Regional Accessibility Committee
In 2023, the Town of Gibsons dissolved its own Accessibility Committee to form a Regional Accessibility Advisory Committee (RAAC) with the District of Sechelt and the Sunshine Coast Regional District. The aim is to improve the livability, inclusiveness and accessibility for individuals with disabilities throughout the Sunshine Coast.
In accordance with the Accessible British Columbia Act, the RAAC will assist local government leaders to identify barriers to people with disabilities and how to remove and prevent those barriers. The Committee may consider barriers in relation to employment, delivery of services, infrastructure, communications, transportation, health, education and procurement.
In developing and updating its accessibility plan, the following principals must be considered: inclusion, adaptability, diversity, collaboration, self-determination, and universal design.
Age-Friendly Initiatives
Gibsons is an age-friendly community! In fall 2019, the BC Ministry of Health officially declared Gibsons an “age-friendly community” based on our efforts to support seniors so they can live active, safe, socially engaged and independent lives. In total, BC has 57 communities that have been recognized for creating healthy, age-friendly communities.
Read the Executive Summary of the Action Plan here: Gibsons Age-Friendly Community Action Plan-2
Read the full version of the Action Plan here: Gibsons Age-Friendly Community Action Plan
Since completing the Action Plan, the Town has implemented several projects which benefit residents of all ages:
User-Friendly Trail Guide for the Mobility Challenged
Great for people with mobility challenges and for those who’d like to experience nature with young children; this trail guide features 21 low-gradient pathways found from Langdale to Pender Harbour.
The guide was a joint project by the District of Sechelt, Town of Gibsons and the Sunshine Coast Regional District, funded by the Age Friendly BC and UBCM, 2018 Age-Friendly Communities Grant Program. It provides detailed information about each of the 21 trails, so that users may choose which trails best suit their needs.
Download low-resolution Trail Guide & Log here
Download high-resolution Trail Guide & Log here
A multi-use path on Gibsons Way between Lower Gibsons and Upper Gibsons
Built to accommodate both pedestrians and cyclists, this new pathway is a safer, more gently sloping link between Lower Gibsons (where many citizens live) and Upper Gibsons (where a majority of the Town’s amenities are located).
Revitalization of Armours Beach
This revitalization of one of Gibsons’ most popular beaches included terracing and landscaping the site to significantly improve accessibility and usability by people of all ages.
Creation of low-gradient forest trail between Lower Gibsons and Upper Gibsons
Known as Helen’s Way, this low-gradient walking and biking trail connects Lower Gibsons and Upper Gibsons through a forested area. It was created, in part, to encourage foot traffic from Upper Gibsons to the Gibsons Public Market, which was envisioned to be a community gathering place.
The trail was named in memory of Helen Alp, who was a fixture in the Town for many years and who would have loved a low gradient route to get to Upper Gibsons with her buggy of cans and bottles.
