Editor:
Consultants from McElhanney Ltd. have suggested that Gibsons drop the term “seaside village character” from its official community plan. Two members of Gibsons council called the term ambiguous.
That’s like saying “the sky is blue” is ambiguous because there are many shades of blue.
Having taught communications throughout the post-secondary system for decades, I can attest that almost all English speakers know what “seaside village character” means.
Certainly, the film industry does. Do people think The Beachcombers would have been filmed in Gibsons without its “seaside village character”? Would Murder in a Small Town have been filmed here and be going into a second season without a “seaside village character” location? Would tourists come here much either?
If you Google around, you’ll find a Celebrity Cruises site that lists “12 Stunning Seaside Villages to Visit.” Among them are Georgioupolis, Crete; Monterosso, Italy; and Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia. Gibsons should be on the list.
These places benefit from their seaside village character. Their tourism business attests to it. Let’s not kill Gibsons’ by adopting a vague descriptor that has little meaning for our community.
Elizabeth Rains, Area F
