Gibsons

Gibsons is a coastal community of 4,605 located in southwestern British Columbia, Canada on the Strait of Georgia.

Gibsons
Town
Town of Gibsons[1]
Gibsons Harbour
Flag
Gibsons
Location of Gibsons in British Columbia
Coordinates: 49°24′4″N 123°30′27″W
CountryCanada
ProvinceBritish Columbia
RegionSunshine Coast
Regional districtSunshine Coast
Founded1886
Incorporated1929
Government
 • Governing bodyGibsons Town Council
 • MayorBill Beamish
Area
 • Total4.32 km2 (1.67 sq mi)
Elevation
10 m (30 ft)
Population
 (2016)
 • Total4,605
 • Density1,100/km2 (2,800/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC-8 (PST)
Postal code
V0N 1V0 – V0N 1V9
Area code(s)604, 778
Gibsons Way / Highway 101101
WaterwaysHowe Sound
WebsiteTown of Gibsons

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.[2] 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 (2010), starring Kim Basinger and Zac Efron (as a stand-in for Marblehead, Massachusetts), and Needful Things (1993), starring Max von Sydow and Ed Harris.[3]

In February 2005, Gibsons won the Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting contest, coming first in the world.[4]

In October 2009, the town was declared the "Most Liveable Community in the World" (under 20,000 population) at the international Livcom Awards.[5] Endorsed by the United Nations Environment Programme, the LivCom competition focuses on Best Practices for management of the local environment.[6]

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.[7][8]

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.[9]

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% (faster than the overall British Columbia growth rate of 5.3%). The median age in Gibsons in 2006 was 50.2 years; significantly higher than the Provincial median of 40.8 years.[10]

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,[11] and Winegarden Park, the location of an auditorium which plays hosts to performances in the summer. 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, the largest elementary school, 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.[12]

Climate

Gibsons is situated in a temperate coastal climate, with mild, rainy winters and warm, dry summers. The landscape of the region is situated in a temperate rainforest.

Climate data for Gibsons
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 13.5
(56.3)		 16.7
(62.1)		 18.9
(66.0)		 25
(77)		 30.6
(87.1)		 32
(90)		 36
(97)		 32.8
(91.0)		 32
(90)		 24
(75)		 17.8
(64.0)		 14.5
(58.1)		 36
(97)
Average high °C (°F) 6.5
(43.7)		 7.9
(46.2)		 10.3
(50.5)		 13.4
(56.1)		 16.9
(62.4)		 19.7
(67.5)		 22.2
(72.0)		 22.6
(72.7)		 19.1
(66.4)		 13.5
(56.3)		 8.6
(47.5)		 6.1
(43.0)		 13.9
(57.0)
Daily mean °C (°F) 4.4
(39.9)		 5.2
(41.4)		 7.2
(45.0)		 9.8
(49.6)		 13
(55)		 15.7
(60.3)		 18
(64)		 18.2
(64.8)		 15.1
(59.2)		 10.6
(51.1)		 6.4
(43.5)		 4
(39)		 10.6
(51.1)
Average low °C (°F) 2.2
(36.0)		 2.5
(36.5)		 4.1
(39.4)		 6.1
(43.0)		 9
(48)		 11.7
(53.1)		 13.6
(56.5)		 13.7
(56.7)		 11.1
(52.0)		 7.7
(45.9)		 4.1
(39.4)		 1.9
(35.4)		 7.3
(45.1)
Record low °C (°F) −15.6
(3.9)		 −12
(10)		 −8.3
(17.1)		 −3.3
(26.1)		 −2.2
(28.0)		 3.9
(39.0)		 5.5
(41.9)		 5.6
(42.1)		 0
(32)		 −3
(27)		 −12.2
(10.0)		 −17.8
(0.0)		 −17.8
(0.0)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 183.4
(7.22)		 109.8
(4.32)		 125.4
(4.94)		 104.3
(4.11)		 91.3
(3.59)		 66.8
(2.63)		 41.1
(1.62)		 48.8
(1.92)		 60.5
(2.38)		 152.3
(6.00)		 212.9
(8.38)		 174.3
(6.86)		 1,370.8
(53.97)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 174.4
(6.87)		 103.6
(4.08)		 122.2
(4.81)		 104.2
(4.10)		 91.3
(3.59)		 66.8
(2.63)		 41.1
(1.62)		 48.8
(1.92)		 60.5
(2.38)		 152
(6.0)		 211
(8.3)		 166.6
(6.56)		 1,342.4
(52.85)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 9.1
(3.6)		 6.2
(2.4)		 3.2
(1.3)		 0.1
(0.0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0.3
(0.1)		 1.9
(0.7)		 7.7
(3.0)		 28.4
(11.2)
Source: [13]

Notable residents (past and present)
Gibsons Harbour, Sunshine Coast


Awards

Gibsons has won a number of awards:

  • World's Most Livable Community of under 20,000 (2009), United Nations-endorsed International Awards for Liveable Communities (LivCom).[15] Gibsons also received First Place among all world cities in LivCom's "Planning for the Future" category.[16]
  • Energy & Climate Action Award in Community Planning and Development (2009), awarded by the Community Energy Association for development of the Upper Gibsons Neighbourhood Plan.[17]
  • Communities in Bloom awards – 2008 Provincial Champions; 2007 Provincial Champions award for Environmental Awareness; 2006 Provincial Champions for best floral displays.[18]
  • Best in the World Municipal Water (2005) award, Berkeley Springs Winter Festival of the Waters.[19]
  • OCP award, SmartGrowth BC, 2007
  • National Research Council award for environmentally-sensitive development (2006)[20]</ref>

References
  1. "British Columbia Regional Districts, Municipalities, Corporate Name, Date of Incorporation and Postal Address" (XLS). British Columbia Ministry of Communities, Sport and Cultural Development. Archived from the original on July 13, 2014. Retrieved November 2, 2014.
  2. "About – Salt & Soul of the Sunshine Coast". www.bigpacific.com. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
  3. "IMDb: Most Popular Titles With Location Matching "Gibsons, British Columbia, Canada"". IMDb. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
  4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-10-08. Retrieved 2010-09-22.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-07-08. Retrieved 2010-09-24.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. "Livcom Awards : The International Awards for Liveable Communities". www.livcomawards.com. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
  7. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-07-18. Retrieved 2010-09-24.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-07-18. Retrieved 2010-09-24.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  9. "People and Employment", from Best Coast Initiatives Sunshine Coast Economic Development website "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-07-25. Retrieved 2010-09-24.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. Canada, Government of Canada, Statistics. "Statistics Canada: 2006 Community Profiles". www12.statcan.ca. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
  11. "About - Molly's Reach". www.mollysreach.ca. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
  12. "About – Salt & Soul of the Sunshine Coast". www.bigpacific.com. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
  13. "Canadian Climate Normals 1981–2010 Station Data". Environment Canada. Retrieved January 23, 2016.
  14. Gooch, Bryan N.S. "Lyn Vernon". Retrieved 15 June 2018.
  15. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-03-04. Retrieved 2010-05-20.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  16. "Gibsons wins 2 global awards". 28 October 2009. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
  17. http://www.communityenergy.bc.ca/energy-climate-action-awards-overview/2009-energy-climate-action-awards-winners%5B%5D
  18. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-05-25. Retrieved 2010-05-20.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  19. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-05-08. Retrieved 2010-05-20.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

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