History of Pender Harbour
British Columbia, Canada

Like many areas in British Columbia the history of Pender Harbour is heavily influenced by the First Nation people who roamed the Sunshine Coast landscape hundreds of years prior to the arrival of the Europeans. Legend states that the Sechelt First Nation people used the mountain peak on nearby Mt Daniel and Pender Hill as scouting lookouts scanning for any approaching threats to their villages.

The landscape was first recorded by Captain George Vancouver in 1792 and he was the first to discover the protected bay of Pender Harbour. In 1880 Charlie Irvine put up stakes in Irvines Landing on the north end of the harbour. Soon later a hotel, post office, general store and a dogfish oilery and herring processing plant were in operation. Transportation at the time was still all by water as there were no roads.

In 1930, St Mary's Hospital was constructed in Garden Bay only to be transformed later to what is, today, the Sundowner Inn in 1964. It was not until the1930's that a dirt road was developed from Sechelt to Pender Harbour. It was paved in 1950's.

The top of Mount Daniel also was said to be referred to as "Kwiss Cham" by the local Sechelt First Nation people. It was this peak, "Kwiss Cham", that young maidens made their ceremonial rituals celebrating a "rite of passage" of puberty. Stones were laid in a large circle representing the moon. Legends say as night fell a ceremony would take place and each maiden would hold and caress every rock, as if talking to the moon, leaving a large circle of small rocks or 'Moon Rings' behind. A ritual of lunar cycles.

You may find remnants of "moon rings" on your hike. Although many have been altered, which is a shame. Please do not disturb, this special historical BC place as the summit and the waterfront native cemetery are both protected archaeological sites.

History also tells us the Sechelt Fist Nation people used Pender Hill as a look out for scouting out any threats that could be coming around the corner into the harbour. The area was said to be the preferred look out point because it gave a better perspective of the "comings and goings" of Pender Harbour.