Pender Harbour (''ḵalpilin'' in
''she shashishalhem'') is a harbour on
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 ...
's
Sunshine Coast, on the east side of
Malaspina Strait
Malaspina Strait is a strait in the northern Gulf of Georgia- Sunshine Coast region of British Columbia, Canada. It separates Texada Island from the upper Sunshine Coast- Malaspina Peninsula area on the adjacent mainland.
The strait and the pe ...
. The name Pender Harbour also refers collectively to the surrounding unincorporated communities of
Madeira Park
Madeira Park is an unincorporated community in the area of Pender Harbour on the Sunshine Coast of southwestern British Columbia, Canada.
It is named after the pioneer Jose Gonzalos, a native of the Madeira Islands
Madeira ( ; ), offic ...
, Kleindale,
Irvines Landing, and Garden Bay, within the
Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD).
The harbour itself is an intricate amalgam of bays and coves that encroach inland for and provide over of shoreline. Once a vibrant
shíshálh village site,
, a fishing village, and an important logging and medical waypoint,
[http://www.penderharbourheritage.ca/about.html Pender Harbour Living Heritage Society] it is now home to a population of under 3,000, with over 40% of property owners being non-resident (one of them
Joni Mitchell
Roberta Joan Mitchell (née Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian and American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and painter. As one of the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitch ...
, since the early 1970s).
Tourism is an important part of the local economy. The area has an arts community and several annual music festivals. It hosts the second-oldest May Day celebration in British Columbia and the biggest and longest-running downhill
longboard race in Canada, Attack of Danger Bay.
Name origin
The name "Pender Harbour" was given in 1860 by
Captain G.H. Richards of the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
, in honour of
Daniel Pender. Pender arrived on the coast as second master of the survey vessel on 9 November 1857. He later served as master of the ''Plumper'' and the ''
Hecate
Hecate ( ; ) is a goddess in ancient Greek religion and mythology, most often shown holding a pair of torches, a key, or snakes, or accompanied by dogs, and in later periods depicted as three-formed or triple-bodied. She is variously associat ...
'', and commander of the ''
Beaver
Beavers (genus ''Castor'') are large, semiaquatic rodents of the Northern Hemisphere. There are two existing species: the North American beaver (''Castor canadensis'') and the Eurasian beaver (''C. fiber''). Beavers are the second-large ...
'' (hired from the Hudson's Bay Company for hydrographic work) from 1863–1870. He was subsequently an assistant at the Hydrographic Office in London from 1871–1884.
History
Prior to European contact, ''ḵalpilin'' (Pender Harbour) was one of the most populous and powerful regions in the
shíshálh ''swiya'' (world, "territory"). Several villages shared the well-protected home sites and productive harvest locations of the harbour, including ''sex̱wʔamin (Garden Bay), p’ukwp’akwem'' (Bargain Harbour)'', salalus'' (Madeira Park)'', smishalin'' (Kleindale), ''and kwayahkuhlohss'' (Myer’s Creek).
In political and economic terms, the village of ''sex̱wʔamin'', could be considered one of the most important residential locations of the
shíshálh Nation. It was a year-round village that, by virtue of its location, served as the gateway to transportation corridors on ''sinkwu'' (Georgia Strait and Malaspina Strait) and ''
lekw'emin'' (
Jervis Inlet) via
''lilkw'emin'' (Agamemnon Channel). Together with the village of ''klayahkwohss'' (Buccaneer Bay) on ''
sx̱welap''
(Thormanby Island) to the south, it also served as a primary location for winter dances and ceremonials.
With the increase in European settlement in ''ḵalpilin'' (Pender Harbour) during the early 20th century, many resident shíshálh were forced to move to ''sexaliten'' (Skardon Islands), the small islets at the harbour entrance with no access to fresh water.
See also
*
Francis Point Provincial Park
References
{{reflist
External links
Pender Harbour & District Chamber of Commerce
Populated places in the Sunshine Coast Regional District
Unincorporated settlements in British Columbia
Marinas in Canada
Transport buildings and structures in British Columbia