Community advocate Bruce Wayne is officially running for Prince George City Council, but instead of launching his campaign behind a podium with a long list of promises, he is starting with something much simpler:
An empty chair.
Wayne yesterday announced his candidacy for Prince George city council in the October 17, 2026 municipal election and launched The Empty Chair Project, an initiative that will take him across Prince George to hear directly from residents about their concerns, ideas and hopes for the future of the city.
One chair. One minute. Your city. Your voice.
“Most political campaigns begin with candidates telling people what they think. I want to begin by asking people what they think,” said Wayne. “That empty chair belongs to the people of Prince George. Sit down. Tell me what’s working, what isn’t, and what you want your next city council to understand.”
Over the next two months, Wayne will take the empty chair into neighbourhoods, parks, businesses, community events and gathering places throughout Prince George. Each conversation will start with one question:
“If you had one minute to sit down with your next city council, what would you say?”
There is no script. Residents don’t have to support Wayne or agree with him. They don’t have to be political. They just have to care about Prince George.
“There are a lot of people in Prince George who care about this city but are never going to stand at a microphone at City Hall, attend a public hearing or write a letter to council,” said Wayne. “I want to give those people a place to be heard.”
With permission, some conversations will be shared on social media, while others can remain private. Wayne will also report back on the issues, concerns and ideas he hears as the project moves across the city. Those conversations will help shape his priorities throughout the campaign.
“I have ideas and priorities. And I’ve spent a lot of time doing my homework. But I don’t have all the answers — and I don’t think anyone running for office should pretend they do,” said Wayne.
Over the past year, Wayne has spent hundreds of hours learning how municipal government works, attending city council meetings, budget deliberations, public hearings, committee meetings and community engagement sessions. He has also spoken with residents, business owners, first responders, healthcare professionals, community organizations, elected officials and city staff.
“Some of the best ideas for Prince George aren’t going to come from City Hall,” said Wayne. “They’re sitting around kitchen tables, in coffee shops, on job sites, in hockey arenas and in neighbourhoods across this city. We need to go looking for them.”
Wayne brings more than 25 years of experience across the private, public and non-profit sectors, including leadership positions with Pearson Education, Coca-Cola, the British Columbia Lottery Corporation and Vankam Freightways. He also owned and later sold JDL Customs, giving him firsthand experience running a local business.
His community involvement has included serving on the board of directors of the Prince George Chamber of Commerce, volunteering during the 2015 Canada Winter Games, serving as a Block Watch Lead through Community Policing, coaching youth basketball and participating in Operation Christmas Child.
Wayne and his wife have been married for nearly 20 years and are raising four daughters in Prince George. He says they are ultimately why he decided to run.
“My daughters were born here. This is their hometown. I want them — and every young person growing up here — to see Prince George as a place where they can build a life, raise a family and find opportunity.”
Wayne enters the campaign with four initial areas of focus:
• Supporting families
• Protecting taxpayers’ dollars
• Keeping our community safe
• Building trust through transparency at City Hall
But he says those priorities should not prevent residents from putting other issues on the table.
“A campaign shouldn’t just be about convincing people to agree with you. It should also be about having the willingness to listen, even when they don’t.”
Wayne also wants The Empty Chair Project to encourage more residents to participate in the municipal election. Only about one in four eligible residents cast a ballot in Prince George’s last municipal election.
“I don’t believe the other three out of four don’t care about Prince George,” said Bruce Wayne. “Maybe we need to do a better job of giving people a reason to participate and a place where they feel their voice matters.
“So I’m leaving a chair open.
“You don’t have to vote for me to sit in it. You just have to care about Prince George.”
Residents will be able to follow The Empty Chair Project as it moves throughout the city and suggest where Bruce Wayne should take it next through his campaign’s social media channels.