Award-winning Princeton vows to continue work that has made it a BC destination

The Town of Princeton recently captured a major provincial award for its marketing efforts over the last few years, but that doesn’t mean it is going to slow down its efforts anytime soon.

The town has poured its heart and soul into the #Rediscover Princeton campaign, making it the Bronze Sculpture Capital of Canada and adding several other attractions that are drawing travellers off Highway 3 for more than just gas and a quick bite to eat.

Last week the town received the BC Economic Development Association's Marketing Innovation Award for cities with fewer than 20,000 people.

While the recognition is nice, town officials vow to continue improving Princeton with a passion in 2023.

The actual look of Princeton has changed over the last few years, with timber gateways welcoming residents and visitors alike. The same kind of warm, light-coloured wood will now be used to create two small trial boardwalks. One will be in front of Princeton Visitor Centre, while the other will go in front of the outdoor plaza that is being developed on Bridge Street, the town’s main drag.

Princeton economic development and tourism director Gary Schatz says the town will then get feedback from residents about the boardwalks.

“If everything goes well and it’s approved, we’d like to see that done through our downtown area,” Schatz says, “kind of giving it a more western feel and a warmer feel.”

The same kind of timber is being used for the bandshell on the outdoor plaza, which the town hopes will be used year-round for events like musical performances, movies and holiday markets.

And while they may seem insignificant, Schatz says new lamp posts and trash receptacles will also have a positive impact on the town’s look. The lamp posts will not only be more efficient, but they will also be able to accommodate seasonal decorations all year long. The receptacles will be made of recycled plastic lumber, complementing the town’s warm wooden look even more.

The town is also constructing a new amenities building at the RV park, which will give patrons new washrooms, laundry area and a place to relax in case of precipitation. It, too, will have touches of timber throughout. You can book your stay here.

Then there are coming attractions that you cannot see from the highway. Schatz and his team are creating a virtual reality experience at the visitor centre that will highlight the red ochre bluffs along the Tulameen River. Normally they are visible from the Kettle Valley Rail Trail, but it got washed out during the 2021 floods. Now the only way to see them is in a kayak on the river, but not everyone is able to do that.

So Schatz hired a couple of experienced kayakers to go down the river with GoPro cameras attached to their helmets. Now people can go to the visitor centre and slip on a VR headset to enjoy the beautiful scenery.

“You can actually stop and take a really good, detailed look,” Schatz says. “It's pretty cool. And we're going to do a fly over Princeton, too, so we’ll have two different VR experiences.”

Plan your trip to Princeton in the months to come by visiting the town's website here.

This article is written by or on behalf of the sponsoring client and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.