Sign In Register North Shore Rescue air-lifted an injured mountain biker from the forests above Reed Road directly to Vancouver General Hospital Friday evening Sunshine Coast Search and Rescue was paged out at about 6 p.m Friday for the mountain biker who had what initially appeared to be a broken collarbone but later expanded to possibly include a broken femur Following rescuers' hour-long trek up to the injured biker –– after already driving up some rough and bumpy roads –– they realized that carrying the injured man out on a stretcher would be very difficult and they needed to call in the helicopter.  so it would have not been a nice carry out So we are very fortunate that the helicopter was able to do it," said MacDonald.  Sunshine Coast SAR called North Shore Rescue who came over with their helicopter and night vision capabilities North Shore Rescue lowered four people down from the helicopter but they did extra packaging," said MacDonald.  "They winched him out through the trees and it was quite tight with the trees winched him out in the dark with [their] night vision capability," said MacDonald.  The helicopter flew directly to the trauma hospital "They landed on the top of the hospital." He had no further details about the man's condition.  MacDonald also noted the biker had friends who were with him and who came out to help who were "very The biker's companions who called for help "were able to provide some very good information" and SAR was able to ping the cellphones and figure out where exactly they were Fourteen members of Sunshine Coast SAR responded. The local group had been set to send a crew to help search for the seven-year-old girl missing in Chilliwack, but stood down as she was found, and so those members were on hand to attend to the biker above Gibsons.  Print In 2019 Jeffrey Gibson received a MacArthur Fellowship the $625,000 award commonly called “the genius grant” that buys recipients the freedom to follow their dreams Gibson used the money to purchase art materials and hire studio assistants He took a two-year hiatus from teaching and spent more time reading he could afford to focus on the exquisitely crafted and increasingly ambitious art — supercharged with bold patterns poetic messages and mesmerizing textures — coming out of his studio in upstate New York A sequence of critically acclaimed — and wildly popular — exhibitions followed: “When Fire Is Applied to a Stone It Cracks” at the Brooklyn Museum in 2020 “The Body Electric” at SITE Santa Fe in New Mexico in 2022 “The Spirits Are Laughing” at the Aspen Art Museum in Colorado that same year “They Teach Love” at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at Washington State University in 2023 and “Power Full Because We’re Different” at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art in 2024 The pace of Gibson’s exhibitions was relentless He gained energy and momentum from reaching larger audiences and he became a passionate advocate for issues dear to his heart speaking particularly in terms of power and beauty and the ways those forces have played out — and continue to play out — in the democratic experiment that is the United States of America when the State Department selected Gibson to represent the United States with a solo exhibition at the 60th Venice Biennale in 2024 There are few higher honors for an American artist a member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians who also is of Cherokee descent was the first Indigenous artist selected to fill that role jewelry and textiles — as part of a group exhibition when Pueblo artists Ma Pe Wi and Tonita Peña and Hopi artist Fred Kabotie also exhibited their paintings Jeffrey Gibson’s exhibition at the 2024 Venice Biennial transformed the neoclassical U.S Pavilion with dramatic works like this beaded piece which is part of the forthcoming show at the Broad museum in downtown L.A (Timothy Schenck) “Jeffrey Gibson: the space in which to place me” transformed the exterior and the interior of the neoclassical U.S Pavilion in Venice into a vibrant stage that invited people from all walks of life to interact with the cornucopia of works Visitors couldn’t help but discover something wonderful festooned with thousands of glistening beads; a laser-sharp painting composed of up to 290 supersaturated colors; an array of lavishly patterned flags from places no one has ever visited; or an evocative phrase A pair of 9-foot-tall figures looked like they had just stepped off a spaceship — or out of a psychedelic fever dream well-received exhibition in Italy — “Identity politics has never looked this joyful,” read the review from the Times of London — has come to Los Angeles Gibson’s first solo show in a Southern California museum opens May 10 in the lobby and first-floor galleries of the Broad All of the works that filled the pavilion in Venice will be at the Broad installed to let visitors circulate freely through a layered labyrinth of figures and forms — some familiar displayed five years ago in Gibson’s Brooklyn Museum exhibition For “When Fire Is a Applied to a Stone It Cracks” at the Brooklyn Museum in 2020 Jeffrey Gibson installed moccasins to an early 20th century bronze by Charles Cary Rumsey titled “The Dying Indian.” (Jonathan Dorado) The larger of the two is a monumental bronze figure on horseback cast by Beaux-Arts sculptor Charles Cary Rumsey in the first decade of the 20th century and titled “The Dying Indian.” It depicts a generic Native American man astride an emaciated horse head bowed and wearing nothing but a pair of moccasins the dying Indian is an emblem of extinction — or extermination Gibson commissioned Pawnee-Cree artist John Little Sun Murie to create a pair of beaded moccasins emblazoned with a line from a Roberta Flack song: “I’m gonna run with every minute I can borrow.” While giving symbolic comfort to the bronze figure the buckskin moccasins tell a story of grassroots resistance and DIY defiance in which beauty and comfort and love have a toehold even in a world otherwise defined by injustice and suffering (Matthew Cavanaugh / For The Times) “The space in which to place me” comes at a fraught moment for artists and their art and Gibson is acutely aware of where his work stands in the current political climate “I don’t want to say it’s actually hard to reckon, because I’m not sure that it is that hard to reckon,” Gibson says. “I think that, in this moment, we have no distance. We have no objective distance from what we’re experiencing right now. And so there’s no way for me to be able to understand all of the circumstances that led to where we’re at.” Detail of Gibson’s work at the Venice Bienniale. (Timothy Schenck) When Gibson looks at the present, he sees it as part of history, reaching back further than the divisiveness that has defined American politics for the last couple of decades. “When we look at other moments in history, you see so clearly how events and attitudes and interests aligned for those moments to happen.” Gibson is convinced that, in the future, when we can see the present in retrospect, we will see that the current turmoil is actually business as usual. Sarah Loyer, curator and exhibitions manager of the Broad, puts it this way: “The show takes a long view of history. It’s not reactive. It’s not about the past 10, 20, or however many years. It’s really looking all the way back. “In this moment, that is refreshing. It is also necessary for us to ground ourselves in this longer view, this longer arc, and really think about the role of history, and how that affects the present and the future.” Jeffrey Gibson was born in 1972 in Colorado Springs, Colo., and he grew up in West Germany and South Korea, where his father worked for the U.S. Department of Defense, supplying goods to military bases. In 1995, Gibson earned his bachelor’s degree from the Art Institute of Chicago. As an undergrad, he had worked at the Field Museum, on the staff established by the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, which returned sacred objects and human remains to their respective tribes. After receiving his master of fine arts degree from the Royal College of Art in London in 1998 — funded in part by the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians — Gibson moved to New York City, where he, like many young artists, struggled to find his voice, struggled to find an audience for his art and struggled to find time to make art between day jobs at Macy’s and Ikea. By 2011, Gibson was frustrated by all of the struggles and considered abandoning art. But a 2012 two-gallery exhibition in New York, titled “one becomes the other” and presented at Participant Inc. and American Contemporary, redeemed his commitment to art-making. For the first time Gibson collaborated with other Indigenous artists, who specialized in beading, drum-making and silver engraving. It was also the first time he felt that people understood what he was up to as an artist. Interest in his work spread swiftly. Solo exhibitions at public venues around the country followed: “Love Song” at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, in 2013, “Speak to Me” at the Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center in 2017, “Like a Hammer” at the Denver Art Museum in 2018 and “I Was Here” at the Des Moines Art Center in 2019. That’s a testament to the team Gibson had assembled, which ultimately consisted of 180 people. Chief among them were Kathleen Ash-Milby, curator of Native American Art at the Portland Art Museum, and Abigail Winograd, an independent curator, as well as Louis Grachos, executive director of SITE Santa Fe. Gibson’s exhibition was co-commissioned by SITE Santa Fe and the Portland museum. Looking back at the year leading up to the Venice opening and the year that followed, Gibson has a deep appreciation of the value of time — and how long it takes to make sense of things. And that worries him deeply about the world we live in. “We have created a culture that is overwhelming for a human being,” Gibson says. “And that overwhelming causes anxiety. It causes fear. It causes a real, not just a perceived, sense of instability. And when we feel completely unstable, the first thing we want to do is revert to something that we think we understand. We’ve taken away the ability to feel that we have the space for comprehension, the space to process and to understand.” When face-to-face understanding gives way to stereotypes developed from a distance, Gibson says, the battle is lost. “We are again conjuring fear. And that fear ultimately sits in the soul as resentment. That resentment is going to show up. So when I look at the world right now, I think what I really see is fear.” Gibson’s art is all about making a place in the world where fear — the feeling of being overwhelmed by the speed and volume of modern life, the seemingly intractable political divide, the malignant racism that plagues the nation — has no toehold, much less a leg to stand on. Entertainment & Arts Gibson’s exhibition is a remedy for those who sometimes feel powerless and pointless color-saturated installation serves up an abundance of beauty It stimulates the senses and inspires the mind The experience is the opposite of what one feels by the image glut and sound bites of modern life the psychologically destabilizing ether of digital distractions that can oppress the soul “I think that analog-world engagement is crucial,” Gibson says “I make work that’s very much about being a living being in this world And I wish for people that they could understand how phenomenal the world around us is.” “We Want to Be Free,” courtesy of Jeffrey Gibson Studio will be on view in the upcoming Broad museum exhibition orange and yellow carries the beaded message “ We want to be free.”) Until recently Gibson had not realized how important working with textiles and making garments would be to him They evoke the regalia worn by ghost dancers papal robes and the outfits created by such performance artists as Magdalena Abakanowicz They also recall the homemade clothes of punks and skaters “The garment is really a mechanism for transformation,” Gibson says It’s a way of extracting yourself from mass consumer culture And all of those things just really fascinated me to want to think about an alternative The repetitive nature of weaving and beading and hands-on craftsmanship are important to Gibson “They were made under some periods of tremendous distress,” he says The only answer I can come up with is that Gibson also notes that the handing down of a treasured object to a family member or community member “is really a way of manifesting a future That’s how he looks at his life as an artist: “It all starts at a much smaller scale It starts with people having examples of equity and fairness to mimic you really lessen the degree of violence that we see in society today But I think that those things are within my control 'Jeffrey Gibson: the space in which to place me' Where: The Broad, 221 S. Grand Ave., L.A.When: May 10-Sept. 28; closed MondaysAdmission: $12-$15 for this special exhibition; kids 17 and younger are free Information: (213) 232-6200, thebroad.org World & Nation Hollywood Inc. Television Books Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map A little learning is a dangerous thing ;Drink deep or taste not the Pierian spring :There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain,And drinking largely sobers us again It’s one of the most famous lines in poetry We all know that one person who sees themselves as some world authority based on a single article they’ve read They’re the keyboard preachers and cocksure dilettantes who have spent an afternoon researching a topic and they’ll tell you exactly how it is and will shout at everyone to let them know The fact is that disagreeing with someone is easy No matter how much of your life you’ve devoted to a subject or how many letters after your name you have earned It’s this which presents the illusion of depth and complexity — as if debate means that there will be no right answer There are two sides to everything only because saying “You’re wrong,” doesn’t require any qualifications whatsoever the philosopher Bryan Frances makes a distinction between superiors you will be epistemically superior to them in some areas and they will be superior to you in others “Einstein was your superior when it came to physics and mathematics but you are his superior when it comes to twenty-first-century popular music (obviously: he died in 1955)” My editor here at Big Think has a PhD in microbiology so he is my superior when it comes to bacterial membranes I like to think I’m his superior when it comes to British pub culture (Editor’s note: I concede that Jonny is an expert in warm beer and flavorless fish and chips.) Those who are epistemically superior are more likely to be true in their beliefs — which is to say they are more often right than inferiors are this doesn’t mean they are always right; after all it’s possible any of us could be wrong about anything when we meet a “peer” — that is someone whose knowledge we respect or who holds a similar epistemic authority as we do. Frances argues that there’s a strange cognitive bias in which we all revert to a kind of “peer by default” status unless we are explicitly told or have very good reason to think otherwise we assume others are our peers and we are theirs When a news agency or a media outlet offers two people If those outlets do not make a special effort to identify the epistemic superiors or inferiors on a topic then the viewer will give each equal weight each with many years’ experience — and with the gravest of authority in their voices — can have utterly different answers to a problem It’s here that things get difficult for us rational “Gibson’s law” is the observation that “For every PhD there is an equal and opposite PhD.” It’s mostly seen in adversarial courts of law when two competing lawyers each will produce some heavyweight authority to prove their side of the argument It can also be a form of petulant confirmation bias Let’s say you meet an expert in some area and they present a fact or argument that you simply cannot tolerate but unable to articulate your counterargument you go home to Google the expert’s position the entire first page of search results validate the expert Nestled in the forgotten abyss of Google’s page 4 The Skeptic philosopher Pyrrho believed that if there was an unresolved disagreement about something the rational (and most peaceful) course of action would be to suspend judgment If your favorite political TV show collapses into a bickering it’s best to just shrug your shoulders and say The ancient Skeptics were guilty of a peculiar form of the “peer by default” bias we saw earlier They did not necessarily assume all disagreements were of equal weight but they insisted on trying to make that the case They were intent on playing devil’s advocate — about everything Pyrrho encouraged his students to gather all the arguments they could so that it seemed like debates were of equal strength (a practice called isostheneia) It was thought everything had an equal counterpoint we can gather sources arguing any side of a debate we can drag out any number of experts to defend any position That does not mean that all arguments are equal and that all experts are peers The job of the critical mind is to identify which is which Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker who lost his right to bear arms after a domestic violence conviction was named one of President Trump's "special ambassadors" to Hollywood in January  Todd Williamson/JanuaryImages/Shutterstock; Win McNamee/Getty DEAL | A private investor picked up an English country manor at 1393 Port Mellon Hwy. through a court-ordered sale on April 5 for $4.5 million The stately home of 22,000 square feet sits on 60 acres opposite the BC Ferry landing connecting to Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver the property was listed by mortgage-holder Royal Bank of Canada at just under $3 million WorkBoat+ Membership – Free to Join You may unsubscribe from our mailing list at any time Diversified Communications | 121 Free Street NEWS: Long-Delayed USCG Polar Icebreaker Moves Into Full Production need to replenish their energy by charging their batteries at regular intervals British Columbia-based Greenline Marine’s fast zero-emission ferry service depends on the availability of reliable high-capacity electric charging infrastructure at each of its planned landing sites If an electric ferry were to plug into shore power major electrical upgrades would be required at the waterfront and electricity demand would peak in the area whenever a vessel required a charge Greenline has worked with partners to design an elegant solution: a “charge barge” which is a floating platform that stores clean energy and delivers high-power charging to vessels without overloading the electrical grid it also serves as a self-contained ferry landing each time the vessel delivers passengers to the site The 105.3'x34.1'x10' steel charge barge will feature a 5.6' draft lithium iron phosphate batteries with 7 MWh to 10 MWh capacity 400 kW of input power and 1.8 MW of output power Leaders in the maritime industry say all-electric vessel technology has advanced rapidly creating the right conditions for electrification we’re witnessing a shift similar to what we saw with electric vehicles in the early 2000s,” Callum Campbell said in a statement announcing the new charge barge “Electric vessels are gaining popularity The charge barge is an important way that we can plan ahead revitalizing small craft [harbors] with 21st century infrastructure and technology.” Greenline’s first-in-class charge barge design is now complete configured specifically for the landing site at Gibsons will serve as a model for future installations in downtown Vancouver and Bowen Island The three charge barges will power Greenline’s first two passenger-only electric ferry routes between Vancouver and Gibsons “We are confident we’re taking the right steps to serve up more shore power and deliver clean and affordable electricity to those wanting to plug in,” said Chris O’Riley “We are committed to helping organizations like Greenline Marine develop solutions to enable charging at B.C.’s ports and [harbors].” The charge barge solves three major challenges for all-electric infrastructure: grid capacity Grid capacity. The charging requirements for an electric ferry are far greater than even the most powerful EV superchargers Delivering that magnitude of power directly from the electrical grid would require major capital electrical upgrades and would impose significant loads on the grid during vessel charging the charge barge has an onboard battery bank that charges steadily from the grid over time then rapidly transfers power to the vessel during its brief docking time This approach makes use of available grid capacity with a steady and predictable charge and eliminates the need for major infrastructure work Greenline’s feasibility study confirmed that the existing electrical grid in Gibsons can support up to four round-trip sailings per day.  Dock capacity. In discussion with the town of Gibsons and the Gibsons Landing Harbour Authority another constraint Greenline heard about was the limited availability of dock space. Gibsons Landing is a busy working harbor and often reaches its capacity of vessels. Moreover reserving dock space for the commercial fishing industry is an absolute priority. Because it is not possible to dedicate docking space at Gibsons for the Greenline ferry that wouldn’t come at the expense of some other user the only real solution is to expand the facility with additional docking space. The charge barge which is a self-contained floating terminal expands docking capacity without encroaching on others Public access. While designed to support Greenline’s high-speed electric ferries the charge barge also provides charging for public users and small commercial vessel operators. General charging for other public users is made available via dedicated CCS1 charging units — the same standard as EVs Engineering for the charge barge was led by 3GA Marine with architectural design by Boniface Oleksiuk Politano (BOP) Architects Through the work of these collective efforts the platform combines technical performance with thoughtful design features to meet both operational and community needs “The charge barge project is a creative solution to add electric charging capacity to existing small craft [harbors],” said Daniel McIntyre “This type of project helps shape the future of Canada's maritime sector and facilitates the electrification of ferries fishboats and small commercial vessels.” The exact site for the charge barge is still unconfirmed but for engineering purposes the site selected is just outside the Gibsons Landing breakwater. Access to the barge from the breakwater boardwalk is facilitated by a long there are two deckhouse blocks — one providing space for two containerized battery units and one containing the e-house for the megawatt charging system A small service kiosk is also present.  the barge is designed to accommodate mooring of one ferry (outboard) as well as up to two small pleasure craft (inboard). Upon arrival of the ferry the short ramp to the vessel is extended for offloading and loading passengers.  the plug from the dispenser located at the deck edge will be connected to the ferry and once protocols are met charging begins. Pleasure boats on the inboard side of the barge are provided with CCS1 charging units In its prominent position on the waterfront the charge barge is designed to be welcoming and practical with a long canopy that bridges across the deckhouses creating visual cohesion and providing shelter for passengers and a service kiosk provides space for ticket sales or light refreshments From the breakwater boardwalk to vessel boarding passenger flows are facilitated by clear lines of sight Robust railings and perforated metal screens give the structure a strong Both deckhouses are likewise sheathed with a textured cladding.  Representatives from the town of Gibsons look forward to the changes ushered in by building electric vessel infrastructure “The charge barge project represents a critical and exciting opportunity for Gibsons to lead the way in marine electrification,” said Silas White “This initiative aligns with our commitment to sustainability while enhancing the services we provide to commercial vessels that are crucial to our local economy.” replicable solution that can be adapted to other sites. Greenline’s team will be configuring the design for Seymour Bay as well as its landing site in downtown Vancouver “Vancouver enjoys a beautiful but under-utilized waterfront and this new service offers what we hope is the beginning of an exciting revisiting of the possibilities of maritime mobility in the city and region “BOP is thrilled to support Greenline in helping shape how we could move and connect people sustainably and seamlessly from shore to shore.”  Become a WorkBoat+ Member Debbie Gibson reflects on the lessons she learned in her years as a young pop pioneer and on her hard-earned journey to embrace her authentic self Debbie Gibson was just sixteen when she released her multi-platinum debut album Out of the Blue and recorded “Foolish Beat” in 1988 making her the youngest person to ever write and perform a Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper A child actress who became the original pop princess Debbie had full creative control over her music and when that no longer aligned with a transitioning arts scene she went on to star in Broadway’s Les Misérables as well as in the London production of Grease illness—Debbie writes candidly about these and other challenges and how she ultimately redesigned her life to overcome them This is the story of her not only surviving but thriving: returning to her musical roots and living the best version of her authentic self to remain…Eternally Electric Debbie Gibson had this to say about her book: This is the most personal I’ve ever gotten—my journey through music I open up like never before—sharing the ups and the music that’s powered me through it all From teenage dreams to real-life challenges straight from the heart and I can’t wait for you to read it Signed copies are very limited so don’t wait. Grab yours today! https://debbiegibsonofficial.com/autographed-copies-of-eternally-electric/ Bobby Caughron is a music journalist and Editor-In-Chief for XS ROCK He began a life-long fan of hard rock and metal music after hearing KISS as a kid He is still an avid fan of the 80s metal scene and continues to discover and write about new music in all rock genres today As one of the busiest cultural hubs in Gibsons approaches a century of service a gathering of visionaries last Sunday celebrated the silver anniversary of its latest transformation The Heritage Playhouse — across North Road from the town’s oldest existing building Bartholomew’s Anglican Church — was opened on April 29 The structure itself was originally raised in autumn 1929 as the Howe Sound Women’s Institute Hall “It was heavily used during the Depression as the only entertainment venue in the Town of Gibsons,” said Diana Robertson Robertson is the president of the Gibsons Landing Heritage Society which was established in the early 1990s to ready the building for a new era For a period of 50 years starting in the 1940s the hall was the responsibility of the local school board — used first as a gymnasium later as a storage facility and mechanical shop A cavernous grease pit yawned at its centre “There came a time when we became aware that the building was in jeopardy of being demolished,” recollected Fred Inglis one of the heritage group’s founders “Our action had to save the building It was not really something we really had an idea how to do.” Inglis cornered performer and arts booster Nest Lewis in her kitchen and presented a proposition: that the derelict hall should become a theatre “I opened my mouth and said: ‘Oh wow,’ or words to that effect,” remembered Lewis who would become the society’s president “Little did I know that I would be involved for a long Inglis drafted a design and enlisted the participation of fundraiser Dianne Evans “We really need to have somewhere for performances,” said Evans “We were used to going out to the Gibsons Elementary gym or Roberts Creek Hall and carting risers that weighed a million pounds But we had this place here that would make a little theatre if we could do it.” nearly a decade before the location was ultimately designated a provincial heritage site Construction manager Laurie Lakovetsky uncovered two mammoth underground diesel tanks When CBC concluded filming of the longtime Beachcombers TV series the broadcaster donated lighting equipment The first play onsite — Steel Magnolias directed by Vancouver actor-director Ted Price — was performed even before permanent seating was installed (The present art deco chairs were salvaged from the Starlight Theatre said the setup was so tenuous that performances were only allowed to proceed if two firefighters attended each show — with a fire engine idling outside the town’s building inspector disallowed further assembly on safety grounds It took eight years to raise funds for the necessary upgrades “But those early productions inspired the community,” added Evans “They showed it could be done.” Guitarist Budge Schachte performed for the duration of the three-hour anniversary event on Sunday afternoon Heritage society board members reflected on the group’s evolving mission is more frequently calling on the group’s historical expertise to guide community planning the organization began a major capital fundraising campaign in late 2024 to raise $130,000 for energy efficiency upgrades and equipment renewal at the playhouse the storied structure hosted nearly eight thousand patrons who witnessed over two thousand performing artists in disciplines ranging from classical ballet to cheeky comedy “It’s not fabricated heritage,” said Evans Mayors of two coastal communities are hoping a letter to BC Ferries will spark some positive change regarding local ferry service Bowen Island mayor Andrew Leonard and Gibsons mayor Silas White from the Sunshine Coast sent the letter to B.C In it they outline both historical and recent challenges with the routes to Bowen Island and Langdale which originate at the Horseshoe Bay Ferry Terminal The letter also laments what they describe as a lack of accountability and concludes with a list of action items they wish to see take place over the next few weeks “We cannot go through another season like this with boats that are decades old and breaking down and running into and destroying our docks in Snug Cove,” said Leonard during Bowen’s council on Monday “It’s utterly unacceptable and something needs to change.” particularly in recent years and especially during summer months are well documented and often experienced by both residents and visitors Operational issues include frequent overloads wide variances between the ferry schedule and actual sailing times and even occasional sailing cancellations when crew cannot be sourced for the Bowen runs In February this year the Queen of Capilano crashed into boats at the Bowen Island Marina heavily damaging the vessels along with the dock itself Issues on both routes were once again highlighted during the Easter long weekend in April after the Queen of Coquitlam servicing the Sunshine Coast broke down The ferry had to be assisted back to Horseshoe Bay by tugboats and the resulting backlog disrupted Bowen sailings and caused long vehicle lineups at the terminal “Given what felt like a disastrous first long weekend of the season it feels very ominous for what’s to come,” said Leonard The mayors did not limit their criticism to the operations side of things either reserving space for the engagement and governance side of BC Ferries too “The conversations that I had with mayor White were initially somewhat positively optimistic about this new engagement regime that BC Ferries was putting forward,” the mayor explained to council “However that seems to have dried up.” BC Ferries made the decision to disband their Ferry Advisory Committees late last year Earlier this month council resolved to send a separate letter to BCF expressing their “disappointment” that there was no engagement on the new ferry schedule for the island set to be implemented on May 15 and lasting until March 2026 Council also awaits an answer to another ask of BCF this council requesting $150,000 in annual funding to deal with ferry marshalling and infrastructure upgrades in Snug Cove,” said Leonard “We said if you (BCF) don’t want to take responsibility for your marshalling and investing responsibilities here in Snug Cove - fine But we can’t do it on the back of property taxes in a community of 4,200 To date we haven’t had a response.” the letter called into question the governance structure of BC Ferries – comprised of the province “Each organization can — and often does — point to another for the reason that something cannot be done our residents face real-world consequences: lost wages and escalating costs of doing business,” read the letter “Our council brought this up with the Minister of Transportation saying the ministry is claiming BCF is a private entity BCF Authority and the Ferries Commissioner say they don’t have operational control and the BCF Board and Management say they don’t have the money to do anything… as a result there’s this circular unaccountability from all of the governance structures,” added Leonard on Monday the letter called for focus on four main areas (with specifics contained within each) – an accountable governance table immediate reliability measures for the Bowen Island and Langdale/Sunshine Coast routes and a restoration of meaningful community engagement Leonard and White requested a written answer to how these four issues would be addressed by the end of May and a meeting with the premier and transportation minister Mike Farnworth before the start of this summer’s peak season The mayors letter was copied to numerous provincial and local politicians along with BC Ferries executives Leonard also thanked the many residents of Bowen and the Sunshine Coast who’ve sent in their own letters and urged them to continue doing so Two existing cannabis stores in Gibsons have applied for rezoning and received their first reading from council during the March 18 regular meeting The two stores are at 442 Marine Drive and 1095 Sunshine Coast Highway A staff report at the meeting explains the store on Marine Drive had been operating under a Temporary Use Permit (TUP) the store on Sunshine Coast Highway had been using a TUP issued in 2020 which expired in 2023 and with current non-conforming use The report states the town sent letters to all expired TUPs near the end of 2024 with suggested next steps noting “The Permittee for the Cannabis store at both premises would like to legalize the use permanently by rezoning the two locations.” Director of planning Lesley-Anne Staats explained the expired TUPs had passed the window of time where they could be renewed therefore they suggested the applicant apply to rezone both areas to mixed-use commercial She confirmed both locations meet the locational criteria for cannabis stores within the Town of Gibsons that both stores are not within 100 metres of an Elementary School and are more than 100 metres away from each other She also reaffirmed both stores have a provincial non-medical cannabis retail license which is posted in the respective stores.  Council unanimously voted to grant first reading and and notified all neighbouring properties within 100 metres.  Jordan Copp is the Coast Reporter’s civic and Indigenous affairs reporter. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative Your adblocker might be preventing hyperlinked text from appearing School District 46 (SD46) celebrated milestone safety improvements around problematic intersections near schools and also wrote to the Ministry of Transportation and Transit During the school district's March 12 regular meeting board members agreed to express appreciation for the completed upgrades at Pratt and Chaster Roads and to advocate for prioritizing safety improvements at the Port Mellon Highway at Forbes Road and Gibsons Way at School Road intersections The secretary-treasurer report from the meeting said upgrades at the Pratt and Chaster Road intersection completed by the Ministry of Transportation and Transit “significantly enhancing safety for pedestrians and cyclists.” It states the improvements support increased active travel for students attending Cedar Grove Elementary and benefits the broader community.  Two areas remain high priorities for the SD46 which the report says serves as a critical crossing for children attending Langdale Elementary as well as residents accessing transit and recreational areas sees high pedestrian volumes and vehicle speeds exceeding posted limits Suggested safety upgrades include a rectangular rapid flashing beacon and improved crossing infrastructure “has been identified as one of the highest-risk intersections in the area and visibility issues that impact pedestrian and cyclist safety,” the report states Because the intersection is so close to Gibsons Elementary Sunshine Coast Alternative School and Elphinstone Secondary safety improvements such as enhanced traffic control measures and dedicated infrastructure for cyclists are “urgently needed.” board chair Amanda Amaral said the school district has not received a response from the ministry yet and said many safety improvements come with the help of surrounding municipalities like the District of Sechelt Town of Gibsons and Sunshine Coast Regional District which they have “great” relationships with Amaral highlighted the recently added walking routes in West Sechelt and the reduced speed limit on School Road Amaral explained the intersection at Gibsons Way at School Road is “unique across the province,” on top of facing commercial and industrial traffic this intersection is also where high volumes of ferry traffic pass through She also pointed out that Gibsons Elementary Sunshine Coast Alternative School and the Heritage Playhouse are all within 100 metres of the intersection “The biggest topic of the year,” was what Gibson's Mayor Silas White called it as council members sat down to start deliberation over the 2025 operating budget at the town’s April 14 special committee of the whole the committee has directed staff to work with a target overall tax increase of eight per cent as they work out the rest of the budget said staff are working with a new budget book based on a detailed labour table with two years of comparative data and a proposed 10 per cent tax increase was initially proposed to address it.  Speaking to the town’s proposed capital projects list Wallace said the list is almost all carry forwards or small amounts of money or items that arose in 2024 that council “blessed to be done.” Wallace also said of the $13 million in projects development cost charges will cover one per cent and reserve funds three per cent.  He clarified that this means no new general municipal taxation will be required to fund capital projects as presented The town's unrestricted surplus is $876,653 Wallace said staff are “slowly stopping taking any more out of unrestricted surplus but it's going to take a while.” Stafford Lumley commented that the town contributes significantly to regional tourism and affordable housing Wallace asked council for guidance on their tax rate increase limit He added that even with the relatively high tax increase staff will have "plenty of work" ahead of them to reduce spending to balance the budget Wallace highlighted the need for the $651,000 revenue gap to be addressed suggesting it be primarily through higher municipal taxes Council’s desired tax increase of eight per cent translates to a $390,000 revenue increase (The aforementioned 10 per cent increase would raise $433,000.)   Wallace also outlined that $220,000 in potential savings could be “sorted out” of the budget at this point could be identified for potential reductions The meeting concluded with a committee motion directing staff to work out a budget based on an overall tax increase of eight per cent Mayor White thanked Wallace for his “tremendous amount of work” on the budget process The Town of Gibsons has advanced an elector approval process for a boundary extension If 10 per cent of electors don’t write in to oppose the process the extension will bring five properties into the Town of Gibson from the Sunshine Coast Regional District Back in October council directed staff to send a request to the minister to extend the boundary of the municipality to include the following parcels: A staff report in the Oct meeting states the property owners requested to move into the Town of Gibsons and were interested in connecting to municipal services to develop the sites to a higher potential there are 4,014 eligible electors and if the town receives elector responses from less than 10 per cent of them by June 2 at 4 p.m. Information packages explaining the AAP process will be prepared before the process begins, and elector forms will be made available on the town's website and at town hall, said a staff report for the April 8 regular council meeting Before the province can consider a boundary extension council must give notice of the proposed extension once in the BC Gazette obtain approval of the electors of the municipality and obtain the results of the elector approval process if electors support the municipal boundary extension proposal the town must provide the ministry with a second council resolution confirming the request to the minister to extend the boundary Council unanimously gave approval for the AAP to proceed.  According to Gibsons and District Volunteer Fire Department deputy fire chief Jordan Pratt it was two bylaw officers who initially spotted the fire at the corner of Marine Drive and Beach Avenue in Gibson this morning and alerted the residents Town of Gibsons bylaw officers Sue Booth and Tamara Jaswal then helped to evacuate the residents of the home "I would like to highlight the efforts made by Sue and Tamara to ensure the residents were aware of the fire and able to safely evacuate the fire-involved building," said Pratt The Gibsons and District Volunteer Fire Department was called out to a fire at the corner of Marine Drive and Beach Avenue in Gibsons at 10:29 a.m. which led to the closure of Beach for much of the morning Deputy fire chief Jordan Pratt says 21 members responded to the scene accompanied by five apparatus trucks and two support vehicles the fire took place at a home under renovation and caused significant damage to an upper suite And while there was no fire damage to the lower suite “Our investigator is just still down there and looking for the source of ignition and where things started,” said Pratt He noted Gibsons was able to handle the fire without calling for aid from a neighbouring fire department though they had support from BC Ambulance Service which was onsite in case a firefighter was injured BC Hydro and members of the Gibson bylaw department it's definitely a team effort when one of these events happens.” It’s likely neighbouring fire departments would have struggled to reach the Gibsons fire even if needed because a significant snowfall caused the closure of the Sunshine Coast Highway in several places in the early afternoon says when the crew arrived at the scene in the morning That was definitely not the case by the time the crew had almost finished cleaning up the scene at 2:30 p.m Sechelt was expected to get up to 25 centimetres of snow throughout the afternoon and much of that fell while the firefighters were at the scene “We had 21 responders and they’re volunteers who left their work and their families in these conditions [they started] receiving calls that the school is closed so they were trying to make arrangements to get their kids picked up at the same time,” said Pratt and they're not going to be finished here for probably another half an hour so that’s four-and-a-half hours of their time they were volunteering giving to the community to make sure everybody's safe.” it adds a layer of complexity to fighting a fire because the scene gets slippery and everyone has to really watch their footing even simply getting off the truck and all the normal operations that we undertake during a structure fire emergency event,” said Pratt He notes the volunteer firefighters do an exemplary job for no pay the Gibsons fire department was responding to about 100 calls a year “Last year we were at 300 and a couple of years ago “That’s a lot of volunteer hours.” The Town of Gibsons has issued a notice on title for a property where a sunroom structure has been built outside of town compliance during its March 18 regular meeting Gibsons chief building official Jason Knowles explained in September 2024 it was brought to the building department's attention there was some work being done on the property on School Road that may require a permit.  “It was confirmed there was a metal sunroom structure being structurally fastened to the existing dwelling and was extending into the setbacks it appears from a deck that was recently permitted earlier that year.” A staff report from the meeting said various methods to bring the structure into compliance have been suggested including variances and reducing the size of the sunroom complaints have been filed and no action has been taken to remedy the non-compliant Knowles said he is confident the owners were unaware that they needed a permit and that correspondence has been “great,” while staff try to determine a way to rectify the issue Knowles said it appears the owners are not in a position to be able to bring the structure into compliance he suggests issuing a Notice on Title so that future owners of the property are aware of the non-compliance Staff also confirmed that the property owner had been contacted notifying them of the right to attend the meeting it was the once residence of the town building inspector Ralph Jones so there's a bit of irony here.” Council unanimously moved for Section 57 Notice to be registered on title alerting future buyers that the property is in contravention of the town’s bylaws Two bylaw enforcement officers with the Town of Gibsons have been recognized for their bravery in helping to evacuate residents from a home on fire Sue Booth and Tamara Jaswal have been awarded the Leadership and Valour Award by the Local Government Compliance and Enforcement Association The award was presented at the association’s annual conference which helped avert a potential tragedy earlier this year While on duty in Gibsons on the morning of Feb Booth and Jaswal noticed smoke rising from the roof of a residential home they immediately rushed to the property where they began knocking on doors to alert the residents who were unaware that a fire had started above them.  tenants in the basement were still going about their morning routines Thanks to the officers’ quick thinking and persistence all occupants were able to evacuate safely Emergency crews arrived moments later to contain the fire said a Town of Gibsons press release.  Gibsons mayor Silas White said the officers’ “bravery leadership and commitment” to the community reflect the essence of the award “They acted decisively under pressure and went far beyond the expected scope of their duties and we are incredibly proud of them,” White said in the release The Leadership and Valour Award recognizes individuals who demonstrate selfless dedication and going above and beyond Booth and Jaswal’s actions serve as a powerful reminder of the important role that bylaw officers play in community safety and public service Warning: Details in this story may be distressing to some readers.  The BC Review Board has decided a man found not criminally responsible on account of mental disorder in the axe killing of his mother in Gibsons in 2020 — and who has “unfettered access to a significant amount of money” — has a treatment plan in place will allow for eventual unescorted time in the community.  With respect to a single count of second-degree murder Justice Geoffrey Gomery found Kevin Christopher Webster not criminally responsible in the Supreme Court in Vancouver 2020 when Webster was charged with second-degree murder in the death of his mother in her home on Sargent Road in Gibsons on the Sunshine Coast Webster killed his mother with an axe while she slept and was arrested at the scene without incident the review board held a mandatory hearing to review Webster’s custody disposition which was initially made in June 2022 and extended in May 2023 the board reserved its decision and it was subsequently ordered that Webster be detained in custody at the Forensic Psychiatric Hospital (FPH) in Coquitlam.  the review board concluded that Webster has a major mental disorder has limited insight into his mental illness and substance use disorder as well as ongoing delusions that his family are trying to kill him “We find that if left to his own devices We agree with the parties in finding that Mr Webster poses a significant threat to public safety He is not entitled to be absolutely discharged.” which showed Webster recently inherited a significant amount of money from the estates of two deceased relatives (including his mother) a social worker told the board he’s working to involve the Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee to potentially manage Webster’s funds that office was not yet involved and it was unclear what role they might play in the future Evidence provided also showed Webster has “appropriately and successfully engaged in community access on escorted passes this year without incident.”  Webster may have unfettered access to a significant amount of money that he could easily use to abscond from FPH and/or access drugs that would be detrimental to his mental health and the safety of the public.”  A social worker told the board that he knew of no external safeguards in place which would prevent Webster from accessing his funds The proposed treatment plan includes withholding Webster's bank card and identification documents and limiting the duration of his community access to match his attention span.  “We are encouraged that the treatment team appears alive to these issues and has proposed a reasonable Webster’s eventual unescorted community access… With those elements in place Webster’s risk to the community could be adequately mitigated even while he is unescorted in the community for limited amounts of time.”  Review Board Liaison Michelle Simard reported that Webster participated in his first escorted community outing on Feb He has since attended four staff-escorted outings Webster as calm and cooperative during the outings Webster also continues to hold delusional beliefs.  Webster said he is no longer bothered by psychosis but declined to answer questions about his experience of schizophrenia He agreed he would take medications if he were given a conditional or an absolute discharge and said he would like to go for a walk if given community passes The board also added a prohibition against Webster using knives or bladed weapons and added opioids and methamphetamine to the list of substances Webster is prohibited from using The order is reviewable within 12 months. The full review can be found at canlii.org/en Gibsons Wildlife Rehab Centre is in desperate need of a holiday miracle “Or someone to win a big lottery and donate a million dollars,” says Irene Davy who started the centre with her late husband Clint 36-years ago which has helped more than 11,500 distressed wild birds and mammals on the Sunshine Coast is scheduled to close at the end of December due to the rising costs of everything Davy says like many non-profit organizations donations have not kept up with the rising cost of living the centre is closing at the end of this month so is no longer accepting any more injured wildlife “If we could just raise enough money to buy some property people need to worry about food and accommodation first,” said Davy as not many donations are being received and the cost of food and supplies for the wildlife is constantly increasing.” The closure will be a huge blow to animal lovers on the Coast who arrive at the centre at all hours of the day and night bearing fragile bundles or boxes of injured critters -- everything from an owl hit by a car to a raccoon with a paw trapped in a rat trap the centre can house up to 30 injured birds while the centre doesn’t have a permit to house what are considered “dangerous animals,” over the years there have been emergency exceptions to the rule including an underweight bobcat with parasites and several juvenile bears Bear cubs needing care are permitted to stay at the rehab centre until they’re well enough to be shipped to Critter Care Wildlife Society in Langley one of just three licensed bear rehabilitation facilities in B.C “People think bear cubs are just like big puppies but they’re strong and they have claws and they are a lot of work,” says Davy as certified wildlife rehabilitators — and having the appropriate federal and provincial permits — looked after the wildlife in their home and in pens in their backyard But later a trailer was purchased and transferred to their property The centre started out with a handful of volunteers but then grew to include three staff members and a much large number of volunteers — and Davy wants to thank each and every one of them for the hundreds of hours they’ve donated over the years Davy says since Clint passed away four years ago her work has become more difficult than ever Clint not only had a license that allowed him to care for injured wildlife “Even one or two local vets said he was so good with wildlife he could make splints just like vets could,” says Davy “He was a natural working with wildlife.” Davy reiterated helping injured wildlife is not a hobby but instead anyone who wants to care for hurt creatures must be government-certified and willing to complete the endless mountains of paperwork that goes along with it “It's not just looking after wildlife There's a lot of paperwork involved because you're dealing with the provincial and the federal government,” she says there's reports that have to be given to the provincial government and there are reports for each individual creature that comes into care.” Davy has a dream of one day reopening the rehab centre but with a bigger building and larger property ideally located somewhere between Gibsons and Roberts Creek “But that’s not going to happen overnight so I just need to close it off for now,” said Davy without strangers showing up in the middle of the night and wandering around my yard Without the constant interruptions with people coming to the door I’m hoping it will be a nice peaceful what’s going to happen now when someone finds an injured owl or raccoon and shows up at her door at 2 a.m. “They’ll just have to call the RAPP line.” Report all Poachers and Polluters (RAPP) is a 24-hour government reporting system which anyone looking for help with distressed wildlife can call toll free From the hundreds of comments on the Friday afternoon Facebook post announcing their retirement to the greetings of “how are you holding up” from staff on the floor Monday morning it’s apparent Bob and Susan Hoy will be missed as owners of Gibsons IGA.  After 23 years owning the franchise –– and 34 years of personal and professional history at the grocery store that started it all –– the Hoys have sold the franchise back to the Georgia Main Food Group also owns the Wilson Creek and Madeira Park IGAs in the office above the store Monday morning “Band on the Run” playing in the background We enjoyed the challenge of making changes and really pushing change to see where it would go and as their family grows in grandchildren the Hoys are ready to step back –– and enjoy a festival or two as community members rather than the stalwart sponsors they’ve been over their decades in business.  The Hoys have been through store sales before and then 21-year-old Bob was store manager Though both Bob and Susan grew up in North Delta they didn’t meet until Susan came to the Coast to train Bob on the till and office computer as part of her work with Mountain Systems They married two years later and their daughter was born at Sechelt Hospital.  the couple left the Coast and began their first foray into ownership they owned the flagship IGA in Squamish and when his parents sold the Gibsons IGA to Georgia Main Bob and Susan bought the Sunshine Coast franchise in 2001 (they would also go on to own the Wilson Creek IGA from 2012 to 2019) The couple returned to the Coast with two kids both of whom would grow up to work at the store through their teenage years and university summers (Their daughter still runs their social media.) Being prominent business owners in a small community came with trade-offs “There wasn’t a time that we went out we didn’t hear something –– whether positive or negative,” said Bob Now the Hoys are looking forward to attending community events without sporting a business lens.  we kept to ourselves a little bit outside of work,” said Bob “I think part of the excitement of what we’re doing ––– we’re going to go to all the festivals we’re going to be able to enjoy this town that so many people enjoy.” “We love living here,” said Susan “The community is who we raised our children with These are not just our customers –– they’re part of our life growing up as a family A lot of the kids we’ve hired have been kids that our kids went to school with.” Now the kids of those kids are coming in to work for them ‘Maybe we’ve been here long enough,’” she laughed “I don’t want any grandkids to start coming in.”  except customer service and commitment to community “Whether you offer a friendly smile or you’re able to help somebody out that hasn’t changed,” said Bob “It’s a commitment to community in every community we’ve been in that’s been very the Hoys said they wanted to thank the Sunshine Coast community we received through loyalty and kindness from the local community,” said Bob.  nothing was gluten-free and little was organic Being part of a smaller organization meant IGA could be more nimble than larger stores as tastes evolved When the Atkins low-carb diet became popular Gibsons IGA dedicated a whole aisle to low-carb food They jumped on organic and gluten-free groceries –– “We were one of the first ones to get right into it respect people’s needs and change with them,” said Bob “I think we’ve been pretty good at listening to our customer base and Not all of the changes have necessarily been for the better –– 30 years ago complaints either came from someone’s mouth or from a handwritten letter anyone can say anything on social media.  “I do miss the times when people would actually complain to you [in person] and you can work it out,” said Bob.  The store’s displays are a point of pride – they recently won a Canadian master merchandiser award for display building getting that reward,” said Bob.  because everybody is fully invested in not just doing something He notes he’s made a lot of mistakes over his career but he’s been able to park them and learn from them “I’m definitely not going out thinking that we were perfect in any way It will take some time to come down from 30 years of being on the go in the grocery business –– a full cycle of the holidays –– and the Hoys will take it a day at a time I love the adrenaline rush,” said Bob “That is probably what I’m going to miss the most it’s time to get new adrenaline rushes and a little bit different perspective on life as you go forward.” Many of the leadership team who gathered in the Gibsons IGA lunchroom last Friday have been with the store for more than a decade but it was nice to be with those people and be able to tell them ourselves,” said Bob “We’ve had a super good team for a really long time.” And the leadership group will remain in place with the sale “We told them quite clearly that they are the backbone of this business,” he said and to have a strong leadership group like that that’s what makes the ship tick.” the ownership will revert to the Georgia Main Food Group “They’re evolving with the way that the community and the areas need them,” said Susan.  “They’ve changed the way they’ve done business and they recognize…how important community is how important the staff are,” said Bob “I think the transition overall is going to be very smooth.” There’s not a whole lot the Town of Gibsons can do about intrusive neighbours –– but their lights Gibsons council unanimously passed three readings of a Light Intrusion Bylaw and update to its Enforcement Bylaw Feb. 4 The bylaw prohibits residential property owners or occupiers to permit outdoor light shining into the living or sleeping areas of an adjacent residential property in such a way that it disturbs the neighbours’ “quiet comfort or convenience.”    The town has received resident complaints about intrusive light disturbing rest and property enjoyment in recent years bylaw staff couldn’t act on the complaints because there was no corresponding bylaw said a staff report from senior bylaw officer Sue Booth the town has heard from residents of a new apartment building who complained of outdoor light from an older neighbouring apartment building shining into their units While staff tried to work with the older building’s owner to adjust the lighting The new bylaw will not affect existing buildings but with more apartment buildings coming to town the expectation is these kinds of complaints will increase traffic lights or other lights on Town property; lighting required by law enforcement or emergency services; lighting illuminating school playgrounds public parks or playing fields; fully maintained motion detector lights or solar lights The penalty for violation of the bylaw is set at $300 Council was generally complimentary of the bylaw with staff re-iterating it only applies to residential properties and not businesses “Especially higher buildings that are right next to each other [lights] can be very impactful for neighbours,” said Mayor Silas White Annemarie De Andrade liked the connection with preserving livability and Coun David Croal noted with the switches to LEDs Discussion about BC Hydro LED upgrades to streetlamps saw the director of infrastructure noting that while there’s no going back to the old bulbs but it may be possible to request shielding for specific lamps A father and son, both life-long Gibsons residents, were found not guilty of assault for a Nov. 17 2023 road rage incident near the Payne and Reed Road intersection. Provincial court judge Steven Merrick delivered that verdict to Gary and Tanner Evans in Sechelt on Oct Seven witnesses testified in the proceedings including the Evans a 71-year-old Gibsons man who was the alleged assault victim and his wife and two individuals who came upon the disruption Crown counsel Joe Zondervan suggested to the court that the matter be dismissed Although both accused admitted to making physical contact with the senior male after a near rear-end collision between their Ford Transit work van and the senior’s Tesla Zondervan indicated he was unsure of how the violence started or escalated stating that he heard “six different versions of the same incident” and was unable to rule that either of the accused were guilty of assault beyond a reasonable doubt The testimony offered no dispute that just before the mid-afternoon physical altercation there was a sustained period of vehicle horn honking It was also agreed that both vehicles were on Reed Road and the van came up close to the rear of the Tesla after it had turned off Payne Road and was moving slowly along Reed There was general agreement that both vehicles quickly came to a stop and the drivers and then the passengers exited the vehicles It was the evidence of both accused that the reason for the honking was the Tesla did not obey the stop sign before turning onto Reed and that Gary Evans was forced to slam on the van’s brakes to avoid a collision The van driver stated the Tesla’s movements first surprised him then made him angry that “I almost wrecked my van.” He said that after the shock of the near-collision began to subside the possibility of there being a problem with the Tesla or its driver entered his mind He said he was thinking “maybe I am the A-hole for honking” as he stepped out of the van The senior testified he did stop his car before proceeding on to Reed His testimony was that once on Reed he heard the horn sounds and saw the van close behind his vehicle He said he stopped at the edge of his lane stating he was concerned the other driver was trying to alert him to something being “wrong” with his car the verbal exchange between them once out of their vehicles quickly moved to yelling and swearing Each said the other was the aggressor in the argument Accounts of the altercation that followed varied There was agreement by all who testified that a physical struggle between the two drivers unfolded in a matter of seconds and the Tesla driver wound up on the ground he used his body to block the Tesla driver’s wife (who had been a passenger but was now out of the car) from entering the fray “I did not want her to get in the middle… to get punched or knocked over,” he said His testimony was that the skirmish was escalating ”I was concerned about my Dad’s safety I wanted it [the fight] to end” he said He admitted to landing one punch on the Tesla driver’s cheek and throwing a second that grazed the older man’s face The two witnesses who came upon the scene both said they focused their efforts on ensuring the senior was safe until the authorities could arrive Leslie Ghag testified she responded to the site at 3:40 p.m and assessed the man on the ground as unconscious and in need of medical assistance BC Emergency Health Services personnel arrived and transported the senior to Sechelt Hospital and she proceeded to take statements from those on scene arrest and then release Gary and Tanner Evans at the scene The current appears to be flowing with the proposal to bring an electric powered passenger ferry service to Howe Sound. On Feb the Gibsons Landing Harbour Authority (GLHA) and Vancouver Parks Board indicated their support but both have more work to do to help make the Greenline Ferries initiative possible.  Mark Urwin GLHA president told Coast Reporter by email that board passed a motion in support of Greenline’s vision, recognizing the potential benefits for the harbour and broader marine community "We are still evaluating operational considerations particularly around dock infrastructure and harbour access The charge barge concept and any required upgrades would need coordination with Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and its Small Craft Harbours (SCH) program Next steps involve continued engagement with Greenline and senior government agencies to assess feasibility and infrastructure needs while ensuring Gibsons Harbour remains a functional working waterfront," he wrote Vancouver Parks Board voted unanimously to continue the exploration of Greenline Ferries’ potential use of Harbour Green dock in Coal Harbour.  While the "green light" for the company to use that pivotal docking point for its service hasn't been agreed to the vote moved that consideration process forward.  A park's staff report on “next steps” for a change of use at the Harbour Green Dock was requested staff were directed to “collaborate with regional municipal governments and commercial partners to evaluate potential opportunities for sustainable transportation options “ and to be “open to potential partners for funding the required facility upgrades at Harbour Green to facilitate commercial operations." That dock, located next to Harbour Green Park, at the foot of Bute Street closed to the public in 2018 after opening in 2003. According to an April 2019 staff report that closure was due to dock damage that was attributed to “boats that were too big and heavy” using its facilities some of which may have been caused by two unsanctioned ferry operations using the site to provide commuter services from Gibsons (the former Pacific Ferries operation out of Gibsons) and Bowen Island The 2018 dock closure ended a commuter service between Bowen Island and Coal Harbour that had operated since 2010 The parks board has been contemplating the options to change the use and management of Harbour Green dock over the past five years The 2019 report referenced in last month’s meeting materials stated “minimum costs to restore it to its prior condition are approximately $350K and would take more than 12 months to complete Based on the previous performance of the dock it is clear that repairing the dock to its original specifications will be insufficient in addressing the technical and operational challenges of this location… The order of magnitude cost for a full rebuild is up to $2M which may be required to accommodate limited ferry services.” The parks board motion stated that a “collaborative regional approach is needed to address traffic congestion and transportation resilience in the Sea to Sky region should the dock improvements and the ferry service proceed “staff expect revenues generated from limited commuter ferry services could be used to subsidize ongoing recreational usage (of the dock) there is also an opportunity for recreational usage could be regulated without much additional overhead.” the company planning to run a 150-passenger 32-metre catamaran ferry on routes connecting downtown Vancouver with Gibsons and Bowen Island's Seymour Bay will have its eyes on Vancouver city council proceedings.  According to Greenline's chief executive officer Callum Campbell, a member's motion, entitled "Sailing Past Gridlock Towards Sustainable Transportation Options",  is to be voted on. It will be brought forward by Coun Rebecca Bligh and will be asking her counterparts to "direct staff to work with stakeholders and park board to consider proposals from potential service providers and report back regarding options and feasibility to land an electric passenger ferry service in Downtown Vancouver." there was “nothing Earth-shattering,” in the last quarter of 2024 in Gibsons with no notable increases or decreases.  “Hopefully people have noticed an increase in visibility in the Town of Gibsons,” Newman told a Jan. 21 Gibsons committee of the whole noting they’ve increased bike patrols in the town.  According to police statistics zero for theft over $5,000 (other than auto and bike) There were 114 calls for service for suspicious person/vehicle occurrence 109 mental health flag calls and 16 domestic violence flag calls.  There were 15 calls for collisions and 36 impaired operation of motor vehicle calls over the course of the year.  The report also said all civilian and police positions are filled with the detachment welcoming Cst Kim Tjorham from Coquitlam RCMP as well as Cst Nipun Chadha who both recently completed training Also provided were the Sunshine Coast-wide calls for service statistics Three multi-family residential buildings and one commercial building including some recreational space are on their way to Gibsons During its March 18 regular meeting Gibsons Council adopted the proposal slated for Lots A and C Gibsons Way and included a requirement for a playground to be a part of the plan Three separate amendments received adoption,  The development has been viewed and amended several times While some members of the public supported the development citing concerns about the impact of developing on the town wetlands and that the aquifer the town relies on will not be able to support the increasingly rapid population increases The council approved the permits to be issued on the condition that a natural playground for infant toddlers within the landscape plan be added and the submission of an updated landscape cost estimate Highway 101 has been closed outside of Gibsons since late Friday evening while police investigate a collision with a pedestrian.  Integrated Collision Analysis & Reconstruction Service is investigating the incident "Police believe the male was struck by a vehicle that was driving westbound on the highway The vehicle remained on scene and the driver is fully cooperating," said the press release.  "We remind everyone to exercise heightened awareness during heavy inclement weather and low-visibility hours to help ensure the safety of all road users," said the release.  Any witnesses or anyone who may have dashcam footage or information of the incident is asked to contact the Sunshine Coast RCMP.  The Town of Gibsons Council has advanced its plan to update its Development Cost Charges (DCC) bylaw The current DCCs were put in place in 2019 A staff report said since the DCCs were last updated “significant cost escalations in the construction industry and new growth-driven capital improvements have been identified through the completion of the Sanitary Sewer Strategic Plan (2024) and the Active Transportation Network Plan (2024).” During its March 4 regular meeting, council endorsed recommendations made during a special Committee of the Whole on Feb. 25 DCCs are fees charged to new developments to help fund infrastructure projects; rates are based on four separate programs: transportation Gibson's staff began work with Urban Systems to compile and refine the list of growth-related capital improvements required to support the build-out of the town the DCC rates are based on the estimated cost of the projects Stakeholder engagement was also held in the fall Feedback from the development community centred on concern over a significant rate increase a desire to phase in the rate increase and consideration for non-market housing or affordable housing development opportunities said the proposed DCC rate schedule is 10 per cent lower than what would have been presented to the committee in fall 2024 The total value for the transportation program is $61,789,672 water is at $35,926,875 and sanitary comes in at $37,592,566 A full list of projects under each category is included in the meeting agenda The bylaw proposes six categories of development types: single-detached dwelling The proposed updates estimate a DCC on a single-detached dwelling would be $48,621.54 A full list of development rates can be found online The report states that while this is a significant increase “it is in line with the cost escalations in the construction industry that have been observed since the rates were adopted in 2019.” “Recognizing the goal and the desire to support affordable housing development and this work does need to happen for the town to be able to grow,” said Rutley Council reiterated their desire to encourage infill housing through these updates David Croal asked if projects that are “in-stream” such as the development at 718 North Road would be exempt from the new DCCs which the director of infrastructure confirmed.  A motion to support the proposed DCC changes was unanimously passed along with an additional option to exempt secondary suites and lock-off suites despite concerns about the province's framework incentivizing lower-density development either we look at our utility rates and look at DCC costs and things like this to make sure these things are paid for or the burden is just going to fall on the taxpayer and our taxes,” said Mayor Silas White “I've been really startled by the increases that we're looking at for the DCCs And the option is that taxes pay for it,” adding that he was reluctantly supporting it a dedicated advocate for wheelchair curling and a fixture in the local sports scene has been honoured with the prestigious Sports Builder Award this month The award celebrates his years of dedication and lasting contributions to the community a former Canadian Armed Forces service member and passionate sports advocate expressed his surprise and humility upon receiving the award “I think it’s wonderful for the sport that somebody who has been involved with is being recognized I never did anything solely for the recognition Gibson’s influence on wheelchair curling and other sports in Moose Jaw is undeniable his advocacy was instrumental in bringing the Canadian Wheelchair Curling Championships to the city in both 2023 and 2024 “When I was a member of the board of Curl Moose Jaw I suggested to them that Moose Jaw would be a great spot to host the Canadian Wheelchair Championships because the curling club here is so accessible,” Gibson explained we had two national team players playing on Team Saskatchewan — Gilbert Dash and Marie Wright — and then there was myself and Darwin Bender.” After a delay during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 and 2022 the championships were rescheduled and the community responded with overwhelming support — confirming that Moose Jaw was a suitable location to host similar curling events and it certainly helped that Team Saskatchewan was in the finals during both years,” he said “There was nothing but good feedback certainly regarding the accessibility of the facility.” Gibson has contributed extensively to local sports through officiating and mentoring He served on the Umpire Development Committee for Softball Saskatchewan and officiated numerous Canadian Forces championships “I’ve been on the Umpire Development Committee for probably 12 years,” he said “Now I spend most of my time mentoring younger umpires I’m trying not to go on the diamond too much these days mentoring is about encouraging young athletes to push their limits and grow and now I think my role is to pay it forward,” he said “Sometimes that means getting out of your comfort zone and facing a challenge you get back up and keep pushing forward.” Gibson’s humility and dedication have earned the respect of his peers His involvement with the Moose Jaw Minor Girls Fastball and his advocacy for inclusive sports have left a lasting mark on the community Gibson credits sports — and particularly curling — with giving him renewed purpose and strength during challenging times Now he hopes others can find similar strength “Wheelchair curling has probably saved my life,” he said “I had a cardiac issue… 10 stents My cardiac surgeon said it would be a miracle if I lived to 60 Curling gave me a little incentive; it sort of kept me going.” Gibson continues to remain active in the sports community mentoring others and supporting the next generation of athletes and officials “I’ve done everything I wanted to do on the diamond and I’ve done pretty much everything I wanted to do off the diamond,” he said it’s just about paying it back and helping others succeed.” Though the recognition may have come as a surprise to him those who have witnessed his dedication know that Gibson’s selection for the Sports Builder Award is a well-deserved honour a major windstorm and a pedestrian fatality were among the 93 calls to the Gibsons and District Volunteer Fire Department in the last three months of 2024 That’s up from 69 calls for service over the same period the previous year Overall in 2024, the department received 381 callouts, which is up from 326 in 2023, but down from 407 in 2022. “Call volume is expected to rise over the next few years,” said fire chief Rob Michael’s quarterly report to Gibsons committee of the whole The department lost two members last quarter they expect 10 more members to join the department but it takes nearly two years to fully train new firefighters At the volunteer appreciation dinner last quarter firefighter Duane Hogberg was among the honourees as he received the B.C Long Service Medal in recognition of 25 years of service.  Noting that downed wires had the highest number of callouts (the Nov. 4 windstorm among others David Croal asked if the fire department is compensated for their time on such calls Michael and Mayor Silas White replied that they are not compensated with White noting that the SCRD is probably bringing forward a motion this year “to recover some funds from the increasing callouts that are due to other agencies.”  Michael also recognized in his report the nearly $2.3 million legacy donation from Doreen and Duncan Macadam for Gibsons fire department apparatus and equipment “This thoughtful contribution will have a significant impact on the safety and security of the community,” wrote Michael “The members of the department are blown away by this generosity and words cannot express the shock and gratitude of the department.” achieved FireSmart Canada Recognized Neighbourhood Program status last quarter as the FireSmart program expands on the Sunshine Coast “The community has found this to be especially fruitful as it does mean they are now seeing a discount on their insurance premiums as well as bringing the community closer together,” said the report.  Another tidbit that was raised in conversation among councillors the fire department cannot provide service to buildings classified as “high buildings” by the BC Building Code limiting the height of department-protected buildings to six storeys This is given the size and composition of the department The British Columbia Court of Appeal upheld the decision that the Town of Gibsons was not liable for the injuries sustained by a man while pushing over a tree in a public park The case arose from a 2012 incident in which the appellant entered a forested area of White Tower Park with friends arguing that it failed to take reasonable steps to ensure the safety of park users concluding that Gibsons met its duty of care under the Occupiers Liability Act (OLA) by complying with the Wildlife Danger Tree Assessor’s Course (WDTAC) standard which sets criteria for assessing hazardous trees noting that Gibsons was not required to inspect areas outside maintained trails where the accident occurred the appellant argued that the trial judge erred by treating the WDTAC standard as exhaustive of Gibsons’ duty under the OLA He contended that the town should have taken additional measures such as posting warning signs or restricting access to the area the appellant had relied on the WDTAC Standard to define the standard of care and his argument on appeal was a new issue requiring leave The appeal court also rejected claims that the trial judge had misinterpreted expert evidence on hazardous tree management It upheld the conclusion that the area where the accident occurred was classified as very low risk meaning no further assessment was required The appellant further alleged several procedural errors during the trial including excluding expert evidence and improper handling of witness testimony The appeal court found no errors that materially affected the outcome The court declined to address the appellant’s argument regarding causation stating it was unnecessary given the finding that Gibsons had not breached its duty of care Jan. 21 Gibsons council put a notice on title for a Headlands Way property for an accessory building that “may be unsafe which was renovated without a valid building permit or inspections and is being occupied as an unauthorized use.” The notice is to alert anyone – often a buyer –searching for a property title that the property may breach bylaw or regulation, said a staff report.  The accessory building was renovated to include sleeping and cooking facilities without the required permits and inspections and therefore may not meet Building Code The building has been used as a short-term rental despite warnings from the town to decommission this use.  “The Building and Bylaw departments have had ongoing correspondence with the owners regarding the unauthorized use of the building to try and find a compliant solution no progress has been made,” said the report which details correspondence between the town and current homeowners on the matter as far back as May 2019 To bring the building into compliance with town bylaws would require form and character development permit development variance permit for the setback possible parking variance and a building permit building and infrastructure fees to be paid to the town as well as notice to BC Assessment of improvements Or the homeowners could decommission the site as a dwelling.  The building came to the town’s attention most recently as it’s being used as a short-term rental a use the town monitors so it can request business licences But they cannot issue business licences to buildings that don’t meet the code.  Council approved the notice on title unanimously.  Gibsons entered into a new three-year curbside waste collection contract with Salish Soils Inc (which subcontracts to AJM Disposal Ltd.) with options for two two-year renewals Starting in 2025 with a base $421,000 (up from a base $407,000 in 2024) the estimated annual increase is 3.4 per cent per year for five years Fuel surcharges will be billed on top of that.  which also holds the Sunshine Coast Regional District's waste collection contract Though the accompanying staff report notes interest from Recycle BC in starting up curbside recycling, and the contract allows for that to be negotiated in, the idea wasn’t popular among council, during discussion Feb. 4.  “One reason why Gibsons has been traditionally opposed to what Recycle BC offers is what Recycle BC offers is lousy,” said Mayor Silas White.  “They don't pick up all the items that we need them to pick up So people who've been conditioned to throwing out glass and other items need to go to the depot anyway Earlier this month, the mayor sent a letter to provincial Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs Ravi Kahlon advocating for the province to increase libraries’ core funding to $30 million in line with requests from Union of BC Municipalities and BC Public Library Partners as well as recommendations from a provincial committee “Public libraries provide essential services that contribute to economic development emergency response and community well-being—especially valuable in times of economic uncertainty our library was used more than ever,” wrote White “Yet since a 25% provincial funding cut in 2009 libraries have faced rising costs and population growth without corresponding provincial funding increases.” White goes on to note that despite the financial pressures on municipalities, they continue to fund libraries as they’re important to communities He asked that the temporary provincial enhancement grant set to run out at the end of the year be transformed into “stable long-term investment." The Town of Gibsons has signed on as a key partner in the second phase of the Armours Beach improvement project During its Feb. 15 committee of the whole council members received a delegation from Aleria Ladwig of the Gibsons Rotary Club asking for support for the Phase 2 project and to consider becoming a key partner in efforts to raise awareness about the plan This week, during Gibsons March 4 regular meeting council voted to become a key partner of the project Ladwig explained Phase 1 took place in 2018 accessible pathway landscaping and picnic tables in collaboration with the Town.  Ladwig said past developments in the area focused on the hillside or the shore and that the marine side “is definitely needing some improvements as well.” Given the docks are usually packed in the summer the Rotary Club is looking to add additional floats to the area using environmentally safe materials Ladwig said the proposal was shown to the Elphinstone Secondary Interact Club who were enthusiastically supportive of the additions Ladwig said some additional design elements include a small slide and “breaking the muddy shoreline area and having some sand imported for a little beach area right along the shoreline.” Community benefits from the improvements include a sheltered safe space “for mom and tots to swim,” a healthy active summertime space for teenagers and easy marine access for adults and seniors to launch paddleboards and kayaks.  High-density polyethylene pontoon construction is proposed to protect the environmentally sensitive ecosystems surrounding the area.  Ladwig said shading is not a concern with their design and that eco-mooring lines would be used to hold the docks and reduce benthic scouring Armours Beach has seen much improvement over the last decade terracing was done to the area and a new washroom facility was built by the Town the swim area was defined and marked by the addition of vertical piling and log booms the foreshore was reinforced and the staircase to the beach was rebuilt The Rotary Club also assisted the Town in adding an automated external defibrillator (AED) to the washroom at the beach David Croal noted the area is “one of the few areas that is relatively protected during the summer months to afford sort of a safe swimming opportunity,” and asked if the Rotary Club was looking to replace the old pontoon floats or add the new ones which Ladwig said will depend on the level of funding they receive.  She did not specify how much funding the Rotary Club is seeking When the topic was presented in their regular meeting Your adblocker might be preventing hyperlinked text from appearing.  The garbage bag adornments on the new signposts installed approaching Gibsons' most iconic intersection 10 and folks better be ready to slow down (if they haven't already).  As a safety measure, speed limits approaching 5 Corners will lower to 30 km/hr as of Feb The reduction from 50 km/hr applies the length of Marine Drive within town boundaries and the length of School Road as well as Gibsons Way from Killarney Lane to the intersection The move may precede a wider reduction in speed limits is to be assessed in the upcoming transportation master plan.   15 crashes occurred at the town's busiest pedestrian centre (5 Corners) and just three of those resulted in injury “While the geometry of the intersection is complex and the perception may be that the intersection is unsafe, evidence indicates that there is a low rate of traffic incidents at 5 Corners,” said a Gibsons staff report late last year but the recommendation was to proceed with speed reductions nonetheless.  Join the conversation You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account for the Gibson family on the Saskatoon restaurant scene Four generations of Gibsons have cut potatoes and made batter at the restaurant now located near the intersection of Eighth Street East and Louise Avenue the family establishment reached its latest milestone Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience “It seems like a long time,” Jonathan Gibson said Gibson said his father started the business and now grandchildren are helping out with the restaurant “Restaurants have changed a lot in Saskatoon.” Gibson said there’s a bigger variety of restaurants in the city now but the cost of running a restaurant has increased He’s been working at Gibson’s Fish and Chips since he was 13 and will celebrate his 70th birthday shortly “Don’t give up on what you want to do and what you believe in,” he said and you hope that you’re doing the right thing.” He noted that the batter made for the fish and chips has been passed down through the family for 60 years By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc The next issue of Afternoon Headlines will soon be in your inbox Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. “We’re very thankful and very appreciative of the customers who have supported us.” Gibson said anyone starting a business right now is in for a grind and that Gibson’s is very fortunate to have a fanbase built over six decades “We have this broad customer base that goes throughout Saskatoon and throughout the province,” he said adding that they’ve had people come over from the United Kingdom and the United States to try their fish and chips I’d send my wife off on a holiday with the kids He said they eventually decided to take some time off each year to spend with family hoping the customers would come back when they returned “I look at other small restaurants and the hours they’re putting in the amazing amount of hours they’re putting in,” he said “I feel really lucky that I know we put in those hours in the first 30 years.” transmission or republication strictly prohibited This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. 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By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy You can manage saved articles in your account 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gibson Energy Inc (“Baytex”) are pleased to announce a strategic partnership in the Pembina Duvernay and the execution of a long-term take-or-pay agreement (the “Partnership” or the “Agreement”) The Partnership will see Gibson advance its liquids infrastructure strategy in support of the development of Baytex’s growing Pembina Duvernay asset "Building on our long-standing relationship this strategic partnership leverages our infrastructure expertise differentiated services and superior connectivity at our Edmonton terminal to create mutual value," said Curtis Philippon we see the opportunity for further expansion of our partnership with Baytex to support their development plans and potential to work with other customers to explore additional purpose-built solutions which increase long-term demand for services at our core terminal assets." “We are excited to partner with Gibson and progress the development of our Pembina Duvernay asset which includes the construction and operation of certain midstream infrastructure,” commented Eric T “This partnership allows us to leverage Gibson's liquids infrastructure and midstream expertise while maintaining operatorship.” Gibson will invest approximately $50 million of capital expenditures and receive an area of dedication and established return on investment that is aligned with Gibson’s target build multiple Baytex will construct the infrastructure and have operating responsibility for the term of the Agreement Construction has commenced and is expected to be completed by Q4 2025 actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of numerous risks and uncertainties including the risks and uncertainties described in Baytex’s Annual Information Form Annual Report on Form 40-F and Management's Discussion and Analysis for the year ended December 31 filed with Canadian securities regulatory authorities and the U.S Securities and Exchange Commission on March 4 2025 and available on the Baytex website at www.baytexenergy.com is a leading liquids infrastructure company with its principal businesses consisting of the storage and gathering of liquids and refined products the company's operations are located across North America with core terminal assets in Hardisty and Edmonton Gibson shares trade under the symbol GEI and are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange. For more information, visit www.gibsonenergy.com development and production of crude oil and natural gas in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin and in the Eagle Ford in the United States Approximately 85% of Baytex’s production is weighted toward crude oil and natural gas liquids Baytex’s common shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol BTE please visit our website at www.baytexenergy.com or contact: “These guitars are part of our ongoing mission to make the exceptional craftsmanship and elevated appointments of the Custom Shop more accessible to players.” Epiphone’s Inspired By Gibson Custom Collection is expanding once again with eight new vintage-inspired models joining the lineup The Inspired By Gibson range was first teased in 2023 and officially launched in 2024 bringing premium features and Gibson’s famed open-book headstock to Epiphone’s “accessible” catalogue These new models offer vintage-appropriate headstock shapes and Vintage Gloss finishes for a vintage-correct appearance without looking overly aged All of the models in the Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Custom Collection now feature rosewood fretboards and USA-built pickups from the Gibson Pickup Shop in Nashville Tennessee – these are the same pickups fitted in Gibson and Gibson Custom models This new vintage-inspired expansion brings four Les Pauls all with iconic designs and vintage-correct construction The Special Double Cut Reissue features a slab mahogany body with double cutaways and has a one-piece mahogany neck with a fast-playing 60s SlimTaper profile It also has a “historic” style Wraparound bridge and a pair of USA-made P-90 Soapbar pickups hand-wired to individual volume and tone controls with “high-quality” CTS potentiometers and Bumblebee paper-in-oil capacitors for “authentic vintage tones” The 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard reissue has all the classic appointments of one of the most coveted vintage guitars and Joe Bonamassa – even its side dot position markers have the same original size and are placed in historically accurate locations this model wasvery similar to the 1959 model including a thinner and faster-playing SlimTaper neck profile (as revived on this new addition) this model offers historically accurate appointments The same can also be said for the humbucker-equipped Goldtop This reissue also features the same mother-of-pearl trapezoid inlays and 22 medium jumbo frets just like the original models from ‘57 A 1963 Firebird I Reissue and 1963 Firebird V Reissue With Maestro Vibrola also join the range These pay tribute to the guitar first designed by legendary automotive designer The Firebird marked Gibson’s first neck-through-body guitar and became loved by artists such as Keith Richards and Phil Manzanera while the latter comes in Polaris White and has an ABR-1 bridge and Maestro Vibrola tailpiece Also with a Maestro Vibrola is the 1964 SG Standard Reissue recreating “one of the most beloved SG model years of all time” famously used by artists such as George Harrison and Clapton The less intuitive Sideways Vibrato was replaced by the Maestro Vibrola 1964 The ES-335 Reissue was purposefully selected due to its model year as it’s one that Gibson Custom does not currently reissue – 1962 This was a year when popular features like rounded cutaways and a slim neck profile were all present on the ES-335 This model has a semi-hollow five-ply layered maple/poplar body with rounded cutaways and a solid maple centerblock for “outstanding sustain and feedback resistance” It comes in Vintage Burst or Sixties Cherry “As Epiphone celebrates over 150 years of guitar craftsmanship each iconic guitar is a tribute to Epiphone’s rich history and dedication to quality,” says Aljon Go “Our ‘Inspired by Gibson’ collection is all about bringing high-quality guitars based on classic Gibson designs “For those looking for something truly special our newest ‘Inspired by Gibson Custom’ range offers premium models crafted in collaboration with the Gibson Custom Shop These guitars are part of our ongoing mission to make the exceptional craftsmanship and elevated appointments of the Custom Shop more accessible to players and fans everywhere.” Prices for the range from £949-£1,199. To view the full specifications for each model, head over to Epiphone. The world’s leading authority and resource for all things guitar. This story has been updated since first published this morning The president of the Sunshine Coast Filipino-Canadian Association says a vigil will be held next weekend to honour and remember those killed at the Lapu Lapu Day Festival in Vancouver Gibsons resident Mercy Campbell said she had plans to attend the festival herself but another obligation kept her from going the loss of lives at such a peaceful event is unimaginable just to have our one of our celebrations end up with that kind of tragedy,” said Campbell Are we going to be scared doing this kind of event again I know that it's not really anything about terrorism or racism or something like that what if someone decides to do this during that kind of event 11 people were killed after a man drove a black Audi SUV into a crowd of people celebrating the festival located near Fraser Street on East 43rd Avenue women and children killed were aged five to 65 more than two dozen others attending the Filipino festival were injured “Someone sent her a video of what happened and she started calling her kids,” said Campbell “She frantically called them and said they couldn’t drive and someone else had to drive them home.” Campbell notes she was unfortunate to see a video showing graphic details “I can't even erase it in my mind because I've seen the video as raw footage And there's no blurring of all those details,” she said High Beam Dreams is located at 350 Glassford Rd. Sunshine Coast local government agencies have responded to the tragic deaths board chair of the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) wrote in a statement that he wanted to express “profound sorrow and deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of those lost at the Lapu Lapu Day Festival in Vancouver.” “Our hearts also go out to the broader Filipino community and to everyone shaken by this terrible tragedy,” Toth wrote in the statement which was posted on the SCRD’s Facebook page “Community festivals should always be places of joy These are moments where we gather to lift each other up and share in what unites us and to have such a day end in heartbreak is deeply painful for all of us and our support to all those grieving this unimaginable loss.” Sechelt Mayor John Henderson also posted a message of condolence on Facebook on behalf of council and the district “On behalf of council and everyone at the District of Sechelt I want to express my sorrow at the tragic and senseless act of violence in Vancouver Please know that we share your pain and anguish over this terrible event,” Henderson wrote “We are fortunate to have so many vibrant giving and wonderful Filipinos who have chosen to make Sechelt their home We are so grateful for what you bring to our community it is especially important for everyone to care for each other We are all strong but there are times when even the strongest need support Gibsons Mayor Silas White also shared condolences on Facebook "On behalf of the Town of Gibsons Council and staff I would like to extend our deepest condolences to everyone affected by the tragic events at the Lapu-Lapu Festival in Vancouver and the entire Filipino community as they mourn this unimaginable loss." the BC Prosecution Service charged Kai-Ji Adam Lo Lo has appeared in court and remains in custody "The charge assessment is ongoing and further charges are anticipated,” said VPD Const The VPD has established a 24-hour assistance centre at the Douglas Park Community Centre for anyone who has not been able to contact a friend or family member Anyone who cannot attend in person can call 604-717-3321 to speak with a victim liaison officer –– With files from Alanna Kelly One of the Sunshine Coast’s most indefatigable authors has been shortlisted for a 2025 BC and Yukon Book Prize Marion McKinnon Crook’s memoir Always On Call: Adventures in Nursing and Rural Living — published in 2024 by Heritage House Publishing — was last week named a finalist for the Bill Duthie Booksellers Choice Award The award is for a book that is the most successful in terms of public appeal It is also the only prize where votes from BC and Yukon booksellers determine the shortlist and winner Always Pack a Candle: A Nurse in the Cariboo-Chilcotin won the 2022 Lieutenant Governor’s Community History Award Always On Call was the hotly anticipated sequel to Always Pack a Candle and takes place several years after the first memoir Crook describes her adventures as an intrepid public health nurse juggling marriage and a vast array of patients and cases in 1970s rural British Columbia “I got some good advice when I wrote the first draft,” recalled Crook during a presentation at the 2024 Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts “not to editorialize or go back and forth but to stay in the time that you’re writing in I found it was more powerful than going back and forth [between the past and present] It makes you stay in your character.” Crook holds a master’s degree in liberal studies and a PhD in education she also writes the British Book Tour mystery series under the name of Emma Dakin The series recounts the sleuthing of a tour leader during travels through literary locales in England and Scotland The fifth instalment in the series was released last year as Shadows in Sussex Crook last year also published a fictional mystery set in the year of Vancouver’s founding: Murder in Vancouver 1886 The story follows a schoolteacher-turned-detective who attempts to prevent contraband rifles being sent to Métis rebels in Canada’s Northwest Territories celebrate the achievements of British Columbia and Yukon writers Prizes are presented annually in 10 categories The 2025 shortlists will be celebrated at a public soirée on May 22 at the Book Warehouse in Vancouver The winners will be announced at the Awards Gala on Sept Crook will participate in the BC and Yukon Book Prizes On Tour program which takes finalists on an author reading tour to schools and public venues in communities throughout BC and Yukon from May through September “How do I face the unknown?” she mused reflecting on balancing a rural nursing practice and family life as chronicled in Always On Call “I do it the way everybody does: with curiosity and a certain amount of intelligence and thoughtfulness; [sometimes] anger Anyone who’s raised kids knows what the unknown’s all about.” Another nominee for a 2025 BC and Yukon book prize — poet Dallas Hunt’s book Teeth — was published by Sunshine Coast-headquartered Nightwood Editions Hunt’s volume was shortlisted for the Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize which is awarded to the author of the best work of poetry Hayley Cooney and her husband experienced two life highlights: their first wedding anniversary and the birth of their first child delivered at Sechelt | shíshálh hospital weighed just under nine pounds and had what appeared to be a heart murmur According to a report released Feb. 4 by the Heart and Stroke foundation of Canada one in every 100 babies is born with some degree of heart condition or disease the family travelled to the heart centre at BC's Children’s Hospital in Vancouver to have that murmur checked out where her parents were faced with terrifying news Their only child had Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) a rare condition affecting 1 in 3,500 children It involves four heart issues: narrowed pulmonary valve a hole between the heart's lower chambers a misaligned aorta and thickening heart walls She would need open heart surgery within six months Fast forward just over a year from that surgery date and Isabel is a red-haired grinning toddler with an outlook for a normal life so we think she is going to be pretty fiery,” the 30-something Gibsons mother told Coast Reporter Asked about the day the TOF diagnosis was delivered, Hayley said she and her husband, who had moved to the Sunshine Coast from Vancouver in 2020, “had plans to meet up with friends” after what they expected would be a brief appointment at BC's Childrens’ Hospital. “That first appointment started with a few tests for Isabel but when we were brought into an office and there were three people in there we knew something was not right,” she said When the medical staff shared the test results Hayley said she and her husband “were in complete shock We were first-time parents trying to figure out the normal things diaper changes… and then to hear that our baby needed open heart surgery within the next six months and potentially more surgeries was completely devastating “The team at Children’s Heart Centre was amazing in explaining things to us, but we likely only retained about 10 per cent of what was being said because we were in shock. We were sent home with a big binder that was put together by the Children’s Heart Network, the charity that supports families like ours.” the new parents reviewed as much of that information as they could to prepare for the upcoming surgery “We weren’t really losing sleep because as first-time parents of a newborn we weren’t sleeping anyway” Hayley recalled The following months were a series of “dozens and dozens and dozens of doctors’ appointments… every week several appointments and off-coast at least once a month." While travel to the Lower Mainland was a complicating factor Hayley said being a Coast resident meant her family benefited from regular home visits from a community nurse and their doctor “It felt like there was a lot of coordination That was definitely appreciated,” she remarked It was a season with an increasing incidence of respiratory syncytial virus or RSV the family decided to isolate in their home The infant’s first Christmas season was one without visits from extended friends “As the weeks progressed Isabel’s blood oxygen level started to decline She had a weak heart so she was very tired and she struggled to gain weight,” Hayley explained That required the baby be shifted to a specialized feeding formula and that her intake be carefully recorded and reported to her physician Hayley said it “was the most terrifying day of my life." “Nothing prepares you for handing over your five-month-old daughter for a six-hour surgery and just praying it all goes well.” performed by Dr. Muhieldin Ahamad was successful The surgical team were able to save Isabel’s heart valve and the infant rallied so quickly post-surgery she was released from hospital three days after it was completed “It is amazing how resilient babies are,” the young mother recounted It is yet to be determined if the youngster will require further surgeries “it will depend on how she grows and how the surgical repairs hold up but our surgeon has told us Isabel will live a normal life." She attributes that “amazing outcome” to the advances of modern science and medicine noting that if Isabel had been born with TOF in the 1950s or 60s her life expectancy would have been about three years Hayley has participated in a national child heart disease network resource parents’ program since shortly after Isabel’s diagnosis While once on the receiving end of advice and support from parents she was linked with letting others facing childhood heart disease know about things that helped in her child’s journey “Not a place that I thought I ever would be in to be able to provide positive feedback and support it's like giving back and paying it forward,” she stated “I can’t speak highly enough of the care we received Our health care system in Canada has its flaws and shortcomings but the treatment we experienced at BC Children’s Hospital was world class." Looking forward to a fun summer and awaiting the arrival of Isabel’s first sibling in August “And just enjoying being normal," Hayley said "[TOF] was something that consumed us but we feel very lucky." Editors note: the name of the heart surgeon has been corrected from a previous version Two artists whose works transform prosaic leavings into transcendent topographies opened complementary exhibitions during a reception held at the Gibsons Public Art Gallery on April 5 Burnaby-based artist and educator Dorothy Doherty inaugurated Surfaces The painted panels of its images evoke an archeological dig: Doherty strips away layers of pigment to reveal two-dimensional artifacts underneath and other paper ephemera of urban life fade into view in Sunshine Coast artist Carolina Franzen’s Man Made Cloud Franzen sustains a metamorphic trajectory launched at her first solo show two years ago: repurposing packaging paper from the news distribution industry as substrate for delicate freehand lines “I think we have a similar purpose in mind,” observed Doherty whose retirement as an art specialist in the public school system was followed by further studies at Capilano University she paints from an East Vancouver studio and shapes ceramics at an arts complex overlooking Burnaby’s Deer Lake we’re both involved with climate change and the environment Most of my work is driven by an interest in preserving the best of our nature.” Doherty also works with botanical materials A collection of small panels provide a glimpse of her latest project: studies of plant material she compresses the biomass between two surfaces then dips it into boiling water sometimes infused with dye The result — organic minerals transferred to paper — appears as seductively coloured impressions whose primal contours might as well have been traced by contemporaries of Lascaux cave artists “I’m always looking to find out what’s beneath,” she added “revealing what’s below the surface I think that applies to our human interactions as well: we can dismiss people if they don’t [immediately] fit our paradigm and learn a little bit more.” Her manipulation of maps and data reflects the human drive to forge a route through conflicting forces: “Isn’t wayfinding what art’s all about?” Doherty said The minute filaments of Franzen’s works also trace singular and independent paths before coalescing into the series’s titular clouds “Drawing these lines made me gesturally think about reintroducing the tree into the paper reversing the process [of manufacture],” she said Her drawings are influenced by her academic background in literary theory; she draws together experiences that are both industrial and natural she reflected on an experience of observing the sun through the haze generated by wildfires and I felt it was appropriate to document the wildfire like that,” she said The contrast in scale between Franen’s painstaking ligatures and their resulting macrocosms is intended to prompt reflection on the imperceptible processes that make up the world in its dizzying complexity she pencilled the concentric rings of a mammoth tree trunk Its heart is tantalizingly off-centre; she resisted the urge to create a geometrically-explicit gyre by heeding nature’s dictate “Everyone wants the feeling of a tunnel that you walk into,” she said no: that doesn’t actually work for me Franzen will deliver an artist talk at the gallery on April 12 from 2 to 3 p.m Doherty returns to the gallery to share insights at 2 p.m free from the trades and other publications that are part of the tinsel town machine Showbiz411.com has been covering Hollywood the music business and the business of celebrity but contributions (not tax exempt) from readers who enjoy the scoops and fact based reports are always welcome and very appreciated bloated face slathered in some kind polyurethane and think determined to cut world culture off from us and vice versa He’s going to put a tariff on all films made outside the United States He’s obviously not voting in Best International Feature His rationale is that “Hollywood is dying,” which it’s not But maybe his Hollywood ambassadors — or imbeciles — Mel Gibson and Sylvester Stallone — have convinced him this is their diplomatic duty His “Passion of the Christ 2” is reportedly going to shoot at Rome’s Cinecittà Studios Additional filming locations will include ancient Southern Italian towns like Matera Has anyone told Trump that “Passion 2” will need a tariff But imagine that phone call from Mel right now Or from Trump’s other buddies like Dennis Quaid Showbiz411 is now in its 13th year of providing breaking and exclusive entertainment news unlike the many Hollywood trades that are owned by one company To continue providing news that takes a fresh look at what's going on in movies Reader donations would be greatly appreciated They are just another facet of keeping fact based journalism alive.Thank you has been given the thumbs up by Los Angeles-based Variety magazine a publication considered synonymous with Hollywood and show business Murder in a Small Town is described in Variety magazine as having no interest in being “clever or slick.” because it knows exactly what it is and doesn’t try to do anything else the show hits the nail on the head as a pleasing procedural with a 1990s-esque feel,” the review continues… “Charmingly predictable with a sliver of edge the show is an all-inclusive crowd-pleaser.”   is based on the detective novels penned by Saskatchewan-born novelist Laurali Rose “Bunny” Wright and follows the story of brooding detective Karl Alberg a big-city police chief who’s just moved to Gibsons in search of a quieter and less stressful life who was originally shortlisted to play the role of the rugged detective in an unsuccessful earlier attempt to develop Wright’s series for television Vancouver-born actress Kristin Kreuk plays Cassandra Mitchell who rose to prominence for her role as Lana Lang in the series Smallville More than 120 cast and crew members worked at locations around the southern Sunshine Coast during the five-month shoot, which started in January. In excess of 400 locals auditioned for extra roles. Even Molly’s Reach — a mainstay location for the series’ diner scenes — retains its iconic facade but the characters refer to it as “Molly’s” for short.  location photography for the fictional small town took place in Gibsons Series producer Nick Orchard explained that the proximity of ferry transportation influenced the switch in geography.  Murder in a Small Town was financed by the Fox network, but in Canada the primetime series will air on Global TV, which is owned by the Corus Entertainment Network. The show’s premiere is the first half of a two-part episode titled, “The Suspect,” directed by Milan Cheylov. A trailer for the series is available at coastreporter.net One of the show’s filming locations — the High Beam Dreams event venue in Gibsons — is hosting a community viewing party tonight, which was initially listed sold out, but earlier today a post on the Murder in a Small Town Facebook page said some extra tickets were being released Gibsons is looking at reducing speed limits approaching the 5 Corners intersection –– and perhaps more broadly across the municipality is reducing the speed limit to 30 km/hr the length of Marine Drive (within town boundaries) and the length of School Road The changes come out of safety discussions incited by the Billy’s Walk development which is adjacent to the corner and will add 49 dwellings to the neighbourhood.  However, a staff report indicates the town’s busiest pedestrian centre is not as dangerous as some may think.  15 crashes occurred at the intersection and just three of those resulted in injury according to ICBC data. “While the geometry of the intersection is complex and the perception may be that the intersection is unsafe evidence indicates that there is a low rate of traffic incidents at 5 Corners,” said the report.  That said, staff recommended reducing the 50 km/hr speed limit to 30 km/hr approaching the busy intersection, and a Nov. 19 committee of the whole concurred.  Staff will also investigate removing old wayfinding Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure signs making curb changes and improving the definition of the Molly’s Lane/Wharf Lane/Marine Drive intersection.  Municipalities such as Bowen Island and Cumberland have imposed blanket speed limit reductions which staff say is a “valid consideration for Gibsons given the challenging topography and geometry of the town’s road network and council's priority to enhance transportation options.” The committee voted to include an assessment of such a reduction in the upcoming Transportation Master Plan with councillors generally voicing support for a town-wide reduction particularly given Gibsons is a tourist town.  Stafford Lumley pointed to studies showing small time savings for speeding “I don't think slowing down is going to impede anybody from getting somewhere on time,” he said.  “I see a lot of people driving a little bit too fast with big trucks in small streets,” said Coun David Croal’s eye. “Gibsons was listed as one of the top 10 laid-back communities So if we're going to have the reputation we might as well practice what we preach.” The speed limit changes in the 5 Corners vicinity still need to pass at the council level.   A group of homeowners asking for the expansion of West Howe Sound Fire Protection District served by the Gibsons and District Volunteer Fire Department (GDVFD), will need to wait at least until 2026 for further regional district investigation; they are hoping to do some groundwork in the meantime.  At a Nov. 14 committee of whole meeting community lead for the group Tim Rockford said the area is “kind of an anomaly within the SCRD.” “It's an area of moderate population but it does not currently have formal fire protection,” he said.  The SCRD received an initial petition to expand the fire protection service boundary to include 69 properties northward along the Port Mellon Highway a year ago, according to a staff report The area is adjacent to the Langdale ferry terminal and includes Camp Elphinstone as well as areas directly adjacent to the Gibsons town boundary While the Gibsons fire chief did a preliminary review for a boundary expansion he determined it could not proceed under existing resourcing and service levels Fire chief Rob Michael cited challenges with maintaining service levels within the existing boundary, noting a call volume that’s nearly doubled in the past decade as well as the increased training requirements placed on the volunteer base.  an expansion study is required before a formal petition to extend the fire protection area can be submitted The petition would need signatures from owners of at least 50 per cent of the parcels liable to pay for the proposed service and represent at least 50 per cent of the assessed value of land “That initial feasibility assessment needs to really be fully completed in a formal way so that way we can make an informed choice of what is really required in terms of any capability additions and so forth so that the fire department could serve our area effectively,” Rockford told the committee “The community members in this area are very concerned about not having fire protection and are willing to contribute to the cost of completing the study,” Rockford said at the meeting.  “Also if there are capability requirements that need to be added or augmented to the Gibsons fire department through tax levies and so forth that would be targeted to…properties in this area that would be included in that expanded fire protection area…we understand that those costs would and should be born primarily by those properties and property owners that benefit.” Rockford said he’s a long-time property owner in the area and is also the developer for Elphinstone Crossing Estates but intends to retain “significant lots” within the development for his and for his kids’ long-term family residences.  said he’d been working with his father on the land development since he was 12 or 13 “I've fallen in love with the area over time,” he said “If we allow for fire protection around there to not have to worry about fire protection on their own especially with increased risk of wildfires over the last few years.” In response to a question from Area F director Kate Stamford Rockford said there will ultimately be 21 properties within his development He said they’ve tried to implement FireSmart principles including “clearing and moving back the forest line appropriately while also still trying to respect nature.” Rockford said he has his own fire pump and there have been some ponds created.  “Property owners can only do so much,” he said “When we talk about really trying to provide formal fire services the SCRD and the local fire department.” Back in October, the Gibsons and District Fire Protection Commission recommended that cost-sharing opportunities related to a study to inform a formal petition process be explored with results to be reported to the SCRD annual budget process The SCRD’s Finance Committee later recommended that the expansion feasibility project be deferred to 2027 14 at the urging of West Howe Sound area director Kate Stamford.  Elphinstone director Donna McMahon held fast on the deferral “I do think that a feasibility study needs to be done I think we need to get the OCPs done and the fire flow plan done before we delve into the possibility of a fire district boundary expansion.”  Gibsons Mayor Silas White asked for directors to stick to deferring the boundary expansion and we really need to focus on those,” he said.  A compromise was reached to defer the matter to 2026 instead of 2027. Also under way is a review of volunteer firefighters’ compensation model.  “This is one of the few issues that community is fully in support of and they would like to see this considered as soon as possible,” said Stamford.  Rockford said in the meantime they’re going to work with SCRD staff and GDVFD to try to select a qualified fire protection expert to bring in as a consultant to conduct a formal fire protection feasibility assessment “So that way that information can be brought into the analysis and discussion of what it will truly take to provide fire protection services to this area.” The committee supported asking staff to report back on alternatives providing fire protection service outside of established fire protection areas Thanks to a great group of volunteers and great support from the Town of Gibsons This bright space has a wonderful forest view and is fully equipped to seat 50 hungry folks new social activities are in the planning stage and the most exciting news is that our members can now access our affordable lunch program three days a week just keeps on finding creative ways to make our meals wonderful.  When this beautiful room is not being used to serve lunches for example Art with Friends is offered here Mondays at 2 p.m. The room can also be booked by other non-profits for a reasonable fee.    Harmony Hall is proud to be host to the Seniors Free Social Lunch Program every Saturday Funded by a generous grant from the United Way the Saturday lunches are more than just lunch It’s a great opportunity to meet some new folks and enjoy the entertainment that follows each delicious hot lunch Harmony Hall membership is not required to attend The free lunches are available to any senior on the Coast come on over to Harmony Hall on Saturday for great fun and a good meal to get your name on the list for the next available lunch