Time Line

The Islands Trust introduces zoning and official community planning to the Gulf Islands.

Florence and Dave Davidson build their own home at Roesland, now the headquarters of the Gulf Islands National Park. The house takes three years to complete.

The Islands Trust Act is proclaimed on June 5th by an NDP dominated BC Legislature to control development in the Gulf Islands. It is inspired in part by the large 1,200 plus city-lot sized Magic Lake Estates subdivision on Pender. Many heated community meetings ensue due to divided interests of natural protection vs. long-time residents' desire to conduct their affairs without government interference.

The Otter Cove Lodge changes ownership and is re-named Pender Lodge. It houses the Eagles Nest Restaurant.

The North Pender Fire Protection Service is established.

The Pender Islands Lions Club, dedicated to community support by volunteers, receives its Charter on June 15th with Wally Cunliffe as the first president.

The first Pender Post monthly newsletter is published using a hand-cranked Gestetner copier, now in the museum. The original copier was replaced by an electric one in 1975.

The Pender Island Recreation and Agricultural Hall Association (PIRAHA) becomes a non-profit society. The association supports recreational endeavours of all kinds. Part of its objective at that time was to create a Community Hall for the Pender Islands.

Aubrey Rundle-Woolcock moves to Pender Island with his wife Irene when he obtains a teaching position at the Pender Island School, a two room school in the building that later becomes the Nu-To-Yu. He retires in 1983.

Florence and David Davidson take over the running of the Roesland Farm Resort at the request of their long time friends, Bert and Irene Roe. It takes three years for Dave to get the resort back in shape after some neglect during Bert's latter years.

The establishment of marinas at Otter Bay and Port Browning begins.

The Lynds sell Beautyrest Lodge after 27 years of operation. The new owners re-name it Otter Cove Lodge, 'Your away-from-it-all paradise'.

Bert Roe dies at the age of 75 in October. The operation of the Roesland farm resort is passed on to David and Florence Davidson. Irene, Bert's wife, continues to live in the house that Bert built in the late 1920s. She dies in 1990 and forgives the residual balance of the Davidsons purchase of half interest in Lot 87 of Roesland, the main part of the property. The Davidsons could not afford to purchase the land outright.

Seven Pender Island pioneers receive a Canadian Centennial Medal at a presentation by Lt. Gov. Hon. George Pearkes, on September 3rd at Waterlea.

The Hope Bay Community Hall, built in 1910, is razed and the lumber is recovered by the Hope Bay Bible Camp for a cost of $25.

Portland Island is gifted back to the Province of BC by Princess Margaret, who received it as a gift nine years earlier. It is then named Princess Margaret Island and Park in her honour.

The ferry 'Cy Peck' is sold to J.H. Todd and Sons, of Vancouver, and is used as a supply store for west coast fishermen.

The Mayne Queen ferry is built.

The ferry 'Cy Peck' falls into the hands of BC Ferries and is put on the Tsawwassen-Gulf Islands route.

The Queen of Nanaimo ferry is built.

Victor Menzies pays Ashton Ross-Smith $50 for an abandoned farm house. He demolishes it for lumber for the Hope Bay Bible Camp.

The ferry 'Cy Peck' is sold to the B.C. Toll Highways Authority by the Gulf Island Ferry Company. It runs between Swartz Bay and Fulford Harbour.

The BC Ferry system serves the Penders.

A Pender school paper entitled 'The Earlybird' is organized by Garry Robinson, one of the teachers. The first annual Pender Island School Fun Day and Open House is held on Wednesday June 28th.

"A Gulf Islands Patchwork" is published by the B.C. Historical Association. It contains the memoirs of early island residents.

The B.C. Toll Authority is formed by the provincial government to handle ferry service in BC. The name is later changed to B.C. Ferries Corp., a Crown corporation.

After receiving his pilot licence with 30 hours of flying time, Earl Hastings lands his 1948 Stinson high-winged 'tail dagger' plane on Pender Island, on a rough strip in a field on the Webber property where the Community Hall is now. He later improves the landing striping with the help of Ernie Shoals, but after a near disastrous landing there the same year, Earl buys the land south of Liberto Road from Nick Liberto. He clears it of trees and grades an airstrip which makes for safer landings.

Years later, Earl's hanger was home to a 1941 open cockpit WACO biplane owned by Bob George, former Hope Bay store proprietor turned cattle rancher. The plane was built in the US as a trainer for fledgling pilots and it also saw duty as a crop duster before Bob purchased it in 1973. It had a McCauley solid steel prop and a 220hp Continental engine. During its life, the plane saw some near misses. Bob once landed upside down in Chehalis, Washington. A second near miss happened as the Georges were returning from a pleasant picnic on the beach at Flores Island. And while flying over Ladner once, a 9 inch piece of the aluminum prop cracked off. A few scratches and scuffs later, both Bob and his beloved WACO survived. (Note: This information was sourced from a conversation with Earl Hastings in 1999. Earl owned land formerly owned by Hugh Hamilton and the Brackett family at Port Browning. The airstrip Earl cleared is now being used for agricultural purposes by new owners. However, the heli-pad at the east end of the former airstrip is still being used for medical emergencies.)

The Alexander Hamilton house, 'The Knolls', is dismantled. It was built in 1900 at Port Browning.

Premier W.A.C. Bennett announces on July 18 that the British Columbia Ferry Authority will take over the mandate of providing passenger and car ferry service in BC.

The first professional archeological excavation is carried out at the canal by the BC Provincial Museum. They sink two test pits on the principle middens north and south of the bridge.

The 1898 settler home of the Brackett family at Port Browning is torn down.

Cecily Reynolds unearths a cannon ball, most likely fired from a smooth barrelled 68 pounder cannon of the Royal Navy sometime in the last half of the 19th century.

Canal Road is completed and the bridge over the canal is officially opened on June 1st by Minister of Highways Phil Gaglardi.

The Saltery in Hayashi Cove (now called Otter Bay) is destroyed by fire.

Flush toilets are installed at the school on North Pender after the outhouse burns down. Gas heating is also added to the classroom.

Waterlea ceases to be a resort and becomes a private residence once again.

The ferry 'Island Princess' is running between Steveston on the mainland and the Gulf Islands. The Island Princess later became the ferry the Cy Peck.

Dr. Aldridge passes away (see 1915).

Albert Hugh Menzies dies at age 93.

The resort at Roesland now includes a total of 17 cabins for summer rental. Farming is discontinued.

Frank Calder becomes the first First Nations person to be elected to the BC Legislative Assembly.

Mrs. D.E. Grimmer is the school teacher for an annual salary of $1,640. The janitor is paid $47 a month, or $470 for the year.

The federal government repeals a section of the Domain Elections Act, thereby giving Asian Canadians the right to vote.

In June, the Grosvenor House Hotel at Port Washington is destroyed by fire.

The Pender Island branch of the Royal Canadian Legion receives the Dominion Command Charter. The Legion Hall is located on MacKinnon Road, west of the ferry terminal.

The Pender Island Golf and Country Club is incorporated as a society. With the exception of a brief hiatus during World War II, the course has run continuously. From the beginning, member volunteers have played a major part in the upkeep and development of the golf course.

R.S.W. Corbett of the Hope Bay Store dies.

The Saltery in Hayashi Cove (now called Otter Bay) is confiscated from the Japanese owners and operates during WWll as a cannery.

Mille Fleurs is sold to Mr. and Mrs. Wallace Lynd, who open it as Beautyrest Lodge the next year. It is named after the mattresses with which it is equipped.

Florence Davidson visits Roesland.