Briefs from the June 7 Town of Gibsons regular council meeting.
For the first time since COVID upended daily life, the only way to participate in Tuesday evening’s Town of Gibsons council meeting was to attend in person.
Mayor Bill Beamish said that the town is committed to hosting hybrid in person-online meetings but they’re not there yet. “We’re working on it,” he said. “This room is not as conducive as some of the other rooms on the Coast for hybrid meetings.”
Reconciliation crosswalk
At the opening of the meeting,ʔakista xaxanak Garry Feschuk, hereditary chief and former elected chief of the shíshálh Nation, and co-chair of the syíyaya Reconciliation Movement, presented as a delegation on the syíyaya project’s orange reconciliation crosswalk that’s planned to be unveiled Sept. 30 in Sechelt (as previously reported when the presentation was made to Sechelt council).
“We’re coming to do presentations to all our local governments to see now, if they would have in their hearts to walk with our survivors and walk with our community in reconciliation.”
“All the harms that happened from those schools, our people still live the reality every day.
“We’re not here to blame anybody. We’re not here to shame anybody. We’re not here to point fingers. We’re here to bring awareness of what happened. These stories should never be forgotten and the truth should now be told,” he said. “The history that’s being told is not the truth. Canada’s hidden truths are rising to the surface, right across Canada.”
Beamish said that Gibsons would contribute toward the crosswalk.
Marina cleanup
A full house greeted council’s return to chambers. Children and parents came to speak to the much-improved safety of Glassford Road since its closure, while other neighbourhood residents highlighted the need for its reopening.
One high school teacher inquired after the barriers that prevented Divers for Cleaner Lakes and Oceans from coming to clean the Gibsons harbour area for free.
Chief administrative officer Emanuel Machado said that the town’s questions back to the divers had been around insurance and certification. “Typically we used to use the marine education centre and other folks and they have insurance and certification.
“We never really got anything back from that.”
Grad season
The youth representative to council, Evie Clarke, may be in her second year sitting in on council meetings but Tuesday was her first in council chambers. It was also (according to council discussion) her penultimate appearance as the youth delegate as she’s soon to graduate. “So I’m glad we’re able to all get together around this table,” said Beamish. “We should get a picture of that.”
