This book brings to light the fascinating story of a community and place: Tod Inlet, near Victoria, BC. From the original inhabitants from the Tsartlip First Nation to the lost community of immigrant workers from China and India, from a company town to the development of parkland, the wealth of history in this rich area reflects much of the history …

While some of the historical events we recount have been largely forgotten by the public and largely unexamined by scholars, they reflect an understanding of larger power dynamics that goes beyond the practice of sustained-yield and multiple-use forestry to touch upon important themes in the province's social and cultural history—themes still rel …

In 1858, reports of gold found on the Fraser River spurred tens of thousands of people?mostly men?to rush into the territory we now call British Columbia. They came with visions of fortune in their eyes. The lucky ones struck it rich, but most left penniless or died trying for the motherlode. Some stayed behind and helped build the colony and the p …

Gerry Andrews (1903–2005) had many adventures in his 102 years. He was a rural school teacher, a forester, a soldier and a surveyor. His developments in aerial photography dramatically changed forestry in BC in the late 1930s and assisted the Allies in the D-Day landings. As BC's surveyor-general from 1951 to 1968, he supervised the mapping of th …

In 1934, in the middle of the Great Depression, millionaire Charles Bedaux spent $250,000 in an attempt to cross northern British Columbia in five motorized vehicles. The Bedaux Expedition ranks as one of the most audacious and unusual events in the province's history. Bannock and Beans tells the story of this extravagant failure from the perspecti …

Humans share a long history with carnivores. We fear them as predators, revile them as competitors, exploit them for their fur, or admire them for their grace and beauty. This book, the fifth of six volumes on the mammals of BC, provides comprehensive, up-to-date information on the 21 species of wild terrestrial carnivores in the province. Species …

Highlighted by brilliant photographs, the colourful stories of British Columbia's history leap off the pages of this beautiful book. BC became a colony in 1858, and this book celebrates its 150 years with a selection of vignettes about objects from our collective past and the people intimately involved with them. This entertaining book captures the …

Frank Swannell contributed greatly to the shape of British Columbia by surveying and mapping large portions of the province over three decades. He also took thousands of photographs and kept detailed journals of his travels. In his second book on Swannell's adventures, Jay Sherwood presents central BC through the eyes and words of one of BC's most …

Snails and slugs have a reputation as slimy, repulsive creatures that are nothing more than garden pests, but they are important components of the ecosystems they live in. In fact, most of the pest slugs and snails are introduced species that have come here with the plants we import for our gardens. Worldwide there are more species of snails and sl …

Rodents are the world's most numerous and diverse group of mammals. British Columbia is home to 45 species, from the tiny western harvest mouse to the large and toothy beaver, and from the ubiquitous rats and squirrels to the endangered Vancouver Island marmot. Just seven species of lagomorphs inhabit BC: five rabbits and hares, and two pikas.

Most …

Trees and Shrubs of British Columbia is the definitive guide to all native and naturalized woody plants in the province. T. Christopher Brayshaw describes almost 300 species of trees and shrubs, as well as many subspecies and varieties. His beautifully detailed illustrations of leaves, flowers, fruits and woody parts are arranged to show the distin …

Historian Peter Corley-Smith chronicles the provincial museum's accomplishments from 1886, when 30 prominent citizens petitioned the government to establish a provincial museum, to its centenary in 1986. From its modest roots, the museum has grown to become one of the most renowned in North America. But this is a story about the people with the vis …