About

Why I Created This Website

Hi, I’m Brenda — and I built fortstjohnliving.ca because I saw something missing in our town:
one simple, dedicated space where we can all stay connected.

Like many of you, I used to scroll through endless Facebook groups hoping to catch updates — events, rentals, buy & sell posts, and everything in between. But it always felt scattered, cluttered, and easy to miss. That’s when it hit me: our community deserves an online hub built for us, by one of us.

Here you’ll find the familiar classifieds — events, buy & sell, lost & found, housing, jobs, garage sales, wanted ads, obituaries — but this site is more than that. It’s also a platform for:

• Voices of Fort St. John — share your thoughts like a columnist.
• I Confess — post anonymous confessions (hopefully juicy ones!).
• Was That You? — connect with someone you spotted but don’t know.
• Dear FSJ — ask for advice, answered by the community.
• The Hangout Bored — create your own meet‑up events.
• Business Posts — local businesses can share promotions.

…and more to come!

This site is for Fort St. John locals — to connect, help each other, and stay rooted in what truly matters: community.

About Me

I immigrated from the Philippines to Vancouver, Canada in 1996 and moved to Fort St. John in 2015. Originally, I came here because my then partner was hired at Site C. After we parted ways, I chose to stay — because this city felt like home.

Back then, I noticed how hard it was to find local information online. Everything was scattered across dozens of Facebook groups. In 2023, I secured the domain name fortstjohnliving.ca, but life got busy and the project sat on the back burner.

In April 2025, a domain renewal reminder reignited the idea. By June, I committed to building the site myself. I don’t have formal web development training nor experience, but with persistence — and a lot of help from AI tools like ChatGPT and Copilot — I pieced it together step by step. When technical walls felt too high, I hired help for the trickier parts.

By day, you might see me working as a labourer at the Pomeroy Sports Centre. Off‑shift, I’m behind the scenes, crafting this website. You may not see me at most events, as an introvert, crowds aren’t really my thing — but this project is my way of giving back: quietly, meaningfully, with care and purpose.

Disclaimer

This website is my personal, independent project. It is not connected to my job at the City of Fort St. John, my employer.

Future Plans

My vision is for this site to grow into a sustainable, community‑driven platform. When profits arrive, I plan to give back 10% to local charities and non‑profits — supporting seniors, veterans, children, vulnerable women and men, and animals.

At first, when profits are still small, I’ll focus on one group: the Fort St. John Hospital Foundation, because it benefits us all by improving the hospital and Peace Villa.

Long‑term, I intend to donate this website to the Hospital Foundation when I pass away. My hope is that it will continue generating income for them, benefitting the community, and ensuring the site lives forever as a permanent gift to the people of Fort St. John.

Support Me

The best way to support this project is to spread the word and use the site. A donation option is available below, and merchandise will be added in the future. Eventually, ad spaces will help keep everything running smoothly. Every bit of support helps me maintain and improve this hub for Fort St. John.

Thanks for stopping by.

Let’s keep Fort St. John connected — together. ❤️

Written with love,
Brenda — December 11, 2025

PS: As of January 2026, I’ve left my job with the City to focus on self employment, my creative projects and on building FortStJohnLiving.ca. (Updated May 8, 2026)