In recent months, there’s been quite a bit of discussion about the loss of Prince George’s CrossRoads Brewing due to the destruction of its property. On September 5th, 2025, the downtown location caught fire early in the morning. The fire went on for many hours before it was put out, causing very extensive damage to the property, but no people or other businesses were harmed.
Prince George has a second CrossRoads Brewery location in College Heights, but the overnight destruction of their larger downtown location on George Street displaced over 50 employees. This left more than 50 people unemployed without warning, and their partners, children, parents, or any other dependents without an income or a way to support themselves.
CrossRoads owners Daryl Leiski and Cindy Zurowski stated in a letter to Mayor Simon Yu and Premier David Eby the effect of the loss on their employees and their businesses, and their willingness to rebuild. They also raised a strong point regarding the need to make downtown Prince George safe again first and foremost, arguing that businesses will thrive following that restructure.
The individual responsible for the fire, 57-year-old Richard Titchener, has pleaded guilty to one count of arson damaging property. In his initial trial he pled not guilty, but changed his plea to guilty on January 12, 2026. Video evidence from a nearby business showed Titchener using cardboard to set fire to CrossRoads Brewery.
The discussion of improving Prince George’s downtown environment has been raised many times before. There are serious problems regarding the safety of businesses in downtown Prince George, whether it’s the safety of their property or the physical safety of their employees and customers. The destruction of CrossRoads Brewery is one devastating example of the failure to address this problem.
Prince George’s downtown area has restaurants, shops, tattoo and piercing shops, accounting offices, public pools, our art gallery, and the majority of Prince George’s infrastructure. If you live in or have lived in Prince George, there’s a strong likelihood that you or someone you know has worked or lived downtown. Many current employees experience unsafe circumstances at work or damage to their property, such as their cars. I also work on George Street (the street that CrossRoads was located on before its destruction), and I’ve been told countless stories from coworkers about damage to their cars. Sometimes people smash car mirrors, which serves no purpose of theft and appears to be pointless, but can increase the risk of accidents. Driving home at night while tired or agitated (which is likely after getting off a shift and finding your car’s mirrors smashed) significantly increases the risk of car accidents, alongside the risks that come with driving a damaged vehicle or one with broken windows that obstruct the driver’s vision. Of course, leaving anything in your car is an invitation to theft. I’ve heard stories from coworkers and friends where their car windows were smashed in order to steal various items, sometimes items with no monetary value, which still leads to a cost, an inconvenience, and a safety risk. One story that resonated with me was about a mutual friend who worked near CrossRoads and had their wallet stolen along with various other items from their car. Their wallet had cash, bank cards, their driver’s licence, other pieces of ID, and their social insurance card.
Students, parents, caregivers, and the general working class in Prince George cannot afford both the financial and the safety risks of working in downtown Prince George. The destruction of CrossRoads Brewery was not taken lightly by businesses in the surrounding area, and individuals who value job security are on edge. I would like to extend my best wishes to former CrossRoads employees, and when Prince George reaches a point of safety and job security, I hope to see CrossRoads Brewery rebuilt and thriving as it was before.
