Victoria
A History In Photographs 
Peter Grant

James Douglas described Victoria as a perfect Eden when the Hudson’s Bay Company first set up its trade depot in what was then Fort Victoria. A few years later, more than 30,000 miners arrived, hoping to find their own Eden in a rich gold strike that set the stage for the tiny settlement’s growth into the vibrant city that Victoria has become. Using more than 140 archival photographs and an informative, easy-to-read text, Victoria: A History in Photographs tells the city’s story in compelling visual fashion, making this a keepsake for visitors and residents alike. 

Peter Grant’s interests include Vancouver Island history, geography, tourism and vintage postcards. He is the author of several books, including The Story of Sidney and Wish You Were Here: Life on Vancouver Island in Historical Postcards. He lives in Victoria, BC, with his wife and daughter.

Bronc Busters And Hay Sloops
Ranching in the West in the Early 20th Century 
Ken Mather

Bronc Busters and Hay Sloops tells the story of ranching in the West from the beginning of the Great War until 1960. Cowboy soldiers, bronc busters, First Nations, upper-crust Englishmen and the strong, capable women of ranching country . . . theirs are the stories told in this book. Some of these characters are larger than life, such as:

• Joe Coutlee, cow boss of the Douglas Lake Ranch, whose booming voice gave him the nickname “Roaring Bill”;
• Grover Hance, who roped one of his men and tied him to a tree until he sobered up;
• Florence “Bunch” Trudeau, whose pet moose got a little too big for comfort;
• Ollie Matheson, one of the only women to ride in the Williams Lake Stampede’s death-defying Mountain Race;
• Anne Paxton, who tended cattle, guided big-game hunters, ran pack horses and a ranch;
• Bill Arnold, who could ride “anything that wore hide.”

Ken takes readers inside sprawling ranches, which were self-contained communities in themselves, and small family-run homesteads scratched out of the wilderness. Like his first book on ranching history, this is an engaging look at fascinating times and the people who made them so. 

Ken Mather has been involved in researching, writing and interpreting western Canadian heritage for the past 33 years. He started out as a researcher for Fort Edmonton Park in 1973. In 1979, Ken moved to BC to work at Barkerville Historic Park; he became the park’s curator in 1982. From 1984 until 2004 he was the manager/curator of the historic O’Keefe Ranch near Vernon, BC, where he developed his love of early cowboy history. Ken lives on a small farm near Armstrong, BC.

Roadside Geology Of Southern British Columbia
Bill Mathews
Jim Monger

Just as important as finding these spots is knowing what to expect. Thus each location is accompanied by detailed information that any beach explorer should know before setting out. Is the beach a few level steps from a vehicle or down a high, steep bank? Is the beach suitable for children? Large groups? Kayakers?

British Columbia was built by some 500 million years of geologic discord along the western margin of the North American tectonic plate. That turmoil continues today, as the Juan de Fuca tectonic plate inches beneath Vancouver Island, triggering earthquakes and generating the magma that feeds the volcanoes of the Cascades. Roadside Geology of Southern British Columbia explains the province’s geologic history in simple terms, covering southern British Columbia from the northern tip of Vancouver Island to the BC–Alberta border.

Thirty-one descriptive road guides, complete with maps, photographs and diagrams, help you locate and interpret the rocks and landforms visible from the province’s highways and ferry routes. Discover a lava flow that chilled beneath ice, learn how Ripple Rock claimed 24 ships before engineers finally blew it up, and drive across a slow-moving earthflow that has played havoc with roads since the gold-rush days.

Roadside Geology of Southern British Columbia conveys a sense of the geology’s importance to everyone who lives in and passes through the province.

Bill Mathews (1919–2003) was born in Vancouver, where he completed his Master of Applied Science degree at the University of British Columbia in 1941. He obtained his PhD from the University of California at Berkeley and taught there from 1949 to 1951, when he returned to Vancouver to join the faculty of UBC. He retired in 1984.

Jim Monger was born in England in 1937 and received his geological education at the universities of Reading and Kansas. He obtained his PhD from UBC in 1996. He joined the Vancouver office of the Geological Survey of Canada in 1964 and worked there for 30 years.

Canada's Rocky Mountains
A History in Photographs
Faye Holt

The grandeur of the Canadian Rockies has captivated hearts and minds, challenged the daring and athletic and fired the imaginations of writers, photographers and other artists. In this book, images ranging from simple to iconic to surprising capture that rich heritage.

Discover the people, legends and little-known facts of this area’s past. Meet the men and women who conquered peaks and built lives in mountain communities. Through narrative and image, revel in the parks and hinterlands that have endlessly fascinated tourists.

Faye invites locals and tourists alike to marvel at the photos, consider the science of the mountain landscape and catch glimpses of yesterday in the sports, culture and real-life adventure of Canada’s Rocky Mountains.

Faye Reineberg Holt was born in Alberta and lives in Calgary. Formerly a high school English teacher and an educational officer for Glenbow Museum, she is an alumnus of the University of Alberta and a member of numerous historical societies and writing organizations. Faye’s numerous books on western Canadian history explore subjects through both image and narrative. She knows that a photo is both a work of art and a medium to convey stories.

Secret Beaches of Southern Vancouver Island
Qualicum to the Malahat
Theo Dombrowski

This is your guide to dozens of spectacular and often hidden beaches on the eastern coast of Vancouver Island between Qualicum and the Malahat. While some of them are well used by people living nearby, many are virtually impossible to find without combing through official maps and back-road guides. From tiny rocky coves to broad sandy beaches, these public-access spots are enormously diverse.

All of these questions and many more are answered in this book, which includes Theo’s hand-drawn maps, photographs and artwork.

• Watch sea lions in the winter (Higginson Road)
• Paint one of the few great views of Mt. Arrowsmith--go before noon for dramatic light (Rowland Road)
• Head to the most child-friendly beach between Crofton and the Malahat (Cherry Point Nature Park)
• Splash and swim in warm water over sand (Benwalden Road) 

Refresh your pleasure in the shore and head out to picnic, play, launch kayaks, watch winter storms or just enjoy the waves. 

Theo Dombrowski is a retired teacher who was involved for many years in international education, primarily at Lester B. Pearson College of the Pacific outside Victoria, BC. A writer, photographer and artist, he has a PhD in English and spent many years teaching literature and writing. He studied drawing and painting at the Banff School of Fine Arts and in the University of Victoria Fine Arts Department and has worked as a professional artist. Theo is donating his proceeds from this book to the local environmental group Georgia Strait Alliance and to the international humanitarian support group Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF).

Secret Beaches of Greater Victoria
View Royal to Sidney
Theo Dombrowski

Secret Beaches of Greater Victoria is a comprehensive review of nearly 100 beaches on the Saanich Peninsula and in the Greater Victoria area. While some of these are well used by people living nearby, many are virtually impossible to find without combing through official maps and back-road guides. Even the seemingly well-known shoreline from Oak Bay to Beacon Hill hides its own tiny pocket beaches and obscure coves.

Just as important as finding these spots is knowing what to expect. Thus each location is accompanied by detailed information that any beach explorer should know before setting out. Is the beach a few level steps from a vehicle or down a high, steep bank? Is the beach suitable for children? Large groups? Kayakers?

All of these questions and many more are answered in this book, which includes Theo’s hand-drawn maps, photographs and artwork.

• Take a few steps off a grassy area and enter a world of miniature reefs and islets (Lansdowne Road)
• Watch boats navigating Enterprise Channel from a hidden headland (Radcliffe Lane)
• Relax on an expanse of beautiful white sand (Gonzales Beach)
• Explore a beach where you can see low-tide critters like anemones, starfish and crabs (Beaufort Road, Sidney)

Refresh your pleasure in the shore and head out to picnic, play, launch kayaks, watch winter storms or just enjoy the waves. 

Theo Dombrowski is a retired teacher who was involved for many years in international education, primarily at Lester B. Pearson College of the Pacific outside Victoria, BC. A writer, photographer and artist, he has a PhD in English and spent many years teaching literature and writing. He studied drawing and painting at the Banff School of Fine Arts and in the University of Victoria Fine Arts Department and has worked as a professional artist. Theo is donating his proceeds from this book to the local environmental group Georgia Strait Alliance and to the international humanitarian support group Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF).

Edward S. Curtis Above the Medicine Line
Portraits of Aborginal Life in the Canadian West
Rodger Touchie

Edward S. Curtis Above the Medicine Line is both an introduction to the Seattle-based photographer and a tribute to a true visionary. While Curtis’s photographs will long be his legacy, his own story is likewise compelling. Curtis built his first camera at 12 and developed that interest into a large Seattle photo studio by the age of 30. Then, on an expedition to Alaska in 1899, Curtis was exposed to First Nations cultures in a way that affected him profoundly. First Nations people had been decimated due to the diseases and aggressions of white settlers. Curtis, alarmed that their traditional ways of life were in danger of disappearing forever, made an incredible effort to capture their daily routines, character and dignity through photography and audio recordings. Curtis had planned to document only the First Peoples of the United States and Alaska, but his exposure to Canada’s Blackfoot Nation spurred him to include all of North America. The visual result was The North American Indian, a 20-volume record of 75 of North America’s Native peoples. This collection of Curtis’s images includes 100 of his most striking images and a biography.

Rodger D. Touchie was first attracted to writing when his MBA thesis was published in three parts by Canadian Business magazine. Rodger continued writing, including books on BC history and travel, before becoming the owner/publisher of Heritage House in 1995. He and his wife, Pat, divide their time between Nanoose Bay and Victoria, BC.

Skywatchers 2011
A Sky-Guide Calendar by Stan Shadick
Stan Shadick

Winner of the Calendar Marketing Association’s Silver Award for Most Original Calendar

NOW IN ITS 15TH YEAR!

Black holes, stars, planets, meteor showers, comets and galaxies are just part of what the night skies have to offer. Stan Shadick explains all things celestial in this award-winning calendar that features star maps horizon scenes for orienting novice stargazers to the heavens; inset maps illustrating planetary conjunctions and other events; and daily commentaries that describe constellation mythology, cosmic events and celestial discoveries. Find out what to watch for in the skies every night of the year. On a dark night, most of the stars described in this calendar can be viewed with the unaided eye or with binoculars. Skywatchers 2011 is the perfect way to explore the mysteries of the heavens.

Stan Shadick teaches introductory and advanced astronomy courses at the University of Saskatchewan and supervises the university observatory. He is an active advocate for recreational stargazing and writes an astronomy column for various newspapers. This is his 15th Skywatchers calendar.

Kootenai Brown
The Unknown Frontiersman
William Rodney

Brown’s remarkably adventurous life in Canada began in BC in 1862 during the Cariboo gold rush. He later became a BC policeman, Pony Express rider, buffalo hunter, Head Scout for the Rocky Mountain Rangers during the 1885 Riel Rebellion and a conservationist who fought to establish Waterton Lakes National Park. Here he is buried, this region of lakes and mountains his magnificent memorial. Possibly BC’s greatest frontiersman, nevertheless, in Canada he is virtually unknown. By contrast, if Kootenai had lived in the US he would be as familiar as Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone.

William Rodney was born, raised and educated in Alberta. He earned a degree from the University of Alberta, then an MA from Cambridge and a Ph.D. from the London School of Economics. He was later appointed a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and of the Royal Geographical Society.

Rodney has written several books, many articles and radio documentaries. For Kootenai Brown, he received the University of British Columbia’s Medal for Popular Biography. The book also won an Award of Merit and Distinction from the American Association for State and Local History.

Literary awards, however, are only one aspect of Rodney's life. During the Second World War he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force and survived an operational tour with the RAF Bomber Command. This duty was extremely hazardous, with some 50 percent of the air crew killed in action. During his service Rodney won the Distinguished Flying Cross and Bar.

William Rodney is now enjoying retirement after his last posting as professor of history at Royal Roads Military College (now Royal Roads University) on Vancouver Island.

Living Off the Sea
Charlie White

Living off the sea, is an interesting idea and internationally known author, Charlie White shares his experience is this very interesting book. Living off The Sea gives details on how to catch, clean and even prepare shrimp, crabs, oysters and fish such as cod and sole. Charlie White also devotes Chapter Six to exotic seafood that includes abalone, sea cucumber and seaweed. Chapter Five is about red tide and shellfish pollution. Each chapter ends with a brief description of how and when to try your luck catching the seas' bounties.

Charlie White is an internationally known author, filmmaker, television personality and fish-behaviour researcher. His books on salmon and marine life have sold more than 500,000 copies, putting him among the top authors on fishing. Charlie also developed a series of Undersea Gardens marine exhibits in the United States and Canada, which allow viewers to descend beneath sea level to watch sea life in a natural environment. In 1973, he began experimenting with a remote-controlled underwater television camera to study salmon strike behaviour. His underwater close-ups, in freeze frame and slow motion, revealed for the first time many fascinating new facts about how salmon and other species approach and strike various lures. He has made three feature-length films about his work, two of which are now marketed on video (Why Fish Strike! . . . Why They Don’t and In Search of the Ultimate Lure). He has been recognized in Who’s Who for his fish-behaviour studies, and he invented a number of popular fishing products, including the Scotty downrigger, Electric Hooksharp, Picture Perfect Lures and Formula X-10 fish feeding stimulant.  The Charlie White Theatre in Sidney, BC, which opened in 2002, honours Charlie’s contribution to the community. He was also honoured by the University of Victoria as Fisherman of the Year in 2001.

Rebel Women Of The West Coast
Their Triumphs, Tragedies and Lasting Legacies
Amazing Stories
Rich Mole

Here are the stories of singularly courageous West Coast women—driven, obsessed, sometimes desperate people whose nonconformist beliefs and actions made them rebels in society’s eyes. Many faced hardship and ridicule as they pursued their goals. In these vivid biographies, Rich Mole chronicles the lives of some of the most celebrated and controversial women in BC, Washington and Oregon, including:

• pioneer Catherine Schubert, who faced danger and starvation on her heroic journey west;
• ballot-box rebel Abigail Scott Duniway, who endured poverty and scathing criticism during her fight for women’s suffrage;
• Irene “Bonnie” Baird, who disguised herself as a Depression-era striker to write an exposé of their ordeals;
• complex and contradictory doctor Bethenia Owens-Adams, who broke gender barriers yet is also remembered for a more tragic legacy.

By demanding equality and respect in lecture halls, shipyards, government assemblies and operating theatres, these women helped shape the society we live in today.

Author and freelance journalist Rich Mole has also been a broadcaster, communications consultant and the president of a Vancouver Island advertising agency. A lifelong fascination with history fuels his desire to write about the events and people of Canada’s past. Rich is the author of numerous Klondike books, hockey histories and other non-fiction titles.

Arctic Explorers
In Search of the Northwest Passage
Amazing Stories
Frances Hern

There is no saga in Canadian history as full of hardship, catastrophe and mystery as the search for the Northwest Passage. Since the 15th century, the ice-choked Arctic waterway has been sought and travelled by daring men seeking profit, glory or a chance to test themselves against the merciless North. Frances Hern takes us aboard ships with the explorers whose names are memorialized on modern maps of northern Canada: Martin Frobisher, daring privateer in the service of Elizabeth I; Henry Hudson, a navigator who may have driven his crew to mutiny; John Franklin, whose last voyage became an enduring northern mystery; the talented Orkneyman John Rae, a surgeon and surveyor on the trail of Franklin. Also vividly recounted are the gruelling overland treks of Samuel Hearne; the heroic exploits of Roald Amundsen, leader of the first expedition to traverse the passage; and the incredible voyages of Henry Larsen, captain of the RCMP vessel St. Roch.

Frances Hern enjoys sailing, but only where she is unlikely to encounter pirates, frostbite or scurvy. She also likes to have accurate charts and a GPS receiver on board so that her skipper knows where he is at all times. As well as non-fiction, Frances writes poetry and children’s fiction.

British Columbia Murders
Notorious Cases and Unsolved Mysteries
Amazing Stories
Susan McNicoll

Susan McNicoll digs deep in the police files to tell the dramatic tales of British Columbia’s most notorious murders. In July 1924, Scottish nursemaid Janet Smith was murdered in Vancouver’s wealthy Shaughnessy Heights. Her killer was never apprehended, but the investigation exposed police corruption and the ugly undercurrent of racism. In the mid-1940s, 15-year-old Molly Justice was stabbed to death in a Saanich park as she walked home one evening. The murderer was never charged, even though police were virtually certain of his identity for more than 50 years. In the 1960s, a well-known Vancouver radio personality slowly poisoned his wife with arsenic. What led him to commit such a horrendous crime? Susan has chosen stories that span a century of crime, from a 1904 murder in a Victoria Chinatown theatre to a modern cold case from Vernon solved through an unusual DNA analysis. These intriguing cases show that securing justice is not always easy.

Susan McNicoll lives in Vancouver, BC, where she divides her time between writing and running a bookkeeping business. Although she is now a die-hard British Columbian, her heart still belongs to the Toronto Blue Jays.

Susan's lifelong love of words and history has been the main focus of her writing career, which began with five years as a reporter for the Ottawa Journal.

The Graveyard Of The Pacific
Shipwreck Tales from the Depths of History
Amazing Stories
Anthony Dalton

On January 22, 1906, the passenger ship Valencia lost her way in heavy fog and rain and rammed into the deadly rocks at Pachena Point on the west coast of Vancouver Island. As the wreck was shattered by the pounding waves, the survivors clung desperately to the rigging. Few made it the short distance to shore through the frigid and turbulent waves—117 of the 164 souls aboard perished. A year earlier, the King David had been wrecked on Bajo Reef near Nootka Sound. The fate of her sailors was much more mysterious.

Today, the magnificent Pacific coastline of Vancouver Island draws hikers, surfers and storm-watchers to marvel at its natural splendour. But the ghosts of the Valencia, King David, Janet Cowan, Pacific, Soquel and dozens of other lost ships still haunt the rugged shores of the Graveyard of the Pacific. Anthony Dalton tells the incredible stories of many of these ships and their courageous crews, who often discovered that their nightmares had only begun once they made it ashore. These true tales of disaster and daring rescues are a fascinating adventure into British Columbia maritime history.

Anthony Dalton is a British-born Canadian adventurer, writer and photographer. His expeditions have taken him across the Sahara, through the deserts of the Middle East, through the Sundarbans jungle of Bangladesh and into the Arctic. His adventure and boating-related articles have been published in magazines and newspapers in 20 countries and in nine languages. Dalton lives with his wife, Penny, and their Dalmatian, Mr. Parker, on the bluffs of Tsawwassen, BC, and commutes on weekends to their waterfront home on Mayne Island. He is an enthusiastic boater, owning a 33-foot sloop and a 21-foot Polynesian outrigger motorboat of his own making.

David Thompson
A Life of Adventure and Discovery
Amazing Stories
Elle Andra-Warner

For over 28 years, David Thompson explored and mapped the uncharted wilds of North America. By 1812, he had surveyed over three million kilometres—one-fifth of the continent—and become the first European to navigate the entire length of the Columbia River. Yet Thompson died in poverty and relative obscurity, after receiving little credit for his achievements, and his travel narrative would remain unpublished until 1916.

Elle Andra-Warner follows Thompson from his early years with the Hudson’s Bay Company through his amazing accomplishments with the North West Company to his later struggle to claim his legacy. Surveyor, map-maker, fur trader and entrepreneur, Thompson left a wealth of detail about the country in his journals and spent two years creating a map so accurate and detailed that it was the basis of many Canadian government maps for the next century. This is the exciting life story of one of the greatest geographers of all time.

Elle Andra-Warner is a bestselling author, journalist and photographer. Her award-winning articles appear regularly in major publications, and her newspaper columns have been in print since 1994. She has given journalism workshops throughout Canada, is an online guest journalism lecturer for the University of California, Los Angeles, and is the co-editor of the Thunder Bay Historical Museum Society’s annual journal. Estonian by heritage, Elle was born in a post–Second World War United Nations displaced persons camp for Estonians in Eckernforde, West Germany.

The Green Chain
Nothing is Ever Clear Cut 
Mark Leiren-Young

The Green Chain looks at the past, present and future of forestry through interviews with environmentalists, loggers, scientists and others. Raw log exports, environmental devastation, making a living . . . all are discussed in this exploration of the problems facing our forests, and the possible solutions.

It’s an emotional topic in a province that has launched such organizations as Greenpeace, the Sea Shepherd Society, ForestEthics and the Raging Grannies but whose economy—and many communities themselves—has been fuelled largely by forests. Both the logging industry and the environmental movement are facing unprecedented challenges, and the world is watching to see how BC responds.

Mark discusses the topic with 22 eloquent, knowledgeable and passionate people, including:

• ForestEthics and PowerUp founder Tzeporah Berman;
• environmentalist Severn Cullis-Suzuki;
• author John Vaillant (The Golden Spruce);
• former Greenpeace executive and Greenspirit founder Dr. Patrick Moore;
• poet laureate and former logger George Bowering;
• Forest Products Association of Canada president and CEO Avrim Lazar;
• union spokesman Wade Fisher;
• documentary filmmaker Velcrow Ripper (Fierce Light).

The book also includes the screenplay for Leiren-Young’s award-winning film The Green Chain, which will be available this fall on DVD.

Mark Leiren-Young is a screenwriter, playwright, performer and freelance journalist. He wrote, directed and produced the award-winning feature film The Green Chain, a documentary-style drama about a dying B.C. logging town. His first book, Never Shoot a Stampede Queen, won the 2009 Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour. His stage plays have been produced throughout Canada and the U. S. and have also been seen in Europe and Australia. His scripts Shylock and Articles of Faith are published by Anvil Press. His satirical comedy troupe, Local Anxiety, has been featured on CBC and NPR and has played major festivals across Canada. Local Anxiety’s TV special Greenpieces received an EarthVision Award for its satirical take on environmental issues. Mark has released two CDs with Local Anxiety—Forgive Us We’re Canadian and Greenpieces, both of which are available through www.localanxiety.com and iTunes. Both feature the troupe’s hit song “I’m White, I’m Straight, I’m Sorry.” 

As a journalist Mark has written for such publications as Time, Maclean’s and The Utne Reader, and he’s received a National Magazine Award as a columnist. He’s a regular contributor to The Georgia Straight and is a humour columnist for The Tyee, where he also hosts an environmentally themed podcast series, The Green Chain, which is available on iTunes. Mark currently splits his time between Vancouver, BC, and Haiku, Maui. For more on Mark, visit his website at www.leiren-young.ca  or www.leiren-young.com. 

Walking Vancouver
36 strolls to dynamic neighbourhoods, hip hangouts, and spectacular waterfronts 
John Lee

Discover—or rediscover—the metropolis you thought you knew. In Walking Vancouver, 36 sidewalk-tested strolls guide you everywhere from Yaletown to Chinatown, Stanley Park to Queen Elizabeth Park, the Downtown Eastside’s Carnegie Library to the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia.

Speedwalk any route or turn one of the short strolls into a half-day amble with coffee breaks, shopping stops and a long leisurely dinner. Kitsilano, South Main, UBC . . . hit the streets, peel back a few layers of history, and dive in. Lee’s honest look at what you’ll see is complete with maps and key information about each walk, including pit-stop recommendations, historical anecdotes, maps, and distance and difficulty level. The book also features appendices of points of interest and themed walks.

FROM THE INTRODUCTION

Unless you’ve lived in Vancouver for more than 200 years, hitting the streets in the city you thought you knew almost everything about can trigger some eye-opening surprises, and raise more than a few questions.

Adopted Vancouverite John Lee was born and raised a few miles north of London in St. Albans. His travel writing has taken him from New Zealand’s Fox Glacier to the barbecue pits of Texas; his work has appeared in major magazines and newspapers around the world, and he’s written 14 Lonely Planet guidebooks.

Cocktail Party Guide to Global Warming
Everything you need to know to converse intelligently about global warming in any social situation 
Annette Saliken

“The classic martini of climate change books—a short, crisp, clear guide to the problem and its renewable-energy solutions.”—David Suzuki

Whether you need help sorting facts from sensationalism or want to have an informed opinion about the most important conversation going on today, Cocktail Party Guide to Global Warming provides what you need to know. In this acclaimed environmental primer, Saliken:

• translates scientific data into clear, simple language that readers can digest quickly and easily, drawing on credible scientific sources such as the Nobel Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
• “connects the dots” between climate change, global warming, natural processes, greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide and fossil fuels;
• clarifies common misconceptions and answers frequently asked questions about global warming;
• explores breakthroughs in alternative energy technologies such as solar, geothermal, wind, ocean, hydro and bioenergy.

Saliken avoids political and environmental bias, maintaining objectivity and presenting information in a straightforward manner that is never preachy. Her self-published first edition of the book garnered positive reviews and awards, including a 2009 Reader Views Readers’ Choice Award in the current events category. Global Warming is the first in the Cocktail Party Guide series of easy-to-read, upfront books on contemporary issues. Coming next is Saliken’s Cocktail Party Guide to Alternative Energy.

Annette Saliken is director of marketing communications for a high-tech firm in Vancouver, BC. She recently completed her master’s thesis on global warming and alternative energy. She holds a Bachelor of Science in mathematics from the University of British Columbia and an MBA from Royal Roads University.

Wild Beauty
A Visual Exploration of BC 
Al Harvey

In this visually stunning, richly informative portrait of British Columbia, renowned photographer Al Harvey takes readers beyond the iconic landmarks of Canada’s westernmost province to its equally majestic, yet rarely seen corners. With his discerning eye, adventurer’s spirit and conservationist’s respect for the natural world, Harvey captures British Columbia’s unique, wild beauty. From the misty peaks of Haida Gwaii’s Queen Charlotte Mountains to the remote alpine tundra of the northern Rockies, from the source of the mighty Fraser River to its final Pacific destination, Wild Beauty beautifully expresses the geographic diversity of this land, all the while affirming the intimate connection between the physical terrain and the people who inhabit it. Part travel guide, part geography lesson, this breathtaking visual journey will inspire long-time residents and adventurous tourists alike to get out and discover British Columbia for themselves.

Al Harvey was born and raised in Vancouver. For over 30 years he has travelled the province, the country and the world as a photographer. He now has almost half a million images in his stock library (www.slidefarm.com).  Al is an active backpacker and kayaker, and his ocean-kayaking expeditions have taken him along many hundreds of kilometres of wilderness shoreline.

The Range Men
Pioneer Ranchers of Alberta
Leroy Kelly

Journalist Leroy Victor Kelly’s The Range Men chronicles the early days of ranching in southwestern Alberta, from the arrival of the first large herds in 1876 through to 1913, when the book was first published. Kelly gathered material from the records of the North-West Mounted Police, William Pearce’s government reports, the Calgary Herald, the Macleod Gazette and other publications, and collected anecdotes from old-time stockmen such as George Lane and John Ware.

A window into the period after the buffalo but before extensive settlement, The Range Men paints a vivid, engrossing and sometimes unflattering picture of colonial life and attitudes. The struggling ranchers of the vanguard were learning everything as they went, from how to breed stock to how to get their herds through the winter.

The ranchers of the first few years in Alberta showed certain defects of judgment and inexperience—the overcrowding of choice ranges, the promiscuous mixing of different breeds of stock, the careless dependence on the chinook winds to bring the cattle safely through the winter months.

Kelly’s unvarnished account of the relentless march of “progress,” as settlements were built and big ranches like the Cochrane, the Medicine Hat and the Bar U were born, notes the impact of farming on the wild prairie ecology and documents treaty betrayals and efforts to reduce and “subdue” First Nations through smallpox and rum. More than a story of cattle trades and the hard beginnings of the Alberta cowboy, The Range Men is an authentic and important slice of history.

Leroy Victor Kelly (1880–1956) worked for the Calgary Herald as a reporter from 1902 to 1905 and later as a marine reporter for the Vancouver Daily Province, from 1915 to 1949.

Portrait of Greater Victoria
and Southern Vancouver Island
Chris Cheadle

Full-colour photographs by internationally recognized photographer Chris Cheadle showcase the diversity and beauty of Victoria and its surrounding environment. From spectacular Butchart Gardens to windswept Jordan River, this book features all the key attractions and landmarks, making it a memorable gift and keepsake.

Cheadle’s photographic journey includes:

• the Inner Harbour and the world-famous landmarks Empress Hotel, Royal British Columbia Museum and Parliament Buildings;
• the winding, scenic marine drive from James Bay through to Cadboro Bay, including Beacon Hill Park, Cattle Point and Uplands Park;
• the parks and historical sites in the western communities, including Saxe Point, Fisgard Lighthouse and Fort Rodd Hill;
• East Sooke Park, the Sooke River potholes and other special places along the West Coast Highway;
• the Malahat, where travellers can drink in the breathtaking view of Saanich Inlet below.

Chris Cheadle is a long-time resident of Sidney, on Vancouver Island. He has travelled the world extensively, producing images for leading travel publications, books and stock-photo agencies. His images can be seen at AllCanadaPhotos.com, of which he is the managing director.

The Chilcotin War
A Tale of Death and Reprisal
Amazing Stories
Rich Mole

This colourful account of the Chilcotin War is an insightful and absorbing examination of an event that helped to shape the course of British Columbia history. In the spring of 1864, 14 men building a road along the Homathko River in British Columbia were killed by a Tsilhqot’in (Chilcotin) war party. Other violent deaths followed in the conflict that became known as the the Chilcotin War. In this true tale of clashing cultures, greed, revenge and betrayal, Rich Mole explores the causes and deadly consequences of a troubling episode in British Columbia history that is still subject to debate almost 150 years later. Using contemporary sources, Mole brings to life the principal players in this tragic drama: Alfred Waddington, the Victoria businessman who decided to build the ill-fated toll road across the territory of the independent Tsilhqot’in, attempting to connect Bute Inlet to the Cariboo goldfields of the interior, and Klatsassin, the fierce Tsilhqot’in war chief whose people had already endured the devastation of smallpox. 

Author and freelance journalist Rich Mole has been a broadcaster, communications consultant and the president of a successful Vancouver Island advertising agency. A lifelong fascination with history has fuelled his desire to write about the times and people of Canada's past.

Rich is the author of numerous Klondike books, including Rebel Women of the God Rush, Murder and Mystery in the Yukon and Gold Fever: The Adventures and Escapades of the Klondike Gold Rush. Other non-fiction titles include Christmas in British Columbia, Christmas in the Prairies and the hockey histories Great Stanley Cup Victories and Against All Odds, the story of the Edmonton Oilers. Rich now lives in Calgary, where he is currently at work on a second novel. He can be reached at ramole@telus.net.

Cariboo—Chilcotin
Pioneer People and Places
Irene Stangoe

Drawn from historical files and the memories of those who were there: pioneer days in Williams Lake, Dog Creek, Likely, Soda Creek, Horsefly, Riske Creek, 150 Mile and other areas of Central Cariboo-Chilcotin. Well illustrated with current and historical photos. Irene wrote for the Williams Lake Tribune for 44 years.

Born in Burnaby in 1918, Irene Stangoe and her husband Clive Stangoe bought the 20-year-old Williams Lake Tribune in 1950. They spent their first six years living above the print shop, freezing in winter, roasting in summers, raising two children to the thump, thump, thump of an old Country Brower press, a linotype 'held together with baling wire and chewing gum'. "For two years running we goofed on Daylight Savings Time," she recalls in Looking Back at the Cariboo-Chilcotin, "and we told our readers to put their clocks back when it should have been ahead, and the following year we were a whole day out!" She wrote features and columns for the paper for more than 44 years, launching a new column in 1975 called 'Looking Back' to recall the bygone days of the Cariboo-Chilcotin. The Stangoes sold the Tribune in 1973 and moved to Chimney Lake, west of Williams Lake, but she continued to contribute her Looking Back columns to the local paper into the 21st century. Her 'factual yarns' profile Rudy Johnson's famous Soda Creek Bridge (bought in Alaska and rebuilt with the help of Victoria engineer Howard Elder for less than $200,000, within six months, in 1968), Scottish-Indian Pipers, the Cariboo's first flag, successful authors Eric Collier (Three Against the Wilderness) and Harry Marriott (Cariboo Cowboy), Judge Begbie, ice-fishing secrets and Princess Margaret's visit in 1958. Stangoe's first book was Cariboo-Chilcotin Pioneer People and Places. She received a national award for Best Historical Story in a community newspaper from the Canadian Newspaper Association in 2000 for an excerpt from History and Happenings in the Cariboo-Chilcotin.

The Mad Trapper
Unearthing a mystery 
Barbara Smith

Ever since he was gunned down in a torrent of RCMP bullets in February 1932, the true identity of Albert Johnson, a.k.a. the "Mad Trapper of Rat River," has remained a mystery. Theories and claims have abounded, but no one has yet been able to positively identify the enigmatic loner who shunned his neighbours and led police on a wild chase that ended not only with his own death but with one officer killed and two others wounded.

Fast-forward to the age of DNA testing and modern forensic techniques. In an attempt to settle once and for all the identity question, a team of scientists and a film production crew from Myth Merchant Films exhumed Albert Johnson from his Arctic grave in August 2007. Author Barbara Smith was part of that team and has now written a book about the experience. Illustrated with striking photos from the exhumation, The Mad Trapper: Unearthing a Mystery describes the scientists' research and the making of the documentary that will air on the Discovery Channel this spring. Smith also recaps the manhunt that brought Johnson down and the legends that have grown up around him. But was the true identity of the Mad Trapper at last revealed? You'll have to read this book to find out. 

Barbara Smith is the bestselling author of 25 books. Canadian social history is one of her lifelong interests, and she has also taught writing-related courses in schools from elementary to university level and for private industry. Barbara and her husband, Bob, live on Vancouver Island in British Columbia.

Medicine Paint
The Art of Dale Auger 
Dale Auger

"Dale Auger's artwork is stunningly beautiful." -The Globe and Mail

"To show expression through your brush that comes directly from the Creator's creative source is powerful. I truly feel blessed." - Dale Auger

One of Canada's most evocative modern painters, Cree artist Dale Auger was a gifted interpreter of First Nations culture, using the cross-cultural medium of art to portray scenes from the everyday to the sacred and dissemble stereotypes about Indigenous peoples. 

Auger's striking oil paintings use bold, bright colours to explore the intricate links between spirituality and the natural laws of the land. Birds, beasts and human forms are carried from the dreamworld onto canvas, their spirits channeled through his paintbrush and presented in brilliant yellows, mystic blues, vibrant reds and swirls of black. Infusing his subjects with energy, life and colour, Dale Auger masterfully presents scenes that are powerful, spiritual and inspiring.

A bald eagle is majestic in flight against a bright blue sky. An elder makes a solemn offering to the Sky Being. Horses dance playfully in the frame for a sweat lodge. A warrior draws his bow and points it skyward. 

Medicine Paint is a collection of Dale Auger's best work, reproduced in glorious full colour and reflecting the evolution of the artist's distinctive style. Including a revealing look back at his life and professional development, the book is a stunning tribute to the master Aboriginal artist. 

A book trailer for Medicine Paint is also available on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7j_amdtayI

Dale Auger, Ph.D., (1958-2008) was a Sakaw Cree artist and storyteller from the Big-stone Cree Nation in northern Alberta. His book Mwâkwa Talks to the Loon was named Aboriginal Children's Book of the Year at the 2006 Anskohk Aboriginal Literature Festival and Book Awards and also received the 2007 R. Ross Annett Award for Children's Literature. Prior to his untimely death, Auger had been scheduled to be the Official Artist of the 2009 Calgary Stampede. He lived in Bragg Creek, Alberta, until his death in September 2008.

26 Feet to the Charlottes
Exploring the Land of the Haida 
June Cameron 

A mutual love of sailing, fishing and beachcombing brought June Cameron and Paul Holsinger together, but it was their shared sense of adventure that took them to the Queen Charlotte Islands (Haida Gwaii). In 1983, after three summers of calm sailing together, the couple decided to cross the notoriously dangerous Hecate Strait in Paul's 26-foot wooden sloop Wood Duck. That would have been no problem for the racing sailboats June was used to skippering; it was a major undertaking for a small craft making only four and a half nautical miles per hour and without the assistance of electronic navigational aids. But what the sailors found when they reached the offshore islands was worth the trip. 

Twenty-five years ago, the Charlottes were not the tourist destination they are today, but they were appealing to sailors for their sheltered waters, pleasant views and protected anchorages. Salmon and prawns abounded, and harvesting abalone was not yet banned. And onshore there was lots to explore. 

As June and Paul visited uninhabited First Nations villages, a remote logging camp, a defunct whale meat cannery and abandoned gold and copper mines, they were struck by how hard it could be to make a living in the Charlottes. And like the islands' ancient inhabitants, they found themselves challenged to keep warm, find food, stay healthy and just plain survive in this remote and unforgiving place. 

Whether you're a sailor yourself or an armchair adventurer, June Cameron's writing will carry you away as she recalls a coast that has changed dramatically while conveying the joys of travelling by boat and living off the sea. 

June Cameron has been sailing up and down the coast of BC since the mid-1970s. A competitive sailor for over a decade and a long-time contributor to Pacific Yachting, she is also the author of Destination Cortez Island and Shelter from the Storm.

Leaning on the Wind
Under the Spell of the Great Chinook 
Sid Marty

Nominated for the 1995 Governor General's Award for Non-Fiction

Winner of the Mountain Environment and Culture Award at the 1995 Banff Mountain Book Festival 

At once a tale-teller's journey, a family history, a passionate portrait of the Chinook, and a poet's vision of the West. This is a smart beauty of a book. 
-Montreal Gazette 

Created by the crashing together of tectonic plates, worn down by the passage of ice and time and shaped by hot, dry chinook winds, the foothills of the Rocky Mountains are a special place. In composing his ode to the land he loves, bestselling author and mountain man Sid Marty skillfully weaves together First Nations legends with the harrowing tales of miners, early homesteaders and his own family's experiences living in an old ranch headquarters. The result is a passionate and vivid book: dense with information, lyrical in its appreciation of the land and the people who have inhabited it, but also cut by icy irony and sardonic wit.

As evocative today as when it was first published in 1995, this new edition of the bestselling western classic may just be one of the best books ever written about Alberta for the way Marty captures the unique character of the land that lies between the mountains and the prairies. 

Sid Marty is a former park warden who has been a full-time freelance writer and singer/ songwriter for 30 years. He is a frequent contributor to Canadian Geographic, and has also written for radio and television. His books about life in the mountains and the Canadian prairies have been consistent bestsellers. His most recent book, The Black Grizzly of Whiskey Creek, was nominated for a 2007 Governor General's Award. He lives near Pincher Creek, Alberta, at the foot of the Rocky Mountains.

Birds of Interior BC and the Rockies
Richard Cannings

Birdwatching is one of Canada's most popular activities, but many field guides are so comprehensive or advanced that they intimidate novice birders. Covering the region north of the U.S. border, south of Prince George, east of Manning Park and west into the Rockies, Birds of Interior BC and the Rockies is for beginning and intermediate birders who wish to identify the birds they regularly spot in this area. However, the book will also appeal to more experienced local and visiting birders who want to learn more about the behaviour, habitat and seasonal occurrence of local birds. 

Packed with useful information, this handy, portable guide tells you how to identify local birds, find out where they live and what they eat, how to attract birds to your yard and how to select a pair of binoculars. Identification is made easy with more than 400 sharp, full-colour photos illustrating over 200 species of birds, in the plumages most likely seen in the region and colour-coded by species. There's even a checklist to record your sightings. 

Richard Cannings is a renowned naturalist, conservationist and international lecturer on birds and bird habitats. He has authored many books on birding and natural history, including the bestselling Birds of Southwestern British Columbia. Research and editorial contributors to this book include biologist Mike Denny, long-time Cascadia birder Bob Morse, Audubon Society lecturer Harry Nehls and regional editor for North American Birds Dave Trochlell.

Greetings From British Columbia
A Journey in Vintage Postcards 
Fred Thirkell and Bob Scullion

Award-winning popular historians Fred Thirkell and Bob Scullion have assembled an all-new collection of postcard views capturing different communities around British Columbia as they appeared at the turn of the 20th century. 

Collectively defining the state of affairs in BC a century ago, each one of these images has a story to tell. Once a thriving cannery town, Port Essington is now long gone, abandoned and then destroyed by forest fires. They may have 

mined millions of dollars in gold at Stout's Gulch, but you'll have trouble finding it on any maps today. Even Kelowna's main street is unrecognizable. 
With each passing year, it becomes more difficult to find rare and unusual black-and-white printed postcards from this period. Many of the ones Thirkell and Scullion have included in Greetings from British Columbia are themselves rare, borrowed from the collection of a pre-eminent postcard dealer without whose cooperation this new collection would not have been possible. 

While Fred Thirkell was born and educated in Vancouver and Bob Scullion was Glasgow born and schooled, when it comes to antique postcards they speak the same language, though with very different accents. Both men appreciate the unique photographic record preserved for posterity by the lowly picture postcard and have collaborated on seven previous postcard histories, all published by Heritage House.

Camping British Columbia
A Complete Guide to Provincial and National Park Campgrounds Sixth Edition 
Jayne Seagrave

Over the last 18 years, Jayne Seagrave has travelled through every region of BC, taking in some of the most breathtaking scenery in the world-and she's done so conveniently and cheaply by staying in the multitude of provincial and national parks this province has to offer. After you've read her book, you will no doubt want to do the same. 

Whether you prefer roughing it in a tent or relaxing in the relative luxury of an RV, this informative and entertaining book is a "must-pack" item for all campers, as Seagrave describes the location, amenities and recreational activities of all BC provincial and national parks with vehicle-accessible campsites. 

But this gem of a guidebook goes beyond detailed information, offering pragmatic advice from BC's camping expert. The sixth edition of her popular guidebook has been enhanced with even more helpful information aimed at making your camping experience memorable. New sections on camping with kids, green camping and campground security increase the practical value of Seagrave's entertaining, first-hand accounts of camping in BC's provincial and national parks. 

Jayne Seagrave lives in Vancouver with her husband, Andrew Dewberry, and their two sons. She divides her busy schedule between managing the family business, raising her boys, and camping, travelling and exploring BC.

Haida Gwaii
The Queen Charlotte Islands Third Edition  
Dennis Horwood

Located off the northwest coast of British Columbia, the mystical archipelago of Haida Gwaii is a place of unrivalled natural beauty and is rightly found on the must-see list of many travellers. Ancient homeland of the Haida people, this collection of about 150 islands, located 770 kilometres from Vancouver as the crow flies, has long attracted visitors seeking a truly unique travel experience. 

Following his recent trip to the Queen Charlotte Islands to visit the newly opened Haida Heritage Centre at Skidegate, Dennis Horwood has revised and updated his bestselling guidebook to the Charlottes for 2009. New attractions and accommodation options have been added to this revised edition, and all contact information has been brought up to date. 

Applying the author's detailed knowledge of Haida Gwaii's geography, social history and natural attractions, this guide equips visitors with everything they need to know. The book includes extensive, detailed information on places to visit, things to do and places to stay, along with advice on planning your trip (including a suggested five-day itinerary). Also included are a history of the area, a guide to the islands' bird and animal life and 16 pages of full-colour photographs. 

Dennis Horwood is a teacher and a birding and boating enthusiast who spends each summer investigating BC waters with his wife, Brenda.

Sky Watchers 2010
A Sky-Guide Calendar
Stan Shadick

Winner of the Calendar Marketing Association's Silver Award for Most Original Calendar

Black holes, stars, planets, meteor showers, comets and galaxies are just part of what the night skies have to offer. Stan Shadick explains all things celestial in this award-winning calendar that features star maps with horizon scenes for orienting novice stargazers to the heavens; inset maps illustrating planetary conjunctions and other events; and daily commentaries that describe constellation mythology, cosmic events and celestial discoveries. Find out what to watch for in the skies every night of the year. On a dark night, most of the stars described in this calendar can be viewed with the unaided eye or with binoculars. Skywatchers 2010 is the perfect way to explore the mysteries of the heavens. 

Stan Shadick teaches both introductory and advanced astronomy courses at the University of Saskatchewan and supervises the university observatory. He is an active advocate for recreational stargazing and writes an astronomy column for various newspapers. This is his 14th Skywatchers calendar.

Classic Images of Canada's First Nations
1850-1920 
Edward Cavell

A former curator at Banff's Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Edward Cavell has pored through hundreds of thousands of photographs in archives, museums and private collections across Canada and abroad. The striking black-and-white First Nations portraits in this collection chronicle a voyage through Canada's cultural past. Selected for their aesthetic value as well as their historical interest, these photographs provide a unique visual portrait of Canada's early days.

Rocky Mountain Madness
A Historical Miscellany 
Edward Cavell and Jon Whyte 

Rocky Mountain Madness is a throwback to the heyday of Victorian ambition when Banff was a rustic-albeit bucolically charming- outpost of the Empire and the streets were people with climbers, outfitters, cowboys, cooks, guides, photographers and poets. This entertaining collection of historical photographs, amusing newspaper accounts, reminiscences and letters evokes the capricious antics the mountains summoned for these people, and, to quote the authors, includes "accounts of occasional accomplishment, accomplished adventure, adventurous rambling and rambling discourse.

Alberta
A History in Photographs  
Faye Reineberg Holt

To many people, Alberta represents the true Canadian frontier. It is known for the rugged independence of its residents-whether they are homesteaders, cowboys, explorers, oilmen, grassroots politicians or strong-willed feminists. This book is a wonderful collection of images and stories that tell of Alberta's many roots. Beginning in the 18th century and continuing into the present day, this collection of over 150 photographs chronicles the development of Alberta from a frontier society into a modern-day economic powerhouse.

Vancouver 
A History in Photographs 
Aynsley Vogel and Dana Wyse

Once an almost inaccessible logging town, Vancouver has grown into a major North American urban centre, and a jewel of the Pacific Rim. Within a mere century, it has metamorphosed from a little-explored rainforest to a thriving and cosmopolitan metropolis that will host the 2010 Olympics. This book shares the city's extraordinary coming of age through 150 striking images. Carefully reproduced, they capture Vancouver in every phase of its growth, from the coming of the railway to the intense urban expansion that has taken place since the 1950s.

CSI Alberta 
The Secrets of Skulls and Skeletons 
Peter B. Smith

Drawing on his years as a Calgary crime reporter, Peter Smith tells the stories of baffling and bizarre Alberta crime scenes. These 10 gripping tales of murder and missing persons show how skulls and skeletons revealed their secrets to forensic investigators as they pursued justice for the unfortunate victims. From DNA analysis to forensic facial reconstruction, Smith details the scientific search for the truth hidden in the bones, but also reveals the effectiveness of dogged, old-fashioned detective work, which sometimes relies more on hunches and human psychology than hard science.

Prairie Murders 
Mysteries, Crimes and Scandals 
Peter B. Smith 

Greed, madness, revenge and political doctrine are but a few of the motives behind eight dramatic prairie murder cases related by author Peter Smith. A Saskatchewan farmhouse is burned to the ground to conceal the brutal murders of a family of seven; a German prisoner-of-war camp in Medicine Hat is the scene of savage Nazi killings, and three desperados from Manitoba flee across the prairies and finally engage in a deadly shootout with Mounties near Banff. These are just some of the true tales that explore the dark side of 20th-century prairie history.

A People on the Move 
The Métis of the Western Plains 
Irene Gordon 

This book paints a picture of Métis life and culture during the 19th century in the area that later became Saskatchewan and Alberta. Gordon brings history to life through the stories of individuals, such as Gabriel Dumont, Antoine Vermette and Edouard Beapré, and remarkable families, including the Rowand and Bird families of Fort Edmonton and the Cardinal and Desjarlis families of Lac La Biche. The tragedy of 1885, the founding of Willow Bunch and the coming of the NWMP are just some of the key events that are covered.

Native Chiefs and Famous Métis 
Leadership and Bravery in the Canadian West 
Holly Quan

These tales of bravery, courage and decisive action in times of terrible conflict are the stories of heroes. Although the lives of the Native chiefs and famous Métis featured in this book were often tinged with sadness and loss, they were also an inspiration. Full of adventures and battles, these tales ultimately tell of the negotiations, broken promises and harsh realities of the changing face of the West.

Rescue Dogs 
Crime and Rescue Canines in the Canadian Rockies 
Dale Portman

Dale Portman's insightful storytelling is a heartwarming affirmation of the bond between human and dog. This collection of crime and rescue stories by the retired park warden and dog trainer highlights the vital role dogs play in saving lives, upholding the law and recovering bodies. Portman describes the escapades of Canadian Rockies park warden Alfie Burstrom and his canine partner, Ginger-the first certified avalanche search team in North America-as well as his own adventures tracking down criminals and missing persons with his German shepherd, Sam. Reading these stories of working dogs will give you a new appreciation of the important roles they play and how they really are our silent heroes.

Riding on the Wild Side 
Tales of Adventure in the Canadian West 
Dale Portman

This collection of stories about working horses and the people who make a living riding them in Canada's mountain national parks suggests how eventful and adventurous life can be on horseback. Imagine chasing a herd of wild horses, galloping at full speed toward an impenetrable forest, and you get a sense of the excitement of the backcountry life. With nearly 30 years spent working in Jasper, Banff, Yoho and Glacier/Revelstoke national parks, retired warden Dale Portman has saddlebags stuffed with just such stories. Riding on the Wild Side shares some of his best.

Wilderness Tales
Adventures in the Backcountry 
Peter Christensen

In Wilderness Tales, Peter Christensen describes working for the parks service maintaining trails and warden patrol stations in national parks. It's a job that involves patrolling remote wilderness on horseback, and long days in the saddle give way to wry contemplations on human nature and the beauty of the natural world. While working in the backcountry, Christensen found himself insulated not only from the intrusions of highway noise but also from the stress of modern life. As a result, his thoughtful stories about life in the mountains of Alberta are often poignant, sometimes tragic, but always a great read.

Celebrated Pets
Endearing Tales of Companionship and Loyalty 
Cheryl MacDonald 

Canadian history is full of touching stories of animal companionship, and some relationships between people and their cherished companions are legendary. From Grey Owl and the Beaver People to Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King's "little angel dogs" to Emily Carr's menagerie, these stories describe notable people and their relationships with their pets. Cheryl MacDonald also shares the story of the original Winnie the Pooh, describes the eventful life and the tragic end of Jumbo the elephant and looks at the "valiant but voiceless" dogs and horses employed in police work.

The Mounties
Tales of Adventure and Danger from the Early Days 
Elle Andra-Warner

When the newly formed Northwest Mounted Police marched west in 1874, Canada was a young country with vast and wild western territories. The Mounties is an exciting account of the turbulent early days of the Force. The book tells not only of the larger-than-life characters who were instrumental in peace-making with Native peoples, but also sheds light on the unsung heroes who risked and sometimes lost their lives travelling incredible distances across the frozen North to save lives and enforce justice. The Mounties vividly illustrates why the RCMP has become such an enduring Canadian symbol.

Hudson's Bay Company Adventures
The Rollicking Saga of Canada's Fur Traders 
Elle Andra-Warner 

The explorers and fur traders who started the Hudson's Bay Company were brash and daring adventurers in search of their fortunes in the New World. Hudson's Bay Company Adventures vividly relates the frequently violent early history of the iconic Canadian company and the characters who laboured for it. In doing so, the book brings to life the exciting history of Canada's oldest company with tales of warring fur-trade companies, astonishing journeys and incredible hardships and danger in the unforgiving wilderness.

Gold Fever
Incredible Tales of the Klondike Gold Rush 
Rich Mole 

In 1897, at the height of the Klondike Gold Rush, tens of thousands of would-be prospectors flooded into the Yukon in search of instant wealth. Rich Mole gives a vivid account of the gold rush from the earliest strikes to the climactic events of 1897 and their often tragic consequences. Lured by tales of gold in places with names like Bonanza and Eldorado Creek, most of the men were ill-equipped for what they would face in the North. What most found instead of riches were bitter disappointment and conditions beyond endurance. A lucky few made their fortune, and some just as quickly lost it.

Rebel Women of the Gold Rush
Extraordinary Achievements and Daring Adventures 
Rich Mole 

Many of the women who arrived in the Klondike longed for the thrill of adventure and an end to the tedium of everyday life, while others sought riches. At a time when women were expected to conform to society's strict rules, the rebel women of the Klondike broke them with gusto, turning dreams into realities. They became millionaires, entrepreneurs, prostitutes, widows, wives, rebels and even murderers, scandalizing society in the process. Often on a trail of heartbreak and false hopes, they came to love the vast, untamed land that played a starring role in their own inspiring stories.

Ghost Town Stories of Alberta
Abandoned Dreams in the Shadows of the Canadian Rockies
Johnnie Bachusky

Settled with high hopes of prosperity and home to many thousands in their heydays, ghost towns offer a fascinating glimpse into the past. Often all that remains of the abandoned towns are the stories of a bygone era. Johnnie Bachusky, a collector of ghost-town stories, takes us on an amazing journey into the past through the ghost towns of the Canadian Rockies and foothills.

Ghost Town Stories of BC
Tales of Hope, Heroism and Tragedy
Johnnie Bachusky

Dreams of wealth brought waves of opportunists to British Columbia, who settled throughout the province. Some of the communities they lived in disappeared over time and today are almost forgotten. Johnnie Bachusky introduces readers to some of the characters and towns that have faded into the past.

Inspiring Animal Tales
Heartwarming Stories of Courage and Devotion
Roxanne Willems Snopek 

The touching stories in this collection provide hope to everyone who has ever wondered if they could overcome a difficult start. The answer is yes, with a little help from an animal friend, and a good measure of love, trust and dedication. From National Service Dogs to dogs with disabilities, from donkeys to parrots, the animals in this book have all brought joy and hope into people's lives. Their stories are truly inspiring.

Baby Wild Animals 
Dennis and Esther Schmidt 

One of the first steps in knowing more about the family life of wild animals is to know what the animals, both young and old, look like. Do you want to know what an elk calf looks like? Or a mountain goat kid? How about a young woodpecker? Featuring very cute baby pictures of some of North America's best-known wild animals, this book helps young readers to identify them by name. A fun read and a great teaching tool.

2009 Waggoner Cruising Guide 
Robert Hale

From Puget Sound to Prince Rupert, BC, including the west coast of Vancouver Island, this popular annual guide provides complete information about marinas, marine parks and fuel docks, U.S./Canada border crossings and Customs, VHF radio requirements and more. For each cruising area, you'll find a list of charts needed, overviews of the area and detailed listings of moorage and fuel facilities. There's text on anchorages, piloting, the "flavour" of each area, some history and comments on things to see and do. Lots of maps and photos, too. 

Robert Hale has been boating in the Northwest for most of his life. His early careers included editor of Nor'westing magazine and freelance photographer, and in 1981 he founded Robert Hale & Co. Inc., a manufacturer's rep business now grown into the world's largest specialty wholesaler of nautical books.

Cruising to Desolation Sound 
Peter Vassilopoulos

Desolation Sound is one of the most popular cruising destinations in the Pacific Northwest. This guide takes the reader from Howe Sound and Vancouver, along the Sunshine Coast and into Desolation Sound. Along the way, it covers popular attractions such as Princess Louisa Inlet and Pender Harbour. It continues through the Discovery Islands to Campbell River, with full-colour illustrations of fabulous waterways, inlets and scenic coastal vistas. Hundreds of aerial and ambient photographs and numerous diagrams assist mariners choose the best routes, anchorages and places to moor. 

Peter Vassilopoulos has been boating in the Pacific Northwest for more than 30 years and has authored a series of cruising guides and two coffee-table books about the area.

More Great Dog Stories
Inspirational Tales About Exceptional Dogs
Author: Roxanne Willems Snopek

These are tales about people who turned around the lives of their dogs, and dogs who turned around the lives of their people. A retired greyhound named Blaster learns about life beyond the racetrack. Jovi, a fearful border collie, discovers the joy of human and canine companionship. A service dog named Blue opens doors for her owner, a quadriplegic, that he thought were forever closed to him. Dog lovers of all ages will be inspired and moved by these true stories.

Roxanne Willems Snopek has been writing professionally for two decades and is the author of eight books and more than 150 articles. Her non-fiction has appeared in a wide variety of publications, from The Vancouver Sun and Reader's Digest to newsletters for Duke, Cornell and Tufts universities. In 2006, her novel Targets of Affection was published by Cormorant Books. Written under the name RG Willems, it is the first of a new mystery series dealing with the human-animal bond. Short fiction by Roxanne is included in the anthologies Half in the Sun (Ronsdale Press, Elsie K. Neufeld, ed.) and Blood on the Holly (Baskerville Books, Caro Soles, ed.). Roxanne and her family live in British Columbia, where she is currently at work on her next book.

More Great Cat Stories
Incredible Tales About Exceptional Cats
Author: Roxanne Willems Snopek

The bond between cats and their people comes to the fore in these charming true stories. Cinders shows her young owner that she is more than her fears and insecurities. Mr. Morris's love of people makes him a winner as a therapy cat. A stray named Kitty finds a new owner and gives him a reason to live. Poignant and heartwarming, these stories will be cherished by cat lovers of all ages.

Roxanne Willems Snopek has been writing professionally for two decades and is the author of eight books and more than 150 articles. Her non-fiction has appeared in a wide variety of publications, from The Vancouver Sun and Reader's Digest to newsletters for Duke, Cornell and Tufts universities. In 2006, her novel Targets of Affection was published by Cormorant Books. Written under the name RG Willems, it is the first of a new mystery series dealing with the human-animal bond. Short fiction by Roxanne is included in the anthologies Half in the Sun (Ronsdale Press, Elsie K. Neufeld, ed.) and Blood on the Holly (Baskerville Books, Caro Soles, ed.). Roxanne and her family live in British Columbia, where she is currently at work on her next book.

Canada's West Coast
Author: Chris Cheadle

The distinctive peeling bark on the trunk of an arbutus tree. Towering Sitka spruce trees. Migrating sandpipers in Clayoquot Sound. A grizzly bear feeding on pink salmon near Knight Inlet Lodge. Chris Cheadle walked the streams of the rainforests, kayaked to remote beaches, sailed the inlets, explored the islands and listened to the wisdom of First Nations elders to capture the images in this book, which depict the west coast of British Columbia in all its glory. 

Chris Cheadle is a long-time resident of Sidney, on Vancouver Island. He has travelled the world extensively, producing images for leading travel publications, books and stock-photo agencies. The west coast of Canada is still his favourite place to live and work. Chris is also the author/photographer of Portrait of Vancouver Island and Victoria and Southern Vancouver Island. His images can be seen at AllCanadaPhotos.com, of which he is the managing director, and Getty Images.

Reena
A Father's Story
Author: Manjit Virk

The story of the Virk family is set against a tragic backdrop that remains one of the most widely discussed crimes of our time.

On the night of November 14, 1997, 14-year-old Reena Virk, a troubled Victoria high-school student, was swarmed and beaten by a group of teenagers and eventually killed. At the time, Reena's father Manjit, a soft-spoken, sensitive immigrant from the Punjab state of India, had already been let down by both social-services and law-enforcement authorities. He and his wife, Suman, had struggled with the challenges of conflicting cultures and religions, of family dissension and child-rearing ideologies, and with allegations of wrongdoing and the resulting tarnished reputations.

In the aftermath of Reena's murder, it was Suman who spoke for the family. Now, for the first time, Manjit tells his story, speaking from the heart about his life with Reena; the spiralling events that led to yet more angst and frustration for the family; his lingering concerns about a badly fractured social-support and legal system; and the faith that pulled him through the most trying times of his life.

Manjit Virk was born in the state of Punjab in northern India in 1956. He has a master's degree in English literature, and he immigrated to Victoria, British Columbia, in 1979. He has worked for 20 years for a Victoria-based manufacturer, in various capacities, and is a freelance interpreter and translator of the Punjabi and Hindi languages. He wrote this book to "set the record straight" and provide some hope to families going through difficult times raising their children.

Lynne Van Luven, associate professor in the Department of Writing at the University of Victoria, assisted Manjit with telling his story.

Ice Warriors
The Pacific Coast/Western Hockey League 1948-1974
Author: Jon C. Stott

Ice Warriors tells the story of the Western Hockey League (known as the Pacific Coast Hockey League before 1952), a determined, ambitious league that at its height aspired to establish itself as a second major league, a western counterpart to the eastern NHL.

Between 1948 and 1974, more than 2,500 minor-league professional hockey players skated for the 23 teams that made up the Western Hockey League. A small percentage of these players went on to enjoy substantial careers in the National Hockey League; others were former NHLers who chose to end their pro careers in the minors. Most of them, however, were minor-league "lifers" who played many seasons in the WHL and other minor pro leagues.

Ice Warriors traces the league's origins, rise and fall. The author analyzes off-ice influences on the WHL's development and portrays the on-ice highlights of each season, including interviews with players, coaches and fans, and statistical records and pictures from the era. The league's aspirations ended with the expansion of the NHL, and after the 1973-74 season the WHL ceased operations. In its 26-year-run, however, it provided winter sports entertainment for countless appreciative hockey fans west of the Mississippi.

Jon C. Stott is professor emeritus at the University of Alberta. In 1973 he wrote the Western Hockey League's official commemorative magazine, and he is the author of three books on minor-league sports, including Hockey Night in Dixie (2006). Stott spent many winter evenings from 1951 to 1963 watching WHL hockey games in Victoria and Vancouver.

The First Beaver
Author: Caroll Simpson

This is a story of how the first beaver came to be. It tells of how a girl child, Reedee, is born with hair the colour of Mother Earth, not the colour of the Raven like the rest of the people in her tribe. It isn't just her hair that sets Reedee apart: 

The First People worked by the light from the sun and the fire. At night, everyone slept-everyone except Reedee! When darkness fell, she disappeared into the forest.
"Where does she go?" Reedee's mother asked her husband. Her parents wanted Reedee to fit in and be happy.

When her parents discover that Reedee has a path she must follow on her own, they support her and allow her to become her true self-and the best that she can possibly be.

Caroll Simpson's charming tale is vividly illustrated with her own distinctive colour paintings. Her storytelling and illustrations not only capture the beauty of the Northwest and its flora and fauna, they also teach about Aboriginal culture in the details of everyday life portrayed in the articles of traditional clothing, baskets and boxes. The book includes a glossary of crests and their significance in First Nations culture.

Caroll Simpson taught Native art and drama to grade-school children for many years before buying Ookpik Wilderness Lodge, a remote fishing lodge on Babine Lake, in the northern interior of British Columbia. She spends the off-season writing and painting. She sees her work as a celebration of the legends and art of the First Peoples of the Northwest.

Never Shoot a Stampede Queen
A Rookie Reporter in the Cariboo
Author: Mark Leiren-Young
foreword by Ian Ferguson, co-author of How to be a Canadian

The cops wanted to shoot me, my bosses thought I was a Bolshevik, and a local lawyer warned me that some people I was writing about might try to test the strength of my skull with a steel pipe. What more could any young reporter hope for from his first real job?

Never Shoot a Stampede Queen is a collection of true-life tall tales about a rookie reporter's adventures in Canada's still-very-wild West.

The night Mark Leiren-Young drove into Williams Lake, British Columbia, in 1985 to work as a reporter for the venerable Williams Lake Tribune, he arrived on the scene of an armed robbery. And that was before things got weird.

For a 21-year-old from Vancouver, a stint in the legendary Cariboo town was a trip to another world and another era. 

From the explosive opening, where Mark finds himself in a courtroom just a few feet away from a defendant with a bomb strapped to his chest, to the case of a plane without a pilot that crashed, Never Shoot a Stampede Queen is an unforgettable comic memoir of a city boy learning about-and learning to love-life in a cowboy town.

Mark Leiren-Young is a well-known screenwriter, playwright, journalist and filmmaker. Nominated for a 2007 Canadian Screenwriting Award for his first feature film, The Green Chain (which he also directed), Leiren-Young has written for other film projects, television, theatre, radio, magazines and newspapers. His comedy troupe, Local Anxiety (www.localanxiety.com), is featured on iTunes and is currently recording a new CD. For more on Mark visit www.leiren-young.ca.

From Home to Home
Autumn Wanderings in the North-West, 1881-1884
Author: A.S. Hill

Alexander Stavely Hill was the founder of Alberta's famous Oxley Ranch. A British Conservative MP from 1868 to 1900, he travelled to Canada annually between 1881 and 1884. From Home to Home, first published in 1885, is an account of those travels.

Interested in developing a new enterprise in a new country, Hill founded the Oxley in 1882, persuading veteran livestock breeder John R. Craig-later the manager of Oxley, who wrote his own memoir, Ranching with Lords and Commons (reprinted by Heritage House in 2006)-to drop his Canadian investors in favour of some English gentlemen whom Hill claimed had much more to invest. Ironically, a bitter feud later developed between Craig and Hill when the latter could not (or would not) supply enough money to run the enterprise properly. From Home to Home is a fascinating look at this historically important time and place from the perspective of a late-19th century version of an absentee landlord.

A.S. Hill was born in 1825. He died on June 25, 1905, in England. Stavely, Alberta, named in honour of Hill, became a town in 1912.

Robert Service
Under the Spell of the Yukon, Second Edition
Author: Enid Mallory

Robert Service's time in the Yukon, at first as a transplanted bank clerk and later living off the royalties of poems like "The Shooting of Dan McGrew" and "The Cremation of Sam McGee," is the core of a fascinating life. Starving in Mexico, residing in a California bordello, farming on Vancouver Island and pursuing unrequited love in Vancouver were only preludes to his Yukon years and his first poems.

Words were Robert Service's lifelong passion, and he set them on many stages. But it was his McGrew, McGee and other players of the Great White North who glittered with a golden glow and forever made him the "Bard of the Yukon" and the de facto poet laureate of Alaska. Robert Service sheds light on aspects of the poet's life that have only been sketchily covered by other biographers, focusing on his years in Canada and the western U.S.

This new softcover edition features a selection of some of his most popular poems, including "The Cremation of Sam McGee," "The Shooting of Dan McGrew," "The Call of the Wild," "The Spell of the Yukon" and "The Ballad of Blasphemous Bill." 

Having finished this wonderfully readable biography by Enid Mallory, I find myself asserting that Service deserves to be celebrated as Canada's Robbie Burns, complete with statues and annual dinners.
-author Ken McGoogan, in LITERARY REVIEW OF CANADA

Enid Mallory is a former librarian who has written for Canadian Geographic, The Beaver and Reader's Digest and is the author of several books, including Coppermine: The Far North of George M. Douglas.

Portrait of British Columbia
Author: Al Harvey

British Columbia is a province of immense diversity, vast spaces and unparalleled majesty. Photographer Al Harvey travelled the province-by car, foot, plane, bike, kayak and canoe-to capture these definitive images.

Portrait of Vancouver

With its wealth of amenities, from parks, gardens and beaches to bustling markets, unique shops and fine restaurants, Vancouver has it all. This book celebrates the city with a selection of photographs that visitors and long-time residents alike will appreciate and enjoy.

Portrait of Vancouver Island
Author: Chris Cheadle

Vancouver Island is a place with much to see, from the old-growth forest of the Carmanah Valley and the orcas that frequent the surrounding waters to the rich histories of the First Nations and the early settlers. Its charm is captured beautifully by internationally celebrated photographer Chris Cheadle.

Totem Poles
Author: Pat Kramer

This book guides readers to the many places in British Columbia, Washington, and Alaska where totem poles can be found and helps viewers understand the "language" of the poles. Learn about their origin and history, the symbols and ceremonies linked to them, types of figures and how to identify them, and where to see authentic poles and pole collections.

Skywatchers 09
A Sky-Guide Calendar by Stan Shadick
Author: Stan Shadick

Black holes, stars, planets, meteor showers, comets and galaxies are just part of what the night skies have to offer. Stan Shadick explains all things celestial in this award-winning calendar that features star maps with horizon scenes for orienting novice stargazers to the heavens; inset maps
illustrating planetary conjunctions and other events; and daily commentaries that describe constellation mythology, cosmic events and celestial discoveries. Find out what to watch for in the skies every night of the year. On a dark night, most of the stars described in this calendar can be viewed with the unaided eye or with binoculars. Skywatchers 09 is the perfect way to explore the mysteries of the heavens.

Stan Shadick teaches both introductory and advanced astronomy courses at the University of Saskatchewan and supervises the university observatory. He is an active advocate for recreational stargazing and writes an astronomy column for various newspapers. This is his 13th Skywatchers calendar.

The Man Who Saved Vancouver
Major James Skitt Matthews
Author: Daphne Sleigh

Daphne Sleigh paints a vivid portrait of controversial archivist Major James Skitt Matthews in her impeccably researched look at this colourful character whose dedication, dogged persistence and guerrilla tactics were instrumental in preserving Vancouver's history. Matthews, as noted for his fiery nature and stentorian voice as he was for his zeal for collecting and preserving artifacts, was the founder of the City of Vancouver Archives, an institution he forced upon a reluctant city council and which he guarded ferociously until his death at age 92. In addition to collecting a massive number of historical objects and important early records, Matthews conducted hundreds of extensive interviews with Vancouver pioneers from disparate backgrounds, publishing them in his series Early Vancouver: Narratives of Pioneers of Vancouver, B.C.

But before Matthews had even embarked on this vocation-he took up the heritage cause after retiring-he had lived an adventurous, action-packed life that to most people would seem like several lives. This compelling biography covers his unique background and the unusual experiences that shaped the man and set the stage for a remarkable future.

Daphne Sleigh won the Lieutenant-Governor's Medal from the BC Historical Society in 1984 for her book on explorer Walter Moberly. She has written five books in all, was the first curator of the Maple Ridge Museum in BC and has been on the executive of various historical societies.

Heart of the Cariboo - Chilcotin
Three
Edited by Karla Decker

Another instalment in the story of British Columbia's Cariboo-Chilcotin region, this book is a delightful collection of spirited tales by the area's most talented authors, plus a couple of "outsiders." Joining well-known Cariboo favourites Rich Hobson, Paul St. Pierre and Eric Collier are Barry Broadfoot and his touching tribute to Cariboo legend Fred Lindsay, historian/journalist Bruce Ramsey and his description of Barkerville's Chinatown, and pioneer Bill Hong and his account of what was done with Barkerville's deceased Chinese residents.

From Edith Beeson's Dunlevey comes a gripping eyewitness play-by-play of a near-fatal Aboriginal wrestling match in 1859. Other stories include pioneer and wilderness lover Lutie Ulrich Cochran's perky tale of her mischievous temporary pet Flash the Weasel, and a tender vignette about a loon family by Will D. Jenkins Sr., a Chilcotin pioneer who penned his memoir, Chilcotin Diary, at the age of 98. New stories by old favourites Irene Stangoe, Hilary Place and Eldon Lee mingle with gems of wry Cariboo humour by Doc Holley, Chilco Choate and Fred Lindsay. A brand-new story by Ann Walsh rounds out the collection.

Karla Decker is an editor at Heritage House. She co-edited Heart of the Cariboo-Chilcotin: More Stories Worth Keeping (2007).

Yi Fao: Speaking Through Memory
A History of New Westminster's Chinese Community 1858-1980
Authors: Jim Wolf & Patricia Owen

This is the fascinating and complex story of the Chinese-Canadian community in New Westminster, British Columbia, told in text and photographs that relate a range of individual experiences and stories. Yi Fao is the city's Chinese name; it means "second port," a reference to New West's place as the second port of entry to British Columbia after Victoria. The book documents the history of Yi Fao and preserves and celebrates the voices and personalities of the Chinese immigrants who contributed so much to the city's development, focusing on four key families of settlers: Law, Lee, Quan and Shiu. In each family's story, children, siblings, grandchildren, grandparents and in-laws recount their memories of life in New Westminster. While the historical narrative helps place the stories in a broader context, the personal reminiscences offer a history not just of facts and dates, but of personal experiences and emotions. This intimate glimpse into daily life and the city's old Chinatown is compelling and poignant, revealing a story of struggle, adventure and achievement.

Jim Wolf is the heritage planner for the City of Burnaby and is an active heritage consultant. He is the author of Royal City: A Photographic History of New Westminster 1858-1960 (2005).

Patricia Owen has a master's degree in the arts of Africa, Oceania and the Americas. She is currently working on a contract with the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia.

Country Roads of British Columbia
Exploring the Interior
Author: Liz Bryan

In Country Roads of British Columbia, Liz Bryan explores and celebrates the amazing landscapes and traces the early history of Canada's westernmost province. Through 18 picturesque country journeys, mostly in the Interior between the Rockies and the Coast Mountains, she takes readers through some of the most diverse and beautiful scenery in the country. British Columbia has everything: forests, rivers, lakes, grasslands, alpine peaks, sagebrush plateaus, desert valleys and badlands. This diversity can be explained in part by the province's remarkable geological history: it is not one land, but several, formed over time by unstoppable tectonic forces and modified by volcanic activity and glacial ice. Much of the human history of the province, which closely follows the patterns of its geology, can be discovered along the network of roads stitching the province together. Traces of the Native peoples' ancestral presence are found, along with those of the fur traders, explorers, gold miners, ranchers and homesteaders who settled here. In both her text and her fullcolour photographs, Bryan demonstrates just how beautiful British Columbia truly is.

Liz Bryan is a journalist by training with an extensive background in magazine editing and publishing. She is the author of Country Roads of Alberta, The Buffalo People and Stone by Stone, all published by Heritage House. She and her late husband, Jack, co-founded Western Living magazine.

Anchorages and Marine Parks
Updated & Revised
Author: Peter Vassilopoulos

The photographs in this new edition of the popular cruising guide are now in full colour, the information has been updated, and GPS waypoints are included for destination anchorages and marine parks. The guide covers the San Juan and Gulf islands, Desolation Sound, the west coast of Vancouver Island and the Inside Passage. This edition offers more data on popular destinations, as well as more illustrations and directions.

Peter Vassilopoulos has been boating in the Pacific Northwest for more than 30 years and is the author of a series of cruising guidebooks for this area.

Waggoner Cruising Guide 2008
Author: Robert Hale

This bestselling annual guide provides complete information about the cruising waters in Puget Sound, San Juan Islands, the Inside Passage to Prince Rupert and the west coast of Vancouver Island. With up-to-date information on marinas, state and provincial parks, anchoring and piloting, the guide takes away the anxiety of entering a harbour for the first time. Articles cover everything from VHF radio requirements to US-Canada border crossings and customs. There is also information to convey the "flavour" of each area-history, things to see and do, and general lore.

Robert Hale spends 9 to 11 weeks per year cruising the waters between Olympia, Washington, and Prince Rupert, BC, researching the Waggoner Cruising Guide, which he publishes.

Skywatcher's Companion
Constellations and Their Mythology
A Starry, Starry Night Discovery Book
Maps by Stan Shadick
Text by Stan Shadick and Heritage House editorial staff

A colourful and informative sidekick to Stan Shadick's hugely popular Skywatchers Calendar

The star-studded night sky is the biggest movie screen in the universe, and it has fired the human imagination ever since our ancestors first looked up in awe and marvelled at its grandeur and its mysterious twinkling lights. Over the last 5,000 years, people from many different cultures have been inspired to create stories about the formations that the sky's billions of stars seem to make.

Each culture's stories, or myths, are known collectively as a mythology. They were created to explain mysteries of the natural world, such as why storms occur, why the seasons change and why crows do not sing like other birds. Among the first people to tell these stories were the ancient kingdoms of Mesopotamia, located roughly where the country of Iraq is today. As these kingdoms grew and prospered, mythological beliefs came to be tied to the heavens above. Star formations were attributed to the gods-for if not the work of the greatest gods, what could these jewel-like objects, so beautiful and constantly changing, possibly be?-and often represented legendary heroes on Earth who had somehow earned an eternal place in the night sky. Storytellers made up new tales to explain how the lives and actions of those gods influenced the lives of humans.

These myths give us insights into how ancient people tried to make sense of the world they lived in and the sky above it. Learning about the constellations and their mythology is the focus of this book; future books in this new series will explore other aspects of our starry, starry nights.

Jack Whyte: Forty Years in Canada
A Memoir
Jack Whyte

Jack Whyte is known worldwide for his novels about Arthurian England. But before he was the Jack Whyte, he was a high-school English teacher, professional musician, actor, entertainer and scriptwriter for CBC national television. Next came an advertising career, which continued to introduce him to a range of fascinating people. Along the way, his "fervent preoccupation with the Arthurian legend" led him to write the eight-novel series A Dream of Eagles/The Camulod Chronicles. It was followed in 2006 by Knights of the Black and White, first in Jack's new trilogy on the Knights Templar.

Jack Whyte arrived in Canada in 1967 at the height of this nation's centennial celebrations. Jack Whyte: 40 Years in Canada is a memoir written from the perspective of a Scottish immigrant who embraced his new homeland with passion and ambition at a time when opportunity lay beyond all horizons. A man of strong opinions, Jack has used his command of the English language and his love affair with narrative verse to craft a unique chronicle of his past four decades in Canada. His experiences from 1967 onward are part of a journey that includes ruminations about Canada's "two solitudes," Pierre Trudeau, heroes and feet of clay, Alberta oil, multiculturalism, fast food, the
military, health care, a broken education system and more.

Jack Whyte, who was recently awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters for his contribution to Canadian popular fiction, was born in Scotland and immigrated to Canada in 1967. He is an actor, orator, singer and poet. His critically acclaimed Camolud/Eagles series includes The Skystone, The Singing Sword, The Eagles' Brood, The Saxon Shore, The Sorcerer and The Fort at River's Bend. Companions to the series are Uther and Clothar the Frank.

John M. Horton
Mariner Artist
Peter Vassilopoulos

In the world of marine painting, John Horton is second to none, and his work is prized by collectors all over the world. A member of the Canadian Society of Marine Artists, the Federation of Canadian Artists and The Honourable Company of Master Mariners of Canada, Horton is the only Canadian marine artist cited in Dennis Brook-Hart's authoritative work Twentieth Century Marine Painting. 

Born in England, Horton spent several years in the Royal Navy, apprenticed in the shopfitting trade and worked as a designer and architectural artist before immigrating to Canada in 1966. In Vancouver he found the perfect environment for nurturing his life-long passion for the sea and its history. Over the years, he has produced more than 1,100 paintings, all of which are meticulously researched, richly detailed and technically accurate. For his series depicting Captain George Vancouver's 18th-century voyages of exploration and discovery, for example, Horton himself sailed Vancouver's routes, from the Olympic Peninsula to Alaska. Many of his paintings incorporate recognizable shore features.

From vessels, harbours and major seaports to Canadian troops in the Arabian gulf, the subjects of Horton's paintings tell a story, and this exquisite book presents some of the artist's finest work, along with a revealing look at his life and professional development.


Peter Vassilopoulos has been boating in the Pacific Northwest for more than 30 years and is the author of a series of cruising guidebooks for this area. He also writes articles for Pacific Yachting. Passionate about all things marine, he spends his spare time cruising the waters of B.C. and Puget Sound.

Alone Against the Arctic
Anthony Dalton

Two audacious Alaskan journeys are depicted in this captivating adventure tale. In the winter of 1897-98, three officers from the U.S. cutter Bear set off from below the Arctic Circle with the goal of driving a herd of reindeer over 1,500 miles of frozen tundra and ice to Point Barrow, Alaska. There, eight whaling ships lay stranded in thick ice, their crews on the verge of starvation.

Anthony Dalton was well aware of this story and countless other tales of tragedy and misadventure on the Arctic seas when, in the summer of 1984, he embarked on a near-fatal voyage in a small open boat along the wild northwest coast of Alaska. He was attempting a solo transit of the Northwest Passage, and his modern sea quest ran parallel to the arduous trek undertaken by the men of the relief expedition.

Dalton's gripping description of his encounter with an icy hell explores the irresistible lure of risk and challenge that continues to draw adventurers to the Arctic, a place like no other.

Anthony Dalton is a British-born Canadian adventurer, writer and photographer. A Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and of the Explorers Club, he has travelled extensively from the Sahara to the mountains of Afghanistan to the Australian outback. His adventure and boating-related articles have been published in magazines and newspapers in 20 countries and in nine languages. The author of Baychimo: Arctic Ghost Ship (Heritage House, 2006), his other nautical books include Wayward Sailor: In Search of the Real Tristan Jones.

Simply the Best
Players on Performance
Mike Johnston and Ryan Walter

In the game of life, as in professional sports, some players have that winning edge that takes them to the top. In Simply the Best: Players on Performance, coach Mike Johnston and NHL veteran Ryan Walter talk to 10 of hockey's top players to discover the key factors behind their winning performances. Interviewees include Calgary Flames' captain Jarome Iginla, prospective Hall-of-Famer Joe Sakic, Norris Trophy winner Scott Niedermayer, former Canucks captain Trevor Linden, and the Canadian Women's National Team's Hayley Wickenheiser and now-retired Cassie Campbell.

Simply the Best: Players on Performance is a book for hockey fans, active sports coaches and anyone pursuing excellence, individually or as part of a team.

Ryan Walter played 15 seasons in the NHL and on Team Canada in four World Championships. He is a TV hockey analyst, motivational speaker and advisor/actor on television's Making the Cut.

Mike Johnston is an associate coach with the Los Angeles Kings. He was assistant coach for Team Canada at the World Championship from 1994 to 1998, and in 2007.

Mwâkwa-Talks to the Loon
A Cree Story for Children
written and illustrated by Dale Auger

Winner of the Aboriginal Children's Book of the Year Award 2006 Anskohk Aboriginal Literature Festival and Book Awards

Kayâs is a young Cree man who is blessed with a Gift that makes him a talented hunter. But when he becomes proud and takes his abilities for granted, he loses his Gift, and the People grow hungry. With the help of the Elders and the Beings that inhabit the water, Kayâs learns that to live a life of success, fulfillment and peace, he must cherish and respect the talents and skills he has been given.

"The artwork is stunning and the story is timeless. What incredible medicine for the world." -Richard Van Camp, author of A Man Called Raven and What's the Most Beautiful Thing You Know About Horses?

Artist and storyteller Dale Auger, Ph.D., is a Sakaw Cree from the Bigstone Cree Nation in northern Alberta. His evocative, vividly coloured paintings have captured attention in Canada and abroad, and he is also a popular comedian and motivational speaker. He lives near Bragg Creek, Alberta.

Slumach's Gold
In Search of a Legend
Rick Antonson, Mary Trainer and Brian Antonson

Slumach's Gold was a Canadian bestseller when it was first published in 1972. This 35th-anniversary edition greatly expands the original, bringing new research, fascinating updates and fresh insights.

Slumach's Gold chronicles what is possibly Canada's greatest lost-mine story. It searches out the truth behind a Salish man's hanging for murder in 1891, and tracks the birth and growth of a legend: the man's death turned into a drama of international fascination when Slumach-the hanged criminal-was mysteriously linked to gold nuggets "the size of walnuts." According to legend, Slumach placed a curse on his hidden motherlode just before he plunged to his death "at the wrong end of a five-strand rope," thereby protecting it from interlopers and trespassers for more than a century.

Rick Antonson, Mary Trainer and Brian Antonson have diligently sifted through history and myth, separating fact from fiction, but leaving the legend intact-along with the promise of gold yet to be found by some future gold seeker.

Rick Antonson is president and CEO of Tourism Vancouver. Mary Trainer is a writer and communications coordinator in the Corporate Relations Department at the Greater Vancouver Regional District. Brian Antonson is associate dean of Broadcast and Media Communications at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. Rick, Mary and Brian wrote and published Slumach's Gold in 1972. They created Nunaga Publishing and published more than 25 books under this imprint and Antonson Publishing in the 1970s.

Heart of the Cariboo-Chilcotin
More Stories Worth Keeping
edited by Diana Wilson

This anthology continues the story of the Cariboo-Chilcotin, a harshly beautiful and remote region in B.C.'s north. From the days of the gold rush through to modern times, these stories capture the spirit of a place whose beauty and wildness have inspired its people throughout its history.

Legendary tales include a husband's promise to his dying wife that he will not let her body languish in what to her is an alien, inhospitable land. How the theft of a nugget pin in Barkerville leads to a murderer's capture. The ill-conceived plan to use camels on the Cariboo Road. Native traditions and skills handed down through generations. The wild and woolly early years of the Cariboo stampedes. A sasquatch-sized bear that inadvertently becomes a cash cow for one hunting guide.

These accounts of Cariboo-Chilcotin life are as diverse as they are fascinating: some nostalgic, some deeply moving, and some that will tickle the funny bone in a most agreeable way. Contributors include Sage Birchwater, Veera Bonner, Chilco Choate, Eric Collier, Alan Fry, Rich Hobson, Eldon Lee, Todd Lee, Harry Marriott, Hilary Place, Robin Skelton, Jean E. Speare, Paul St. Pierre, Irene Stangoe and Ann Walsh.

DIANA WILSON also edited Heart of the Cariboo-Chilcotin: Stories Worth Keeping and Triumph and Tragedy in the Crowsnest Pass. Born and raised in British Columbia, Diana is a graduate of the Creative Writing program at the University of Victoria and is currently working on her master's degree at the University of Iowa.

Nechako Country
In the Footsteps of Bert Irvine
June Wood

The indomitable spirit of Bert Irvine is at the heart of Nechako Country, a story that provides a glimpse into a simpler world in simpler times. After Bert moved his young family from Barrhead in northwestern Alberta to Vanderhoof in central British Columbia, the Upper Nechako country and the Nechako River became an integral part of their lives. Bert's life was and still is intertwined with the wilderness, and the country itself is a major player in this tale.

Spanning 1934 to 2005, a period of unprecedented and fast-paced change, much of the story focuses on the '50s and '60s. As the wilderness way of life continues to be replaced by a new world of high technology, and the wilderness itself is pushed back and badly bruised, Nechako Country provides a window into the past and a lifestyle that has all but vanished. In part the story of one man's journey through life as a trapper, guide-outfitter and jack-of-all trades, it is also a history of the Upper Nechako Valley and its people. And, possibly most importantly, it is the story of the tortured Nechako River, the lifeblood of the beloved Nechako country. 

"What a gift June has given us all. Her work as a naturalist, fighting to save the Nechako River (and the myriad forms of life that rely upon it) from extinction is well known. Her chronicle of her family, of those whose lives they have touched, and of their combined love and respect for Mother Nature is an inspiration."
- from the foreword by Cathy Hobson, daughter of author Rich Hobson

Born in Winnipeg, JUNE WOOD grew up largely in Vanderhoof, where her father, Bert Irvine, had a trapline. Here, in the pristine beauty of Upper Nechako country, she formed a deep and lasting connection to the Nechako River. Her love and understanding of nature led to her involvement in many conservation initiatives over the years, including a fight to save the Nechako River from further diversion. June and her husband, Denis, live on an acreage on the Nechako River and operate a small nature-based tourism business.

Country Roads of Alberta
Exploring the Routes Less Travelled
Liz Bryan

Experience history and the outdoors in Country Roads of Alberta, an intriguing new photographic guidebook that takes you to places you've never been before.

Alberta's scenery is as diverse as its topography. Fringed along its western edge by high mountains, the land descends through foothills to stretch into undulating plains sculpted by ancient ice into ridges, hills and deep coulees. Under the changing light of the prairie sky, the rolling landscape reveals tipi rings and medicine wheels-remnants of the first people to call this land home-as well as marks of later civilization: homesteads, old barns, churches and the graveyards of the first immigrants. Antelope, wild goats, moose, beaver, prairie dogs and birds are among the bountiful wildlife that flourish here.

In Country Roads of Alberta, Liz Bryan guides readers along the back roads of this beautiful landscape. In addition to driving directions and maps, Bryan includes snippets of archaeology, history, geology and other interesting information. The heart of her book, though, is in her magnificent, full-colour photos that celebrate Alberta's many landscapes-some still wild, and all most beautiful.

LIZ BRYAN is a journalist by training with an extensive background in magazine editing and publishing. She is the author of The Buffalo People and Stone by Stone, both published by Heritage House. With her late husband, Jack, she was the co-founder of Western Living magazine.

Prairie Warships
River Navigation in the Northwest Rebellion
Gordon E. Tolton

The story of the Northwest Rebellion is synonymous with Metis leader Louis Riel, whose allies joined together in 1885 to face the military forces of the Canadian government, engaging in a civil war on the Canadian Prairies. A lesser known element of the story is the gripping tale of river warfare along the banks of rivers in Saskatchewan, Alberta and Manitoba.

In Prairie Warships: River Navigation in the Northwest Rebellion, historian Gordon E. Tolton tells of the follies and triumphs of a small prairie war that was fought using steamboats, ferries and other river craft. This was an adventure experienced at water level by warriors and soldiers on all sides-First Nations, Metis and European settlers.

Richly illustrated and thoroughly researched, Prairie Warships takes readers to an era when the frontier was under siege, when prairie towns were ports of call, when a region's lifeblood depended on transport and when the mood of the river determined the fate of a nation.

GORDON E. TOLTON was born and raised in southern Alberta. A recovering farmer and rancher, he has worked with the Fort Whoop-Up Interpretive Centre in Lethbridge, the Riders of the Plains Commemorative Troop in Fort Macleod, the Great Canadian Plains Railway Society in Stirling, the Lethbridge Historical Society and the Historical Society of Alberta. He is the author of Rocky Mountain Rangers and The Buffalo Legacy.

Skywatcher's 08 Calendar
Stan Shadick
Winner of the Calendar Marketing Association's Silver Award for Most Original Wall Calendar

Black holes, stars, planets, meteor showers, comets and galaxies are just part of what the night skies have to offer. Stan Shadick explains all things celestial in this award-winning calendar that features star maps with horizon scenes for orienting novice stargazers to the heavens; inset maps illustrating planetary conjunctions and other events; and daily commentaries that describe constellation mythology, cosmic events and celestial discoveries. Find out what to watch for in the skies every night of the year. On a dark night, most of the stars described in this calendar can be viewed with the unaided eye or with binoculars. Skywatcher's 08 Calendar is the perfect way to explore the mysteries of the heavens.

STAN SHADICK teaches both introductory and advanced astronomy courses at the University of Saskatchewan and supervises the university observatory. He is an active advocate for recreational stargazing and writes an astronomy column for various newspapers. This is his 12th Skywatcher's Calendar.

Illustrated Guide to Hockey Sites & History
Toronto
Steven Sandor
The first in a series of guidebooks featuring hockey highlights of North American hockey towns

From the historic Granite Club to the ultra-modern Air Canada Centre, Steven Sandor takes hockey fans on a memorable tour of Toronto. Each chapter focuses on a different hockey site in Canada's largest city, explaining why the location is so important to Toronto's-and to Canada's-rich hockey culture.

Combining lively text with contemporary and historic photographs, Illustrated Guide to Hockey Sites & History: Toronto enables fans to undertake self-guided tours of the city's rich hockey history. A map shows each site's location and how-or if-it's accessible from the TTC subway. If you're thirsty after your tour, you can choose where to watch a game from a list of the best watering holes that have big-screen TVs. And if your team is losing, you can try your hand at the Toronto hockey trivia challenge at the back of the book.

Whether you visit these sites in person or as an armchair traveller, this book is an entertaining read about Toronto's hockey landmarks.

STEVEN SANDOR is the sports editor at 24 Hours in Toronto. He was formerly editor of Zone, the official magazine of the Edmonton Oilers, North American editor of Face-Off magazine and editor-in-chief of Edmonton's Vue Weekly. He is also the author of The Battle of Alberta: A Century of Hockey's Greatest Rivalry (Heritage House, 2005).

Robert Service
Under the Spell of the Yukon
Enid Mallory
foreword by Jack Whyte

Dressed in cowboy garb acquired in a Scottish auction room, a naïve but committed young Robert Service stepped off the CPR train in Vancouver, sustained only by his sense of adventure. Sixteen years later, he would leave Canada as the author of the most commercially successful poems written in the 20th century.

Service's time in the Yukon, at first as a transplanted bank clerk and later living off the royalties of poems like "The Shooting of Dan McGrew" and "The Cremation of Sam McGee," is the core of a fascinating life. Starving in Mexico, residing in a California bordello, farming on Vancouver Island and pursuing unrequited love in Vancouver were only preludes to his Yukon years and his first poems.

Words were Robert Service's lifelong passion, and he set them on many stages. But it was his McGrew, McGee and other players of the Great White North who glittered with a golden glow and forever made him the "Bard of the Yukon" and the de facto poet laureate of Alaska. Robert Service sheds light on aspects of Service's life that have been sketchily covered by other biographers, focusing on his years in Canada and the western U.S. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the publication of Songs of a Sourdough, which sold over three million copies and was the most successful poetry book of the 20th century.

Enid Mallory is a former librarian who has written for Canadian Geographic, The Beaver and Reader's Digest and is the author of several books, including Coppermine: The Far North of George M. Douglas.

Steve Nash
Paul Arseneault and Peter Assaff

Steve Nash is one of the true superstars of the NBA. The Phoenix Suns' all-world point guard is now mentioned in the same breath as fellow basketball icons Shaquille O'Neal, Tim Duncan and the Sixers' sensational veteran Allen Iverson. A two-time NBA MVP and three-time NBA all-star, Nash is an unbeatable combination of fire and finesse who is indisputably the leader of the surging Phoenix Suns franchise. 

Steve Nash is a celebration of Nash's rise to the very top of his profession. Along with former and current coaches and teammates, co-authors Paul Arseneault and Peter Assaff look at the amazing story of this talented athlete and his ascension to the highest level of one of the most popular sports on earth. The book covers his early days as a two-sport star in Victoria, his eye-opening performance at Santa Clara University, his glorious days as a Dallas Maverick, the Olympics, and his extraordinary career in Phoenix. Steve Nash, featuring great photographs and an entertaining story, provides a comprehensive look at this future Hall of Famer.

In addition to his sports writing, Paul Arseneault is a middle-school teacher in Belledune, New Brunswick. His sports background consists of playing Junior A hockey and baseball, as well as small-college basketball and senior soccer. He is a member of the NB Tennis Association and is certified to referee baseball, basketball and hockey. He is the author of the best-selling book Sidney Crosby: A Hockey Story.

Peter Assaff is a sports editor based in Bathurst, New Brunswick, as well as the host of a live call-in show on Rogers Television. For many years he worked as a sports director in radio. Peter is a veteran play-by-play announcer, with extensive experience covering amateur hockey, baseball, basketball, boxing, wrestling, soccer, curling and swimming. In 2005 Peter was honoured by Swimming New Brunswick for his coverage of that sport in the province.

Baychimo
Arctic Ghost Ship
Anthony Dalton
foreword by James Delgado

Baychimo is the legendary Hudson's Bay Company ship that survived for years in the Arctic after being abandoned by her crew in 1931.

In the 1920s, the crew of Baychimo set up trading posts in eastern Canada, sailed on fur-trading expeditions to Siberia during the turbulent years of the Russian Civil War, and eventually made the dangerous annual voyage around Alaska to Canada's western Arctic coast, shouldering her way through the ice floes to resupply the HBC's remote trading posts. Anthony Dalton tells the story of the hardy ship and her sometimes irascible captain, Sydney Cornwell, and through them brings to life the larger story of the community of northern traders, hunters and sailors of which Baychimo was a part. 

But this ship's story had a remarkable twist. When Baychimo was caught in 1931 in an ice floe that refused to let go, her crew expected her to sink at any moment, and abandoned ship. But she was as stubborn as the ice, and she floated away unharmed to begin what would prove to be the longest phase of her seemingly charmed career: for the next four decades she would appear on the horizon at unexpected times and places, always defiantly upright and afloat, becoming the legendary ghost ship of the Arctic.

Anthony Dalton is a British-born Canadian adventurer, writer and photographer. His expeditions have taken him across the Sahara, through the deserts of the Middle East, into the mountains of Afghanistan, down wilderness rivers in northern Canada, into the Australian outback, through the Sundarbans jungle of Bangladesh, and into the Arctic. His previous books are Wayward Sailor: In Search of the Real Tristan Jones and J/Boats: Sailing to Success. He is also co-author of The Best of Nautical Quarterly, Vol 1, The Lure of Sail.

Philip Timms' Vancouver
1900-1910
Fred Thirkell and Bob Scullion

Commercial printer and photographer Philip Timms was a man of many accomplishments, but one of his greatest was the photographic record of Vancouver and the Lower Mainland that he created between 1900 and 1910. As Vancouver evolved from a colonial outpost to a well-established centre of industry and tourism, Timms sought to preserve for future generations views of the maturing city and its people as they were during his time, from landmark buildings to street scenes to children and families at play. Timms had spent 79 years as a printer and 70 as a photographer when he finally closed his shop on Commercial Drive in 1968 at age 94.

James B. Stanton, curator of history at the Vancouver Museum in the early 1970s, wrote of Timms' work: "All of Timms' photographs have a certain recognizable quality about them; much of the kindness and gentleness of the man himself comes through. His shots are candid and uncluttered and capture dramatically the feeling and mood of the time." 
Award-winning authors Fred Thirkell and Bob Scullion selected the images for this book from more than 800 of Timms' original picture postcards, showcasing those that best represent this esteemed photographer's work.

Fred Thirkell was born and educated in Vancouver. He is keenly interested in local history and is a long-time collector of early postcards, especially those relating to Vancouver and the Fraser Valley before the First World War. 

Bob Scullion was born in Glasgow, Scotland, one of Great Britain's best-preserved Victorian cities. He shares Fred's enthusiasm for and appreciation of cities and their history. 

This is Fred and Bob's seventh book for Heritage House in the postcard genre. Three of their earlier books have won City of Vancouver Heritage awards.

Bird Flu
What We Need to Know
A.A. Avlicino
foreword by Dr. Mike Skinner

Already available in Turkey, China, France, Greece, Hungary, Croatia, Great Britain and around the globe, Bird Flu: What We Need to Know is a must-read for:

  - anyone who has had any kind of flu and doesn't want to get sick again
  - anyone who is worried about ongoing reports of avian flu
  - anyone who wants to be prepared, just in case.

Bird flu. It's in the news every day, and whenever it's mentioned, so is the word "deadly." Experts say it's only a matter of time before the virus mutates so that it can spread from person to person. Some 50 million people died of the Spanish flu in 1918; in this age of global travel, the next pandemic could be far worse.

In Bird Flu: What We Need to Know, science writer A.A. Avlicino looks not only at the virus and how it spreads, but also at the preventive measures you can take to avoid getting it-or any virus. For example:

  - Wash your hands frequently and well
  - Install a shoe dip on your doorstep
  - Use UV light to disinfect rooms and surfaces
  - Don't share dishes, cutlery, towels or bedding

A.A. Avlicino is a medical researcher and science writer who lives in rural Alberta. His published "Dialytic Retroviral Treatment" paper was presented at the 1994 AIDS conference in Yokohama, Japan. He conducted an HIV epidemiological study in conjunction with the AIDS Action Group, Tampa Bay, Florida, and he developed an ultraviolet light emitter for viral/bacterial disinfection in hospitals.

He has been a member of the Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science and has presented his varied research findings at international conferences at universities in Europe, the U.S., Australia and Japan.

Between forest and sky
A Fire Tower Journal
Sharon Stratton

This is an enthusiastic and beautifully described account of one woman's career as a fire-tower observer: a simple, satisfying lifestyle that embraces life without modern amenities.

Always attracted to the outdoors, Sharon Stratton had applied to be a fire-tower observer five times before she was finally accepted. She headed to the forest with only her dogs for company to lead a seasonal, largely solitary life of oneness with nature and immense responsibility. Her story reveals in intriguing detail how fire-tower observers live, shedding light on the community of observers stationed in towers and lookout sites throughout the boreal forests. Through her words, it's possible to experience the rush of adrenaline she feels when she spots and reports fires from atop her 100-foot tower, and to discover with her the beauty and diversity of the flora and fauna. 

Anyone who dreams of a solitary, simple existence will find Between Forest and Sky a memorable read.

Born and raised in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Sharon Stratton has pursued many interests, including veterinary technology and advertising sales. After earning an Honours B.Sc. (Biology) from the University of Guelph, she settled in Alberta and discovered tower life. Sharon and her dog, Ted, currently winter in Calgary.

Harbour City
Nanaimo in Transition, 1920-1967
Jan Peterson

This third and final volume in Jan Peterson's Nanaimo trilogy traces the city's development from 1920 through 1967, as it continued its transformation from a small mining town to a bustling, booming city.

Nestled between the mountains and the sea, this beautiful, historic city lived through the same 20th-century challenges faced by the rest of Canada, but many of its triumphs and accomplishments have been one-of-a-kind. During the Depression, for example, the city built the South Fork Dam, a project that employed hundreds and still supplies water today. Overcoming adversity, including two devastating fires, has been a hallmark of this community. Adaptability is another; when coal gave way to oil, the city made forestry its economic base and developed its port, making it a vital transportation centre.

Leading readers through the Roaring '20s, the hardscrabble Depression years, the disruptions of two world wars and beyond to the prosperous '50s and rocking '60s, Peterson brings to life Nanaimo's people and the events that shaped it. Harbour City is a must-read for anyone interested in this city's remarkable history.

Jan Peterson has written six books about Vancouver Island, including the two preceding books in this trilogy, Black Diamond City and Hub City. She won the 1997 and 1999 Certificates of Honour from the B.C. Historical Federation. Formerly a reporter for the Alberni Valley Times and winner of a Jack Wasserman Award for investigative journalism on social and environmental affairs, Jan has been researching and writing about history since 1987.

Carving the western path
Routes to Remember
R.G. Harvey

Transportation was key to opening up the sparsely populated southern Interior of British Columbia, which was rich in resources and ready for settlement in the late 1800s. The agricultural lands of the Okanagan and Nicola valleys, and the precious metals and coal of the Kootenays, lay largely unused or undiscovered. The challenge was getting to these areas. 

In this book, his final in the Carving the Western Path series, R.G. (Bob) Harvey tells the stories of the road through the Okanagan Valley, the highway alongside Kootenay Lake and the Crows Nest Railway. He also looks at how the challenge of moving people and cars over water was met, from river ferries running on human power or the force of the current to the 1,000-hp ferries on Interior lakes. 

Harvey's stories about B.C.'s fascinating transportation history speak of technical matters, but also of human resolution and determination in meeting nature's challenge.

Bob Harvey was born in Scotland and graduated from the University of Glasgow with a degree in civil engineering in 1943. He is a former provincial deputy minister of highways. His previous books include Carving the Western Path: By River, Rail, and Road Through B.C.'s Southern Mountains, Carving the Western Path: By River, Rail, and Road Through Central and Northern B.C. and Head On! Collisions of Egos, Ethics, and Politics in B.C.'s Transportation History.

Hockey Night in Dixie
Minor Pro Hockey in the American South
Jon C. Stott

During the 1980s, the geography of minor-league professional hockey changed radically, moving from its roots in the Maritime provinces and in the New England and midwestern states into the American south. In addition to cities like Oklahoma City, Dallas, Charlotte and Norfolk, which had long traditions of minor-league hockey, unlikely places such as Biloxi, Baton Rouge, Little Rock and Augusta hosted teams. Over an 18-year period, minor-league hockey was played in 72 different southern cities, and at one point there were more minor-league teams in Texas than in all of Canada. Yet the players-and owners-have always been predominantly Canadian.

Hockey Night in Dixie examines this phenomenon with an historical overview of the period, including interviews with people involved in the founding and early years of each of the 13 leagues. There are also in-depth portraits of four teams, one from each of the four lower minor leagues that played during the 2005-06 season. These portraits feature interviews with owners, coaches, players, officials, fans and reporters. Amply illustrated with photographs, Hockey Night in Dixie paints a vivid picture of this extraordinary development in minor-league sports.

Jon C. Stott, professor emeritus, University of Alberta, has written a book on the sports of the Winter Olympics and two books on minor-league baseball.

Off the Bench and into the Game
Eight Business Success Strategies from Professional Sport
Ryan Walter

Our lives are in a constant state of change. We move from times of extreme confidence and accelerated performance to times of disappointment and discouragement. As the speed of life increases, we sometimes feel like we are wasting our potential on the bench rather than achieving success by flying down the ice.

In this revised, updated and expanded edition, Ryan Walter explores performance using techniques he learned during 15 years in the NHL. Subjects range from mental toughness and choosing successful habits of thought to leadership and the differences between being a player, a team player and a leader.

Ryan Walter retired from professional hockey in 1993 after playing 15 seasons in the NHL. Drafted second overall by the Washington Capitals in 1978, he went on to play for the Montreal Canadiens, winning a Stanley Cup in 1986. Since retiring, Ryan has been involved with TV broadcasting. He is also president of www.hotHOCKEY.com.

The Cowboy Trail
A Guide to Alberta's Historic Cowboy Country
Larraine D. Andrews

Ever wondered about a whangdoodle, a buzzard-wing or an owl hoot? Want to know how Barbed Wire Johnny Speers got his name or where you can still round up some doggies and ride off into the sunset? All the answers, plus accommodation, restaurant, shopping and attraction information on the path of Alberta's famous cowboy culture are available in The Cowboy Trail.

Larraine Andrews is a freelance writer who makes her home in High River, Alberta, a short distance from the Cowboy Trail. She grew up on a farm near Vulcan, Alberta, where her lifelong addiction to the history of the Wild West began with her dad's collection of Zane Grey novels.

Salmon Farming
The Whole Story
Peter A. Robson

Salmon Farming: The Whole Story is the first comprehensive, agenda-free book on the subject of B.C.'s fish-farming industry. To date, there has been little objective information on the topic, and this book fills that void. It includes history, information and context that will equip experts, lay readers and everyone in between with everything they need to know to develop an informed opinion about fish farms in B.C.

Because of the polarized nature of the issue, most information has been biased to a particular side. The aquaculture industry and its government supporters say that fish farming makes good economic sense and is not an environmental threat. Critics of the industry want salmon farming stopped; they say it pollutes the ocean waters and is unsustainable, that farmed fish will spread disease to wild fish and escaped fish will displace wild salmon.

Consumers and their questions have been lost in the middle of the controversy. Is it safe to eat farmed salmon? Does the industry harm the environment? Will this practice threaten our wild fish stocks? In this book, Peter Robson explains the biology and the effects of salmon farming, using a balanced approach supported by up-to-date information to shed an objective light on this important and contentious subject.

PETER A. ROBSON is a freelance writer and the editor of Pacific Yachting. Born in Vancouver, he has travelled up and down B.C.'s coast for 15 years. A trained streamkeeper and salmon-enhancement volunteer on the Sunshine Coast, Peter helped raise $3 million as media director for the Francis Point Marine Society to buy 180 acres of ecologically sensitive waterfront in Pender Harbour. The area is now a provincial park. Peter has written for Westcoast Mariner and Westcoast Fisherman, Beautiful British Columbia, Westcoast Logger, the Vancouver Sun and other publications. He also was a major contributor to and editor of the prize-winning Encyclopedia of British Columbia.

Pachyrhinosaurus
The Mystery of the Horned Dinosaur
Monique Keiran

Pachyrhinosaurus, one of the rarest, least understood horned dinosaurs, lived during the second half of the Cretaceous Period, the last period in the 150-million-year Age of Dinosaurs. Pachyrhinosaurus was different in a striking way. Instead of the sweeping lances found on fossil Triceratops and Centrosaurus faces, gnarly platforms of bone covered Pachyrhinosaurus's nose and eyebrows. These bony fossil shields gave the dinosaur its name: Pachyrhinosaurus means "thick-nose reptile."

Pachyrhinosaurus, the third book in the Royal Tyrrell Museum's Discoveries in Palaeontology series, follows two separate stories. The first is of the discovery of Pachyrhinosaurus fossils at Pipestone Creek in northwestern Alberta. The second is the story of a single Pachyrhinosaurus herd and the events that led to its abrupt demise 76 million years ago. Each story is compellingly told and accompanied by colour illustrations throughout.

The Discoveries in Palaeontology series includes Albertosaurus, which explores the life of a distant cousin of the ferocious predator Tyrannosaurus Rex, and Ornithomimus, which is about a small, toothless theropod that resembled an ostrich and is believed to have given rise to birds.

MONIQUE KEIRAN has written for about a decade about the plants and animals that make their homes in southern Alberta. Monique wrote about Alberta's parks, environment, science and heritage for many years and has worked for the Royal Tyrrell Museum. She continues to work with the Tyrrell and other museums across North America.

Mwâkwa-Talks to the Loon
A Cree Story for Children
Dale Auger

Mwâkwa-Talks to the Loon is the timeless story of Kayas, a young Cree man who is blessed with the ability to hunt well and provide for his People. Eventually, Kayas takes his great gift for granted and, as a result, the gift becomes lost to him and his People grow hungry.

With the help of the Elders and the Beings that inhabit the water, young Kayas is taught to respect his abilities and to realize that in order to live a life of success, fulfillment and peace, we must always remember to cherish and respect the talents and skills we have been given.

The book is written in English, but includes Cree words and phrases, along with a glossary and Cree pronunciation guide. 

Illustrated throughout with powerfully insightful and sensitive paintings by author Dale Auger, one of Canada's most evocative artists, Mwâkwa: Talks to the Loon introduces readers young and old to his magical world.

DALE AUGER, Ph.D., a Sakaw Cree from the Bigstone Cree Nation in northern Alberta, is a talented artist whose vividly coloured acrylics have captured the attention of many audiences. His paintings portray the intricate links between Native spirituality and the natural laws of the land.

Heart of the Cariboo-Chilcotin
Stories Worth Keeping
edited by Diana Wilson

Heart of the Cariboo-Chilcotin features stories about the clashes between people and nature, genders and generations, Whites and Natives, lawbreakers and the law, conquerors and conservationists. First in a series, this anthology of diverse voices tells the story of the Cariboo-Chilcotin, a harshly beautiful and remote region in B.C.'s north. The stories cover a wide range of topics, including Native life on the cusp of change and how that change is handled; gold miners seeking adventure but finding heartache and occasionally riches; travellers on the famous Cariboo Road; and the first tourist to the area.

The authors speak of differences, but also of common ground, of places where the voices harmonize with shared concerns, dreams and goals that cross all boundaries in the timeless human striving to explore and create, and to build a place to call home. This collection of voices sings to the beat of the one true Cariboo-Chilcotin heart, sounding out its strength and humility, grit and humour, community and self-sacrifice.

Contributors are Sage Birchwater, Veera Bonner, W.B. Cheadle and Viscount Milton, Chilco Choate, Eric Collier, Diana French, Alan Fry, Terry Glavin, Rich Hobson, D.A. Holley, Agnes Laut, Todd Lee, F.W. Lindsay, Olive Spencer Loggins, Harry Marriott, Robin Skelton, Jean E. Speare, Paul St. Pierre, Irene Stangoe, and Bill Riley and Laura Leake. Also featured are new stories by Eldon Lee and Hilary Place.

DIANA WILSON is a writer who completed her University of Victoria co-op internship with The Heritage Group. She is also the editor of Triumph and Tragedy in the Crowsnest Pass.

Ranching with Lords & Commons
John R. Craig

One of the best books on early ranching in Alberta, Ranching with Lords & Commons tells the fascinating story of the famous Oxley Ranch. John Craig, Oxley's former manager, self-published the book in 1903, turning out 1,000 copies.
Craig shows what the cattle business was really like when ranching got underway in the late 1800s in what would eventually become Alberta. He focuses on the struggles to set up the ranch on 100,000 acres first leased in 1881, and the trials and tribulations of working with absentee owners. At the time, he felt there was a need for his observations on the launch of the Oxley Ranch because "the troubles therein depicted were at one time notorious in Alberta and the State of Montana," and the incidents recorded in his book were "faithful reproductions of actual facts in the pioneer life of the western cattleman." This story-and the history it reveals-provides insight into the cattle industry today.

JOHN R. CRAIG was born in Ontario in 1837. He farmed successfully for many years in that province before moving west to take up cattle ranching. He died in 1930.

Buckaroos and Mud Pups
The Early Days of Ranching in B.C.
Ken Mather

Buckaroos and Mud Pups tells the story of ranching in frontier British Columbia, highlighting the people and events that shaped the industry. Starting in 1858 with the first of the drives that would see more than 22,000 head of cattle brought into the province over the next 10 years, it moves through to 1914, by which time ranching in the B.C. Interior had become big business. These are stories about drovers, ranchers, cowboys and "mud pups" (trainees), about ups and downs, hard work and hard play, as a fledgling industry responded to the events that either helped or hindered its growth. Ken Mather captures the spirit of these times with tales of remarkable drives, famous ranches and legendary characters-people like the flamboyant Harper brothers, drovers who eventually became the biggest landowners in B.C. Buckaroos and Mud Pups is an entertaining look at fascinating times and the men who made them so.

KEN MATHER is curator of the historic O'Keefe Ranch in the North Okanagan. He has written numerous articles and reports for organizations such as the Okanagan Historical Society, Canadian Museum of Civilization, BC Museums Association and the Alberta Historic Sites Service.

Skywatcher's 07 Calendar
Stan Shadick
Winner of two international awards
in the National Calendar Awards competitions:
"most informative wall calendar" and "most original calendar"

Black holes, stars, planets, meteor showers, comets and galaxies are just part of what the night skies have to offer. Stan Shadick explains all things celestial in this award-winning calendar that features star maps with horizon scenes for orienting novice stargazers to the heavens; inset maps illustrating planetary conjunctions and other events; and daily commentaries that describe constellation mythology, cosmic events and celestial discoveries. Find out what to watch for in the skies every night of the year. On a dark night, most of the stars described in this calendar can be viewed with the unaided eye or with binoculars. Skywatcher's 07 Calendar is the perfect way to explore the mysteries of the heavens.

STAN SHADICK teaches both introductory and advanced astronomy courses at the University of Saskatchewan and supervises the university observatory. He is an active advocate for recreational stargazing and writes an astronomy column for various newspapers. This is his 11th Skywatcher's Calendar.

"Fascinating cultural, historical, and astronomical information." - Qayaq

The Long and Winding Road
Discovering the pleasures and treasures of Highway 97
Jim Couper

Highway 97 winds from Weed, California, to the Yukon border-a distance of 3,200 kilometres (2,042 miles), making it North America's longest south-north roadway. In Oregon and Washington, it takes you through lava beds and deserts, arid uplands and forests, orchards and vineyards. Above the Canadian border, roadside vegetable and fruit stands abound en route to B.C.'s sunny Okanagan, home to 60 outstanding wineries. Turquoise lakes, mighty rivers and marble canyons can be seen as one moves north to the historic Cariboo region, where endless trout lakes, rolling ranchland, gold-rush lore and friendly people make it a land for all seasons. And then there's the raw, untamed north, a frontier unto itself.

Travelling Highway 97 is about scenery, leisure and the joy of skirting a lake or following a river on old-fashioned, two-lane blacktop. It's about coffee and pie at a roadside diner where only the customers change from decade to decade. It's about dusty towns and dynamic cities, gorges and ghost towns, past and present.

In this information-packed book that features many of his own striking colour photographs, Jim Couper takes you on a trip from one end of this unsung highway to the other, mixing historical anecdotes with information on local events and points of interest. Covering everything from hot springs and volcanoes to pioneer villages and wineries, Couper has created an entertaining, practical guide that will be invaluable to anyone interested in this fascinating road. 

An enthusiastic traveller, JIM COUPER has written articles for Writer's Journal, Adventure Cycling, RV Lifestyle and Okanagan Life and is the author of Discovering the Okanagan. He founded Pedal, Canada's national cycling magazine, and has received awards for his newspaper writing and photography.

Totem Poles and Tea
Second Edition
Hughina Harold

Hughina Harold paints a powerful picture of a world that no longer exists in this compelling first-hand account of her experiences as a young teacher/nurse in a remote B.C. village in the 1930s. Fresh from nursing school in Victoria and eager to get started in her career, Harold could not have imagined the challenges that awaited her on isolated Village Island on B.C.'s majestic coast. When she left her home in Victoria to share with two elderly missionaries a drafty, leaky floathome that tilted with the tides, the clash of cultures "Miss B." experienced could not have been more extreme. Ferried in unreliable boats to remote outposts to treat the sick, attending births in the most primitive conditions, and teaching-from standard, middle-class textbooks-children who had never even seen a car, this gutsy young woman "witnessed things that should not be forgotten." Totem Poles and Tea-now updated with original photos from the Harold family collection-ensures that they will not.

HUGHINA HAROLD (née Bowden) was born in Victoria and taught at the Mamalilikulla Indian Day School on Village Island from 1935 to 1937. Her coastal memoir was first published in 1996, when she was 82. Harold passed away in 2001.

Haida Gwaii
The Queen Charlotte Islands
Second Edition
Dennis Horwood and Tom Parkin

This magical place is on the must-see list of many travellers. And with Dennis Horwood and Tom Parkin's best-selling guidebook, revised and updated for 2006 by Dennis Horwood, visitors to this island group off B.C.'s north coast will be well equipped for a truly unique travel experience. The book includes the history of the area; what places to visit; where to stay; a guide to bird and animal life; tips on recreational activities; and eight pages of colour photographs, most new to this second edition. In addition, Dennis has profiled new characters in "Their Place to Be," a section that provides insights on why people have chosen this isolated but incredibly beautiful spot as home.

DENNIS HORWOOD is a teacher and a birding and boating enthusiast who spends each summer investigating B.C. waters with his wife, Brenda. TOM PARKIN had a 10-year career as a park naturalist in western Canada. He now enjoys life in Nanaimo, B.C., as an outdoor writer/photographer and touring lecturer on human and natural history.

Birds of Southwestern British Columbia
Richard Cannings, Tom Aversa and Hal Opperman

This beautiful little volume will delight and inspire bird lovers who live in or are visiting southwestern B.C. An amazing amount of useful information is packed into this handy, portable guide, which will appeal both to experienced birders wanting to learn more about the behaviours and habitats of local species and to beginners who are still learning to identify them. Along with rich, full-colour photos of each species, you’ll find a map of the region covered, information on birding equipment, habitat descriptions, and tips on when to go birding and how to attract birds to your yard. Pages are colour-coded according to related species, and the guide is organized by families so that related species are shown together. 

Lead author RICHARD CANNINGS, of Naramata, B.C., is a renowned naturalist, conservationist and international lecturer on birds and bird habitat. Co-author of Birds of the Okanagan Valley and British Columbia: A Natural History and Program Coordinator for Bird Studies Canada, Cannings was the curator of the Cowan Vertebrate Museum at the University of British Columbia for 15 years. He is now a consulting biologist living in Naramata, B.C.

Royal City
A Photographic History of New Westminster, 1858–1960
Jim Wolf


Rediscover New Westminster in this richly illustrated history that features many never-before-published images. Royal City is intended to be a treasured keepsake for current and past residents as well as useful tool for anyone interested in the history of British Columbia's first capital city and early photographers. Each chapter begins with a brief history highlighting the city’s development during a specific period. Photographs represent that period’s built landscape, society, business, industries, sports, celebrations and disasters. 

New Westminster was founded at the same time photography was becoming a standard means of documentation. In Royal City, it is possible to experience the past with photographers such as F. G. Claudet, who was equipped as one of the first professional photographers in B.C. His exquisite photographs captured the wilderness upon which New Westminster was built. Subsequently other photographers passed through the city, while others established studios there, all of them documenting its growth over time. Claudet and other talented photographers are highlighted in this book with sidebar biographies and a comprehensive index of all Royal City studio photographers is included for reference.

A long-time resident of New Westminster, historian and author JIM WOLF worked with the New Westminster Museum and Archives from 1985 to 1988, organizing archival and research collections. He is best known as a past president of the city's Heritage Preservation Society and as a Heritage Planner. He brought his skills to several recent community projects, including New West’s Raymond Burr Theatre Society (Columbia Theatre restoration). He lives with his wife and son in New Westminster, where they are restoring the 1907 Herbert Harrison house. 

Fort de Prairies
The Story of Fort Edmonton
Brock Silversides

Fort Edmonton was a prairie institution and icon from 1795 to 1915. It was both a physical edifice and a community, not to mention a touchstone of western Canadian commercial history. Its story is rich in drama and colour: Métis fiddlers at midnight, dwarves firing cannons, duelling clergy, never-ending public drumming, secret agents, the raising of the skull-and-crossbones flag, bears quaffing cold drinks—at times it seemed like a circus had taken up residence there. It is also a chronicle of intimidation and murder, battles between whites and First Nations, epidemics and famines, destruction by fire, whiskey traders, horse stealing, mutinies, rebellion and, finally, government neglect and stealthy demolition. 

A wealth of both accurate and questionable written descriptions of the fort were produced over the years. A rich body of visual representations was also created—sketches, engravings, book and magazine illustrations, and paintings and photographs relating to different periods. It is from the accumulation of all these documents that the fascinating story of Fort Edmonton is pieced together and told in all its glory. 

BROCK SILVERSIDES is the director of Media Commons (audiovisual library, media archives and microtext) at the University of Toronto Libraries. He hails from Saskatchewan, spent many years in Alberta and now spreads good news of the West to the eastern regions. He is the author of several books, including The Face Pullers, Shooting Cowboys, Copying People and Prairie Sentinels.

Grizzly’s Home
and Other Northwest Coast Children’s Stories
Robert James Challenger

“Challenger’s prose bears a deliberate resemblance to First Nations oral traditions: humans and nature interact freely, and both are capable of folly, repentance, and wisdom …” —Steve Pitt, Canadian Book Review Annual

This sixth installment in Jim Challenger’s popular series of contemporary fables presents another set of practical life lessons in a beautifully illustrated, easy-to-read framework. In Grizzly’s Home, he continues the theme introduced in his 2004 book, Nature’s Circle, addressing more issues challenging today’s school-aged children, including single-parent families, safety, leadership, appearance, jealousy and problem-solving. An exceptional resource for teachers and parents, Challenger’s stories contain simple messages, family-oriented thoughts and a deep respect for nature. Their uplifting wisdom and beauty will leave a long-lasting impact on readers young and old.

JIM CHALLENGER is an accomplished artist and stone carver as well as a writer. He has spent his life absorbing all the stories that the Northwest Coast has to offer, and he bases his writing style on the oral storytelling traditions of past generations. He lives in Victoria, B.C.

The Battle of Alberta
A Century of Hockey’s Greatest Rivalry
Steven Sandor

Alberta has long been a big part of the frantic Canadian hockey scene, and even before Alberta became a province in 1905, the intense hockey rivalry between Calgary and Edmonton was in full swing. In The Battle of Alberta the rough- and-tumble relationship between these two hockey hotbeds is presented in all its colourful glory. The tussle got its start in 1895 when an all-star team from Calgary journeyed to Edmonton to take on the mighty Thistles and a team of Northwest Mounted Police pucksters. Calgary came away victorious; Edmonton vowed revenge, and thus began a long procession of battling teams in both cities. Illustrated with archival photographs of the many teams and players from the far and near past, hockey fans throughout Alberta and across Canada will delight in this wonderful history of hockey’s longest and greatest rivalry.
STEVEN SANDOR is the former editor-in-chief of Edmonton’s Vue Weekly magazine. He is currently the North American editor of Face-Off, one of Europe’s largest hockey magazines, and Zone, the official magazine of the Edmonton Oilers. He lives in Edmonton, Alberta, where he works part-time for the Edmonton Sun.

Guts and Go Overtime
More Great Saskatchewan Hockey Stories
Calvin Daniels

Saskatchewan is hockey. The only activity more pervasive is farming, and often the two are combined when farmers play hockey for their community teams. As Calvin Daniels discovered when researching and writing the first Guts and Go (2004), hockey is so intertwined with everyday life in the province that hockey stories are much more than the retelling of games and tournaments. Indeed, they are every bit as much about the people and the province as they are about the game. It all adds up to some pretty entertaining stories, not only of the well-known stars who ply their skills in pro leagues, but also the local players and teams who bring excitement and pride to communities across the province. 

Whether it’s a great event like the Moosomin Moose playing marathon hockey to set a Guinness World Record and raise money for a new town hospital or the exciting play of Shaunavon’s Rhett Warrener of the Calgary Flames, readers will discover that Guts and Go Overtime is written for anyone, young or old, who enjoys hockey and good stories, regardless of where they live.

CALVIN DANIELS is a writer with Yorkton This Week and an avid sports fan. His first collection of hockey fiction was called Skating the Edge. Guts and Go: Great Saskatchewan Hockey Stories was published in 2004. He lives in Yorkton, Saskatchewan.

Going Top Shelf
An Anthology of Canadian Hockey Poetry
Michael P. J. Kennedy, editor
preface by Roch Carrier
foreword by Kelly Hrudey

In this anthology, poets are really assuming their duty towards our great game; they remember and they celebrate it. After reading this anthology, put it under your pillow; it will give you beautiful dreams. (from the Preface by Roch Carrier) 

Here, gathered in one collection for the first time, are Canada’s best hockey poems and song lyrics. Included are works by such outstanding Canadian poets as Michael Ondaatje, Al Purdy, Margaret Avison, Don Gutteridge and Lorna Crozier, and lyrics by The Tragically Hip, The Rheostatics, Kathleen Edwards, Stompin’ Tom Connors and others. 

From 19th-century romantic poet Sir Charles G.D. Roberts to contemporary pop songstress Jane Siberry, the authors and songwriters in this entertaining anthology reflect an intriguing diversity of forms and literary expression. In all the poems, ice—or the sport that is played so extensively in Canada upon it—is used to express the ideas, beliefs and attitudes of this diverse group of Canadian authors. 

For the poetry scholar, for the lover of good music, for the hockey fan, this is a collection to be enjoyed. Indeed, Going Top Shelf is a literary “top shelf” of hockey poetry without equal.

MICHAEL P. J. KENNEDY is a writer who teaches a course in Canadian literature at the University of Saskatchewan. His book Words on Ice: A Collection of Hockey Prose was published in 2003. He lives in Saskatoon.

Skywatcher’s Calendar 2006
Winner of two international awards in the National Calendar Awards competition:  “most informative wall calendar” and “most original calendar”
Stan Shadick

Black holes, stars, planets, meteor showers, comets, and galaxies are just part of what the night skies have to offer. Stan Shadick explains all things celestial in this award-winning calendar that features star maps with horizon scenes for orienting novice stargazers to the heavens; inset maps illustrating planetary conjunctions and tips for finding Venus in the daytime sky; and times for viewing eclipses of Jupiter’s moons with a spotting scope. Daily commentaries describe constellation mythology, cosmic events, and celestial discoveries. Find out what to watch for in the skies every night of the year. On a dark night, most of the stars described in this calendar can be viewed with the unaided eye or with binoculars. Skywatcher’s Calendar 2006 is the perfect way to explore the mysteries of the heavens. Stan Shadick teaches astronomy at the University of Saskatchewan, supervises the university observatory, and writes an astronomy column for various newspapers.

Jade Fever
Hunting the Stone of Heaven
Stan Leaming with Rick Hudson

Beautiful, translucent, and indestructible, jade has a mystique that’s captivated people since Neolithic times. Stan Leaming, Canada’s leading jade geologist, was fascinated by this unusual gem; he is credited with pioneering the emergence of the jade industry in British Columbia. Leaming shares his unique insight into the science and magic of jade in this passionate exploration of the green stone’s development from prehistoric tool to objet d’art. The reader is invited along with Leaming, a fascinating subject in himself, on a trip around the world as he hunts for the stone of heaven throughout B.C. and Canada, the United States, Mexico, Europe, Siberia, China, and even Down Under, where black jade is found.

This book examines jade’s appeal as a global industry, a divine inspiration, a medium for artistic expression, and even as a precipitator of some bizarre crimes. Rockhounds casual and serious will appreciate this comprehensive celebration of jade, enhanced with maps and photographs. The 16-page colour section includes photos of jade art by Lyle Sopel, B.C.’s foremost jade sculptor.

Stan Leaming, M.A., spent over a decade as a field geologist before joining the B.C. Geological Survey in 1960, retiring in 1982. Through his particular interest in supporting prospectors and rockhounds, Leaming has been involved in every major jade discovery in B.C. He is the author of Rock and Mineral Collecting in British Columbia and Jade in Canada, and co-author of Guide to Rocks & Minerals of the Northwest.

Rick Hudson, Ph.D., was the editor of the Western Canadian Gemstone Newsletter for five years and is a regular contributor to Canadian Rockhound and British Columbia Rockhound. He authored the two-volume A Field Guide to Gold, Gemstone & Mineral Sites of British Columbia and teaches earth sciences in schools.

From the Mind to the Marketplace
The Story of an Inventor, the Home Improvement Industry, 
His Wife and Her Lovers
Jayne Seagrave

While the road from the mind to the marketplace is frustrating and far from easy, Jayne Seagrave’s highly entertaining book, From the Mind to the Marketplace: The Story of an Inventor, The Home Improvement Industry, His Wife and Her Lovers, sets out how to succeed in taking a new idea to market, how to expand those markets, and how to effectively run a new business. With over 90 percent of businesses in Canada being small businesses, this book provides exceptional insights into what it takes to establish and succeed in this growing arena. 

Jayne Seagrave gives a first-hand account of the development of the Vancouver Tool Corporation and her experiences and strategies for selling her husband Andrew Dewberry’s invention to the Canadian marketplace. The book also provides an entertaining account of how the couple moved from their established careers as criminologist and architect to undertaking every aspect of running a small business.

Jayne Seagrave was born in England and moved to Canada in 1991. She has a Ph.D. in Criminology and is an international best-selling author.  Besides academic texts on policing, she has published travel and camping guidebooks.  In conjunction with her husband Andrew, she has owned and managed the Vancouver Tool Corporation since 1996. Jayne lives in Vancouver with Andrew and sons Jack and Sam.

Hell’s Half Acre
Early Days in the Great Alberta Oil Patch
David Finch

Hell’s Half Acre is the story of the people who lived and worked in Turner Valley, western Canada’s first commercial oilfield, located southwest of Calgary. Beginning in 1914, the oil fields attracted thousands of workers from across North America to the drilling rigs, processing plants, and the pipeline crews that dug the first trenches. In addition to the beginnings of an oil industry, Turner Valley provided Alberta with a rich historical legacy of epic proportions, along with a cast of very colourful characters. Drawing on contemporary accounts and dozens of interviews with Turner Valley pioneers, as well as probing the vast visual history of archival photographs, David Finch captures the life and times of an exciting era in Alberta history. Imagine natural gas flares so plentiful and powerful that night turned into day and the glowing sky could be seen from Calgary. The smell of sour gas and its deadly effects were a constant danger, as were the primitive work conditions associated with the early years of oil exploration. But on the workers toiled, constructing massive drilling rigs out of huge timbers, working day and night in a relentless search for black gold. The Second World War brought an unprecedented level of urgency and tension to Turner Valley when the national treasure became a military target. These were fascinating times, and in Hell’s Half Acre the people, the companies, the booms, and the busts are all revealed in entertaining detail.

David Finch holds an M.A. in Canadian History from the University of Calgary, where he studied the Canadian petroleum industry. He is the author of 15 booksabout the Canadian West.

A Chosen Path
From Moccasin Flats to Parliament Hill
Frank Oberle

The day he was elected mayor of Chetwynd, B.C., was a special one in Frank Oberle’s life. As a youth he had made his way across the battle-scarred landscape of Germany, the bombs of Dresden still ringing in his ears. As a teen he had crossed the Atlantic in the bowels of a derelict freighter, finally reaching the refugee barracks at Halifax. With bleak prospects on the eastern seaboard, he made his way across Canada to find work in the remote Queen Charlotte Islands. And that was the beginning of a new life that eventually saw Oberle rise from self-educated immigrant to politician. The first volume of Frank’s autobiography, Finding Home, recounts his youth and his journey to British Columbia. The second volume continues his remarkable story, tracing his path from mayor of Chetwynd to member of Parliament for Prince George–Peace River. He was elected to the House of Commons in 1972 and re-elected for six consecutive terms. He was appointed to Cabinet in 1985 as Prime Minister Brian Mulroney’s minister of state for science and technology, and four years later, as minister of forestry, his determination led him to confront the industry’s clear-cutting practices and demand sustainable forest management. Now, more than a decade removed from that heady time and place, Frank Oberle combines reflection and the perspective of retirement to shed light on what is right and what is wrong in our political world. Born in Forchheim, Germany, Frank Oberle immigrated to Canada in 1951. He worked at many jobs, including logger, gold miner, rancher, and town mayor, before serving six consecutive terms as a member of Parliament—the first German-born Canadian to serve in cabinet. Frank lives near Nanoose, B.C., with his wife, Joan. They have four children and seven grandchildren.

The Buffalo People
Pre-contact Archaeology on the Canadian Plains
Liz Bryan

The Native people of the Canadian prairies have been living on the land for at least 12,000 years, finding sustainable lifestyles from the grasslands and the aspen parklands. Our knowledge of these people is limited: they had no writing, no large settlements, and very little in the way of lasting material things. Before the arrival of Europeans, they had no guns, no horses, and no hard metals. What clues we have come primarily from the work of archaeologists sifting through the buried evidence—little bits of stone, bone, and pottery, refuse heaps and firepits, ancients villages and burial sites, fingerprints, and prehistoric blood. Liz Bryan takes the clues from decades of archaeological research and presents an immensely entertaining and informative account of these ancient people. In a writing style that is non-scientific yet based on all the scientific evidence, Bryan explains where the people might have come from, how they got on with their lives, and how they faded out of existence and memory. First published by University of Alberta Press in 1991, this revised and updated edition of the book features photographs, maps, and line drawings to help illustrate this amazing story. Liz Bryan is a journalist by training with an extensive background in magazine editing and publishing. She has long been interested in archaeology and has done volunteer work on digs in several countries.

Stone by Stone
Exploring Ancient Sites on the Canadian Plains
Liz Bryan

The prairie past belongs primarily to the First Nations, the inhabitants who occupied what is today Southern Alberta and Saskatchewan—a huge expanse of billowing grassland—for at least 12,000 years. Before European settlement they were nomads, anchoring their lives only to the buffalo, upon which they depended for virtually everything: food, shelter, clothing, implements. Touching the land only lightly in their seasonal buffalo rounds, the first people nevertheless left signs of their passage—in enduring stone. In Stone by Stone, Liz Bryan explores today’s Canadian short-grass prairies in search of these tangible relics. She finds ancient villages still marked by the circles of stone that held down their tipi homes, larger circles that archaeologists call “ceremonial” for want of a proven purpose, buffalo jumps, vision-quest sites, enigmatic cairns and medicine wheels (no two alike), and the great puzzles of the effigies, figures of men and beasts laid out on hilltops. And there are rock-art sites where the ancients inscribed the pictures and symbols of their world, allowing us to see, however briefly and imperfectly, into their lives. The stones, lying on the land where they were placed centuries ago, are hard and evocative evidence of ancient lives as compelling as any Old World monument—and in some cases, far older. Many of these sites can be visited today. Stone by Stone is a guidebook to these places, with directions and explanations. While it examines the historic past of the First Nations, the book also celebrates their vibrant present, for many are eager to share their legends and traditions. Native interpreters bring the past—their past—to life at many internationally famous sites, such as Head-Smashed-in Buffalo Jump, Writing-on Stone, and Wanuskewin. Full colour throughout, with maps and plans, Stone by Stone brings a new dimension to travel in the Canadian prairies.

Hiking Adventures with Children
Southern Vancouver Island and the Olympic Peninsula
Kari Jones and Sachiko Kiyooka

“Our children’s delight in the tiniest treasure helps us to open our eyes again wide.” Experienced hikers Kari Jones and Sachiko Kiyooka replenished their souls in nature for many years before their children were born. When they became mothers, they learned to adapt their ways of enjoying the outdoors so that taking pre-schoolers on their excursions would be a gift, not a burden. In this book, the first outdoor adventure guide written specifically for parents of young children, they share what they have learned. Their practical guide to child-friendly destinations covers six day hikes, four overnight trips, and five long weekends. It includes:

• information on planning and on packing gear 
  and food

• ready-to-use checklists for easy organizing

• identification guide to plants, animals, 
  and tidal life

• safety information geared specifically to children’s needs

• First Nations and natural history for 
  each destination.

Kari Jones and Sachiko Kiyooka are veteran hikers and young mothers who are passionate about the outdoors and sharing the gifts of nature with their little ones. They have gone wilderness camping all over the world, but have a special love for the beauty of the west coast and all its treasures.

British Columbia
A Complete Guide to Provincial and National Park Campgrounds
5th Edition

This fifth edition of Jayne Seagrave’s Camping British Columbia has been enhanced with even more helpful information aimed at making the camping experience memorable. Seagrave’s new section on group camping, her updated contacts for RV rental companies, and additional useful web links increase the practical value of her
entertaining, first-hand accounts of visits to B.C.’s provincial and national parks. Beautiful colour photographs lend pizzazz to this best-selling guide. Jayne Seagrave lives in Vancouver with her husband, Andrew Dewberry, and two sons. She holds a Ph.D. in criminology and divides her busy schedule between managing the family business, raising her boys, and camping, travelling, and exploring B.C.

Skywatcher’s Calendar 2006
Winner of two international awards in the National Calendar Awards competition:  “most informative wall calendar” and “most original calendar”
Stan Shadick

Black holes, stars, planets, meteor showers, comets, and galaxies are just part of what the night skies have to offer. Stan Shadick explains all things celestial in this award-winning calendar that features star maps with horizon scenes for orienting novice stargazers to the heavens; inset maps illustrating planetary conjunctions and tips for finding Venus in the daytime sky; and times for viewing eclipses of Jupiter’s moons with a spotting scope. Daily commentaries describe constellation mythology, cosmic events, and celestial discoveries. Find out what to watch for in the skies every night of the year. On a dark night, most of the stars described in this calendar can be viewed with the unaided eye or with binoculars. Skywatcher’s Calendar 2006 is the perfect way to explore the mysteries of the heavens. Stan Shadick teaches astronomy at the University of Saskatchewan, supervises the university observatory, and writes an astronomy column for various newspapers.

Triumph and Tragedy in the Crowsnest Pass
Edited by Diana Wilson

Rich in story, the scenic Crowsnest Pass in the southern Rocky Mountains bears evidence of many tragedies, both man-made and natural, as well as one monumental triumph. The Crowsnest Pass Railway, hailed as the greatest project in the Dominion, was built in just 18 months, using tools and technology considered primitive by today’s standards. The railroad brought prosperity to B.C. and Alberta as massive coalfields in the region were developed, but with progress came disasters of horrific proportions. The town of Frank was buried when part of Turtle Mountain crashed down on the homes and businesses nestled at its foot. A mine explosion at Hillcrest devastated that community, taking nearly 200 men in one huge blast, and the entire town of Fernie, B.C., was razed by a fire that saw many people fleeing for their lives. Illustrated with archival photos and maps, this descriptive account of one of the Rockies’ most picturesque and legendary passes is a must-read for visitors, residents, and history buffs interested in learning about the heritage of this mythic land.

Bear Child
The Life and Times of Jerry Potts
Rodger Touchie

This book captures the life and times of Jerry Potts, the one man who best represents the turmoil of the western frontier and the clash of two cultures. Born to a White father and Blood mother, Jerry earned the name Ky-yo-kosi (Bear Child) for his pluck and bravery. He had a reputation in two distinct worlds. To the Blood and other tribes in
the Blackfoot Confederacy, he was known as an invincible warrior, a relentless enemy, and a great hunter. To Whites he was a valuable scout, an uncanny marksman, and a wily horse trader. Potts saved the ragtag red-coated Canadian police force from near starvation and served the force for 22 years. The author has added substantial new information and rewritten significant portions of original research completed by Bernard D. Fardy for his 1984 book Jerry Potts, Paladin of the Plains. Rodger Touchie has written numerous articles on western Canadian history and two books, including Vancouver Island: Portrait of a Past. He is the publisher at Heritage House.

Prairie Phoenix
The Red Lily in Saskatchewan
Bonnie Lawrence and Anna Leighton

Ten years in the making, this book celebrates the fascinating natural and cultural history of Saskatchewan’s most beloved flower.
Anna Leighton and Bonnie Lawrence have gathered together a wealth of information, in ten years of fieldwork and research into the Western Red Lily, Saskatchewan’s floral emblem. You’ll also read of the close attachment Saskatchewan people have for a flower that is every bit as resilient and surprising as the people of this province. Prairie Phoenix: The Red Lily in Saskatchewan, is a colourful and timely celebration of our floral emblem.

Finding Home
A war child's journey to peace
Frank Oberle

Franz (Frank) Oberle was only nine years old when his family was relocated to Poland at the beginning of the war. He was then taken from his parents and placed in Hitler’s Nazi youth indoctrination program. He later fled the Russian advance and, surviving on grass and stolen eggs, walked the 800 kilometres to his ancestral village on the edge of the Black Forest—only to be rejected by his remaining family.
The enterprising Franz found a way to survive, and at 19, yearning for a life far away from the disillusionment and betrayal of the Fatherland, he set off for Canada, planning to send for his sweetheart when he was able to provide for her.
Their life together in British Columbia was one of tragedy and pure joy, hard work and hard times, failure and triumph. Rich in detail, drama, and humour, this is a love story, an inspirational saga, and a book that sings the song of the Canadian immigrant.

Frank Oberle’s career has ranged from logger, gold miner, and rancher to municipal mayor, member of Parliament for Prince George–Peace River, and federal cabinet minister. He was the first German-born Canadian to serve in cabinet and was Canada’s minister of science and technology when the famed Canadarm was sent into space. He was also the last man ever appointed to a federal forestry portfolio, where he proved to be a man of vision, willing to confront the clear-cutters and demand sustainable forest management. His second book, describing his rise from self-educated immigrant to politician, will be published in 2005, offering the candid comments and well-crafted insights of a non-conformist who refused to do it Ottawa’s way.