What the Brochures
Don’t Tell You
This page is devoted to the downside of living here. It’s easy to fall in love with Pender Harbour, to imagine an idyllic lifestyle here, but we suggest you do some homework before making the Big Move.
Okay, these are the absolute worst, downright nastiest things about living in Pender Harbour but, if you can do without a 4 a.m. Starbucks latte and a few other inconveniences, you’ll love it here. If not... well, maybe you’re better off where you are.
Health Care
Doctors see patients in office space rented from the Pender Harbour Health Centre, but your doctor may only be in Pender one day a week.
The nearest hospital and emergency room is in Sechelt, a half-hour drive. A trip to Vancouver may be required for specialist appointments and some surgical procedures, but your ferry fare will be free.
These facts should be considered by anyone experiencing or facing serious health problems.
Also see Area Info> Health and Business Directory> Health.
Wildlife
As wonderful as is our wildlife, it’s not always easy to share territory with bears, coyotes, raccoons and rats.
Be prepared to keep your garbage indoors or in a strong, sealed container, keep your outdoor barbecue fastidiously clean, rethink bird-feeders and pick any ripe fruit because all these things attract bears, raccoons and rats. If you have visions of a lush, rural garden, be prepared to fence it or give it up to deer and elk.
Also see Area Info> Nature> Wildlife.
Power
BC Hydro and the Midway Power Line crews are great, but our winter windstorms can result in power outages that can last for days. Yes, days.
We’ve learned to stock up on candles, batteries, food that doesn’t need to be cooked and good books. A generator or “gen set” is a smelly, noisy thing that allows you to stay warm, watch television and cook dinner until the power comes back on.
Also see Area Info> Infrastructure> Electricity and Winter> Power Outages.
Shopping & Business
With no all-night convenience stores, living here takes a tad more day-to-day planning— you can’t just pop out to the 7-11 at midnight for a litre of milk. On holiday weekends, stock up your groceries in advance. The tourist population is unpredictable and can unexpectedly arrive to buy all the fresh produce and steaks in Pender Harbour by noon Saturday.
Be aware of “Pender Harbour time,” that infuriating, frustrating, hair-pullingly maddening concept of local service. Add an hour, a week or even a month to a project, depending on its complexity. It’s not that locals are lazy and lack a good work ethic— just the opposite, they’ll go above and beyond Vancouver-style business service. But, behind the scenes, they’re dealing with parts and equipment delivery by an often-unreliable bus and ferry system, spotty internet service, power outages, various bureaucracies without local offices, staff problems and other challenges that don’t exist in larger centres.
Yes, stuff is cheaper at Wal-Mart. Get over it. Your money spent here helps support the whole community by providing jobs, donations to local organizations and further local spending (for you bean-counters out there, it’s called the “Multiplier Effect”). Most important, if you don’t support a local retailer or service business, you risk losing it altogether.
Also see Business Directory and Pender Harbour Online Bookstore.
Bright Lights
We don’t roll up the sidewalks at 10 p.m. because we don’t have sidewalks, but you rarely have the choice of anything but sitting in a pub by that time of night. No movie theater, no bowling alley, no McDonald’s, no hookers trolling the downtown area and no drive-by shootings.
Also see Events Calendar.
Transportation
We have no busses, cabs, car rentals, SkyTrains, regular trains or subway systems. With no public transportation, your own vehicle is a must. However, no one is critical if your vehicle isn’t sparkling-clean— we have water restrictions every summer and the nearest car-wash is in Sechelt.
Finally, if you decide to go for a walk, ever second car will pull over to offer you a ride. Some newcomers are so rattled by this that they stop walking altogether.
Also see Area Info> Infrastructure: Transportation and Business Directory> Transportation.
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