Room 208 -
Welcome to the Pender Island Room

Pender Island was dis-covered by Francisco-Eliza, commandant at Nootka, circa 1791, and the island went by the name of Sayas or San Eusbio, depend-ing on the map. Finally in November 1857, it was named after Captain Daniel Pender R.N. of the H.M.C.S. Plumper, a surveying vessel. Pender Island, north and south, was once joined by an isthmus. In 1911, a channel was dug through the isthmus to allow boats to pass. From then until 1955, when a bridge was built across the channel, the islands remained separate, each developing their own character.

Since 1955, and the building of the bridge, Pender has once again been regarded as one island. Locally there is a bit of rivalry between the north and south island residents. North and South Pender together have a land mass of 34 square kilometers, and a combined population of about 2000.

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