Our Story

OVERhang is a locally-owned business based in Prince George, BC.  We offer Indoor and Outdoor Climbing, Outdoor Safety and Adventures, Industrial Safety Services, and First Aid Training across north and central British Columbia.

As a hub for safety and adventure, we connect people, best practices, and equipment sales so our community can learn, grow, work, and play!

OVERhang's owners, Lauren Phillips and Dean Price, opened OVERhang to serve our community and to feed a passion for mentorship, education, and outdoor adventure.  As active community members, between them they volunteer heavily with Prince George Search and Rescue, Tourism Prince George, run community cleanups, help with the yearly CIF Walk in the Woods, fundraise for the Canadian Cancer Society, sit on a selection committee for the national LORAN scholarship, advocate for men's health, and donate time and funds to numerous community organizations.  Lauren also instructs outdoor skills and leadership at UNBC, has won nominations and awards for Entrepreneur of the Year and Top 40 Under 40, was highlighted by Move Up Prince George, and has been recognised by the BC Small Business Roundtable.  Dean also owns Nahanni Construction, which keeps him hopping!  His innovative approaches to environmental management have been highlighted by Tracks and Treads magazine, and Northern Health put the spotlight on him as he encouraged other men to engage in proactive health management and screening.

The outdoor safety side of the business was launched in 2009, with the instruction of swiftwater rescue, river ice safety, avalanche awareness skills, and wilderness survival training.  We have since added more than 20 other course options to OVERhang's roster, including ATV/UTV/Snowmobile safe rider courses, wildland fire suppression and avoidance (S100/S185), wilderness first aid, outdoor rock climbing adventures, bear aware training, and much much more.  We serve fire departments, First Nations communities, search and rescue teams, parks, police, conservation officers, the natural resource industry workforce, and recreational paddlers/hikers/fishers/climbers/adventurers.  Often our clients reach out to us after taking our courses to seek help ordering PPE or technical equipment to suit their needs, and we help them with that, too.  They also call OVERhang when they have unique or challenging field safety conditions, or need a standby rescue team on a jobsite to look after them on rivers or ice, by boat or by helicopter.

In 2013 our climbing gym opened, to much fanfare and celebration!  This part of the business has really anchored the climbing community of the North, giving people of all ages and abilities a place to connect, learn, grow, challenge themselves, laugh, fall, and climb to new heights.  Over the years we have helped young employees build their skills and launch new careers, seen an explosion in growth of the climbing community, and provided a place where people feel they belong.  Our youth programs and camps have taken off, and we delight in overhearing people say "I don't know what I'd do if this climbing gym wasn't here", or that OVERhang has been their lifeline during the pandemic!

First Aid Training became the third arm of OVERhang in 2017 when we purchased PriMed First Aid from it's owner that was seeking to retire.  This was a natural fit for our team that is focused on safety, first aid, and education.  The first aid training spaces at our facility are fantastic, and our instructors travel to remote communities and workplaces, too, to deliver OFA and Transportation Endorsement Training.

Culture:  As the primary contact for employees and clients, Lauren has worked with her team to build a welcoming culture of risk management, fun, safety, and personal growth.  We recognize that we always have room for improvement - we are open to feedback and innovative ideas.  Come say hello!

OVERhang Location & Contact Us