Our Work

The Chamber’s Ambassador Program is a cornerstone of our summer operations and often the first point of contact for visitors arriving on Pender. Delivered in partnership with the Southern Gulf Islands Community Resource Centre, it provides meaningful summer employment for a local student while supporting visitor services across the island.

Based at the Visitor Centre and out at community events like the Farmers’ Market and Fall Fair, our ambassador offers a friendly welcome while helping people plan their stay and find their way around.

The program also helps promote local businesses, services and events, making it easier for visitors to discover what’s here and support local. Behind the scenes, it supports our events calendar, maintains visitor information, and creates seasonal content that highlights island life.

Advocacy is a core part of our work. We listen to our members and bring forward the issues that affect their ability to operate and succeed on the Penders. When a concern is raised, we consider where it’s best addressed and connect it to the right channels. If it’s local, we work on it here—collaborating with neighbouring island Chambers and through partnerships like the Rural Islands Economic Partnership if warranted. If it’s broader, we work through the BC Chamber of Commerce. We also aim to meet with our CRD Electoral Area Director, MLA and MP to help ensure local business perspectives are represented.

Our Business Directory is a go-to resource for finding local businesses, services, and organizations on Pender Island. Whether you’re a visitor planning your stay, a resident looking for trusted local expertise, or a business seeking connections, it makes it easy to find what you need.

For our members, it’s a simple but powerful way to stay visible, generate referrals, and be part of the island’s day-to-day economy.

The Chamber hosts events throughout the year that bring members together to connect, share ideas and stay engaged. From casual mixers to our Annual General Meeting, these gatherings create space to build relationships and stay informed about what’s happening across the business community.

From time to time, we also bring in guest speakers and offer occasional learning opportunities based on member interest, while helping promote relevant sessions offered by others. Together, these events support a stronger, more connected business community on Pender Island.

We support the vibrancy of island life by partnering with a select number of local signature events each year. These events reflect the character of the Penders and create opportunities to highlight local businesses and services.

Beyond this, we also share a wider range of local events through our event calendar and Pender Island Tourism channels—helping visitors and residents alike discover what’s happening across the islands.

We support visitors by helping them plan their stay, find their way around, and discover what the Penders have to offer. This work is closely connected to our Ambassador Program and plays an important role in promoting local businesses, services and experiences across the islands.

We operate the Pender Island Visitor Centre in partnership with the Southern Gulf Islands Community Resource Centre and the SGI Neighbourhood House, and work with the Southern Gulf Islands Tourism Partnership to promote the region. We also maintain the 24/7 information kiosk at Driftwood Centre and produce the Pender Island Visitor Guide and local maps, making it easy for visitors to explore and support local.

We continue to build on this work, with new programs and initiatives designed to support our members and strengthen the local economy.