Habitat, part 3: Infill

I'm going to switch identities for this post. See, this blog is usually about looking at Gibsons from a resident's perspective. But tourist season has been going on for a few weeks now, and it's got me wondering what visitors think of this town. So today I walked through Lower Gibsons and tried to see it as a day-tripper might.


And I thought: what's with all of the vacant lots?


I've actually been thinking about this for a while. Gibsons attracts a lot of visitors, especially in summertime. It's the kind of place that people like visiting, because even on a rainy day, Gibsons is about as picturesque as Pacific Northwest seaside villages get. We have a sheltered harbour framed by hills, and, in Lonely Planet's words, "a rainbow of painted wooden buildings perched over the marina." You can rent a kayak and eat oysters. You can get your picture taken in front of Molly's Reach.


The trouble is, in my view - and you're free to differ, as you know - that the charm starts to wear thin once you've returned your kayak or finished your plate of oysters. Why, you wonder, is there a gaping hole right next to Molly's Reach, at the very centre of the village? What's with the blackberry jungle lining the waterfront? Why has the largest street-level space in the Gibsons Quay building been vacant for so long? Why is there so much parking for so few stores and shops?


And why - I hate to say this, because I love this town - does Lower Gibsons look so run-down in spots? Shouldn't a scenic seaside village come off as more vibrant and less like a ghost town?

That said, here and there Lower Gibsons gets it absolutely right. Here's two places in particular. On the wharf you can eat incredible burritos (for cheap), peruse Sa Boothroyd's gallery, and enjoy the view from the gazebo at the end of the breakwater. Very pleasing. Along the waterfront path you can get take-out fish and chips, eat on the patio at Smitty's, or, soon, eat steaks (if you like that kind of thing) at the chophouse that's in the process of being renovated. Could this be the beginning of a longer strip of restaurants? Or will the blackberry jungle win?


I think the answer lies in high-quality infill development. The blackberry jungle, the gravel parking lots (often empty) above it, and the gaping hole beside Molly's Reach are all sites crying out to be used for things that are interesting and useful. Bring on more galleries, studios, unique shops, cafes. Make it aesthetically pleasing. Make it interesting. People will come. And not just tourists - if it's done well, locals will come too.


The Town of Gibsons began a master plan process for the harbour area last fall. The first phase wrapped up with a consulting firm presenting a "vision" for the harbour - a set of visuals for how the master plan could look. In my view, they made the harbour look pretty fantastic. Lots of others seemed to agree. Will that vision influence the final plan? Only if we get involved in the process when it resumes.

Stay tuned!