Pender Island
Encyclopedia
Pender Island is one of the Southern Gulf Islands
Gulf Islands
The Gulf Islands are the islands in the Strait of Georgia , between Vancouver Island and the mainland of British Columbia, Canada....
located in the Gulf of Georgia, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Pender Island is approximately 34 km² (13.1 sq mi) in area and is home to about 2,500 permanent residents, as well as a large seasonal population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
. Like most of the rest of the Southern Gulf Islands, Pender Island enjoys a sub-Mediterranean climate and features open farmland, rolling forested hills, several lakes and small mountains, as well as many coves and beaches.
Logistics
Pender Island consists of two islands, North Pender and South Pender, which are separated by a narrow canal originally dredged in 1903. In 1955 the islands were connected by a one lane bridge, as it remains today.Most of the population and services reside on North Pender Island, with the highest concentration surrounding Magic Lake. South Pender Island is generally more rural, but includes the Poets Cove Resort and Spa, formerly known as Bedwell Harbour Island Resort.
History
At the time of Contact, Pender Island was inhabited by Coast Salish peoples speaking the North Straits Salish languageNorth Straits Salish language
North Straits Salish is a Salish language which includes the dialects of Lummi, Samish, Saanich, Semiahmoo, Songish, and Sooke. Although they are mutually intelligible, each dialect is traditionally referred to as if they were separate languages, and there is no native term to encompass them...
. There is an Indian Reserve at Hay Point on South Pender Island, which is home to members of the Tsawout
Tsawout First Nation
The Tsawout First Nation is a First Nations government located on Vancouver Island. They are a member of the Sencot'en Alliance. In the 1850s they were signatories to the Douglas Treaties.-Chief and Councillors:...
and Tseycum
Tseycum First Nation
The Tseycum First Nation is a First Nations government located on Vancouver Island. In the 1850s they were signatories to the Douglas Treaties.-Chief and Councillors:-Indian Reserves:Indian Reserves under the administration of the band are:...
First Nations. The Poets Cove Resort was built on an ancient First Nations village site. The provincial government's 2007 settlement with the Tsawwassen First Nation
Tsawwassen First Nation
The Tsawwassen First Nation is a First Nations government whose only Indian reserve is located in the Greater Vancouver area of the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada, adjacent to the South Arm of the Fraser River and the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal and just north of the international...
included hunting and fishing rights on and around Pender Island—an arrangement to which the Sencot'en Alliance
Sencot'en Alliance
The Sencot'en Alliance is a First Nations grouping, composed of the Tsartlip, Tsawout, Pauquachin bands from the Saanich Peninsula and the Semiahmoo from White Rock...
objected, saying those rights are theirs under the 1852 Douglas Treaty
Douglas Treaties
The Douglas Treaties , Vancouver Island Treaties or the Fort Victoria Treaties were a series of treaties signed between certain First Nations on Vancouver Island and the Colony of Vancouver Island.-Background:...
.
A Spanish expedition led by Francisco de Eliza
Francisco de Eliza
Francisco de Eliza y Reventa was a Spanish naval officer, navigator, and explorer. He is remembered mainly for his work in the Pacific Northwest...
visited Pender in 1791, naming it "Ysla de San Eusevio". The islands, along with Pender Harbour
Pender Harbour, British Columbia
“”Pender Harbour is a large, multi-inleted bay on British Columbia's Sunshine Coast, on the east side of Malaspina Strait. Once a steamer stop, a fishing village and an important logging and medical waypoint, it is now an unincorporated community within the Sunshine Coast Regional District .Pender...
on the Sunshine Coast, were given their current name by Captain Richards
George Henry Richards
Admiral Sir George Henry Richards was Hydrographer to the British Admiralty from 1864 to 1874.-Early life:Richards was born in Anthony, Cornwall, the son of Captain G S Richards, and joined the navy in 1832....
for Staff Commander, later Captain, Daniel Pender
Daniel Pender
Daniel Pender was a Royal Navy Staff Commander, later Captain, who surveyed the Coast of British Columbia aboard HMS Plumper, HMS Hecate and the Beaver from 1857 to 1870.-Legacy:...
, RN
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
who surveyed the coast of British Columbia aboard HMS Plumper, HMS Hecate
HMS Hecate (1839)
HMS Hecate was a 4-gun paddle sloop launched on 30 March 1839 from the Chatham Dockyard.She was assigned to the Mediterranean Station between 1840 and 1843, she participated during the Syrian War of 1840. After a period of be laid in reserve she served as part of the West Africa Squadron off Africa...
and the Beaver
Beaver (steamship)
Beaver was the first steamship to operate in the Pacific Northwest of North America. She made remote parts of the west coast of Canada accessible for maritime fur trading and was chartered by the Royal Navy for surveying the coastline of British Columbia....
from 1857 to 1870. The first permanent resident of European descent arrived on South Pender Island in 1886.
Culture
Pender Island is a popular destination for fishing, boating, scuba diving and other outdoor pursuits. The island also boasts a 9-hole golf course. In 1937 several Pender residents put up money to purchase a 60 acres (24.3 ha) parcel, on which to develop the course, from George Grimmer, a son of Pender pioneer Washington Grimmer. These first individuals and many others took out memberships as well as planned and developed the layout of the golf course. Incorporated as a society in 1945, with the exception of a brief hiatus during World War II, Pender Island Golf Course has existed ever since. There is also a 27-hole Disc GolfDisc golf
Disc golf is a disc game in which individual players throw a flying disc into a basket or at a target. According to the Professional Disc Golf Association, "The object of the game is to traverse a course from beginning to end in the fewest number of throws of the disc." Of the more than 3000...
(frisbee golf) course (Golf Island Disc Park) close to Magic Lake. This course is well known in the Disc Golf community and is the site of many tournaments including The Republic of Pender Invitational (The Ropi) and the Pender Island Invitational
Pender Island Invitational
The Pender Island Invitational is a long running fall disc golf competition on Pender Island where players compete over three to four days in the relentless pursuit of The Bark, and $5 Ace-Pots....
.
The Pender Post, Islands Independent, and the Island Tides are locally-published independent newspapers. The Pender Islands Handbook a reference and travel guide.
Parks and Beaches
- Gulf Islands National Park ReserveGulf Islands National Park ReserveGulf Islands National Park Reserve is the 40th National Park in a system of 43 parks and park reserves across Canada. Located in British Columbia's Gulf Islands, it covers 33 square kilometers over 16 islands. It also includes numerous islets and reef areas....
has opportunities for boating, kayaking, hiking, camping and wildlife viewing. A difficult 1.5km trail at Beaumont leads from the Ainslie Point parking lot to the shoreline via steep switchbacks that cut through dense temperate rainforest. The difficult 1.5km trail at Mt. Norman ascends 244 metres to a panoramic look-out with views of the San Juan Islands. The moderate 1.5km trail at Roe Lake meanders through the Shingle Bay uplands to one of the Southern Gulf Island's only freshwater lakes . At Roesland, visitors can explore a historic 1908 farmhouse which has been restored by members of the Pender Islands Museum Society .
Camping
- Gulf Islands National Park ReserveGulf Islands National Park ReserveGulf Islands National Park Reserve is the 40th National Park in a system of 43 parks and park reserves across Canada. Located in British Columbia's Gulf Islands, it covers 33 square kilometers over 16 islands. It also includes numerous islets and reef areas....
has two options for campers: the drive-in, frontcountry sites at Prior Centennial Campground or the walk-in (or boat-in) backcountry sites at Beaumont. Prior Centennial has 17 reservable sites http://www.pccamping.ca and ammenities include potable water, pit toilets, picnic tables and fire pits(seasonally available). Beaumont has 11 sites, and ammenities include pit toilets and 15 mooring buoys for boaters. There is no potable water at Beaumont and no campfires are permitted, regardless of season .
- Private camping is available at Port Browning Marinahttp://www.portbrowning.com/. The sites are drive-in and frontcountry. Tents can be pitched anywhere on the large waterfront lawn of the marina.
Transport
Pender Island can be accessed by regular ferry service provided by BC FerriesBC Ferries
British Columbia Ferry Services Inc. or BC Ferries is a de facto Crown Corporation that provides all major passenger and vehicle ferry services for coastal and island communities in the Canadian province of British Columbia...
from Swartz Bay (near Victoria), Tsawwassen (near Vancouver), and other southern Gulf Islands. There are also scheduled seaplane and water taxi services. Pender Island also has one public grass landing strip and a helicopter pad (Pender International) located near the main shopping mall, the Driftwood Centre. Select helicopters can also land at Fire Hall #1. Bedwell Harbour is an official port of entry
Port of entry
In general, a port of entry is a place where one may lawfully enter a country. It typically has a staff of people who check passports and visas and inspect luggage to assure that contraband is not imported. International airports are usually ports of entry, as are road and rail crossings on a...
for sailors from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
; Port Browning and Otter Bay also offer anchorages.
Shopping
The island's main shopping area is called the Driftwood Centre. The Driftwood has grown over the years, and is now home to Tru Value Foods, Pender Island Bakery, Fish on Pender, a BC Liquor Store, Pender Island Pharmacy, HSBC, a post office, Pender Island Realty, Shear Delight Hair Salon, Talisman Bookstore and Gallery, Revolution Fitness, Islandview Paperworks and House on Pender (a flower and tile shop).The stores at Hope Bay are about a ten minute drive from the Driftwood Centre. Hope Bay is home to the Red Tree Gallery (featuring local art), Sladen's, Hope Bay Cafe, Hope Bay Hair Salon, The Silver Grizzly, Dockside Realty and a goldsmith shop.
On Saturday mornings during the summer, the Farmer's Market at the Community Hall offers local produce and handcrafts, as well as entertainment. The Nu-To-Yu is a local second-hand store open Friday and Saturday throughout the year.
Morning Bay Vineyard on Pender Island is open for wine tasting and sales 12 months a year. Friday to Sunday in winter, and Wednesday to Sunday in Summer, Morning Bay sells estate-grown wines as well as a line of wines made from Okanagan fruit.