceeds for
car repairs, and the last child spent the
windfall on a new stereo system for his
bachelor pad.
Unfortunately, that is the end of the story
for Anna and her children. The money
was a pleasant surprise, but like a nice
meal, it was soon forgotten.
Marion:
On the other hand, Marion’s story lives on
to this day, and is a great source of pride
in her life. Knowing that the inheritance
wasn’t enough to change anyone’s life
significantly she decided to tuck it away
in some blue chip shares. It was a small
enough amount that she could afford
to lose it, but she was comforted by the
fact that this company had been around
for several decades, and had a solid
track record of paying steady quarterly
dividends.
“Forget about it for now,”she mused.
“Maybe some day it will amount to
something. The shares paid a dividend
of around 3.5% at the time, and she knew
that in order to keep up with shareholder
demands, the company had been raising
that dividend a little bit every year. She
could see little value in spending the small
quarterly bonuses, so she told her advisor
to simply roll the dividends over in to new
shares on a Dividend Reinvestment Plan
(DRIP).
That was 32 years ago. And yes, that
steady DRIP has amounted to a veritable
river! Her initial investment, about
enough to fly two people to Edmonton
for a nice weekend, will now really make
a difference in someone’s life. The regular
quarterly dividend is worth significantly
more than the original investment.
And the core investment has similarly
multiplied. As Marion approaches her
declining years, she now has the flexibility
to pay off an adult child’s mortgage if
she so chooses, or to give another child
a home. Marion is not rich. She doesn’t
come from money. But thanks to some
thoughtful decision-making thirty years
ago, she has the upper hand on whatever
curve balls life might throw at one of her
children. This simple idea has been one
of the best financial decisions she ever
made.
Savings Trends in Canada and the World:
Savings rates have declined in most
developed nations over the past three
decades. Canadian families saved an
average of 13% of their household
disposable income in 1982. According
to the Organisation for Economic
Development and Co-operation (OECD),
since then, Canadian household savings
rates have declined to an average of about
5%. This ranks us below the middle of
the pack of wealthy nations, with France
sitting near the top at 15% and Denmark
holding up the rear at around nil.
Why these data are occurring are matters
of intense longitudinal studies, and is
probably a complex factoring of average
age of the populace, prevailing interest
rates, taxation policies, availability of
financial products, inflation, and simply
put, spending appetites.
Marion’s Help-Your-Adult-Kids Cake
Marion is a living poster gal for smart
long-term saving and investing. Her recipe
is as follows:
1 healthy measure of delayed gratification
2 small scoops of money
1 or more risk-appropriate investments
to taste, preferably the yeasty (dividend-
paying) variety
1 pinch of patience
Stir together and allow the mixture to rise
for several years or better yet, decades.
Enjoy with a dollop of pride and spoon full
of satisfaction.
Mark Ryan is an advisor in Prince
George with RBC Wealth Management,
Dominion Securities (member CIPF), and
can be reached at mark.ryan@rbc.com.
A tale of two loving mothersMark Ryan
TM