Day Tripping: Gibsons, Welcome Back

Any good Canadian kid remembers growing up watching The Beachcombers, which took place in Gibsons, BC on the Sunshine Coast.

In recent years I had a moment at the CBC with some memorabilia, and giggled fondly when a posted about Bruno Gerussi’s beard hair in 2006 (link via Darren Barefoot). A focal point of the show and the town is the welcoming sight of Molly’s Reach, but there’s much more to the Sunshine Coast than canned CBC TV archives.

A quick 40 minute ferry ride from Horseshoe Bay will lead you to Langdale terminal, and I must point out (because I’ve been asked countless times) that the all-encompassing Sunshine Coast is not on an island – even though you take a ferry to get there.

Photo credit: Megan Cole on Flickr

For about ten years I attended summer camp in Roberts Creek so I came to know the coast pretty well. Also, my best friend’s grandparents lived over there so once she got her license we’d cruise the strip in Sechelt looking for trouble. Okay, there was no cruising of the strip although I wonder if they have installed an actual stop light since I was there last. But I digress.

The Town of Gibsons has two main commercial areas: Upper Gibsons which has a number of shopping malls, restaurants, services and a light industrial area located on Gibsons Way and Lower Gibsons which is a quaint fishing village with bakeries, cafes, and shops that surround the bustling fishing wharf, a seawalk and the Gibsons Harbour.

Recent developments in the Town include the Downtown Revitalization of Lower Gibsons, a new log wharfinger building and boardwalk over the breakwater, and the development of the Winegarden Waterfront Park. [Gibsons]

The Sunshine Coast towns offer fishing, camping, hiking, gorgeous beaches, boast “an internet savvy population,” and the best part is that the cost of the ferry is only charged one way. Also, you can walk on the ferry at Horsehoe Bay and use the Sunshine Coast Transit System to save money, and the environment during your outing.

Photo credit: Paul Hillsdon on Flickr

In Gibsons you’ll be able to take in a Sunday Market, enjoy Jazz Week from June 7-15, and even the World’s Best Water (that one the “Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting” contest in 2005 [wiki]). It’s come a long way from its Beachcomber days, and I even remember when it got its first Wendy’s/Time Horton’s – that was a pretty big summer for us. Now that the nice weather is creeping up on us, and that one of my dearest friends lives over there, we’ll have to make a point of day tripping to Gibsons in the near future.