Our History: Come For Gold, Stay for Potatoes
Although farming has been a foundation of the Pemberton community since Europeans first settled in the area, both farming and recreation are relatively new to the area. Before European settlers, the greater Pemberton Valley area was home to the Interior Salish tribe who settled at the head of Lillooet Lake in the shadows of majestic Mount Currie.
Pemberton, by the name we know it today, first appeared on the map in 1859. When the gold rush was in full swing, the town was a stopping point for gold seakers heading north to find their fortunes. Originally called Port Pemberton, the area was named after Joseph Despard Pemberton, a Surveyor General for the Hudson’s Bay Company in the 1850’s.
As gold fever dwindled throughout the 1880’s, the area experienced a large influx of European settlers who chose to settle on the rich farm lands instead of continuing their journey to the northern ‘gold fields’. Ever since this time, Pemberton has depended greatly on agriculture and forestry as mainstays of the local economy. Known for its seed potatoes, Pemberton has been nicknamed Spud Valley by the locals. In 1967, the Pemberton Valley became the first commercial seed potato in the world to grow virus-free seed Potatoes. Today, Pemberton is a major supplier of seed potatoes for British Columbia, Alberta, Idaho, Washington and California.
The region was first settled via the Lillooet Lake waterways and the first passenger train arrived in the town in 1914. It was not until 1975, however, that highway access between Whistler and Pemberton was granted. Finally, in 1980 a second highway into the town connected Pemberton and Lillooet via the Duffey Lake Road. Completion of this leg of the highway created a scenic circle tour called the Coast Mountain Circle Tour and thus tourism came to be another thriving industry in Pemberton.
The town of Pemberton was incorporated in 1956 and today, located 8,000 feet below the rugged peak of Mount Currie, the Village is the hub for the Pemberton Valley area and home to just over 2,500 residents. Named BC’s fastest growing community (2005 BC Statistics), Pemberton has seen many changes over its relatively short history yet it remains a growing and thriving community with unlimited access to BC’s wilderness and a rich agricultural history. Pemberton is a strong and vibrant community that recognizes the importance and benefits of being an engaged, healthy community.