Pemberton is a village north of Whistler in the Pemberton Valley of British Columbia in Canada, with a population of 2,192. Until the 1960s the village could be accessed only by train but that changed when Highway 99 was built through Whistler (then named Alta Lake) and Pemberton.

Climate

The climate of Pemberton is very warm and dry in the summer and mild and wet in the winter.

History

Pemberton was named for Joseph Despard Pemberton, a surveyor for the Hudson's Bay Company and Surveyor-General for the Colony of Vancouver Island in the 1850s. Joseph Pemberton had laid out Victoria's townsite, and supervised the construction of British Columbia's first legislature building, "the Birdcages".

Appearance

The village's look is slightly rustic and has the appearance of the set of an Old West movie. This is partly deliberate for tourism image-making reasons but is also a legacy of the area's roots as part of the Lillooet Country and its ranching and mining culture.

Development

The village is growing quickly and its growth is actually outpacing that of nearby Whistler. In 1997, Pemberton was officially the fastest-growing community in North America. Since 2003, the population has grown at a rate of 7.3% (while Whistler has grown at just 0.5%) and the average price for a townhouse in Pemberton in 2006 was more than $40,000 higher than it was in 2003.

Farming

Pemberton is an important agricultural community famous for producing seed potatoes, and diversifying into market gardening, cranberries, food products and events. The main seed potato producers are located along the Pemberton Meadows Road, many of whom have been there for generations. Potatoes are typically rotated with beef cattle and hay production. Notable farming family names are Ronayne, Miller, Ross, Van Loon, Hellevang, Gilmore, Marinus, McEwan, Helmer, McLeod, Kuurne and Beks. Agri-tourism is growing, pioneered by Mayor Sturdy's North Arm Farm and popularized by Slow Food Cycle Sunday. Organic farming is also a growth area, initiated by Helmers Organic Farm and Across The Creek Organics, and followed by Riverlands and a clutch of new young farmers. The Pemberton Farmers Institute is a body representing local agricultural affairs. Pemberton is vital to the food security of the Sea to Sky corridor.

Transportation

Pemberton also has a small airport (CYPS), with a runway long enough to handle certain commuter-sized planes and private jets. Pemberton airport serves as the airstrip for Whistler, which does not have enough room in its valley for an airport, although there are no scheduled flights into Pemberton at present.

Local bus transit service is provided by the Whistler and Valley Express. Bus service to Vancouver is provided by Maverick Coach Lines. Greyhound buses also offer transport. Passenger service is no longer available on BC Rail, despite the route still being in use for the Rocky Mountaineer.

Pemberton Festival

On July 25- 27, 2008, Pemberton hosted the Pemberton Festival, which had a musical lineup of 66 acts including Nine Inch Nails, Coldplay, Jay-Z, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, The Tragically Hip, Death Cab for Cutie, Vampire Weekend, Metric, and Interpol. The festival was the first to be held in the valley since the Stein Voices for the Wilderness Festivals of 1989-90, held in nearby Mount Currie, which drew over 35,000 people, the largest number of people in the valley since the gold rush. Its roster of artists included Gordon Lightfoot, Bruce Cockburn, and Spirit of the West.