Meet Aaron Brouwer! Aaron moved to PG in 2007 to begin his career as a firefighter! 

Who is your favourite person to spend time with and why?
My 20-month-old son. His laughter is so contagious, he is so full of energy and some great dance moves when his favorite song “Space Jam” comes on (check my Instagram post, it's really funny).

What is your favourite local store in Prince George and why?
We just discovered Adria Deli on Massey Drive. My father was born in Amsterdam so as a child we grew up eating Dutch treats like droppies, rusks and gouda cheese so it's really nice to have a local store carry those authentic products.

Describe yourself in one word.
Determined.

If you could go anywhere in the world right at this moment where would you go and why?
We went to Mexico in 2014 for a family getaway and it was awesome. It was everything I wanted in a beach vacation and I can’t wait to go back.

What is your favourite activity in Prince George?
We live near Ginter’s Meadow and love going for walks there. Our dog enjoys being off leash and the people we meet walking are so friendly.

What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you?
For our honeymoon, I booked a hotel right by a Skytrain station. Once I saw the Skytrain I figured as long as I followed the line we should find the hotel, unfortunately, that wasn’t the case as we were following the wrong Skytrain. HAHA

What is the most inspiring thing that has happened to you?
It is so inspiring when former players come to you for life advice or just to give you an update on what is going on in their life. I often wonder what lifelong impact I am having on my players and it’s moments like that that inspire me to keep going.

Tell us your favourite childhood memory.
Playing high school basketball against our arch-rival in their gym and our parents brought wooden spoons and pots to use as noisemakers.

Where do you volunteer or give back to in the community?
I’m with the Jr Timberwolves, where I coach a couple club basketball teams, take care of all the admin stuff for all the Spring basketball teams and help organize a Fall Grade 8-9 Boys Basketball league. On top of that I am on the executive with BC High School Boys Basketball Association, giving the North a voice for what happens regarding all things High School Boys Basketball.

If you could change one thing in the world what would it be?
Eliminate fear. We live in an amazing world and people shouldn’t be afraid to go explore it.

Where would you sneak away to in Prince George to spend some time alone?
Playgrounds Cafe because my son can go play with all their great toys (he loves all the train stuff) and I can enjoy some great food or a hot drink.

Where would you like to see positive change in Prince George and why?
I’d love to see the outdoor basketball courts by the YMCA get an upgrade. Basketball is growing in Prince George and having a quality outdoor facility for kids to go play on would be great.

What do you think makes Prince George great?
Prince George is a big city with a small community feel to it. The people here are so friendly, there is a ton of community pride and support for local events and sports teams.

What are 3 things on your bucket list?
1. Travel across Canada with my family in a RV.
2. Go to Chapel Hill, North Carolina to watch a UNC Tar Heels basketball game.
3. Take my dad on a trip to Holland so he can show me where he grew up.

Tell us something that not everyone may know about you.
I was born in Grimsby, Ontario and lived in Ontario for the first 10 years of my life.

How do people connect with you, personally, through social media? 
Twitter and Instagram.

What is the name of your business/organization?

Jr Timberwolves Basketball.

Why did you get into/start this business?
I joined the Jr Timberwolves program, which is run by UNBC Men’s Basketball Head Coach Todd Jordan, because I have a passion for Northern basketball and want to see our kids be successful when they compete against the rest of the province and beyond.

What is the goal of your business?
The Jr Timberwolves have been offering programs since the early 2000’s and we want to continue to grow the game of basketball in Prince George by offering high-level instruction and interaction with UNBC players and coaches.

What has been your biggest struggle either in work or life?
Finding the balance between family life, work and coaching basketball.

If you could start all over again would you do things the same or would things be different?
Absolutely do all the same!! Life hasn’t been easy but I’m happy with the decisions I have made.

What do you always find yourself saying?
“No excuses”

Tell us your best piece of life advice
Never lose hope. The best things in my life didn’t happen right away when I started dreaming for them. In fact, they are the best things in my life because they happened at the right time in my life as well.

If you could spend one whole day with anyone in the world who is currently alive, who would you select?
Steve Yzerman was my favorite hockey player growing up and it would be so much fun listening to stories about playing in Detroit, winning the Stanley Cup and the pressures now of being a GM in the NHL.

Why do you think it is important to shop locally?
When you buy locally those funds stay locally which helps create a greater sense of community pride.

What has been your proudest accomplishment?
In 2014, I led a group of incredible people in the research and creation of a history book on the 1st 100 years of the Prince George Fire Department. The book is titled “Frozen Flame” and was published by Friesens in 2015; it's available at the PG Library.

Give someone you think that deserves it a shout out and explain why!
My wife Allison is an amazing woman, after 12 years of dealing with infertility (IVF treatments, five surgeries and years of waiting on adoption lists) is now a stay-at-home mom to our son with a successful personal business. So proud of her!!!

My choice for the PrinceGeorgeNow In Focus spotlight is:
Col Juicery.

Some general comments I would like to share are:

As a coach, I strive to provide players with opportunities to improve their basketball skills, develop into good citizens and give them experiences that will create basketball memories that will last a lifetime.

With the Jr Timberwolves, we want to give Northern players unique basketball experiences and opportunities. This year our club teams featured players from Prince George, Vanderhoof, McBride, Smithers and Fort St. James and they traveled to Kamloops, Calgary, Edmonton as well as Gonzaga University in Spokane. 

We live in an amazing community and I feel so honored that I was asked to be featured on this site. There are so many great people in Prince George doing wonderful things for our city, keep up the great work of promoting them all.

We encourage you to leave your comments and words of support below and submit your own nomination by clicking HERE. You are also welcome to submit a form of your own by clicking HERE.

In Focus is our gift to the community. A way for us to help show our recognition of the people, businesses, and organizations that help make our city great. Thank you, Prince George!