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History
The Pender Harbour area was once the winter capital of the Coast Salish nation, specifically the shishalh tribe, from which the town of Sechelt takes its name. The shishalh people were highly industrious during the summer months, fishing for salmon, hunting venison, and gathering berries, all of which were dried for winter use. They built large dugout cedar canoes and huge communal longhouses (up to 800 feet in length) with separate family compartments divided by cedar screens. Examples of watertight baskets made from spruce root, aprons made of deerhide or woven cedar bark, blankets of mountain goat wool and fishing line fashioned from stout nettle fibre are further evidence of their creativity and diligence.
An Englishman known as Charlie Irvine (for whom the Landing is named) is commonly recognized as the first European settler. Irvine built a log trading post at the Landing, then joined the excitement of the Klondike gold rush. He sold his property in 1904 to an enterprising sailor and fisherman, "Portuguese Joe" Gonsalves, and his North Vancouver Salish Nation wife, Susan Harris. Joe and his son-in-law Theodore (Steve) Dames (a burly Russian seaman married to the Gonsalves' beautiful daughter Matilda) developed the area. They built a deep-sea dock, general store, post office, and hotel/saloon at the head of the wharf. The Union Steamship Company made this a regular stop, the beginning of Pender Harbour's real presence on the map.
Logging began to develop as early as the 1870's and gained real momentum around 1905 when the Swedish P. B. Anderson set up large railroad camps to harvest the Douglas fir on the slopes of the Caren Range. Lumberman's Arch in Vancouver's Stanley Park is constructed from some of these then-massive specimens.
The Depression years hit the Pender area hard. Federal relief camps were opened in Wood Bay and Silver Sands, where destitute men were put to work completing the road from Sechelt to Pender Harbour. Until this time, there was no land access to points south, except for the trail along the telegraph line (in service as early as 1910). The road was pushed through to Garden Bay and Irvines Landing around 1936 but was not paved until 1957.
Egmont, the northernmost settlement on the Sechelt Peninsula, was founded in 1880 by a legendary half-Scottish, half-Portuguese seaman and trader named Joseph Silvia Simmonds. He had worked for the Hudson's Bay Company, prospected in the Cariboo and built a saloon in Vancouver before arriving in Egmont where he married a Native woman, Lucy Kwatleematt. Simmonds later dropped his surname and used the name Silvey. His descendants still live in the Egmont area.
Location
The small village of Garden Bay is tucked between the waters of Garden Bay and Hospital Bay on the north side of Pender Harbour. The communities of Garden Bay, Madeira Park and Irvine's Landing are known collectively as Pender Harbour, located on the Sunshine Coast of BC.
Garden Bay can be reached via Highway 101, after arriving to the Sunshine Coast via ferry or airplane.
Places to See
- Garden Bay Provincial Marine Park
Established in 1969, Garden Bay Marine Provincial Park provides 200 metres of shoreline, with a backdrop rising to the summit of Mount Daniel. A part of Pender Harbour, this is a popular boating area with secure anchorage and a small dinghy dock. This park provides excellent opportunities for fishing, picnicking and swimming. There are many marinas, stores, resorts, restaurants, repair facilities and fuel outlets located near the park.
- Katherine Lake Park
The picturesque 32-hectare Brightside Resort was purchased by the SCRD in 1990 to become Katherine Lake Park. On the shores of Katherine Lake, this popular spot for locals and visitors features a sandy beach, swimming, trails, wheelchair access, drinking water, picnic sites, campground, toilets, showers, and an on-site caretaker.
The campground operates from the May long weekend to the October long weekend. There are 21 serviced RV sites and ten tenting spots, and reservations are available.
- Princess Louisa Marine Provincial Park
Far inland, approached from the Strait of Georgia by way of Jervis Inlet, Princess Louisa Inlet has a charm and scenic beauty that must be seen and experienced.
Glaciation of millennia past carved the magnificent granite-walled gorge through the snow-tipped mountains that rise sharply from the water's edge to heights in excess of 2,100 metres (7,000 feet). As placid as a mountain lake, the ocean waters of Princess Louisa Inlet move constantly with the tides, but currents are practically nonexistent, except for the seven to ten-knot Malibu Rapids at the entrance. The inlet, almost completely enclosed, is 300 metres (1,000 feet) deep and never over 800 metres (1/2 mile) wide in its eight-kilometre (five-mile) length.
Until mid-June, the warm sun melting the mountain snow-pack creates more than sixty waterfalls that cascade and spume down precipitous walls to mingle with the waters of Princess Louisa Inlet. Beautiful Chatterbox Falls at the head of the inlet tumbles 40 metres (120 feet).
This spectacular park contains a number of campsites, a ranger cabin, picnic shelter and toilets. For boaters there is a mooring buoy, stern pins, a boat dock and a dinghy dock.
Things to Do
- Diving
The maze of coves, bays, and islands around Pender Harbour make it the most popular diving spot on the Sechelt Peninsula. You'll need a boat to reach the four most popular sites at Fearney Bluffs, Nelson Rock, and Anderson and Charles Islands.
- Boating Tours
From Garden Bay you can arrange boat charters or cruises to Jervis Inlet, Princess Louisa Inlet and the magnificent Chatterbox Falls.
- Hiking
Two hiking trails lead to viewpoints overlooking Pender Harbour. Pender Hill (231 metres) rises sharply from the saltchuk (a Native term for water) above Irvines Landing, while Mount Daniel (419 metres) sits above Garden Bay. Both present moderately difficult, unrelentingly steep hiking.
- Fishing
Salmon fishing is extremely good in this area, and many choose to set off for the day from the dock facilities here. Please note that you must have a valid fishing license for salt water fishing, or risk heavy fines. These are readily available at local marinas.
Freshwater fishing is also good, with surface-feeding trout at Garden Bay Lake, Hotel Lake, and Mixal Lake.
Events
- Pender Harbour Blues Festival
This festival is held across the three communities of Pender Harbour with many blues concerts occurring in different venues. Many local businesses will bring in musicians during this week for live events. Not to be missed!
- Pender Harbour Fall Fair
This annual family fair with a harvest theme features competitions for baking, cookie decorating (kids only), preserves, produce, wine, photography, and milking Hilda the Harbour Heifer. There's also a dog agility show, pony rides, face painting, hay rides, boat building for kids, Bouncy Castle vendors, and live entertainment.
- Pender Harbour Jazz Festival
Enjoy traditional, progressive, Dixieland, and blues in indoor and outdoor venues throughout Pender Harbour. There are many free performances, an artisan's market, and other attractions.
Contact Information
Pender Harbour
RR-1, S-15, C-18
Madeira Park, BC V0N 2H0
Telephone: 604-883-0010
E-mail: mail@penderharbour.org
Website: www.penderharbour.org
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