Over the years, a lot of wonderful individuals have come and gone from Pender Island. Several of them have made lasting contributions to how the island is today. Sadly, many of these people and their efforts become forgotten over time. I think Barry Mathias fits this description.
Currently living across the water in Sidney, Mathias and his wife, Clare, moved from England to Canada while in their late forties. They first settled in Victoria but found some challenges adjusting to aspects of this new change.
A move to Pender ensued, and then interesting things began to happen. The couple soon launched Talisman Books & Gallery, the island’s very first bookstore. The business would add a new dynamic and artistic flare to the Driftwood Centre, which did not exist beforehand. Barry also joined Solstice Theatre, which had a significant impact on his life.
“I’ve always been keen on theatre,” he said during our recent conversation. “And I had no sooner arrived than I heard that they were going to put on a play. So, I turned up and this was the one done by Bronwen Merle. She was the director at the time, and they put on an outside production of Twelfth Night. I couldn’t believe my luck when she cast me as Malvolio. And that has been the highlight of my life.”
Despite these two significant contributions to the community, Barry’s lasting legacy on the island would have to be the Car Stops. If you’ve ever had the pleasure of using these designated hitchhiking spots, from either picking someone up, or giving someone a lift, then you will know that this is a great feature of Pender.
“The island needed some transportation. At the time, I don’t think there was a taxi. There was no bus. If you were elderly and couldn’t drive, then you either had to leave the island or find someone to drive you around, which was difficult. I thought, what if we had a sort of place where people could get a lift.”