He is married to the former Gleason Rice of Port Anson and the father of three boys: Glenn, Geoff, and Greg. During the past ten years he and his hiking companion Harvey Rice have become avid backpackers. Gilberts and Harveys latest venture was their very successful and well-publicized Trek for Health, a fund-raising endeavour for the South and Central Health Foundation. Not yet satisfied by the thrill of meeting the challenge of long distance hiking, they are planning at least one more trek for the summer of 2000, a trek that they hope will, for the first time, include Labrador.