Heritage House

A fascinating compendium of stories chronicling the creation of local nature conservancies, and the people behind them, on seventeen islands on the Salish Sea from the 1990s to the present day. Voices for the Islands brings together the stories and experiences of those who rose to protect areas at risk within their island communities. Narratively linked by author Sheila Harrington's three-year sailing journey among the islands to interview more than fifty veteran conservationists, the book shares an in-depth view of local protests and the history and evolution of local conservancies from their timely emergence through legal battles and successful partnerships. It highlights how local, provincial, and national support was won, through the collaborative efforts of dedicated locals, resulting in hundreds of new protected areas and parks within one of the most at-risk ecological communities in Canada-the islands of the Salish Sea. Beginning in the 1980s, when logging and development threatened the fragile ecosystems and natural habitats, and culminating in the creation of more than seventeen local conservancies and the Gulf Island National Park Reserve, Voices for the Islands will inspire readers to turn apathy into action and support the cause of conservation and reconciliation in an era of species extinction and climate change. Full of colour photos, maps, and fascinating first-hand stories by unsung heroes of conservation-many of whom are now elders-this book reveals how local people and grassroots movements have the power to transform the future of our precious planet.

Et si la simplicité insulaire cachait une complexité fascinante ? Complicated Simplicity révèle, à travers des récits vécus et des entretiens captivants, les défis et les joies de la vie sur les petites îles du Pacifique Nord-Ouest.

Vancouver Island comme vous ne l’avez jamais lue : des destins hors du commun, des rencontres qui marquent, des histoires vraies à la fois drôles et poignantes.

Stuart Island, été 1999 : quand des agents du FBI débarquent dans un village de pêcheurs pour enquêter sur un scandale financier, la vie des habitants bascule.

1918 : entre la fin de la Première Guerre mondiale et la première saison de la Ligue nationale de hockey, découvrez les destins croisés de trente-deux héros canadiens.

Mars 1944 : sept jeunes aviateurs canadiens s’envolent pour une mission périlleuse au-dessus de Stuttgart. Soixante-dix ans plus tard, une femme part sur leurs traces pour leur rendre hommage.

1948, Saskatchewan. Deux jeunes filles, Anna et Maggie, voient leur amitié mise à l'épreuve par des épreuves familiales déchirantes. Un roman poignant sur la loyauté, la résilience et les petits bonheurs qui sauvent l’enfance.

Quand des adolescents disparaissent sans laisser de trace et que des chats s'évanouissent dans la nuit, une bande d'amis improbables se lance dans une enquête périlleuse.

Sous les vastes cieux des prairies canadiennes, Stone by Stone révèle les traces mystérieuses d’une civilisation vieille de 12 000 ans.

Et si la compétition sportive n’était pas une fin en soi, mais un chemin vers soi-même ? Chariots and Horses raconte l’histoire vraie de Jason Dorland, rameur et entraîneur.

An entertaining, fast-paced look at early ranching in British Columbia.Frontier historian Ken Mather is known for his fascinating, in-depth profiles of the men and women who established a distinctive ranching culture in Western Canada over a hundred years ago. Now, in this concise collection of stories-based on Mather's column in the Vernon Morning Star-readers will meet even more colourful characters, gain insightful tidbits on cowboy culture, and read about little-known cattle drives that stagger the imagination. Ranch Tales highlights the achievements, hardships, and exploits of Newman "King of the Range" Squires, "lady rancher" Elizabeth Greenbow, cow boss Joe Coutlee, the gold-seeking Jeffries brothers who came all the way from Alabama, and many more. This delightful book is a perfect companion to Mather's other ranching histories and will appeal to anyone interested in the early days of the western frontier.

A smart, concise analysis of the legend of Slumach’s Gold, which strives to uncover the truth behind this mythical gold deposit said to be hidden north of Pitt Lake. British Columbia is gold country, and with gold comes legends that have been passed down through the generations. Ever since the Fraser Canyon gold rush, prospectors and adventurers have been looking for a mysterious, exceedingly rich gold deposit in the watershed of Pitt Lake, first mentioned in a small newspaper entry in November 1869. Over time, as the story spread, the man at the centre of this legendary gold start was endowed with the identity of Slum.ook, better known as Slumach, a Katzie man who was ultimately hanged in 1891 for shooting and killing another man in anger. The legend of the gold grew into that of an exceedingly rich deposit known as "Slumach's gold." This book presents, unravels, and dissects the legends of the gold of Pitt Lake, and tells the stories of some of the daredevils and venerable prospectors who searched for the mythical gold at their peril.

A concise history of the five women who changed the course of history and brought Canadians one step closer to equality.On August 27, 1927, five women gathered at a house on Edmonton's Southside to sign a letter that would change the course of Canadian history. Those women were Emily Murphy, Nellie McClung, Louise McKinney, Irene Parlby, and Henrietta Muir Edwards, who would become known as the Famous Five.The meeting of the women had been prompted by Emily Murphy, an Alberta magistrate, whose right to render judgements had been challenged by a lawyer who maintained that only men could be appointed as judges because only men were considered "persons" under the British North America Act. The battle for justice that began that Saturday afternoon on took many years and miles, finally making its way to the Privy Council in London. Finally, in 1929, a landmark ruling found that women were indeed "persons" in the eyes of the law.But who were these women and how did they come together at such a pivotal moment in Canadian history? The Famous Five is a comprehensive look at the remarkable lives, prolific careers, sometimes disturbing contradictions, and extraordinary achievements of these five women who fought for equality at a time when women were barely recognized as relevant.

Winner (second prize), 2019 British Columbia Lieutenant Governor's Medal for Historical WritingA revealing history of the ancient trail that served as a major transportation route between Washington and British Columbia and shaped the cultural and economic ties between the two jurisdictions.Trails are the most enduring memorials of human occupation. Long before stone monuments were created, pathways throughout the world were being worn into hardness by human feet. Travellers along the stretch of Highway 97 from Brewster, Washington, to Kamloops, BC, may not know that they are travelling a route as old as humankind's presence in the region. In fact, this north-south valley, a natural corridor linking the two major river systems that drain the Interior Plateau, has served as transportation route for tens of thousands of years.Trail North traces the origins of this iconic trail among the Indigenous people of the Interior Plateau and its uses by the three different fur trading companies, before turning its focus on the period of 1858 to 1868, when the trail was used by miners, packers, and cattlemen as the major entry point into British Columbia from Washington Territory. The historical use of the trail in both jurisdictions is a fascinating episode in the history of the Pacific Northwest.

The story of one family's settlement in the Cariboo and the culture of early sawmills that developed around them.In 1922, the Judson family arrived in the Cariboo by covered wagon. The stories of their life on the remote homestead at Ruth Lake is told through this humorous and heartwarming book by local historian and author Marianne Van Osch, as recounted to her by the Judsons' son, Louis, who still lives in the region. Louis tells of working at a gold mine in Bralorne at a young age, riding the rails, losing his foot in a milling accident, and witching for gold and water. But most of all, he tells the story of early sawmills in Cariboo forests, in an era before chainsaws and skidders, how they flourished and how they declined, and the men who worked so hard on them, often at great personal cost.

Hair-raising tales of ghosts, spirits, and unexplained phenomena set across Western Canada.Praise for Campfire Stories of Western Canada:"Smith's spooky tales are perfect for warm summer nights spent around the campfire. Her latest book of ghost stories focuses solely on Western Canada and is a wonderful fit for families looking for fun and spooky tales to tell under the stars."-Quirk MagazineIn this delightful companion to the bestselling Campfire Stories of Western Canada, Barbara Smith scours the spookiest corners of local folklore from Vancouver Island to the Canadian Rockies to the vast plains of the Prairies to bring readers a brand-new collection of ghost stories. Combining truth, legend, and a healthy dose of suspense, Smith weaves together over thirty bone-chilling tales perfectly suited for reading aloud on family camping trips or quiet nights at home. Suitable for ages eight to eighty-eight, this frighteningly fun collection reveals the supernatural side of Western Canada.

A warm-hearted memoir of a childhood spent living in various mining towns in the Kootenays throughout the 1930s and '40s.When young Shirley Doris Hall and her family moved to BC's West Kootenay region in 1927, the area was a hub of mining activity. Shirley's father, a cook, had no problem finding work at the mining camps, and the family dutifully followed him from town to town as his services were sought after. For Shirley and her brother, Ray-described as both her confidant and her nemesis-mining camps were the backdrop of their youth. The instant close-knit communities that formed around them; the freedom of barely tamed wilderness; and the struggles of the Depression years and the war that followed created an unlikely environment for a happy childhood. Yet Shirley's memories reveal that it was indeed a magical time and place in which to grow up. Children of the Kootenays paints a lively portrait of this forgotten period in BC history-of mining towns that are now ghost towns-told from the unique perspective of a young girl.

Three trouble-prone friends become pawns in a criminal cover-up after they discover an old bronze statue in a local pond.When Cody and Eric are denied permission to pick up golf balls from the ponds at their local golf course, they decide to trespass on the property at night. But they end up finding a lot more than just golf balls in the murky waters: they uncover a life-size bronze statue of a man!Following their discovery, the best friends start getting mysterious phone calls warning them to stay away from the golf course property, or else! But these threats only make Cody and Eric more determined to go back to steal the statue and figure out its origins. With the help of Eric's sister, Rachel, they raise the bronze and begin unravelling clues that lead them to a long-forgotten crime. Then, just when the three think they've got it all figured out, they're kidnapped! With so many suspects in the town of Sultana, including Cody's own father, perhaps the answers to this mystery should have been left in the depths...

An enthralling collection of traditional Blackfoot stories revealing the frailty of mankind and the enduring power of narrative.Napi, the Old Man of the Blackfoot Nation, appears prominently in mythology, sometimes as a quasi-Creator, sometimes a fool, and sometimes a brutal murderer. Although Napi is given credit for creating many of the objects and creatures on Earth, and indeed the Earth itself, the Blackfoot do not consider him to be god-like. Napi stories tell of this mythical figure creating the world and everything in it, but getting into trouble when he starts tinkering with his own creation. Perhaps for this reason, anthropologists have labelled him a trickster/creator.For thousands of years, people have gathered around the campfire and listened to stories of how Napi blundered and schemed his way through Blackfoot country. They laugh at how Napi was outwitted by a lame fox, how he tried to fly with the geese only to look down when he was told not to and fell to the earth. He makes a perfect subject for telling, listening, and enjoying-and for teaching.Reproduced by permission of Blackfoot Elders, these stories offer complex insight into an ancient and still-thriving culture through the figure of a flawed yet powerful creature-a mirror of humankind itself.

Shortlisted, 2019 BC and Yukon Book Prizes Hubert Evans Prize for Non-FictionA breathtaking behind-the-scenes look at the dramatic rise and fall of Christy Clark's BC Liberals, the return to power of the NDP, and what it means for British Columbia's volatile political climate going forward.British Columbia's political arena has always been the site of dramatic rises and falls, infighting, scandal, and come-from-behind victories. However, no one was prepared for the historic events of spring 2017, when the Liberal government of Christy Clark, one of the most polarizing premiers in recent history, was toppled.A Matter of Confidence gives readers an insider's look at the overconfidence that fuelled the rise and fall of Clark's premiership and the historic non-confidence vote that defeated her government and ended her political career. Beginning with this pivotal moment, the book goes back and chronicles the downfall of Clark's predecessor, Gordon Campbell, which led to her unlikely victory in 2013, and traces the events leading up to her defeat at the hands of her NDP and Green opponents. Told by reporters Richard Zussman and Rob Shaw, who covered every moment of the election cycle, and illustrated by candid and extensive interviews with political insiders from both sides of the aisle-including Christy Clark and John Horgan-this book is a must read for anyone who cares about BC politics and the future of the province.

A rollicking wartime adventure on the BC coast.A lot has changed in the world since Sophie, Molly, Mark, Harriet, Leticia, and Posy's last adventure in The Silver Lining. Now it's 1940, and the Second World War is making life back home in the United Kingdom very dangerous indeed. Although our intrepid crew has seen their fair share of precarious situations, from being chased by pirates to making harrowing rescues in abandoned mine shafts, their parents decide to once again send them across the ocean and into the care of the eccentric Captain Gunn. This time they head back to the BC coast, making stops in Hesquiat Harbour, Estevan Point Lighthouse, Cape Scott, and Alert Bay. There, they meet real-life historical figures such as Cougar Annie and aviator Jim Spilsbury, and help to recover a precious artifact from a local Indigenous community. Rather than sitting out the war in a safe, quiet place, captain and crew could be in for their biggest adventure yet!

The never-before-published memoir of Major-General Sir Edward Morrison, a true Canadian hero of the First World War.The First World War marked a turning point in Canadian history and in Canada's self-identification as a nation. Yet in memorializing the iconic events and battles of the War, certain key individuals who participated have been lost in our collective memory. One of those individuals is Major-General Sir Edward Morrison.Morrison was instrumental in the Canadian Army's efforts and achievements throughout the War, but especially from 1916 until 1918, when he commanded all Canadian artillery, including at the battles of Vimy Ridge and Passchendaele. An accomplished journalist who was the editor of both the Hamilton Spectator and the Ottawa Citizen, Morrison recorded his experiences, strategies, darkly humourous observations, and insights into the nature of modern warfare in a memoir that he completed but never published before his death in 1925. Now, with the permission of his estate, Morrison's words are made public for the first time, with a thought-provoking introduction by military historian Susan Raby-Dunne. Morrison: The Long-lost Memoir of Canada's Artillery Commander in the Great War is a fascinating and highly readable historical document that brings a rawness and immediacy to a century-old conflict.

A charmingly illustrated history of the humble skate and its place in Canadian cultural identity.Throughout our 150-year history, and even longer, people have braved the treacherous Canadian winters and taken to the ice for the purposes of transportation, competition, exercise, and just plain fun. Canadian culture has developed around ice and the recreational opportunities it provides, and much has been written about our love affair with hockey, figure skating, and speed skating. However, one crucial element has always been left out of the discussion.The skate-that piece of metal underneath your foot that allows you to move on ice-is much more than the sum of its few simple parts. Indeed, the people, the rules, and the games all have stories, but they have also been shaped by the equipment. In ancient times, skates with blades made from animal bones were used to facilitate travel during the winter. Today, the newest models of skates are constantly being tweaked and improved to allow athletes to push themselves in the face of international competition.Drawing from his own collection of over 350 pairs of historical skates, as well as archival photos and illustrations, world-renowned skate expert Jean-Marie Leduc takes the reader on a journey through the history and development of this humble device and traces its role in our national imagination.

Longlisted, 2018 Leacock Medal for HumourA hilarious collection of Jack Knox's best-loved humour columns.In this side-splitting follow-up to the bestseller Hard Knox: Musings from the Edge of Canada, Jack Knox presents his best writing, marking his twenty-year anniversary as a humour columnist at the Victoria Times Colonist, the newspaper that made him a household name. Revisiting his most-and least!-popular columns, Knox weighs the potential benefits of a marijuana-like drug that reduces anxiety in rats; reports on the "Bush Boys," a pair of brothers who emerged from the forest near Vernon with a dubious story about being raised in the wilderness (they were actually from suburban California); and muses over fictional characters such as Barbie, Ken, Harry Potter, and Archie growing up and facing the grim realities of life. He also includes a hilarious collection of "nastygrams" (a.k.a. hate mail) that he's received over the past two decades. Opportunity Knox goes to show that humour comes when you least expect it. From politics to weather, sports to entertainment, Knox finds the bizarre in everyday life and the ordinary in what should by all accounts be bizarre.

An in-depth look at the life and career of retired judge and conflict-of-interest commissioner Ted Hughes, whose unflinching integrity earned him the reputation as Canada's moral compass.Throughout his sixty-year career, Ted Hughes has been a model of ethical conduct in the Canadian judicial system. The son of immigrant homesteaders who grew up in Saskatoon during the Depression, he might have retired as a respected senior judge in the town where he was born had his career not been sideswiped by the intense party politics underpinning Canadian judicial appointments in the 1970s. The injustice he felt led him to BC, where he reinvented himself as a civil servant in a province that was earning a reputation for wacky, unprincipled politics. There, he became Canada's moral compass, a man of such integrity that his condemnation alone persuaded one premier to resign and another to bring in a watchdog to look after vulnerable children.Hughes has ferociously defended the principles that underpin the best of our society. He has an unfashionable belief in the virtue of the law, the nobility and responsibility of public service, and the honour of politicians and politics. He was an early defender of equal rights for women in the legal system, the protection of children in care, and in recognizing the disastrous effect of colonization on First Nations. This is the story of his remarkable life and how he became the lion Canadians needed him to be in when the credibility of our political system was on the line.

The year is 1938-two years since Sophie, Molly, Mark, Harriet, Leticia, and Posy made international headlines when they uncover the buried treasure of the notorious Brother XII. Since then, life has been decidedly un-exciting for the adventure-loving crew, who feel more at home on the rolling deck of a sailboat than in their stuffy boarding school. But once again, Uncle Bert (a.k.a. Captain Gunn) comes to the rescue when he invites the whole gang on another holiday abroad.The kids trade in their pirate capsfor cowboy hats and head off on a cattle drive in Interior BC. But when they run into a familiar villain, the trip takes an ominous turn culminating in a dangerous mission to an old mine. Will their adventurous ways get the better of the kids this time, or will fortune smile upon them yet again?

BC's bestselling camping guidebook-now expanded to include the national parks of the Canadian Rockies in honour of the 150th anniversary of Canadian Confederation. In this fully revised, expanded, and updated edition of her bestselling camping guide, Jayne Seagrave lays the groundwork for anyone planning to get out of the city and explore the best that nature has to offer. Whether you're camping with kids, travelling in an RV, or looking for a comfort upgrade, Camping British Columbia, the Canadian Rockies, and Yukon offers over 150 possibilities for campers of every age and experience level. Released to coincide with the year of free admission to Canada's national parks, in celebration of 150 years of Confederation, this edition includes a brand new chapter on the national parks of the Canadian Rockies. Learn which campgrounds have interpretive programs, playgrounds, and safe swimming beaches; pick out parks with flush toilets, hot showers, and nearby restaurants; or find out which campgrounds are RV accessible. This book lists the location, amenities, and recreational activities of every government campground in the region and includes dozens of black and white and full-colour photos. Campgrounds are listed alphabetically with clear maps and directions.

A rich and diverse tapestry weaving together the many voices, narratives, skills, and talents of women up and down the coastal Pacific Northwest who devote their lives and careers to the sea. Beckoned by the Sea celebrates coastal women from northern BC to northern California who work on or with the sea. The twenty-four women featured in this inspiring and fascinating book represent a variety of industries-from conservation, commercial fishing, and marine biology to safety and rescue, tourism, and the arts. Weaving together elements of social history, culture, geography, and environmentalism, author Sylvia Taylor draws on in-depth interviews, meticulous research, and her own experience as a deckhand on a commercial fishing boat. Beckoned by the Sea investigates the myriad ways in which women have contributed to the marine industries that sustain the people and shape the culture of North America's west coast-and reveals how the sea itself has touched the lives of these women by giving them not just a livelihood but an infinite source of inspiration and personal fulfillment.

An insightful look at the first mayor of Nanaimo, BC, drawing heavily on his prolific and insightful written observations.Mark Bate, elected Nanaimo's first mayor in 1875, was a renaissance man. He loved music, writing, literature, the outdoors, community affairs, and of course politics. Bate served as mayor for sixteen terms-most by acclamation. He retired three times, returning to office after being persuaded to serve again.Historian Jan Peterson skillfully weaves Bate's own writing-including personal letters, business correspondence, and speeches-into the rich tapestry of nineteenth-century Nanaimo to create a three-dimensional portrait of a truly fascinating man. Bates witnessed and documented Nanaimo's evolution from mining settlement to incorporated municipality to bona fide city. Mark Bate: Nanaimo's First Mayor is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of this region and the settlers who helped to shape its communities.

"We can no longer pretend we don't know about residential schools, murdered and missing Aboriginal women and 'Indian hospitals.' The only outstanding question is how we respond." —Tom Sandborn, Vancouver Sun A shocking exposé of the dark history and legacy of segregated Indigenous health care in Canada. After the publication of his critically acclaimed 2011 book Drink the Bitter Root: A Writer's Search for Justice and Healing in Africa, author Gary Geddes turned the investigative lens on his own country, embarking on a long and difficult journey across Canada to interview Indigenous elders willing to share their experiences of segregated health care, including their treatment in the "Indian hospitals" that existed from coast to coast for over half a century. The memories recounted by these survivors-from gratuitous drug and surgical experiments to electroshock treatments intended to destroy the memory of sexual abuse-are truly harrowing, and will surely shatter any lingering illusions about the virtues or good intentions of our colonial past. Yet, this is more than just the painful history of a once-so-called vanishing people (a people who have resisted vanishing despite the best efforts of those in charge); it is a testament to survival, perseverance, and the power of memory to keep history alive and promote the idea of a more open and just future. Released to coincide with the Year of Reconciliation (2017), Medicine Unbundled is an important and timely contribution to our national narrative.

2017 long-list finalist, Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour Writing In Hard Knox, seasoned columnist and consummate everyman Jack Knox offers up his uniquely hilarious views on Canadian life as seen from the western fringes of the country-in particular from the "Island of Misfit Toys" as he aptly calls his Vancouver Island home. This treasure trove of west-coast wit and wisdom touches on everything from "smug anti-Americanism" to extreme weather to flagrant public displays of affection in Canada's westernmost capital. Whether you're a born-and-bred Islander, a transplanted Albertan in the throes of culture shock, or a confused tourist, we all have something to learn from the school of Hard Knox.

A political insider offers a revealing perspective and examines the public and private life of BC's controversial premier. In the blood-sport arena of provincial politics, BC's enigmatic premier, Christy Clark, has defied the pundits to win both party leadership and an upset election victory against all odds. Made deputy premier in 2001 shortly after her first foray into public life, she shunned Gordon Campbell's cabinet solidarity to return to private life in 2004. After a bold run at becoming Vancouver's mayor, she launched a successful media career as a CKNW talk show host. In 2011, she surrendered that security and entered the Liberal leadership race, shocking the party's inner circle as she claimed her spot as Campbell's successor. The campaigner known in her home province simply as Christy has been underestimated by many. Since her surprising usurpation of the BC Liberal Party in 2011 and their stunning re-election in 2013, BC's first elected female premier has ruffled more than a few feathers; she has also won many new supporters while employing her own unique leadership style. In this revealing look at the woman behind the trademark smile, political insider Judi Tyabji traces Clark's journey from middle-class roots to her political awakening and rapid rise to power. Based on meticulous research and extensive interviews with over thirty public figures and the premier herself, Tyabji's Christy Clark: Behind the Smile paints an intimate portrait of one of the most influential women in Canadian politics today.