Gibsons


Gibsons is a coastal community of 4,605 located in southwestern British Columbia, Canada on the Strait of Georgia. It is the main marine gateway to the Sunshine Coast.
Although Gibsons is on the British Columbia mainland, the Sunshine Coast is not accessible by road. Vehicle access is by BC Ferries from Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver, a 40-minute crossing or a ferry from Powell River to Sechelt. The town is also accessible by water, by float plane to the harbour, and by small aircraft to Sechelt Airport, approx. 20 km northwest of Gibsons. Gibsons is best known in Canada as the setting of the popular and long running CBC Television series The Beachcombers, which aired from 1972 to 1990. The storefront "Molly's Reach", now a cafe, the restored tug Persephone, and a display about the series at the Sunshine Coast Museum and Archives are popular Gibsons attractions. Other movies that have used Gibsons as a filming location include Charlie St. Cloud, starring Kim Basinger and Zac Efron, and Needful Things, starring Max von Sydow and Ed Harris.
In February 2005, Gibsons won the Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting contest, coming first in the world.
In October 2009, the town was declared the "Most Liveable Community in the World" at the international Livcom Awards. Endorsed by the United Nations Environment Programme, the LivCom competition focuses on Best Practices for management of the local environment.
In 2009 Gibsons also won an Energy & Climate Action Award for Community Planning and Development, awarded by the Community Energy Association. A major factor in this award was a new housing development, which will be heated by the first publicly owned geoexchange system in Canada.
The Sunshine Coast has seen a three-decade transition from a forestry and fishing based economy, to a more diverse economy with construction trades, business services, retail and tourism becoming prominent.
Gibsons is a popular retirement destination, and has also attracted many artists and musicians, as well as professionals who commute by ferry into nearby Vancouver, or are able to work from home. Between 2001 and 2006, the population of Gibsons grew by 7.1%. The median age in Gibsons in 2006 was 50.2 years; significantly higher than the Provincial median of 40.8 years.

History

The land currently known as Gibsons has been inhabited by First Nations people since time immemorial. Gibsons is part of the traditional and ancestral lands of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw, which also includes parts of Greater Vancouver and the Squamish River watershed. Sḵwx̱wú7mesh oral history tells that the region around Gibsons was the birthplace of the Squamish people after what is called The Great Flood.
The European settlement town of Gibsons was established in 1886 by George Gibson and his sons. It was incorporated in 1929 as "Gibson's Landing", and in 1947 the name was changed to "Gibsons" at the request of the residents. The town is now split between the seaside area known as Lower Gibsons and Upper Gibsons. Lower Gibsons is mostly residential, but also includes Molly's Reach, a restaurant notable for its featuring in The Beachcombers. Lower Gibsons also has shops and restaurants that cater mostly to vacationers. Upper Gibsons, which is clustered along Highway 101, contains the commercial areas of town, including Sunnycrest Mall, the town's two major supermarkets, a variety of fast food restaurants, and the high school.
Gibsons is the first town in British Columbia to accept styrofoam at its recycling facility, the Gibsons Recycling Depot. The depot's staff has traveled widely to promote styrofoam recycling, including Buddy Boyd, who was invited to address an international Zero Waste conference in Florianopolis, Brazil.

Climate

Gibsons is situated in a temperate coastal climate, with mild, rainy winters and warm, dry summers.

Notable residents (past and present)

Gibsons has won a number of awards: