Town of Gibsons is experiencing a sharp rise in bylaw complaints, with 221 complaints filed in the second quarter of 2025 — up from 136 during the same period last year.
The increase marks a 57 per cent year-over-year jump and surpasses the volume seen during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The data, presented in the Planning and Development Q2 report at the July 22 committee of the whole, shows that complaints are wide-ranging, with no single issue dominating.
Categories include everything from garbage and illegal dumping to noise, signage, and property use.
In total, 378 complaints have been received so far in 2025, compared to 241 at this point last year.
The town’s bylaw enforcement team issued 184 notices in Q2, including:
- 87 parking infractions
- 65 notices for operating without a valid business licence
- 6 for removing protected trees
- 5 each for garbage and unsightly property
Despite a slight drop in the number of business licences issued (588 compared to 604 in 2024), revenue from licensing rose by 23 per cent, thanks to updated fee structures, the report said.
Council members noted the spike in complaints and enforcement activity, with some speculating that broader social stressors may be contributing.
“Everyone’s mental health is maybe on edge a bit,” Mayor Silas White remarked during the meeting.
The town is continuing to monitor the situation and respond to complaints as they arise, the report notes.
Jordan Copp is Coast Reporter’s civic and Indigenous affairs reporter. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.
Words missing in article? Your adblocker might be preventing hyperlinked text from appearing.
