City council awarded former Prince George mayor Lyn Hall with the Freedom of the City at its February 27 meeting. The Freedom of the City is the highest honour a municipality can bestow on a citizen or unit of the Canadian Armed Forces (or another nation).
Council recognized Hall’s contributions to the community over the last several decades through the award. After serving more than 10 years on the Prince George school board, Hall ran for council in 2011 and won a seat as a councillor. He was eventually elected mayor in 2014 and again in 2018. In addition to representing his constituents, as mayor he served on the boards of several bodies like BC Transit and the Municipal Finance Authority and was a founding member of the BC Urban Mayor’s Caucus.
The Community Charter includes provisions under section 158 that allow a council to grant the award to a deserving recipient. In addition to Charter-defined benefits like eligibility to vote in an election for mayor or councillor and the ability to stand for election in the municipality (if the person is a Canadian citizen), the Freedom of the City policy passed by Council in 2005 also provides the following:
- Free parking at a parking space controlled by a parking meter up to the maximum time permitted by the meter and free parking at city lots and parkades where parking is available on a short-term basis.
- The privilege of being invited to special city council functions like volunteer appreciation dinners and inaugural council meetings.
- A photograph of the recipient engraved with the individual’s name and status will be displayed permanently in a prominent location at City Hall.
The Freedom of the City is a designation that is infrequently awarded and only with council’s full support. The award is reflective of exceptional merit and public contribution.