Pender Island ( Saanich: ) is the collective name for two Southern Gulf Islands located in the

Salish Sea The Salish Sea ( ) is a List of seas on Earth #Terminology, marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean located in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of British Columbia and the States of the United States , U.S. state of Washingto ...

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

. The Pender Islands, consisting of North Pender Island and South Pender Island, have a combined area of approximately . The Islands are home to about 2,250 permanent residents, as well as a large seasonal

population Population is a set of humans or other organisms in a given region or area. Governments conduct a census to quantify the resident population size within a given jurisdiction. The term is also applied to non-human animals, microorganisms, and pl ...

. Like most of the rest of the Southern Gulf Islands, the Pender Islands enjoy a sub-Mediterranean climate and feature open farmland, rolling forested hills, several lakes and small mountains, as well as many coves and beaches.

Geography

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. Most of the population and services reside on North Pender Island, with the highest concentration surrounding Magic Lake. Sencot'en place names on Pender Island (''st̕ey̕əs'') include ''ʔiləčən'' (Bedwell Harbor), and ''x̣ʷəl̕isən̕'' (Port Browning). North Pender Island place names include: * ''šxʷsəɬqʷsət'' (Shark Cove) * ''x̣ʷəx̣ʷiʔéčsəŋ'' (Shingle Bay) * ''kʷeqsən'' (Stanley Point) * ''kʷeqsən'' (Boat Nook) * ''təlasəŋ̕'' (Hope Bay) * ''sq̕ʷəq̕ʷiŋ̕əs'' (Oaks Bluff) * ''q̕eʔƛ̕əŋ'' or ''sq̕eʔəƛ̕əm'' (Otter Bay) * ''x̣ʷiʔx̣ʷnəčénəm'' or ''sx̣ʷix̣ʷθəʔ'' (Wallace Point) Similarly, a few geographic names on South Pender Island include the following: * ''sk̕ʷən̕enxʷ'' (Gowlland Point) * ''st'eyus'' (Bedwell Harbour) * ''smanəč'' (Teece Point)

History

At the time of European Contact, Pender Island was inhabited by

Coast Salish peoples The Coast Salish peoples are a group of ethnically and linguistically related Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast, living in the Canadian province of British Columbia and the U.S. states of Washington and Oregon. They speak on ...

speaking the North Straits Salish language. There is an

Indian reserve In Canada, an Indian reserve () or First Nations reserve () is defined by the '' Indian Act'' as a "tract of land, the legal title to which is vested in Her Majesty, that has been set apart by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of a band." ...

at Hay Point on South Pender Island, which is home to members of the Tsawout and Tseycum

First Nations First nations are indigenous settlers or bands. First Nations, first nations, or first peoples may also refer to: Indigenous groups *List of Indigenous peoples *First Nations in Canada, Indigenous peoples of Canada who are neither Inuit nor Mé ...

Carbon dating Radiocarbon dating (also referred to as carbon dating or carbon-14 dating) is a method for determining the age of an object containing organic material by using the properties of radiocarbon, a radioactive isotope of carbon. The method was ...

of artifacts in shell middens near Shark Cove identify an Indigenous village site that has been more or less continuously inhabited for five millennia. The Poets Cove Resort was built on an ancient First Nations village site. The provincial government's 2007 settlement with the Tsawwassen First Nation included hunting and fishing rights on and around Pender Island—an arrangement to which the Sencot'en Alliance objected, saying those rights are theirs under the 1852 Douglas Treaty. A Spanish expedition led by Francisco de Eliza visited Pender in 1791, naming it "Ysla de San Eusevio". The islands, along with Pender Harbour on the Sunshine Coast, were named by Captain Richards for Staff Commander, later Captain, Daniel Pender, RN who surveyed the coast of British Columbia aboard , , and from 1857 to 1870. The first permanent resident of European descent arrived on South Pender Island in 1886. Plumper Sound, the body of water between Mayne, Pender, and Saturna islands, is named for HMS ''Plumper''. In 1903, residents of Pender Island petitioned the government to dredge the isthmus between North and South Pender Islands.

Culture and Recreation

Pender Island is a popular destination for fishing, boating, scuba diving, and other forms of outdoor recreation. ''Th
Pender Islands Handbook
' is a 400-page traveler's reference published by Richard Fox. It includes information on hiking, biking, boating, the history of the islands, and includes a navigational map. The most recent version is the 10th Anniversary Edition, published in 2016. Th
''Pender Post''
is the island's locally-owned independent newspaper, which has been operating since 1971. The owner of another local news provider
''Island Tides''
went on sabbatical in the summer of 2017 and has not resumed publishing. Mt Norman Pender Island

The island has
''9-hole golf course''
Several residents pooled their funds in 1937 to purchase a parcel from George Grimmer, a son of Pender pioneer Washington Grimmer. These early investors planned and developed the layout of the golf course, which has operated ever since with the exception of a brief hiatus during World War II. There is also a 27-hole disc golf course calle
''Golf Island Disc Park''
which is close to Magic Lake. It was founded in 1980 and is now maintained through the efforts of volunteers and the Pender Islands Park Commission. The course hosts disc golf tournaments including the Pender Island Invitational. Pender Island is also home to Canada's first olive grove, called Waterlea Farm. 100 trees were originally planted by owner Andrew Butt with the goal of producing the first "Made in Canada" olive oil. As of December 2023 the property is for sale with 80+ trees listed as surviving.

Parks and beaches

Gulf Islands National Park Reserve Gulf Islands National Park Reserve is a National Parks of Canada, national park located on and around the Gulf Islands in British Columbia, Canada. In the National Parks System Plan, this park provides representation of the Strait of Georgia Lo ...

has opportunities for boating, kayaking, hiking, camping and wildlife viewing. A difficult trail at Beaumont leads from the Ainslie Point parking lot to the shoreline via steep switchbacks that cut through dense temperate rainforest. The difficult trail at Mt. Norman ascends to a panoramic look-out with views of the

San Juan Islands The San Juan Islands is an archipelago in the Pacific Northwest of the United States between the U.S. state of Washington and Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. The San Juan Islands are part of Washington state, and form the core of ...

. The moderate trail at Roe Lake meanders through the Shingle Bay uplands to one of the Southern Gulf Island's few freshwater lakes. At Roesland, visitors can explore a historic 1908 farmhouse which has been restored by members of the Pender Islands Museum Society.Welcome , The Pender Islands Museum
/ref>

Camping

has two options for campers on North Pender at this time: The drive-in, frontcountry sites at Prior Centennial Campground or the walk-in (or kayak-in) backcountry sites at Shingle Bay. Prior Centennial has 17 reservable sites and amenities include potable water, pit toilets, picnic tables and fire pits (seasonally available). Shingle Bay campground in the Roe Lake portion of the Reserve has 10 reservable primitive campsites with picnic tables and a pit toilet but no potable water. The walk/boat in sites at Beaumont on South Pender are closed for overnight camping until further notice as of summer 2022. Beaumont has 11 sites, and amenities include pit toilets and 15 mooring buoys for boaters, which remain open. There is no potable water at Beaumont and no campfires are permitted, regardless of season. Private camping is available at Port Browning Marina. The sites are drive-in and frontcountry. Tents can be pitched anywhere on the large waterfront lawn of the marina. Small RV's are also welcome but there are no hookups or dump station.

Transport

Pender Island can be accessed by regular

ferry A ferry is a boat or ship that transports passengers, and occasionally vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A small passenger ferry with multiple stops, like those in Venice, Italy, is sometimes referred to as a water taxi or water bus ...

service provided by

BC Ferries British Columbia Ferry Services Inc., Trade name, operating as BC Ferries (BCF), is a former provincial Crown corporations of Canada, Crown corporation, now operating as an independently managed, State-owned enterprise, publicly owned Canadian c ...

from Swartz Bay (near Victoria), Tsawwassen (near Vancouver), and other southern Gulf Islands, which dock in Otter Bay. There are also scheduled seaplane and water taxi services. On the Islands there is a system of "car stops," Pender Island's official alternative to hitch hiking. Conveniently located around the island you will find posts with maps, and often a handy chair. Pender Island also has a helicopter pad 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 In general, a port of entry (POE) is a place where one may lawfully enter a country. It typically has border control, border security staff and facilities to check passports and visas and to inspect luggage to assure that contraband is not impo ...

for sailors from the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

; Port Browning and Otter Bay also offer anchorages.

Geography

History

Culture and Recreation

Parks and beaches

Camping

Transport

See also

References

External links