Pender island museum colour logo
Pender island museum colour logo

This is the most welcoming museum we have ever visited.

— Tomoko K.

A Great Little Museum

This is the most welcoming museum we have ever visited.

— Tomoko K.

The Pender Islands Museum on SDÁ,YES

We acknowledge and respect the W̱SÁNEĆ People on whose traditional territory the museum stands and whose historical relationships with the land continue to this day. Those lands include SDÁ,YES—known in English as Pender Island. 

We love sharing the stories that bring our rich island heritage to life. Our museum is located in an historic house and features the stories of the people who have called these islands home since time immemorial.

Pender Islands Museum now open weekends 1-4 pm

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It’s spring at the Pender Islands Museum on SDÁ,YES. Enjoy all we have to offer: museum displays in the historic Roe House; picnics in the 1908 orchard; views from our beautiful waterfront location in the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve; and, friendly volunteers ready to share stories of island life through time.

Admission by donation. $5/person or $20/family suggested.

Take a Closer Look: 4 Artifacts Worth Seeing

Whale sm

Since Time Immemorial

Archaeologists unearthed this sandstone whale carving on SDÁ,YES in the mid-1980s. While the figure’s specific purpose is lost to time, we know it comes from an ancient Indigenous community that created the earliest known expressions of Northwest Coast art.

A Lucky Spin at the Store

Shoppers at the Port Washington General Store eagerly awaited the pre-Christmas spin of the old bike wheel in hopes it would land on their ticket number. The prize? Bags of groceries valued according to the 5, 10 or 15-cent ticket cost. The festive tradition endured for over 50 years.

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Off to School

A 5-pound tin of lard—rendered pig fat—was standard fare in settler kitchens. Once empty and cleaned, the tin went on to a whole new life, most often as a lunch pail for Pender school kids.

Cool, eh?

Keeping food cool was a challenge on an island without refrigeration before the introduction of electricity in 1956. Enter this ingenious butter keeper. Immersed in water, the clay absorbs moisture. As the water evaporates, the butter inside stays at or below room temperature.

Claypot

Open Times

  • Easter thru Victoria Day, Sat, Sun & holiday Mondays 1-4
  • Victoria Day to end June, Sat, Sun, & Holiday Mondays, 10-4
  • July & August Fri – Sun + Holidays 10-4
  • Labour Day to October 13: Sat, Sun & Holiday Mondays 1-4
  • To arrange a visit outside of regular open times, please call 250.217.0823 or email 
    pendermuseum@shaw.ca

Admission

Admission to the museum is by donation. ($5/person or $20/family suggested)

Group visits (summer camps, large family groups, tour groups): $10/person for guided tour and special programs.

Location & Email

2408 South Otter Bay Road
Pender Island, V0N 2M1

pendermuseum@shaw.ca

Or call 1.250.629.6935 
(during open hours only)

Visit Us on Facebook

Pender Islands Museum PagePender Islands Old School GroupPender Islands Museum Group