Pender Islands Historical Timeline

Canadian Northern Pacific railway inaugurates a new Gulf Island ferry service from Sidney with the steamer S.S. Joan.

The S.S. Iroquois sinks in a squall off Sidney, drowning 21 people, including 38-year-old former school Pender school teacher Fanny (née Lawson) Hooson and her youngest son, Evan. Her body is never recovered.

The first telephone service is established on Pender, with lines strung on shoreline trees.

“Waterlea” is built by John MacKinnon at the west end of what is now MacKinnon Road.

The Port Washington Store is opened by Spencer Percival.

A community hall is built at Hope Bay overlooking the Corbett Store.

Wilfred and Godfrey Walker arrive from England to South Pender Island, purchase land on Plumper Sound, build a log cabin, and begin a chicken farm. (The cabin still stands.)

The S.S. Iroquois capsizes at Nanaimo, is righted, and put back into service, including the Pender Islands.

The Roe family builds a “kit“ house at Roesland (now the Pender Islands Museum) which is delivered by barge and assembled for a material cost of $538.66.

Arthur Spalding and a crew build a new road from the valley to the Bedwell Harbour wharf, replacing the very steep Ox Trail. Today’s road follows the same route.

The first wedding on Pender takes place when Howard Harris marries Clara Menzies. They build their home at Hope Bay near the Harris brothers sawmill.

The Presbyterian Church (today’s Community Church) is built at a cost of $1,000 above Hope Bay.

R.S.W. Corbett opens a Post Office and an expanded general store at Hope Bay.

The naval survey ship H.M.S. Egeria lands a party to record the tides in Bedwell Harbour. They carve a benchmark into the cliff face near present-day Poets Cove Resort. Their small shed later becomes the post office.

The Roe family buys 640+ acres on the south side of Otter Bay and establishes “Roesland Farm.”

A cemetery is established on one acre of land donated by Rutherford Hope.

The Presbyterian Church appoints its first ordained minister, Rev. James McMillan.

John MacKinnon purchases 160 acres from Mr. S. Hayashi on Otter Bay.

Excavation of a canal through the former portage across the Pender isthmus is completed, separating North and South Pender Islands.

R.S.W. Corbett opens the first general store at Hope Bay.

The Port Washington Post Office is moved into the new Hope Bay Store.

Washington and Elizabeth Grimmer sell their house and 160 acres at Port Washington to Spencer and Annie Percival, who call it “Sunny Side Ranch.”

The Brackett barn on Razor Point Road is built (still standing).

A new school (now the Nu-to-Yu) is built by David Menzies near Hope Bay.

R.S.W. and Isabella Corbett purchase 160 acres near Hope Bay and build a house, still standing on Corbett Road.