Who are Yu?

Hi, I’m Simon! I was born in Hong Kong and have been an active member of the Prince George community for more than 50 years. I’m fluent in Cantonese, Mandarin and Shanghainese. My Chinese name, 余星友 (Yu Sing-yau), translates to “friend of stars.”

I arrived in Prince George at age 15 and lived in residence at Prince George College, a Catholic high school that welcomed both Indigenous and non-Indigenous students from across central and northern B.C. I later moved to Vancouver to study engineering before working as a municipal manager in Rankin Inlet, now in Nunavut.

After practicing engineering in the Lower Mainland and the United States, I returned to Prince George, where I established a consulting engineering business and raised my six children. Today, I’m the proud grandfather of eight, soon to be ten (twins are on the way!).

As a professional engineer, I’ve also had the opportunity to teach engineering at the College of New Caledonia and contribute to my community in many other ways. I’ve served as a director of the University of Northern British Columbia and the Prince George Airport Authority, and was a founding committee member of the Woodworks Initiative. I also led a construction team that built emergency relief homes for survivors of the 2004 tsunami in Aceh, Indonesia.

The Yu family story is the Prince George story. In calling this city home, we have built a community, raised children, participated in sports and music, pursued education, and started businesses. Prince George has given us a place to grow and thrive, and we are proud to call it home.

I was elected Mayor of Prince George on October 15th, 2022, bringing decades of professional and community experience to the role. I’m honoured to continue serving the community I’ve called home for more than five decades.