Despite being neighbouring provinces with long ranching histories, British Columbia and Alberta saw their ranching techniques develop quite differently. As most ranching styles were based on one of the two dominant styles in use south of the border, BC ranchers tended to adopt the California style whereas Alberta took its lead from Texas. But the d …

Buckle up your seatbelt and prepare for a ride on the history highway! Christopher Garrish has collected hundreds of facts and photos (not to mention licence plates) in this astonishing assembly of motoring madness. Discover what the earliest motorists in the province used to build their own licence plates; why some licence plate numbers are worth …

On October 1, 1917, prohibition came into effect in the province of British Columbia. Washington and Oregon had gone dry the previous year. The ban on liquor sales led to deadly conflict and legal chaos in the Pacific Northwest, and the legacy of those “booze battles” continues into the 21st century.

Rich Mole introduced readers to West Coast p …

Each year, visitors from all parts of the globe find their way to a sequestered Benedictine monastery in the hills of Mission, BC, and view the art and sculptures that beautify the abbey and its walls. But the man responsible for this work rarely ventures outside the monastery, never mind the province. He is an artist who has seen few of the master …

More species of birds breed in British Columbia annually than anywhere else in Canada. Additionally, hundreds of migratory birds spend a portion of the year here, making BC a birdwatcher’s paradise. It doesn’t matter if you’re a gung-ho, out-in-the-field birdwatcher or if you enjoy winged friends from the serenity of your back porch, Birds of …

In the fifth volume in the Secret Beaches series, one of two on the Salish Sea, you'll discover noteworthy beaches in the northern Gulf Islands, including Denman, Quadra, Gabriola, Hornby and Texada. As in his previous volumes, Theo gives full descriptions of each beach so that you'll be able to find the right location for your activity, from group …

Backspin is a comprehensive overview of everything golf-related in BC. Veteran sportswriter Arv Olson's work on the trailblazers and the growth of the game and the province's golf courses was "the preeminent resource" on golf history when he self-published Backspin in 1992. This first Heritage House edition has been completely updated and revamped …

Portrait of the Pacific Rim is a photographic tour of the awe-inspiring sights and activities on the far edge of Canada. The wild, raw beauty of the Pacific Rim is captured in dozens of colour photographs, as accomplished photographers Ole Hoyer and Wendy Snowdon share some of the gorgeous sights the west coast offers.

Pacific Rim National Park re …

During the second half of the 19th century, thousands of Chinese men arrived on the west coast of North America, seeking to escape poverty and make their fortunes in the goldfields or working on the railroads. Among them was 36-year-old Yip Sang, a native of Guangdong province in southeast China, who arrived in Vancouver in 1881 after failing to st …

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, thes …

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 Ba …

This third volume in Theo Dombrowski’s Secret Beaches series is a comprehensive guide to dozens of beaches on the east coast of Vancouver Island between Campbell River and Qualicum. While some of them are well used by people who live nearby, some are tucked just off the highway and others are hidden at the end of a labyrinth of roads.

Just as imp …

In her third book of off-the-beaten-track explorations of western Canada, Liz Bryan travels scenic roads of British Columbia’s Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island. From country routes winding through the Fraser Valley to forest roads on Vancouver Island leading to coastal settlements such as Zeballos and Telegraph Cove, these journeys celebrate a …

In October 1935, three prairie farm boys embarked on a deadly trail of robbery and murder that stretched across three western Canadian provinces and made newspaper headlines from coast to coast and as far away as Los Angeles. By the end of the spree, seven people were dead, including the fugitives themselves and four law-enforcement officers. For t …

During the 1980s, the geography of minor-league professional hockey changed radically, moving from its roots in the Canadian Maritime provinces, New England and the Midwestern states into the American south. In addition to cities like Dallas, Charlotte, Norfolk and Oklahoma City, which had long traditions of minor-league hockey, unlikely places suc …

When June Cameron and Paul Holsinger set out in 1983 in Paul's ancient 26-foot wooden sloop, Wood Duck, to cross the perilous Hecate Strait and explore the weather-beaten west coast of the Queen Charlotte Islands (now known as Haida Gwaii), they knew they would face danger. But June had raced her own sailboat for years and Paul was a gifted mechani …

Join Liz Bryan on 18 picturesque journeys through the diverse landscapes of the British Columbia Interior. Winding through sagebrush and forest, grassland plateaus and mountain valleys, beside river canyons and multicoloured volcanic rocks, these road trips reveal the rich variety of the province's geology and natural history and show how the stran …

Many of BC's old mining towns are now abandoned ruins, disappearing into the wilderness. These once-thriving towns and the pioneers who built them are remembered in 10 fascinating stories of hard work and heroism. A mine rescue worker sadly recounts a tale of death underground at Coal Creek. Three eccentric old bachelors become the final residents …

Welcome to Victoria, Canada’s most beautiful city. Explore the bustling Inner Harbour area, where hotels, shops and restaurants abound. Admire First Nations art at Thunderbird Park and see world-class exhibits in the Royal BC Museum. Amble the paths of Beacon Hill Park and watch goats frolic at its popular petting zoo. Revel in the beauty of The …

"You are not going to want to drive anywhere in southern BC without it! Fabulous content-rich in roadside detail along with Jim Monger's big-picture context." —Jim Ryan, newsletter of the Cordilleran Section of the Geological Association of Canada

Roadside Geology of Southern British Columbia explains the province's tumultuous geologic history in …

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 …

In this visually stunning, richly informative portrait of British Columbia, renowned photographer Al Harvey takes readers beyond the landmarks of Canada's westernmost province to its equally majestic yet rarely seen corners. Towering granite spires reach skyward in the Bugaboo Mountains. Breezes tickle the alpine tundra of the northern Rockies. Dry …

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

Cheadle's p …

Walking Vancouver shows you Vancouver as you've never seen it before, whether you're a local or a first-time visitor. The 36 easy-to-follow walks in this book 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 Col …

To many people, Alberta represents the true Canadian frontier. It is known for its rugged image, its "wild west" past and its staunchly independent residents, from the First Nations who originally inhabited the land to the explorers, homesteaders, cowboys, oilmen and others who continued to build and shape the province. This engaging book uses more …

One hundred years ago, British Columbia was a resource-rich province greeting new arrivals from all over the world who'd come to seek their fortunes. Greetings from British Columbia portrays their "land of dreams" as it once was through the very postcards these pioneers may have mailed home to friends and family. These early picture postcards cost …

Bravo to the New Westminster Museum and Archives for their groundbreaking research into the history of Yi Fao, and for their understanding that these records of the past will remain as a living contribution to enrich and strengthen our collective heritage. —Wayson Choy

This is the fascinating history of Yi Fao—the Chinese name for New Westmins …

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 collect …

Experience Alberta's heritage and the outdoors in Country Roads of Alberta, an intriguing photographic guidebook that takes you to places off the beaten track.

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 …

Highway 97 winds its way from the high desert plains of northern California to the Yukon-British Columbia border, making it North America's longest north-south road. Author Jim Couper takes you on a spectacular guided tour from one end of this unsung highway to the other, mixing historical anecdotes with information on colourful local events and mu …

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 this province that hockey stories are much more than the retell …

Children have "certainly altered my camping life," writes Jayne Seagrave in this latest addition to her popular camping series. She rises to the challenge, however, and with this detailed guide, so will many other camping enthusiasts who feel deterred by the prospect of camping with kids.

Seagrave covers it all, from camping while pregnant to campi …

This is the tale of how Canada's high northern wilderness was brought into civilization's fold through a frail network of wires laboriously strung between poles and trees for hundreds of desolate miles. The Yukon Telegraph started in 1897, when gold was discovered in the Yukon and the government needed a faster way to communicate with its remote no …

In an era when picture postcards became a unique new way to "call home," they quickly established a role in enticing an ongoing parade of tourists to British Columbia. This book features an impressive collection of black-and-white lithograph images that were sold to the public in the early twentieth century. Documenting life in British Columbia dur …

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. Long before the glory days of the '80s, teams from Edmonton and Calgary worked each other over with relish and passion, all the while creating a hockey r …

In his debut book, Greg offers guidance to over 50 dives in five areas Metchosin and Race Rocks, Victoria, Sansum Narrows, Saanich Inlet, Sidney and the Southern Gulf Islands.

Diver’s Guide, Vancouver Island South is fully illustrated with Greg’s own computer-generated maps, based on his personal exploration of these underwater environments, an …