Pender Islands Museum - Historic Places Days

Pender Islands Museum

Pender Island, British Columbia
Type
House Museum/Homestead
Address
2408 S Otter Bay Rd, Pender Island, BC V0N 2M1, Canada
Get directions
Hours
Thursday-Sunday, 10am - 4pm
Phone
1.250.629.6935

Our vision is to be a “great little museum” that serves our vibrant island community and its many visitors by telling local stories that connect past and present. We do this by preserving and interpreting and historic farm-resort homestead and our collection of local artifacts and archives. The museum building—a 1908 farm-resort homestead—is leased from Parks Canada and surrounded by the beautiful Gulf Islands National Park Reserve.

The Pender Islands Museum Society, established in 1986, operates the museum. For almost 20 years, the society worked to preserve heritage resources while seeking a permanent home. In 2003 the society accepted an offer from Parks Canada to lease the old Roe House. It took two years of tremendous volunteer support to rescue the building from near-collapse and restore it for public use. The dream for a permanent museum became reality at its official opening on July 16, 2005.

Learn more about our vision & mission

Amenities

  • Educational Institution
  • Family-Friendly
  • Parking
  • Parkland
  • Pet-Friendly
  • Washrooms
  • Wheelchair Access

Fun Facts

The museum is located in the Roe House, which is part of an original Pender homestead. Robert and Margaret Roe, three sons and one daughter emigrated from Scotland to Victoria, BC in 1896 and came to Pender a few years later. In 1906 they bought over 600 acres of virgin land on Otter Bay and began the hard work of clearing 30 acres for their farm, which they named Roesland. Bert Roe remembered years later that at the age of 12:

We had to fight our way ashore through the interlocking branches of the trees.

Bert Roe

The family built their permanent home in 1908, a “kit” house ordered from a Vancouver Island lumber company. All the pre-cut lumber was delivered to Roesland by barge and put together on its log base in about a week. Total cost for the three-bedroom house: $538.66.

In 1912, the Roes casually rented out their original cabin to vacationers. Its popularity suggested a new business venture. By 1917, Roesland was billing itself as a farm-resort, eventually expanding to some 15 cottages under the banner of Roesland Resort. Many families returned year after year.

Bert and his wife Irene married in 1927 and built their own home on the property. (It had to be demolished in 2003.) They expanded and diversified the farm and resort business, and by 1935, the farmhouse had become a hall for guests to enjoy games, music and reading. In 1971, the property was sold to David and Florence Davidson. They continued the warm, hospitable and family nature of the resort until it closed in 1991. Roesland was transferred to the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve lands in 2003.

 

Events At This Place

20th Anniversary

Pender Islands Museum

17 - 20 July, 2025 | 10-4

Location

2408 S Otter Bay Rd, Pender Island, BC V0N 2M1, Canada
Get directions

Nearby Places

Duncan Train Station

Duncan, British Columbia
The Duncan Train Station, built 1912, has been given federal heritage building status.
View Place | Get Directions

Old Hillcrest Chinese Cemetery

Duncan, British Columbia
Provincial Historic Site that serves as a resting place for 127 Chinese Canadians.
View Place | Get Directions

London Heritage Farm

Richmond, British Columbia
Stroll through the beautifully kept gardens of this four-acre historical site.
View Place | Get Directions

Register A Place

Create an account to add your historic place.

Make a VisitList

Welcome! To get started on a VisitList, you’ll need to have an account with #HistoricPlacesDays.


Already have an account? to sign in.
We use your contact information to process your registration and correspond with you about the National Trust and its programs. You can unsubscribe at any time. We care about your privacy. Read our privacy statement.

Sign In

Sites that participate in #HistoricPlacesDays need to have an account.

Welcome! To get started on a new VisitList or to edit an existing one, you’ll need to have an account with #HistoricPlacesDays. Sign in below!


Not registered? Click here to create an account.

Forgot Password

Enter your email address to request a password reset.


to sign in.

Get the latest scoop on everything #HistoricPlacesDays – join our e-newsletter and never miss a beat.