“”Pender Harbour is a large, multi-inleted bay on British Columbia's Sunshine Coast, on the east side of Malaspina Strait.[1] Once a steamer stop, a fishing village and an important logging and medical waypoint,[2] it is now an unincorporated community within the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD).
Pender Harbour consists of the smaller communities of Madeira Park, Garden Bay, Irvine's Landing and Kleindale. Tourism forms an important part of the local economy, as Pender Harbour offers many outdoor recreational opportunities. Annual festivals popular with locals and visitors alike include May Day (the second oldest May Day celebration in B.C.) [2] and the Pender Harbour Jazz Festival. It is also home to the biggest and longest running downhill longboard race in Canada, Attack of Danger Bay.
Pender Harbour has several beautiful lakes, including Sakinaw Lake, Ruby Lake, Garden Bay Lake, Katherine Lake and Mixal Lake. It is a popular area for swimming, fishing, canoeing and other lake activities.
Named in 1860 by Captain G.H. Richards, RN, after Daniel Pender, RN ( - 1891). Pender arrived on this coast as second master of the survey vessel Plumper, 9 November 1857; served as master of the Plumper and the Hecate; commander of the Beaver (hired from Hudson's Bay Company for hydrographic work), 1863-70; assistant, Hydrographic Office, London, 1871-84.......[3]