Our Collection

Browse our Artifacts

One of the most important things we do is preserve and share the artifacts and archival materials in our care. Although the museum cannot display everything in the collection due to space constraints, we make it accessible through a database known as eHive. Museums worldwide use eHive to catalogue and publish their collections online. As the Pender Islands Museum continues to catalogue and research its artifacts, you can explore what we have on the eHive database.

From our Archives

The museum also has a large number of historic photos available by request. We are always interested in collecting artifacts and records that tell the stories of what life was like on the Pender Islands. To donate items, please get in touch at pendermuseum@shaw.ca. Please click for our acquisition policy and our acquisition form here.

Some archival information related to Pender Island is kept at the provincial archives at the Royal BC Museum Royal BC Museum/Pender Islands

Pender Timeline

What was happening on Pender the year you were born? Find out by exploring the Pender timeline.

We’ve combed through books and archival records to put together a chronology of about 500 entries relating to significant events. In some cases, we’ve also added a relevant historical photo.

On the timeline you are able to filter according to keyword, year, or era. Check it out here.

Take a Closer Look: 5 Artifacts Worth Seeing

Interesting Artefacts at the Pender Island Museum on North Pender Island

sandstone carving indigenous Pender Island Museum

Since Time Immemorial

Archaeologists unearthed this sandstone whale carving on Pender Island in the mid-1980s. While the figure’s specific purpose is lost to time, we know it comes from a community dating back 5,000 years that created the earliest known expressions of Northwest Coast art.

wheel of fortune at Pender Islands Museum artifacts

A Lucky Spin at the Store

Shoppers at the Port Washington 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.

Antique Loom Pender Island Museum artifact

Lilias' Loom

Just after Lilias Spalding came to South Pender Island as a 19-year-old bride in 1889, she bought this loom. Inspiring wife, mother, school trustee, Post Mistress, and host to visitors, she wove a community together. Her enduring legacy lives on in her family and in this impressive artifact.

tin of lard Pender Islands Museum artifact

Off to School

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

butter cooler Pender Island Museum artifacts

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.