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Denton Pendergast – Victoria Harbour Historian and Graphic Designer

by John MacFarlane 2020

Denton Pendergast

Denton Pendergast (Photo from the Denton Pendergast collection.)

Denton Pendergast is not a professional mariner but he is a shining example of what someone who loves the sea, ships and the coast of British Columbia can accomplish through sheer drive and zeal. He initiated and is the –driving force– behind the website Victoria Harbour History. He characterizes it as an urban memory project. The project is dedicated to the collection and presentation of the stories of those who have contributed to the colourful story of Victoria’s harbour. This popular website states "The Victoria Harbour History website is a wisdom working project."

If you haven’t viewed this site, I’m sure you will find it interesting – particularly if you live in Victoria or plan to visit any time soon. See Victoria Harbour History website – An Urban Memory Project.

Victoria Harbour History

The commemorative plaques on the seawall in the Victoria inner harbour (Photo from the Denton Pendergast collection.)

In recent years one of Pendergast’s passions has been to to research the stories behind the plaques that are found on the seawall in the Inner Harbour of Victoria. These are small bronze plaques bolted onto the upper stone railing in front of the Empress Hotel. Each one marks an historic mariner or vessel but provides only the barest of bare bones of information. To casual viewers they must be a bit mystifying. A member of the Thermopylae Club, he has linked up with club Master Tony Gooch and club Purser Ian Izard to raise the funds for a project to document each one and to make each one accessible to visitors though their cell phones. Ultimately Pendergast aspires to create teaching modules based on the plaques for School District 61 and he is working closely with Bill Conconi to see this to realization.

QR Code

The QR code that links the commemorative plaques on the seawall in the Victoria inner harbour to visitor cellphones(Photo from the Denton Pendergast collection.)

What makes this project so interesting is the leading edge technology that Pendergast brings to what are normally pretty staid and conservative monuments marked with bronze plaques. At each end of the two runs of plaques there will be a QR code (cast in bronze) that visitors can scan with their cell phones. This will automatically link them to the database on the website and will tell the stories of each of the plaques. The plaques themselves are obviously two small to tell their own stories and the originators of the project could never have forseen the current developments in technology.

The Victoria Harbour History website is dedicated to the memory of John West (1949–2017). John West was a sailor, historian, engineer, maritime activist, bon vivant, and a raconteur of the first order. West was a great inspiration to Denton Pendergast particularly when he was first getting established in Victoria.

A freelance graphic designer and artist by trade he took on the Victoria Classic Boat Festival creating their posters from 1996–2005. In this role he came into close contact with owners and enthusiasts of old wood vessels. He sat on the organizing committee and it was during this time that we was encouraged by the late John West.

Martin Clark took Pendergast on as the graphic designer for SALTS and he did their graphic design from 1996–2005. Pendergast found himself as a regular visitor to the SALTS yard while the Pacific Grace was under construction. He recalls this period as fond memories.

In 2008, during the massive economic slowdown when self–employed entrepreneurs found themselves out of work, Pendergast redirected his energies into using his skills and knowledge to build his own website. He decided to document the amazing stories he had been discovering during his previous work. He does all his own programming for the website. He enjoys having himself as a client – notes wryly that he can ’please himself‘. The website focuses on stories that have links to the area one city block from the harbour. He notes that he had to limit his focus because there were too many other interesting stories that tend to dilute the message if they are followed. There is no advertising on the site, he wants to keep it pure.

Currently he generates about a quarter of a million hits each year which no doubt helps generate a lot of interest in the maritime heritage of Victoria. He plans to continue his work for the indefinite future. He goes through intense cycles of work on the site but it is the continuous fine tuning that contributes to the high quality of the content and appearance. I am sure it will continue to expand and grow.

Denton Pendergast

Denton Pendergast receives his first boat. (Photo from the Denton Pendergast collection.)

Pendergast, who calls Cornwall ON home, grew up in Ontario where he descends from a number of mariners who served in vessels on the St. Lawrence River. Ancestors on both sides of his family were involved in shipping. One grandfather owned tugs in Cornwall from 1920–1930. Another grandfather was master of the Arabian, a St. Lawrence River canal boat. Pendergast notes that he later became the third licenced bottler of Coca–Cola in Canada. A great uncle served in HMCS Bluenose during the Second World War.

Denton Pendergast notes that Victoria, in spite of hosting so many museums, has no museum of its own history. So he is stepping up with a couple of colleagues to interpret some of it to the residents and visitors to the harbour.

Felinity

Felinity – Pendergast’s Bill Garden designed cat boat (Photo from the Denton Pendergast collection.)

While not currently a boat owner he previously owned a Bill Garden designed cat boat, the Felinity which he purchased from SALTS. He used her to single–hand gunkholing through the Gulf Islands. His 24’ cat boat was an interesting rig that has no standing rigging and the shallow draft and 9.5’ broad beam of the boat allowed him to access waters all but barred to boats of traditional design.

Pendergast is also a working member of the Pacific Nautical Heritage Working Group, an informal working group identifying and addressing issues of current and future concern that affect the documentation, preservation and interpretation of British Columbia’s Nautical Heritage. He regularly speaks to service and community groups, expanding on his knowledge of the stories of Victoria's waterfront. I’m sure that any group looking for an interesting speaker could approach him to make arrangments.


To quote from this article please cite:

MacFarlane, John (2020) Denton Pendergast – Victoria Harbour Historian and Graphic Designer. Nauticapedia.ca 2020. http://nauticapedia.ca/Gallery/Pendergast.php

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