Your Support Matters
The Pender Islands Museum Society is a registered charity that relies entirely on volunteers, donations, memberships and fundraising. We appreciate your support in preserving and sharing our unique island heritage for years to come.
Do you want to help? We’re always looking for volunteers and donors!
Become a Member
Your annual membership sustains ongoing operations and supports funding
applications to granting organizations.
Become a Volunteer
Our museum is looking for volunteers. For more information on our current openings for volunteers, click on the title of the position that interests you.
Board Member
Leading has special rewards. Perhaps you are new to Pender, or you have deep roots on the islands. Either way, if you have skills and expertise to bring to the table and could take on a role that furthers our strategic plan, we’d love to hear from you. pendermuseum@shaw.ca
Host
We currently have a group of more than 20 volunteer hosts who welcome and share their knowledge with museum visitors during weekend open hours and at special events. Most hosts volunteer on their own or team up with another person to cover a 3-hour shift. Orientation and training is provided, and we match you with an experienced volunteer until you know the ropes. An annual recognition event provides an enjoyable time for volunteers to meet one another and the Board. pendermuseum@shaw.ca
Cataloguing the Collection
We’re looking for those who enjoy working behind the scenes on projects that make use of documentation and research skills. You’re keen to learn an easy-to-use database that’s connected to museum collections around the world. You have a steady hand for numbering artifacts and documents and keeping detailed records. And, you get excited about discovering stories that you may be the very first to know.
You won’t be starting from scratch. The museum first hired a student in 2014 to begin cataloguing the collection. Many items were photographed, described, and given a unique number. What didn’t happen consistently was permanently attaching that number to its matching artifact. An earlier, non-standard inventory had numbers attached with stickers, an approach we’re gradually and carefully undoing. Since 2017, summer museum assistants have spent time properly cataloguing and researching artifacts and records, and you’d be building on this important work.
Grant Application Coordinator
The museum is charting new directions involving major projects. If you have background in grant writing or knowledge of cultural granting organizations, please get in touch. pendermuseum@shaw.ca
Transcriber
The museum archive has a collection of memoirs, diaries, and interviews related to island history. Making them available to museum visitors in print is a first step, but the plan is to add them to the museum website in the future. If you have the time and interest to transcribe these original archival materials, we’d love to hear from you at pendermuseum@shaw.ca.
How to donate artifacts and archival materials
We really appreciate when people offer to donate artifacts, photos and printed material.
With very limited storage capacity and resources to catalogue, research and display things, the museum board established an Artifact Acquisition sub-committee in 2018. This team recommends to the Board whether or not an item should be accepted into the collection.
In general, if the item has a direct connection with or is unique to the Penders—and its story (provenance) is known—you can be assured of our interest. The age of the item is not always a key factor. For example, if someone were to come in with a set of discs and carrier from the Disc Golf Course in the 1980s, we’d be keen to preserve such an interesting artifact.
Our archival collection is constantly growing and we have recently improved the care and storage of our archival materials. If you are not sure you want to donate original old photos or records, we have the option of creating good quality scans.
Follow the links for more information on our:
Gifts and Bequests
Ensuring the museum continues to engage future generations, please consider the museum in your annual giving and estate planning. As a registered charity, the Pender Islands Museum Society provides charitable tax deductions for donations and can assist with memorial beqests. pendermuseum@shaw.ca
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
Or call 1.250.629.6935
(during open hours only)