The City of Pembroke has officially started planning for its 200th anniversary in 2028. To prepare for this milestone, the city has established a 200th Anniversary Advisory Committee and six working groups to guide the upcoming celebrations.
The city’s founding dates back to 1828, when Royal Navy veteran Peter White arrived and set up a lumber trading headquarters at the point where the Ottawa and Muskrat rivers meet. This upcoming anniversary marks a major historical point for the community, which was later incorporated as a town in 1878 and as a city in 1971.
Mayor Ron Gervais noted that this bicentennial is an opportunity to reflect on the community’s history and its future. The planned initiatives for 2028 include a commemorative book, storytelling projects, improvements to local parks and public spaces, and a major Homecoming Week. These plans build upon earlier milestones, specifically the community celebrations held in 1928 and 1978.
The six working groups tasked with shaping the anniversary will focus on heritage and history, legacy projects and beautification, events and festivals, community engagement and education, branding and promotion, and funding and partnerships. These groups will work alongside city staff and community volunteers to coordinate the festivities.
As the planning process moves forward over the next two years, the city aims to bring residents together to recognize the shared history of the area, which is situated on the traditional, unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe people.
