The Pender Islands Handbook

Those businesses mentioned in this book are urged to submit changes here.

Updates as of  May 1, 2008

See the Pender Links & Info page for current Pender information such as a local events calendar and links to restaurants, accommodations, and other helpful locations....

THE MAJOR CHANGES ARE (see detail under appropriate chapters below):
Change in Pender TAXI service to Pender Island Cab Co. 629.2222
Sound Passage Adventures closed.   No more dive shop on Pender.  Poets Cruise has opened which offers many of the same activities. 629.2116.
Magic Lake Market closed. In its place is Medicine Beach Market, a convenience mart, open every day 9am to 11pm.  See below.  The Port Browning Liquor Store has opened a second store in this building. 

Chapter 2  Introduction
Page 14   A new web site, www.thievesbay.com provides information about Magic Lake Estates Property Owners Association and their private Thieves Bay Marina.

Chapter 3  Transportation
Page 20.BC Ferries now requires arrival 40 minutes prior to sailing to claim reservations for       Tsawwassen departures to Pender Island (still 30 minutes advance on the return) .
Pages 22 & 45
NOTE CHANGE IN PENDER TAXI SERVICE TO:  Pender Island Cab Co.
Call 629.2222 7am-1am for bookings.  Rates are $5.50 trip fee + $1.65/km + GST,                       
(Approx. $35 from ferry terminal to Poets Cove or $14.50 to Driftwood Centre.)

Page 30  Ferry fares between Tsawwassen and Pender Island as of April 2008:
Refers to undersize vehicles and adult passengers. See www.bcferries.com for other categories.
Tsawwassen to Pender Island, One Way:

June 27-Sept 7  Vehicle: $51.40; Adult driver/passenger: $14.05 ($79.50 for 2 persons)
Rest of Year Weekdays: Vehicle $44.35, driver/passenger:  $13.75 ($71.85 for 2)
Rest of year Weekends: Vehicle $51.40, driver/passenger:  $13.75 $78.90 for 2)
Pender Island to Tsawwassen, One Way:
June 27-Sept 7  Vehicle: $28.60 Adult driver/passenger:$7.25 ($43.10 for 2 persons)
Rest of Year Weekdays: Vehicle $18.85, driver/passenger:  $6.95 ($32.75 for 2)
Rest of year Weekends: Vehicle $28.60, driver/passenger: $6.95 ($42.50 2)
Round Trip Totals:
June 27-Sept 7  Vehicle: $80 Adult driver/passenger: $21.30 ($122.60 for 2 persons)
Rest of Year Weekdays: Vehicle $63.20, driver/passenger:  $20.70 ($104.60  for 2)
Rest of year Weekends: Vehicle $80, driver/passenger: $20.70 ($121.40 for 2)

Page 34    The Swartz Bay u-turn lane near the terminal has closed.  Use the Wain Rd exit u-turn route for ferry transfers. A new u-turn may or may not be constructed, the decision to be made at a later date.  A new line-up area for the Gulf Islands ferry routes has been constructed, just in front of the old area.  The lane numbers have changed. There is still a bike entrance as before, although the location has moved down the road a bit.
Page 34.  From Swartz Bay to Butchart Gardens, the new bus route 81 saves time.
Page 36  For Victoria Hotels, check www.tripadvisor.com for reviews and recommendations.

Page 37 Ferry fares between Swartz Bay and Pender Island as of April 2008: 
Refers to undersize vehicles and adult passengers. See www.bcferries.com for other categories.

All fares are return (round trip):
June 27-Sept 7  $31.35 vehicle; $9.35 per driver/passenger ($50.05 for two persons)
Rest of year: $27.75 vehicle; $9 per driver/passenger ($45.75 for two)
Prepaid tickets (10): All year: $19.30 vehicle only, $6.10 driver/passenger , ($31.50 for two) Increase is 26% since 2006.

NOTICE: THERE IS A NEW PRE-PAID DEBIT CARD SYSTEM REPLACING THE PAPER TICKETS. EXCHANGE YOUR PAPER TICKETS THROUGH MAY 31, 2008 TO RECEIVE TODAY'S VALUE OF THE TICKETS. AFTER THAT YOU WILL ONLY RECEIVE THE VALUE OF WHAT YOU BOUGHT THEM FOR.

Page 45  Pender Car Rental:  Poets Cove guests may be able to rent vans $15/hr to $80/day incl.fuel.

Chapter 4  Accommodations Guide
See the Pender Links & Info page for links to the current accomodations that have web sites.

Page 48  Sun Raven now offers medicine wheel teaching and ceremonies, Shamanic                  drumming journeys, and creative visualization and healing drum making                                         workshops.  Available to general public.  No longer a B&B.
Page 49 Beauty Rest By the Sea has closed.
Page 50 Eatonten House is under new management.  Same contact info.
Page 51 Betty’s B&B has closed. Penny Tomlin now runs it as Reflections 629.3664.
Page 53 Cedar Cottage was open for summer 2007 but is no longer affiliated with a taxi company as stated in the book. 
Page 54 Sahhali B&B is under new mgt. New phones:1.888.SAHHALI, 629.3756
Page 56 Whalepointe B&B has closed.
Page 56 Gulf Island Vacation Rentals (GIVR) was acquired by Platinum Vacation Rentals.          Phone: 1.866.595.8989.  Online contact for Pender is still through GIVR's website, however.

Chapter 5  Dining Guide
See the Pender Links & Info page for restaurant list with phone # and web sites.

Page 61  Hope Bay Cafe no longer offers lunch menu at dinner.  Entrees are now a la carte.
The ice cream shop is now also a small fish market.
Page 65 MAGIC LAKE MARKET HAS CLOSED. and replaced with MEDICINE BEACH MARKET (a convenience store).  The building has been refurbished by the new owner and the new incarnation is a scaled down version of the old market with no produce or a lot of the other items carried by that store. Expect cold drinks, ice cream, snacks, coffee, dairy, convenience items, DVD rental, spa supplies, trash collection.
Medicine Beach Liquor Store
is also open here, 629.2024
Page 68 The MacDonald Farm Store, 4415 Bedwell Harbour Road: Fresh lamb, wool products, produce, and original art. Open Tuesday 2-5, Friday and Saturday from 10-2 or call 629-3817 or 3819.
Page 70 The Medicine Beach Liquor Store is now open at the corner of Aldridge Rd and Schooner Way, 629.2024.

Chapter 6  Shopping & Services Guide

Southridge Farms Country Store has opened a Pet & Feed Barn that sells farm feeds, pet supplies and wild & domestic bird seed, 3327 Port Washington Rd,  629.2051.

Various pages: Shopping Off-Island:  In Langford, Attree Road was renamed to Langford            Parkway, and Canwest Mall is now Westshore Town Centre.  A new Rona home improvement store has opened at its corner with Goldstream, and Ashley Furniture outlet down the road.  Across from the Home Depot on Millstream is a new centre with  Michael's, Pier 1 Imports, Petsmart and A&B Sound . Both local United Furniture Warehouse stores have closed, replaced by The Brick in Central Saanich and The Brick's Clearance Centre on Douglas. The Brick's downtown Victoria location moved to Westshore Town Centre in Langford.
Page 84 Trash Collection: Another home pickup service is Pender Island Waste Management 629.6690 or 2042 or see clerk at Medicine Beach Market for their drop-off service for $5/bag. Another dropoff is Sundays in front of Driftwood for $5/bag.  
Page 87  Internet Access:  Pender Island Public Library now also has a free wifi hotspot and       free Internet access computers.
Island View Business Centre at Hope Bay Store has 1 terminal for $4/hr, 629.3432.

Chapter 7  Wedding Guide
Page 92   Morning Bay Vineyard is now available as a wedding venue.  See book P71.
New party rental/event planning service: Colour & Comfort Decor, Margie Berringer, 629-6776.
Pages 94-95   Current marriage commissioner Wendy Hacking is enthusiastic and versatile, also open to & experienced with same-sex weddings.
Same-sex marriage
is here to stay, as the Conservatives were unsuccessful in re-opening the issue (7 Dec 2006). Pender Island has become a popular place for this.
Page 96   www.gayguide.net  now links to Pender Island through this website.

Chapter 8 Nearby Attractions Off-Island
Page 97Sound Passage Adventures has closed.  Try Poets Cruise for excursions and water taxi to Sidney, 629.2116.  Saturna's Island Discovery Tours picks up at Hope Bay 539-3211.
Page 99  Victoria boating/Symphony Splash: New public dock for launching soutinheast of             Selkirk Trestle, accessed near end of Tyee.  Small boat rentals at Island Boat Rentals.
Page 100 
Dining Out Sidney: Japanese Gdn closed, now excellent Sabhai thai 655.4085.
Page 101  Kiplings at the Fairmont Empress hotel has closed.
 More recommended foods from Asia:  Le Petit Saigon, Pho Vy on Fort near Blanshard, Bahn Thai on Blanshard near Fort.

Chapter 9 Recreation Guide

Pages 111 
Tennis. Correction: An informal group, not a club, meets Mon-Wed-Fri morningsat the Magic Lake Estates courts.  Visitors are welcome (a small fee ischarged for those without an annual pass). See www.thievesbay.com for information on the courts.

Chapter 10  Golfing Guide
See the Pender Links & Info page for info on events  which indicate when the course is NOT open to the general public.

Chapter 12  Coastal Access & Hiking Guide - North Pender
Misc. Pages: The outhouse planned for Shingle Bay Park (49) in 2006 is delayed indefinitely.
Pages 137, 142: References to Stribley's Pottery.  Sadly, Mr. Stribley passed away in 2005 and the gallery is closed.  Also refers to Chapter 18, Page 312.

Pages140,141 The Found Road Trail (11) is closed until further notice due to construction. This impacts the Ocean Loop Hike (12) that uses the Found Road Ocean Access.

Chapter 13  Coastal Access & Hiking Guide - South Pender
Page 189. Castle Road Trail (89): The Pender Parks portion of Castle Road Trail ends prior to
the peak of the hill.  Pender Parks has placed an End of Trail sign to indicate this                     until an agreement is made with the property owner, which at time of writing is unlikely.                 Without the reward of that viewpoint, the rating of this trail drops to 5. (Also: refers to                     Birdwatching reference, page 294.)
Page: Various: Trails 82 & 84, Map 7: The popular Beaumont peninsula/isthmus is closed for    regeneration of vegetation, and picnic tables have been removed.

Chapter 15  Boating Guide
Page 233 Wharfinger Change, Port Browning Dock:  Claude Kennedy, 250.881.2019 (cell)
The Ports Manager, Al Canon has retired and replaced by Pete Williams.
Page 234 New web site, www.thievesbay.com contains a schematic of the marina, as well as summaries of rules, regulations & procedures, equipment swap, and photo gallery. Note that boat size limit is actually 36' x 12'.
Page 243 Kayak Pender Island no longer offers tours out of Poets Cove, just Otter  Bay.

Page 248 2008 Salmon schedule per http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/recfish/Tidal/area18_e.htm

 Species Minimum Size, cm
 Daily Limit
 Possess Limit
 Annual Limit
 Season Open
Gear Permitted 
 Chinook622
4
15
All Year
Hook & Line
 Chum304
8
 N/AAll Year
Hook & LIne
 Hatchery Coho
302
4
 N/AJune 1 -
Dec 31
Hook& LIne
 Pink30 48
 N/AAll Year
Hook & Line
 Sockeye30 TBD
 TBDN/A
All Year
Hook & Line

TBD= To be determined; N/A Not Applicable
The combined daily limit for all species of Pacific salmon from tidal waters is 4. Coastwide daily limit for chinook is 2. Aggregate daily limit for all species of Pacific salmon from tidal and non-tidal waters combined is 4. 
See the website link for other fishing notices.

Page 250Diving: Sound Passage Adventures has closed, and there is no longer a dive shop on Pender Island. The closest is Liquid Heaven 103-2537 Beacon Ave Sidney, 250. 655.4611

Chapter 16   Arts & Events

See the Pender Links & Info   page for upcoming events.

Page 268Wildart Gallery is closed.
Page 269 Windover Studios is no longer open to the general public.
The Buttonlady’s Gallery encourages visitors most days 10-5 at 3733 Frigate Rd.,        629.6205. Handmade ceramic buttons, original art, etc.  Other galleries also offer                         similar invitations in the latest Pender Island Artists Guide.
Page 270For 2008 Mae & Lester's Red Cedar Songwriting camp is June 19-23.
Gulf Islands Concert Series for 2008-2009:  Exact schedule pending
Page 272  Writers: Cherie Thiessen is a gifted travel writer for newspapers and magazines.       
Sheila Jordan has moved to Salt Spring Island.

Chapter 17  Natural Environment
Page 277  Climate  A record high temperature for Pender on July 11,  2007 was 35C (95F).
Page 279  What's Up, Doc? I have received unconfirmed reports of bunnies hopping around South Pender Island.  I invite readers to confirm or deny this. Meanwhile, Norway Rats are proliferating on portions of North Pender. Don't leave any pet or other food outside.
Page 283  Orca Update:  Three young adult whales are missing and may be dead, including K28, a 12-year-old mother (who had a calf, K39), L43, a 34-year old mother of three, and L71, a 20-year old male.  Newborn K39 is missing as well. This sad situation would reduce the local population to 86.  See www.orcanetwork.org for further information.  May 2007:  A new calf (J42) has been spotted bringing the current Southern Resident orca count to 87.
Sept 2007:  Since mid-July the orcas stopped making their almost-daily journey up the North Pender coast. They have  been seen here occasionally, but mostly south of Pender.
Page 294  The new birdwatching guide Birds of Southern British Columbia by Richard Cannings et al (2005, Heritage House)  has good photos & bird descriptions.

Chapter 18 Living on Pender
Page 314Dr. Mike Hudson has left Pender Island. Call clinic for revised schedules.
Page 318The Gulf Islands 24-hour Crisis Line, 1.877.435.7544, is the contact for women's support services and the Salt Spring Island Transition House for battered women.