Old Post Office - Prince George, BC
N 53° 55.017 W 122° 44.739
10U E 516705 N 5974311
This former post office and customs house was built in 1939 and was the first Federal building in Prince George. This art deco style building is now the home of the Intersect Youth and Family Services Society.
Waymark Code: WMHQ5E
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Date Posted: 08/03/2013
Views: 4
A marker on the building reads:
Post Office
This former post office and customs house was completed in November, 1939. The design was directed by C.D. Sutherland, Chief Architect for the Department of Public Works. The Postmaster was E.H. Burden.
J. Gray Turgeon, Liberal M.P. and the Junior Chamber of Commerce are credited with obtaining funding for this first Federal building in Prince George.
Another nearby marker reads:
Post Office
In 1939, local citizens and politicians appealed to the federal government for a new post office. The decision to provide Prince George with the necessary $27,000 went all the way to parliamentary vote in Ottawa, with the infrastructure funds eventually being approved. By March 1940, the construction of the new building was complete. It housed the post office until 1959. Today, the exterior of the building remains largely unchanged from how it looked when it opened. Only the clock is missing.
In the early half of the twentieth century, one of the best paying jobs in town was that of the postmaster. His yearly wage was $4,800, or about $13 a day and he earned it in part by receiving a commission for every post office box in use. By comparison, the average waiter in Prince George earned $1 - $2 per day and the average chef earned $2 - $3 per day.