Concerned citizens of Gibsons ran ad in the Coast Reporter stating “The George Hotel is Too Big. ” The ad shows the hotel looming high above the waterfront and obscuring Gibsons’ wooded hillside. In a counter move, the George Hotel has run a “Know the Facts” ads showing the top of the hotel rising only about halfway to the treetops behind it.

Which image is right? Both and neither. An image can look gigantic or tiny, depending on the viewer’s vantage point. Looking at the hotel from the sky will make it look short. Viewing it from the water will make it look tall. So it’s almost useless to try to judge actual height from a drawing or photograph.

To get a better idea of the George’s height check out the Gibsons Alliance’s YouTube video. In it  Suzanne Senger demonstrates the height of the hotel by sending up helium balloons.  The balloons float above the waterfront on a measured line and are viewed from many angles within the video. It’s a creative idea, well worth watching.