At their November 3 meeting, Gibsons council gave first reading to a plan to transfer all funds out of the Parks Acquisition Reserve Fund, a total of $338,000, and place them in the Capital Projects Reserve Fund, with the intent of donating $275,000 of the total to a non-park project, the expansion project of the Gibsons Public Market.The bylaw is on the council agenda for possible second and third reading Tuesday night.

We believe that allocating these funds for projects unrelated to parks acquisition is entirely inappropriate.

The expansion of the public market is not the issue—we consider that the concept of a public market is a good one. But the simple fact is the market is not a park. It is a property and business development project.

On Tuesday night at the regular meeting of Gibsons council, the spot zoning and Official Community Plan amendment bylaws for “the George” development were passed.

Each councillor and the mayor came to the table with prepared speeches, which they each delivered before saying they intended to support the bylaw.

There was NO DISCUSSION whatsoever of any aspect of the project.

Neither were there questions of staff, nor consideration of ANY of the concerns expressed so articulately at the public hearing.

Issues regarding the town’s legal obligations to deal with the contaminated site were completely ignored. Concerns over broken promises to ensure peer reviews of hydrogeological and geotechnical issues were, mocked and downplayed.

The vote was 4:0 in favour of every aspect of the bylaws as written. 

As of October 6th 2015 at 5 pm, the Town of Gibsons has not responded to GABC's email request to honour their legal obligations re: the George re-zoning and the required site profile for the Hyak Marine contaminated. 

The Town of Gibsons will consider third reading of the bylaw at Council tonight. 

Email sent to Gibsons Mayor and Council

Cc' to Local First Nations, Provincial and Federal Government Agencies

On Mon, Sep 28, 2015 at 12:32 PM

Dear Mayor Rowe and Gibsons Council:

West Coast Environmental Law (WCEL) has written to you on our behalf, with regard to your consideration of a proposal to rezone the Hyak Marine Site for the George hotel and marina application. Their letter is attached to this correspondence. 

WCEL presented you with a clear legal rationale as to why the municipality has obligations under s. 40(2) and (4) of the EMA and ss. 946.1 and 946.2 of the Local Government Act, to ensure a site profile is submitted, prior to re-zoning these lands.

We ask that you please honour your obligations under the Environmental Management Act and the Local Government Act. We ask that you ensure this contaminated site is dealt with appropriately, through the proper channels, including the BC Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Forest Lands and Natural Resource Operations, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Squamish First Nation and any other potentially affected parties. 

Thank you for your time and attention.

Suzanne Senger

President Gibsons Alliance of Business and Community Society

www.gibsonsalliance.ca