Mission Boats Days
Coast Columbia Mission
In 1904 the Coast Columbia Mission's Reverend John Antle began visiting isolated coastal communities aboard the 14-foot MV Laverock with his young son, Victor, as crew. He offered religious and medical services to a number of hamlets, including Pender Harbour, where logging accidents were frequent and often fatal.
In a typical stop here, the Newfie reverend might perform a wedding, set a broken leg, hear the sins of a repenting logger, deliver a baby and treat a fish-gaff wound. The church was paid little for services, but the Antles were always treated as honoured guests and left Pender Harbour with full bellies and heartfelt, hand-made gifts from residents.
The church was less impressed, criticizing Antle for spending too much time saving lives and not enough saving souls. The renegade reverend didn’t repent, however, and was instrumental in having the first hospital on the Sunshine Coast built, here in Pender Harbour.
With a fleet of mismatched boats and a dedicated group of skipper-priests, the Columbia Coast Mission provided sporadic religious services to isolated coastal communities, including Pender Harbour.
St. Mary’s Hospital
One of these skipper-priests, Rev. John Antle, was determined to see a permanent medical facility to serve the area. He successfully petitioned the church, government and local supporters until St. Mary's Hospital opened in Garden Bay on August 16, 1930, on property donated by R. Brynildsen Sr. Nearby, the mission built the "Aged Folks Guest Houses" which were available to residents.
By 1953, the mission could no longer afford to operate St. Mary's, so it was turned over to a board of local directors. Many locals were born in the hospital, later married in its chapel and, after that, perhaps partied at the Sundowner Cabaret after the service of St. Mary’s Hospital was relocated to Sechelt. The hospital and adjacent residences were sold privately and subsequently developed commercially.
Today it is a ten-room hotel and restaurant, the Sundowner Inn. Every second year, the Mission Boat Rendezvous celebrates and remembers the history of the mission boats, their skippers and the first hospital on the Sunshine Coast.
Also see: Health> St. Mary’s Hospital.
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