Incorporated in 1956, the Village of Pemberton is a 30-minute drive north of the Resort Municipality of Whistler on Highway 99.  Located 8000’ below the rugged peak of Mount Currie, the Village is the hub for the Pemberton Valley area and home to just over 2500 residents.

Before European settlers, the greater Pemberton Valley area was the traditional territory of First Nations peoples of the Interior Salish tribe.  Today, Pemberton’s closest neighbouring community, Mount Currie, is the administrative seat of the and their governing body, the Mount Currie Band Council.

Named for Joseph Despard Pemberton, a Surveyor General for the Hudson’s Bay Company in the 1850’s, “Port Pemberton” first appeared on a map in 1859. One of the supply stops that sprung up to service the influx of gold seekers, Port Pemberton was originally situated at the north end of Lillooet Lake where travelers would dock to continue their journey overland to present-day Lillooet.

By the early 1880’s as gold fever dwindled, more and more people chose to settle away from the original site of Port Pemberton and on the rich farm lands of the Pemberton Valley.  Accordingly, the Village site shifted to the present day location to better service the agriculturally-based population.

The first passenger train rolled through Pemberton in 1914, further opening the area to settlers and trade.  Throughout its history, agriculture and forestry have been the mainstays of the local economy.  The Pemberton Valley is know for its seed potatoes, and is affectionately referred to as “Spud Valley” by locals.  In 1967, this area became the first commercial seed potato area in the world to grow virus-free seed potatoes. 

Mt Currie - 8,300 feet - Overlooks the Village of Pemberton - Photo by Betty-Lou

Travel in and out of Pemberton was largely regulated by the railway until 1975, when southern highway access was punched through from Whistler.  North of Pemberton, the Duffey Lake road was paved in the late 1980’s and completed the last section of a scenic automotive route called the Coast Mountain Circle Tour.  Pemberton had become a gateway to the interior of the province rather than an out-of-the-way destination.  With this improved accessibility, road traffic increased and a new industry began to evolve in Pemberton: tourism.

As the fastest growing community in BC (BC Statistics, 2005) the Village has seen many changes in a short period of time.  Agriculture and forestry are still important aspects of local economy, but tourism and its related services employ the highest percentages of residents: accommodation and food services at 24.3%, followed by arts, entertainment and recreation at 13.3%, and retail trade, also representing 13.3% of the total labour force (2001 Census).  Comparatively,  forestry and logging employs 1.8% of Village residents.  The Village of Pemberton encompasses an area of approximately six (6) square kilometers.