Gillies Bay Improvement District (GBID) is a local government entity on Texada Island in British Columbia, Canada. Originally established in 1963 to provide waterworks and street lighting to Gillies Bay residents, GBID also provides fire protection for Gillies Bay and the surrounding area with our Gillies Bay Volunteer Fire Department.

Gillies Bay village is a small community, comprised of approximately 500 residents, a third of which are summer residents. The population increases substantially during the summer months with the arrival of tourists, who are attracted to the natural beauty and the quiet serenity of the island.

Gillies Bay Fire District encompasses the village, as well as a larger area comprising of approximately 1000 residents, and includes the Texada Airport, the area known as the Oasis, Shelter Point Campground, and up Shelter Point Road to where it intersects with Central Road.

Amenities within Gillies Bay are the Medical Centre, Gillies Bay Volunteer Fire Department, the RCMP station, Gillies Bay Community Hall, the Senior’s Centre, the library, Sandpipers Play Centre, as well as Gillies Bay General Store. Anticipated, is the future construction of a multi-unit affordable senior’s residential community located within the Gillies Bay village.

The lifestyle of Gillies Bay and Texada Island residents in general is slow-paced and quiet. You will find that people here enjoy getting out into nature, with hiking/walking as one of the top activities year-round.

The summers are spectacular here, and residents and tourists alike can be seen camping, kayaking, paddle-boarding, fishing and bike packing, to name a few of the many activities available. Summer festivals include Aerospace Camp, the Annual Fly-In and Fling, the Blues & Roots Festival, Sandcastle Weekend, Rocky Island Players and Run the Rock.

Winter months are just as active. Locals make their own fun, with music jams or karaoke at Texada Island Inn, board games and parties at the Texada Island Legion, as well as the many clubs that meet regularly. See texada.org for more information about activities on the island.

Demographically, Texada Island is comprised mostly of seniors, although young families are beginning to move to the island. The local elementary school currently has 35 children enrolled from Grade 1 – 8, with the child population slowly increasing each year. The young families are active in providing clubs and activities for their children, and service clubs provide events for the children such as the annual Easter Egg Hunt, sponsored by the Texada Firefighter Association. Children are even encouraged to participate in the Sandcastle Parade with their decorated bikes each year, an old time feel that delights everyone. High school teenagers commute by bus and ferry to the high school in Powell River.

A large portion of the residents on Texada Island were born and raised here, their parents having worked at one of the mines on the island, or in the logging industry; other residents moved to the island after retiring from a career elsewhere. The island has also attracted many off-gridders over the years, who live up in the hills or in the south part of the island, away from the bright lights of Gillies Bay.

About Improvement Districts

Improvement districts are local authorities that provide essential services—such as water, street lighting, fire protection, drainage, and garbage collection—to their communities.
The Gillies Bay Improvement District delivers water, street lighting, and fire protection. Water and street lighting are funded through parcel taxes and water tolls, while fire protection is funded through BC rural property taxes.

Each improvement district is governed by an elected board of trustees, chosen by local property owners. Trustees are responsible for setting and collecting taxes, managing land and assets, borrowing funds, and other duties outlined in district bylaws, the Local Government Act, and related provincial legislation.

Most improvement districts fall within regional district boundaries or within municipalities but operate independently. Gillies Bay Improvement District lies within qathet Regional District. Improvement districts and regional districts sometimes share responsibilities. On Texada Island, qathet Regional District is responsible for, and manages the airport, Shelter Point Regional Park, the Transfer Station (Lot 6), Gillies Bay Community Hall, Gillies Bay Ball Park and Gillies Old School Building.

GILLIES BAY WATER DISTRIBUTION

Gillies Bay Improvement District was established by Letters Patent in 1963. The Gillies Bay water distribution system was built by Texada Mines prior to its donation to the newly established GBID in 1965. The system supplies potable water to residents from Cranby Lake.

FIRE PROTECTION

The Gillies Bay Volunteer Fire Department is a volunteer organization serving the fire district of Gillies Bay.  For more information, please go to Gillies Bay Volunteer Fire Department