Explosion victim returning to Prince George after receiving critical care in Vancouver

A city employee who was critically injured in an explosion in Prince George last week is recovering and will soon be able to return home, according to friends and family.

But she still faces multiple challenges as she suffered a severe concussion, and is unable to walk or use her hands without difficulty.

Victoria Mcgivern, 34, has been identified as a city parks employee who was working next to the explosion site in the early morning of Tuesday, Aug. 22.

The blast levelled a former restaurant, injured multiple people and could be felt for several kilometres throughout the city.

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Mcgivern says she smelled gas just before the blast, according to friend Afton Frost who rushed to the hospital in Vancouver to support Mcgivern's recovery.

"There were some people in the area, and she turned to tell them to get out ... and that's when it exploded," Frost said in an interview with CBC Daybreak North host Carolina de Ryk.

According to a GoFundMe and Facebook support page created by her family, Mcgivern suffered extensive burns, bruises and a fractured skull which required medical sedation. She was taken to Vancouver General Hospital for care where she has been recovering ever since.

On Aug. 31 she was taken into surgery to repair tendons in her hands.

Though she is now conscious, walking is a challenge and she is suffering from severe headaches and dizziness, according to posts on the Facebook page.

Mcgivern is expected to be transferred back to Prince George in the days ahead, where she will be closer to her three young children and long-term partner.

Outpouring of support

Frost said the first few days in hospital were "pretty scary" but she's relieved Mcgivern is recovering.

One of her first requests was for vanilla pudding, which Frost quickly purchased.

Frost said both she and Mcgivern have been amazed by the outpouring of support from Prince George and beyond, as a fundraiser to help her family was closed after receiving more than $80,000 in a single week.

"She's just one of those people that connects with everyone she comes across," Frost said of Mcgivern. "We're so grateful she's on this side of the ground."

Blast still under investigation

The cause of the explosion has still not been determined as fire officials and RCMP investigate, though police say they are treating it as suspicious.

Several nearby businesses suffered extensive damage, including the nightclub Heartbreaker's, which is next door to the explosion site.

Michelle Sakamoto, who recently purchased the club with her husband, says they still don't know the full extent of the damage but it is in the "hundreds of thousands of dollars."

Though she's trying to get a handle on how they'll manage financially, Sakamoto is grateful no one from her team was on site when the explosion happened.

"It makes me sick to my stomach," she said. "We could have been killed."

Renewed focus on downtown issues

Though the cause of the blast is not known, it has drawn a renewed focus on the challenges facing businesses operating out of the downtown core, who say they are struggling with petty theft, vandalism and debris, and drug paraphernalia, keeping some customers away from the area.

Sakomoto is one of multiple business owners who have told CBC that the explosion simply compounds those challenges, and who are calling on the city to become more proactive in their approach to the area.

At a Monday council meeting, council directed staff to look into setting up a one-time emergency fund to help businesses impacted by the explosion.

The city also announced plans to shut down a downtown homeless encampment, though the move has prompted criticism from the province's housing minister, Ravi Kahlon.

Kahlon says the city has turned down offers for several provincial resources, including dedicated encampment response staff and temporary housing units.