The glass bus stop enclosure outside Sunnycrest Mall on Gibsons Way will be replaced by Aug. 12, according to Gerry Parker, acting chief administrative officer of the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD).
The shelter, including all seating, was removed by the SCRD following incidents of vandalism. The damage, which was reported to the Sunshine Coast RCMP on March 14, destroyed the glass to the point at which the integrity of the full structure was compromised.
A lack of seating and shade at one of the busiest transit stops in Gibsons was an issue for town resident Janice Williams. She took it upon herself to place chairs and umbrellas at the site each morning after the shelter disappeared. She retrieved the items each evening to keep them safe and available for use by transit clients the following day.
In a July 23 email to Gibson’s council and shared with Coast Reporter, Williams wrote: “I think it’s critically important to safeguard our seniors, as well as our disabled, our frail, our over-burdened, and our often exhausted bus riders, as well as young moms and pops with their toddlers, from having to stand in sometimes broiling heat or pouring rain, not to mention snow, hail, or what-have-you, while waiting for a bus.”
Living across the street, she added, “I’ve seen people standing there for long lengths of time this way, with absolutely nowhere to sit except on the pavement.”
On Aug. 3, the town installed a bench at the site as a temporary measure. Mayor Bill Beamish told Coast Reporter he was thankful for what Williams had done in the interim and that Gibsons will reclaim its bench once a shelter is reinstalled at the site.
In an email to Beamish, Parker indicated that replacement of the shelter will be done in phases. First, a glass structure that is smaller than the one that was at the site will be put up. In September, arrangements will be made to install a second structure to accommodate the higher volume of people who use that bus stop in the winter months.
Although happy with efforts to reinstall the bus stop amenities, Williams has ongoing concerns about their future. After being advised of the replacement plan, she wrote in an Aug. 3 email, “A glass bus shelter makes for a very easy target to anyone else with problems, hence my hoping that a more durable kind of shelter might have been, or still might be installed.”
A second shelter, at Highway 101 and Pratt Road, was also vandalized on the same mid-March evening. In that case, all of the glass panels were shattered, but the unit remains in place and structurally sound, according to SCRD spokesperson Cecilia Garcia.
She said that in both cases, as the damage did not reach the deductible of the SCRD’s insurance coverage, the local government did not file a claim for reimbursement.
Sunshine Coast RCMP media relations officer Const. Jihan McDougall confirmed that both files continue to be investigated. McDougall said suspects have been identified and the RCMP is considering options for moving forward which could result in criminal charges or alternative measures being pursued.
