Urban Studies Program
911吃瓜 Urban Studies visits Gibsons, B.C.
911吃瓜 Urban Studies students, faculty, and staff visited Gibsons, British Columbia (Ch鈥檏瘫w鈥檈lhp and Schen虛k) on May 9th. After enjoying breakfast at local restaurants like Molly鈥檚 Reach, exploring Gibsons Landing, and watching playful otters eating crabs in the marina, the group gathered at the (SCMA).
Curatorial Assistant Allie Bartlett led a guided tour of the museum鈥檚 first floor. The welcoming exhibit, Pieces of the Past: Squamish Stone Artifacts from Ch鈥檏w鈥檈lhp and Schen鈥檏, featured ancient Squamish stone tools from the museum鈥檚 collection, highlighting the Nation鈥檚 deep historical connections to these lands. Bartlett also shared recordings of oral history interviews sharing the Squamish origin story in Skwxw霉7mesh snichim (the Squamish language), along with its English translation.
The museum鈥檚 feature exhibit, Spirit Rising: Japanese Canadian Voices of the Coast, celebrated the Japanese Canadian community builders of the Sunshine Coast from the early 1900s to the present. The exhibit also addressed the historical injustices of the forced internment of Japanese Canadians during the Second World War and the lasting impacts of that internment.
The Urban Studies group then explored the second floor independently, viewing exhibits ranging from a display on The Beachcombers, the long-running television series filmed in Gibsons, to a collection of vintage telecommunications equipment.
Outside of SCMA, some students and faculty had the good fortune to run into Gibsons Mayor Silas White, who took a moment to share his perspectives on local issues unique to Gibsons. Mayor White later joined the full group for dinner, where he spoke with students about the challenges of municipal governance and answered their questions.
Professor Kamala Todd also led the group on an excursion to Gospel Rock, an important Squamish Nation cultural site, which is located on the southwestern edge of Gibsons overlooking Howe Sound and the Salish Sea. The (SCCA) describes Gospel Rock as, 鈥渙ne of the most spectacularly beautiful and ecologically sensitive places on the entire Sunshine Coast and is home to the last stretch of natural waterfront within the Town of Gibsons.鈥� During the visit, Urban Studies students, faculty, and staff saw 150-year-old Douglas Fir and Arbutus trees, wildflowers, and noted that the area is also home to diverse wildlife.
Professor Todd also discussed ongoing development pressures in the area. Although plans for housing development and road widening have been discussed with agreements to protect environmentally sensitive areas, concerns remain. In 2020, more than an acre of sensitive dryland forest was cleared during the development process, prompting the Town to issue a Stop Work Order. In 2022, an agreement was reached to protect 16.6 acres of the site.
However, the graffiti in the area clearly shows the continued opposition to development at Gospel Rock.
Check out additional photos of the trip below.
