 Pemberton Museum, Pemberton Tourism photo
First Nations Heritage The Valley was first settled by the Lil'wat Nation, a branch of the Interior Salish. They were also called 'Onion People', named for the region's abundance of wild onions and evidence of their existence here dates back more than 2,000 years in the form of pictographs (rock paintings), a Lil'wat tradition that still influences much of their art today.
Pathways to Gold The gold rush of the 1860s was the first to reshape Pemberton Valley. In their quest to reach the gold fields of the Fraser River, 500 miners volunteered to build a trail – now the Pemberton Portage Road, to connect Anderson and Lillooet Lakes on which Port Pemberton was established.
Pemberton's Present Site As miners moved to better routes such as the Cariboo Wagon Road, and Europeans began to farm the land Pemberton was moved to where it is today. The first permanent Caucasian settler was John Currie after which Mt Currie is named. The township was named after Joseph Despard Pemberton, a Hudson's Bay Surveyor-General.
Pemberton Museum The Pemberton Museum (open June to September) provides an insightful look at the region's early history as well as a downtown historical walking tour. The grounds and house hold several gold rush artifacts, pioneer farming equipment and historic buildings. Will Miller's hand-hewn cedar home was built in 1894 after the adventurer walked into town from Vancouver and swam across the Lillooet River.
Virus-Free Seed Potatoes More settlers came with the arrival of the railway in 1914. Over time, they established a unique industry which in the 1960s became the first commercial seed potato area in the world to grow virus-free seed potatoes. The success of its potatoes was among the primary reasons it was able to incorporate itself as the Village of Pemberton in 1956.
Northern Terminus of Hwy 99 In 1975 when the highway put Pemberton within easier public access, it was mapped as the northern terminus of Hwy 99 which had its origins in Baja, California and constituted one of the longest north/south highways on the continent - a claim dissolved when the Duffey Lake Road extended an access route to Lillooet. At first, both routes were used largely by logging trucks but as they gained popularity, rail services ceased and today, the roads are maintained as important circle routes for visitors and residents alike. Pemberton Today Agriculture is as much a part of the Pemberton Valley as is the culture and traditions of The Lil'wat First Nations; the majority of whom still live at Mount Currie on territorial lands that are about twice the size of Rhode Island. Their language, Ucwalmicwts, is taught at both Xit'olacw Community School and Pemberton Secondary as well as through Simon Fraser University.
Art & Culture Lil'wat art is best seen at the Squamish and Lil'wat Cultural Centre in Whistler as well as a handful of studio galleries such as Mute Raven and Raven Mate. The Pemberton Arts Council co-ordinates various shows for other artists – and the region boasts one of the largest concentration of working artists in BC, at venues such as the community centre, and the Art Barn. Public Art Installations Other outlets include the Museum Gift Shop and Glass Works. A Martha Sturdy sculpture stands at the Pemberton roundabout and is the first in an ongoing series of public installations by this Canadian designer icon who co-incidentally, is a Pemberton resident. For more information on Pemberton's First Nations and pioneer history, visit The Pemberton Museum or drop by the Visitor Centre.
|