Painted Fences
A charming and evocative story within a story, exploring themes of wartime resourcefulness, local history, friendship, and the reverberations of the past in the present day.
On a beautiful spring day in Victoria’s James Bay neighbourhood, eight-year-old Esther takes a walk with her great-grandfather on his birthday. On the same street and the same …
Explore the Eelgrass Meadow with Sam and Crystal
With beautiful, scientifically accurate illustrations, this fascinating story teaches children about the many fish, crustaceans, marine mammals, and micro-organisms that live in and feed off the eelgrass meadows of the north Pacific coastal region.
“Recommended for school and public libraries regardless of their proximity to the west coast. Althou …
Grandfathered
A sharp, funny, heartfelt memoir by a career-driven baby boomer who enters semi-retirement and explores the joys, challenges, and never-ending surprises of being a "young" granddad.
One summer, shortly after taking a step back from an illustrious journalism career, Ian Haysom found himself in charge of his first grandchild, Mayana, who was three at …
Pioneer Churches of Vancouver Island and the Salish Sea
A concise, full-colour visitor’s guide to dozens of historical churches scattered throughout Vancouver Island, from humble country chapels to soaring urban cathedrals.
For many European settlers who arrived on Vancouver Island in the late nineteenth century, building a church was as important as establishing a homestead or erecting a school. The c …
Complicated Simplicity
A frank, practical, and entertaining exploration of the pleasures and complexities of living on small islands.
Many people dream of living simple lives on small islands, but few are aware of some of the unique challenges that accompany this distinctive lifestyle. From negotiating surrounding waters to creating a sustainable home and making a viable …
A Not-So-Savage Land
A richly illustrated exploration of the art, life, and historical impact of artist Frederick Whymper, who documented the landscape of the North American west.
Before the advent of photography, the topography of the colonial North American landscape was recorded by travelling artists hired to reproduce what they saw with unadulterated realism. One of …
Explore the Rocky Shore with Sam and Crystal
A lavishly illustrated story that teaches children about the marine ecosystems of coastal Pacific rocky shores.
Siblings Crystal and Sam and their Aunt Kate and Uncle Charlie explore the tide pools of Eagle Cove, a sheltered inlet on the Northwest Pacific Coast. The children discover that you don’t have to go far to encounter a great variety of re …
Explore the Wild Coast with Sam and Crystal
A beautifully illustrated story that teaches children about marine biology and the coastal environment of BC and the Pacific Northwest.
Sam and Crystal travel with their Aunt Kate and Uncle Charlie to a remote location on the Northwest Pacific Coast. Along the way, they see white-sided dolphins, killer whales, tufted puffins, bald eagles, harbour se …
Birds of British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest
The essential bestselling field guide to every bird species found in BC and the Pacific Northwest, now revised and updated.
“For the majority of serious birders in the West who tend to limit their explorations to one or another state or province, this guide should expand their horizons and encourage more cross-border birding. In sum, this guide is …
Sonny Assu
A stunning retrospective highlighting the playfulness, power, and subversive spirit of Northwest Coast Indigenous artist Sonny Assu.
Through large-scale installation, sculpture, photography, printmaking, and painting, Sonny Assu merges the aesthetics of Indigenous iconography with a pop-art sensibility. This stunning retrospective spans over a decad …
Camping British Columbia, the Rockies, and Yukon
BC’s bestselling camping guidebook—now expanded to include the national parks of the Canadian Rockies in honour of the 150th anniversary of Canadian Confederation.
In this fully revised, expanded, and updated edition of her bestselling camping guide, Jayne Seagrave lays the groundwork for anyone planning to get out of the city and explore the b …
Camping BC, the Rockies & Yukon
BC’s bestselling camping guidebook—now expanded to include the national parks of the Canadian Rockies in honour of the 150th anniversary of Canadian Confederation.
In this fully revised, expanded, and updated edition of her bestselling camping guide, Jayne Seagrave lays the groundwork for anyone planning to get out of the city and explore the be …
Britannia's Navy on the West Coast of North America, 1812-1914
The influence of the Royal Navy on the development of British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest was both effective and extensive. Yet all too frequently, its impact has been ignored by historians, who instead focus on the influence of explorers, fur traders, settlers, and railway builders. In this thoroughly revised and expanded edition of his cla …
Portraits of British Columbia
A visitor's guide to British Columbia's most picturesque natural and cultural highlights.
British Columbia, Canada’s third-largest province, is a land of immense geographic beauty and diversity. From its vast regions of coastal and interior wilderness to its rustic heritage towns and vibrant multicultural cities, the province offers unparalleled …
Brother XII's Treasure
Shortlisted for the 2016-17 Chocolate Lily Book Award
“An absorbing, fast-paced book full of interesting characters, unexpected events, and a sense of . . . compelling quest and exploration.” —CM Magazine
The year is 1936, and seven children (aged eight to sixteen) are sprung from their respective boarding schools in England to the coast of B …
Stone by Stone
Stone by Stone takes readers on a fascinating journey across the short-grass prairie of southern Alberta and Saskatchewan in search of tangible evidence of the region’s ancient past—a civilization dating back at least twelve thousand years.
In this revised and updated edition of her one-of-a-kind guidebook, author Liz Bryan explores archaeolog …
To the Lighthouse
Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands are home to over two dozen active lighthouses. For over a century, these coastal beacons have guided ships through the fog and represented hope for countless mariners. Today, the lighthouses on BC’s southern islands are ideal destinations for day trippers and coastal explorers of all ages who are looking for …
To the Lighthouse
Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands are home to over two dozen active lighthouses. For over a century, these coastal beacons have guided ships through the fog and represented hope for countless mariners. Today, the lighthouses on BC’s southern islands are ideal destinations for day trippers and coastal explorers of all ages who are looking for …
Arctic Ambitions
Captain James Cook is justly famous for his explorations of the southern Pacific Ocean, but the exploration of the northern Pacific and the Arctic are equally significant. On his third and final great voyage, Cook surveyed the northwest American coast hoping to find the legendary Northwest Passage. While dreams of a passage proved illusory, Cook’ …
Henry Hudson
From the era of wooden sailing ships and Europe’s golden age of exploration, the story of famed British navigator Henry Hudson tells a classic tale of courage, ambition, and treachery on the high seas. As the leader of four Arctic voyages in 1607, 1608, 1609, and 1610, Hudson searched in vain for a navigable route through the polar ice that would …
Healy's West
Through his incredibly varied fifty-year career, John J. Healy left an indelible mark on the Canadian and American west. At different points in his storied life, Healy was a soldier, a trapper, a prospector, a free trader, an explorer, a horse dealer, a scout, a lawman, a newspaper editor, a speculator, a merchant, a capitalist, a historian, and a …
The Spanish on the Northwest Coast
They endured the torments of scurvy and the vagaries of deep fogs, adverse winds, and contrary currents. They suffered through appalling quarters and rotting food. They spent years away from their homes and families, never knowing whether they would return. Their orders from Spain might well arrive long after they were needed, six months or longer …
Camping British Columbia and Yukon
In this fully revised, expanded, and updated edition of her bestselling camping guide, Jayne Seagrave lays the groundwork for anyone planning to get out of the city and explore the best that nature has to offer. Whether you’re camping with kids, travelling in an RV, or looking for a comfort upgrade, Camping in British Columbia and the Yukon offer …
Canoe Crossings
“A comprehensive and well-informed review of canoeing and kayaking in British Columbia.” —BC Studies
Often called one of the Seven Wonders of Canada, the canoe has played a particularly important role in British Columbia. This seemingly simple watercraft allowed coastal First Nations to hunt on the open ocean and early explorers to travel the …
The Salmon Twins
In her third book inspired by First Nations’ stories, children’s author and illustrator Caroll Simpson explains the significance of community values. She introduces readers to a world of creatures like Sea Lion, Killer Whale, Dogfish and Kingfisher. Her dramatic tale of young twins and their transformation shows how working together keeps a com …
The Laird of Fort William
High finance, wilderness adventures, violence, and questionable legal tactics all played important roles in the history of the North West Company. William McGillivray, head of the company from 1804 until 1821, was arguably the most powerful businessman in Canada in the early nineteenth century.
William McGillivray emigrated from the Scottish Highlan …
Tales from the Back Bumper
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 …
Sir John Franklin
After Royal Navy captain Sir John Franklin disappeared in the Arctic in 1846 while seeking the Northwest Passage, the search for his two ships, Erebus and Terror, and survivors of his expedition became one of the most exhaustive quests of the 19th century. Despite tantalizing clues, the ships were never found, and the fate of Franklin’s expeditio …
The Fisher Queen
It’s 1981, and Sylvia Taylor has signed on as rookie deckhand on a wallowy 40-foot salmon troller. Looking forward to making money for university, she is determined to master the ins and outs of fishing some of the most dangerous waters in the world: the Graveyard of the Pacific. For four months, she helps navigate the waters off northern Vancouv …
Secret Beaches of the Salish Sea
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 …
Medicine Paint
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. Medicine Paint is a collection of Auger's best work, reproduced in glorious full colour …
People of the Fur Trade
The years from the fall of New France in 1763 to the amalgamation of the Hudson’s Bay Company and North West Company in 1821 were marked by fierce competition in the fur trade. Traders from the warring companies pushed west, undertaking incredible voyages in their search for new sources of furs. Irene Gordon explores the eventful lives of those w …
The Pathfinder
Fifteen years before the 1858 Fraser River gold rush, a Hudson’s Bay Company clerk named Alexander Caulfield Anderson threaded his way through mountain passes and down rapids-filled rivers in search of a safe all-British route through the mountains that separated the HBC fort at Kamloops from Fort Langley on the Pacific coast. Eventually, Anderso …
Secret Beaches of Southern Vancouver Island
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
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 …
The Green Chain
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, especially in Bri …
