The Sunshine Coast Museum and Archives in Gibsons will expand its exhibit of The Beachcombers to mark the 40th anniversary of the long-running CBC series.
The big addition will be a recreated version of the Molly's Reach countertop that was a regular perch for characters Nick Adonidas (Bruno Gerussi) and Relic (Robert Clothier).
Three vintage diner stools and an enlarged photo displayed behind the counter will enable visitors to sit down and feel like they're having coffee with characters from the show, while a wall-mounted video monitor will play a trio of classic episodes.
Current plans are to relocate the exhibit upstairs and schedule the opening for next summer, said Kimiko Hawkes, the museum's manager/curator.
"The anniversary for the television show starts this fall and goes through the year, and it makes sense to have it in conjunction with a summer event like Sea Cavalcade or Canada Day," Hawkes said.
On hand for the exhibit reopening will be life-size cut-outs of The Beachcombers characters, a novelty that's proved popular with the museum's George and Charlotte Gibson cut-outs.
"The idea is to do a similar thing with the cast of The Beachcombers, or at least Bruno and Relic. We'll see what our budget is, but Bruno and Relic are the two most popular," Hawkes said.
The revitalization project's modest $2,150 budget will be covered in part by a $900 grant from the Town of Gibsons, council agreed in committee Tuesday.
In her written submission to council, Hawkes said the promotion of the exhibit will "position Gibsons as the premier Beachcombers sightseeing destination" during the show's 40th anniversary year.
"We also wish to highlight an under-utilized aspect of our collection that has significance to the community and to our visitors," Hawkes wrote. "Exhibit content such as archival photographs and first-hand accounts (text, recordings) will explore how the series profoundly impacted the Town of Gibsons, while the broadcast episodes will present archival video documentation of Gibsons from the years 1972 to '90."
The Beachcombers debuted on Sunday, Oct. 1, 1972 and when it was cancelled on Dec. 12, 1990 had become Canada's longest-running drama series.
A new memoir called Bruno and the Beach will be released this fall, penned by Jackson Davies, who played RCMP Const. John Constable on the show, and the late Marc Strange, co-creator of the series.
Other activities to mark the milestone have yet to be finalized, said Gibsons Mayor Wayne Rowe.
"This whole year coming up is The Beachcombers' anniversary year and we're looking at ways to celebrate that in the new year," Rowe said.
