The Saanich Pioneer Society is a non-profit charitable society, dedicated to the preservation of the historical records of the Saanich Peninsula. The Log Cabin Museum and Archives are volunteer run and supported by a grant and donations, for which receipts can be issued for tax purposes. We welcome new members with an interest in archives, museums, and local history.

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The Society began with families who lived on the Peninsula in the late 1860s. They gathered for social activities like dances and mutual support. Some of them started an agricultural fall fair based on the Cowichan Fall Fair, which they had visited. The resulting annual fair, the North and South Saanich Agricultural Fair, has been held since 1868.

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The social group flourished for a few years and then interest faded. After a gathering in 1922, at the Temperance Hall on East Saanich Road, it was decided to form the Saanich Pioneer Society. Meetings were held in the homes of various families, but they wanted a place of their own where the group could socialise and at the same time store memorabilia they thought should be saved for future generations.

 

A committee was formed from these families. Many items and much labour were donated to build the Museum, which included the considerable labour of a Tsawout member, who hauled the logs uphill from Saanichton Bay to the current site on East Saanich Rd. Each pioneer family also donated $5 to assist with any additional expenses. From that came the present log cabin that was built in 1933 with the first log being rolled into place by B.C. Premier Dr. Simon F. Tolmie on February 8th. It was finished within five months and formally opened July 1, 1933. The Society was registered in 1941.

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The Log Cabin Museum houses many exhibits of local interest showing how people lived in past years. Student classes and seniors’ groups are encouraged to book a tour of the Log Cabin . The Archives contains many records, stories, and photographs from the Peninsula’s past.

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We respectfully acknowledge that the land on which the Museum & Archives are situated is within the traditional territory of the W̱SÁNEĆ people, including SȾÁUTW̱ (Tsawout) and W̱JOȽEȽP (Tsartlip). We continue to cherish the family relationships and friendships, built over generations.

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W̱SÁNEĆ means "the emerging people" in SENĆOŦEN, a W̱SÁNEĆ language, referring to an ancient story of a great flood the land emerged from. SENĆOŦEN is one of several languages the W̱SÁNEĆ people traditionally spoke in order to communicate with other Nations. They have occupied the Saanich Peninsula, Gulf Islands, San Juan Islands and surrounding area for thousands of years. W̱SÁNEĆ refers to the people as well as the land and is where the English derivation of "Saanich" comes from.​