The City of Prince George website has a new look. The updated PrinceGeorge.ca launched on December 6 and features accessibility improvements and an upgraded software backend.
The web revamp replaces Microsoft’s SharePoint 2013 content management system (CMS) with a popular open-source solution known as Drupal that is more flexible, easier to maintain, and cheaper to customize. The project gained speed in 2021 and went through a formal RFP process after Microsoft announced it would end support for SharePoint 2013 in 2023. Moving to a more current, supported CMS addresses long-term security and system vulnerability concerns.
The refreshed site is also much more accessible than its predecessor and follows the World Wide Web Consortium’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, double-A standards. This is a crucial feature, as the province’s Accessible British Columbia Act requires municipalities – like Prince George – to have fully-accessible facilities and services by late 2023, which may include digital properties like websites.
The City earmarked $100,000 for the PrinceGeorge.ca CMS migration project. Although all invoices have not yet been submitted, the estimated final cost is between $60,000 and $75,000.
There may be some outstanding issues on the site as staff work to transition to the new platform.