About Neil — Neil MacEachern for Gibsons Town Council

Who Is Neil?

I am a husband, father, coach, runner, creator, and striver. I believe that cooperation is the key to human success, and I'm continuously impressed by people's ability to do amazing things when they work together.

I deeply value community, and I hold that the role of government is to create the conditions that allow people to thrive — what I aim to foster as a town councillor here in Gibsons. I believe the best governance decisions are the result of two things: use of the most complete available information, and authentic engagement with the people affected.

I can empathize with the challenges facing families in Gibsons — our family had to move away from the Coast to follow employment. Now that we've been able to return, I want to help ensure that families like ours never have to leave their home to make ends meet.

Experience That Delivers

I've had the opportunity to do things in my career that would help me serve the community as a town councillor: working as an auditor for KPMG taught me to critically assess inventories, inflows, and management procedures to ensure accountability and efficiency. As a municipal environmental coordinator with the City of Port Coquitlam, I was directly involved in municipal planning, writing bylaws, managing natural assets, and reviewing permits to ensure consistency with quality standards.

In Program Manager roles, I've overseen budgets of over $10 million and executed province-wide infrastructure deployments to support the clean energy transition. Maybe most importantly, in my time as a tree planter and forest fire fighter, I learned that you should never be afraid to just roll up your sleeves and get the job done.

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Neil and Family — Neil with his wife Caitlin and their two sons

Neil's Story

1980s to Early 2000s

Growing up in Northern Ontario

Neil develops his love of the outdoors, an understanding of rural and forest-dependent economies, and the value of hard work planting trees.
Mid-2000s to Early 2010s

Starting a life out west

After starting studies in Ottawa, Neil moves to the West Coast and pursues Forestry at UBC. He frequents the Sunshine Coast as a place to unwind and access nature. After graduation he works in the woods in wildfire management, surveying and forest planning. Neil and Caitlin, his wife, start their life together.
Early-2010s to Mid-2010s

Graduate studies and move to the Sunshine Coast

Neil and Caitlin move to Scotland, where they welcome their first son, Kane, as Neil completes a Master's in Carbon Management at the University of Edinburgh. After their return to Canada, they move to Gibsons, where Caitlin works for the health unit while Neil again does forestry, often working at remote camps for 10 days out of 14. He later finds work as an environmental auditor for KPMG, commuting daily to the City.
Mid- to Late 2010s

Temporary move to the City

With two children, the challenge of a 5-day ferry commute becomes too much for them, and Neil's family moves to East Vancouver to be closer to work, but continue to visit Gibsons whenever they can. Neil continues to take on roles of increasing responsibility in his career, and is involved in non-profit governance, as well as the proportional representation campaign to achieve fairer elections in British Columbia.
Early 2020s to Present

Permanent return to Gibsons

With the advent of hybrid work, Neil and his family are able to return to the Sunshine Coast — which they do, moving to Lower Gibsons in 2021. During this time, Neil is actively involved in engagement with the OCP and Zoning Bylaw updates help encourage more housing availability in our community. In 2026, Neil decides to run for council with the goal of helping to make Gibsons a more economically diverse, accessible, and resilient community.

What Neil Stands For

⚖️

Fairness

Decisions at town hall help ensure that everyone has the opportunity to thrive — whether you've been here for generations or just arrived, everyone deserves a voice and a stake in our town's future.

⚙️

Efficiency

Tax dollars deserve discipline. I will bring my project and program management experience to bear on delivering services effectively and without waste.

💡

Reason

Good governance starts with evidence, not ideology — measuring what works, listening to expertise, and being honest when the data changes the answer.

🤝

Respect

Disagreement is an important part of governance. Differences of opinion can lead to novel solutions when people work to find common ground. I am committed to listening first, and treating neighbours, staff, and fellow councillors with dignity — even when we differ.