Ah, to be in Gibsons now that summer’s here!

Talk of the town

Wayne Rowe
Town of Gibsons

Once again, the Town of Gibsons is pleased to support Music in the Landing. Each weekend buskers provide impromptu concerts on street corners, on the pier, and at the Winegarden Park bus shelter. I invite everyone to visit Gibson’s Landing, our ‘scenic seaside village,’ to sit on the lawns or benches overlooking our busy harbor, listen to some of the Coast’s finest musicians as gentle breezes ruffle the water’s surface, or stroll along the streets to discover the many galleries, cafés, boutiques and businesses that give our community charm and diversity.

Summer is festival time on the Sunshine Coast. In Gibsons, we enjoyed two festivals in June to kick off the season.  The Gibsons Landing Jazz Festival offered a fresh new look this year, with a street festival component. Organizers will be reporting to Council in the fall on the impacts and outcomes of the changes but, overall, it was a well-attended and enjoyable event.  Also in June, Sunshine Coast Community Services’ annual Children’s Festival and Duck Pluck Raffle in Dougall Park provided a traditional ‘school’s out’ celebration for the youngsters. Once again, it was my pleasure to assist in plucking the winning ducks for the raffle. It was a perfect day to wade in the temporary ‘duck pond’ created for the day by Gibsons Volunteer Fire Department members, netting prizewinners and smiles.

In a few weeks, Sea Cavalcade weekend will provide more smiles with parades, a street dance, fireworks and family fun. This event is entirely organized and presented by volunteers. Although the Town of Gibsons provides some funding, most of the costs are covered by the community through various fundraising events throughout the year. This year, organizers faced a number of challenges, with a shortage of volunteers to share the work and unforeseen costs for policing evening activities. This has resulted in changes to schedules. The Sea Cavalcade Committee has worked with the Town to ensure that favourite attractions, such as the annual fireworks display and the family street dance, which were in danger of being cancelled altogether, will be presented – with the scheduled time of the events altered to minimize potential disruptions and policing requirements.

Last month, I mentioned that the Town’s booth at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities conference in Vancouver drew admiration and interest from communities across Canada. Designed and built by the creative team at Deer Crossing, the Art Farm (with particular thanks to fabricating artist William Christiansen) the booth showcased our commitment to protecting and conserving our aquifer resources. The booth will shortly be on display at Sunnycrest Mall. We are very proud of this unique display and want to share it with our community. Please stop by and visit.