Travel_Gato

My daughter, a big city girl, has accepted a university co-op position, in forestry, in Mackenzie, BC. My concerns are many; maybe you can share some info that will put my mind at ease.

My main question, of course: Is it a safe area? Can a young woman feel safe alone at night? What about in Prince George? Would you feel comfortable if your daughter drove between these 2 towns alone after dark? My alarm level increased when I googled Prince George -- Macleans magazine listed it in 2011 as the most unsafe city in Canada! That may have been partly due to the deaths caused by a serial killer who is now on trial there, but I read other things that seem to indicate a pretty serious drug/gang problem in the town as well. Can you shed any light on this?

My other main concern is re. what kind of vehicle she will need while there. I have to help her buy a used car/SUV. I know nothing about cars. Will the amount of snowfall there require a particular kind of car or 4 Wheel Drive, eg? The Nov/Dec snowfall is about 64 cm. (25 in.) per month. I should note also that she has never driven in snow. At all. Any auto experts out there?
Thanks for anything you can tell me about this part of the province.

nfldbeothuk

Sorry I can't tell you anything relevant about Prince George, as I live on the other side of the country. But as a life-long Canadian, two important points:
Whatever vehicle she gets, she needs snow tires. NOT all-season tires, actual winter tires. Every tire dealer there will carry them.
Before she does any significant highway driving in winter, she needs some practice/training. If she can't find someone to take her out and teach her to deal with icy roads, she at least needs to try steering/stopping in an empty, show-covered parking lot.

Travel_Gato

Nfldbeothuk, thank you for the advice, especially about practicing winter driving. I'm guessing you get plenty of experience in Newfoundland. I visited Fleur-de-Lys once for a wedding -- fortunately it was in the summer

aerofleet

Hello sir,

I lived in Toronto but i visited many time Mackenzie, BC. its very safe place to live so don't worry about anything.The people are best with what they have polite and helpful.

another thing is Its depend on your daughter what society and friend circle she choose.

and the perfect car rental setvices are there so you can contact with them for pick and drop services. like aerofleet.ca is perfect Toronto Cab service provider in this area.

Thank You

eliztravels2

I also can not comment specifically about the area you are asking about, but I echo the advice about the need for good winter tires and to develop skills for winter driving. I think it would be well worth it to pay for a lesson or two from a professional instructor.

I think a 4 wheel drive can give a false sense of confidence. We used to drive back and forth to a little cabin in the winter along secondary roads in our little 4 cylinder Mazda front wheel drive. We often passed 4x4s in the ditch. The people your daughter will be working with could give you some advice.