The following are briefs from the April 20 committee of the whole:
Several firefighters leave department
“A number” of volunteer firefighters have left the Gibsons Volunteer Fire Department in recent months, fire chief Rob Michael informed the committee. “Most have indicated issues related with the COVID-19 pandemic as a final push towards resignation,” he said. However, the department also got three new recruits in December. Membership stands at 43.
Michael noted that the department had attended 84 calls for service in the first three months of 2022, including a boat fire, the logging truck incident, a mutual aid call for a structure fire in Roberts Creek and vehicle fire.
The department has also hired Chris Facchin as the full-time fire prevention officer. Facchin has been a volunteer since 2016 and has been fire inspector since 2019.
Granting community
The committee endorsed awarding its first round of grants of assistance to 11 organizations. The grants of up to $2,040 are to offer assistance for participation in, creation of, enhance or conduct a program of benefit to residents of Gibsons or the Coast. Recipients included:
Coast Car Co-Op, Deer Crossing Art Farm, Gibsons Landing Heritage Society, Huckleberry Coast Childcare Society (Little Hands), Sunshine Coast Community Solar Association, Sunshine Coast Festival of the Performing Arts, Sunshine Coast Hospice Society, Sunshine Coast Jazz & Entertainment Society, Sunshine Coast Youth Dance Association, Sunshine Coast Writers and Editors Society and Synergy At Play Productions.
Driving concern
While concerns around the Glassford Road closure continue to pour into council, the barricade isn’t coming down – yet.
The matter is headed to consulting firm Urban Systems to address. While pointing to staffing issues as a reason for delays, interim CAO Mark Brown gave the tentative timeline of the end of May for having some sort of plan or interim plan for the stretch of residential road that was closed at one end last fall in a traffic calming pilot project.
“Whatever we do, it should come as a result of consultation and conversation with the community on the street,” said Mayor Bill Beamish.
Coun. Stafford Lumley and Coun. Aleria Ladwig pointed to the need to clarify the project and agreed with going back to the community.
“It’s gotten convoluted and confusing,” said Ladwig.
Three neighbourhood residents spoke up at the meeting – one, a father of four, said his family had appreciated having the road closed for the sake of kids’ safety while playing on the road. Another resident said that average speeds on the road hadn’t slowed since the barricade was put into place.
The following are briefs from the April 20 Gibsons regular council meeting:
Still Standing leaves its mark
Gibsons council declared April Still Standing month. The declaration was made at CBC’s filming of its travelling comedy TV show Still Standing at Elphinstone Secondary School gym a few weeks ago.
“It just provides us an opportunity to see the town through the eyes of others and appreciate the people who work behind the scenes, without recognition, to keep this town still standing,” said Coun. David Croal.
Mayor Bill Beamish read out the declaration at the council meeting for formalization.
Music in the Landing
The sweet songs of Music in the Landing will return this summer. Council approved $18,400 for music every Friday evening between Canada Day and August 28 in Gibsons Landing. However, councillors weren’t sold on the proposed special events program, spending the $14,500 that’s set aside for the once again cancelled Sea Cavalcade on a series of special events over the summer’s long weekends. Councillors Lumley and Croal essentially said that’s a lot of money.
Coun. Annemarie De Andrade spoke in favour of the special events program, citing two years of COVID and this as an opportunity to support artists and revitalization.
Croal also wanted to know if there was money set aside for The Beachcombers’ 50th anniversary later this year.
The issue of the special events program was deferred to a future council meeting.
Taxes are coming
The tax rate, financial plan, parcel tax bylaws received first second and third readings – the bylaw backbones of tax season now just need to pass adoption.
Long service award
Chief administrative officer Emanuel Machado received recognition for 20 years of service from the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators. “Manny, congratulations for that 20 years, I know what it’s like,” said Beamish.
“I won’t say to 20 more but maybe a few more,” Machado said to chuckles.
In other news
Despite it being a warm, sunny, Friday evening, dozens of people attended the Holland Lands revitalization open house at Gibsons Public Market April 22. Brown estimated the crowd that cycled through the display in the range of 200 – enough that they ran out of the 70-odd surveys printed out for the event. Several council members also attended.
Community consultations for the 1.5 hectare swath of public land overlooking the Gibsons harbour are on until May 20. A community survey is open until that date at surveymonkey.com/r/Holland-Lands.
Editor's note: The Gibsons fire department attended 84 calls for service in the first three months of 2022, not eight. Sorry for the mistake!
