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Gibsons
Overview
Gibsons is a coastal community in southwestern British Columbia, Canada on the Sunshine Coast, where the northwest bank of Howe Sound meets the Strait of Georgia. During its early history as a European-descended settlement, the town was a local centre for forestry and commercial fishing. However, changing economics and resource availability have led Gibsons to increasingly become a bedroom community to workers in Greater Vancouver (especially remote or hybrid workers). Due to its location in the Pacific Coastal Rainforest, adjacent the Salish Sea and the Coast Mountains, and its position as gateway to the rest of the Sunshine Coast, Gibsons is a regional tourist destination. In 2009, the International Awards for Liveable Communities (LivCom) named Gibsons the most liveable community in the world with a population under 20,000. Gibsons is perhaps best known in Canada as the setting of the popular and long-running CBC Television series The Beachcombers, which aired from 1972 to 1990. The storefront "Molly's Reach" (a former cafe now up for lease as of 2023), the restored tug Persephone, and a display about the series at the Sunshine Coast Museum and Archives are popular attractions. Gibsons is also the fictional setting and filming location of the TV series Murder in a Small Town (2024–). Films that have used Gibsons as a location include Charlie St. Cloud (2010), starring Kim Basinger and Zac Efron (as a stand-in for Marblehead, Massachusetts); and Needful Things (1993), starring Max von Sydow and Ed Harris. Gibsons, like the remainder of the Sunshine Coast, is inaccessible by road directly from the rest of the lower mainland, and is primarily accessed by a BC Ferries ferry from Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver.
Facts
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Source
WBP almanac
External sources
Media
From Wikipedia1,529 words
WBP editorial2
A day‑long itinerary beyond the waterfront
Start your morning with a coffee at a family‑run café on Seawall Drive, then wander inland to the historic old‑school building that now houses a community art gallery. The nearby Heritage Walk, marked by interpretive plaques, reveals the town’s evolution from timber camp to tourism hub, offering a quiet contrast to the busy harbour. For lunch, seek out the pop‑up market that rotates between local growers and Indigenous craft vendors—seasonal produce and hand‑woven blankets are staples. In the afternoon, rent a kayak and paddle the calm inlets of the Sunshine Coast, keeping an eye out for harbour seals that often glide alongside. Finish with a sunset view from the modest yet perfectly positioned point‑of‑view park that overlooks the railway‑turned‑bike trail, a reminder that Gibsons balances heritage with outdoor recreation.
Getting there without a car
While most visitors arrive by ferry from Vancouver to the nearby Powell River terminal, the easiest car‑free route to Gibsons is the BC Ferries' Horseshoe Bay‑Langdale service followed by the public bus 144 that threads along the Seawall. The shuttle runs at regular intervals and drops passengers within walking distance of the main strip, where bike rentals are plentiful. For those staying a night or two, the local guesthouse consortium offers a “bike‑and‑board” package that includes a fold‑away bike and a pass for the seasonal ferry that links Gibsons to the rest of the Sunshine Coast. This approach not only reduces carbon footprint but also affords a slower, more intimate encounter with the coastal communities dotting the route.