Reading British Columbia: There’s a book for that

For new Canadians seeking to learn about our history, culture, and art, there’s an app for that, appropriately named Canoo. This BC Day, we’d like to make a related proposal: there’s a #BCBook for that!

Want to read about Sasquatch? There’s a book for that. Interested in not one but all thirty Lieutenant Governors? There’s a book for that. How about snowshoeing? Yep, there’s a book for that.

Let’s take you on a whirlwind tour of 8 BC books that demonstrate the breadth and depth of this province’s book culture. If you like one, or two, or all eight, we hope you’ll let us know. And if you’re ready to take our words for it, visit your local bookstore or library to discover these and other BC books.

Read the really weird and the really real of BC

Available on August 27, In the Valleys of the Noble Beyond: In Search of the Sasquatch (Greystone Books) uncovers the legend of the Sasquatch, a species of hairy man-ape that could inhabit this pristine wilderness. Journalist John Zada goes on expeditions to speak with local Indigenous peoples, a Sasquatch-studying scientist, and a former bear hunter. What he finds is infinitely more complex than he first imagined, cutting across questions of human perception, scientific inquiry, Indigenous traditions, the environment, and the power of the human imagination to believe in—or to outright dismiss—one of nature’s last great mysteries.

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Dissecting herself and the life she once knew living in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside as a bonafide drug addict, Cassandra Blanchard writes plainly about violence, drug use and sex work in Fresh Pack of Smokes (Nightwood Editions), offering insight into an often overlooked or misunderstood world. If you’re as captivated as we are by this following excerpt, send us a tweet to let us know:
“This night in Oppenheimer Park Young C asked me to
shit-kick this chick in the face as she owed money and I
said no because I didn’t know who she was and I wasn’t
about to play with fire so he sat on the bench then
stood up and did a flying kick twice to her chin and she
convulsed and passed out he said he didn’t want to spill
blood because she had HIV…”
—“Tales”

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For your younger readers, check out Wildlife of Western Canada (Heritage House) by Tom Hunter. This beautifully illustrated, fact-filled book teaches children about the hundreds of wildlife species that live across Western Canada. Kids will learn to tell the difference between the mountain goat and the Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, find out where they can spot a wolverine in the wild, and discover which species of shark live off the west coast of Canada. The Canadian Library Association says “[Hunter’s] drawings are accurate. The animals look as if they could step off the page.”

Read the roots of BC’s social justice movements

New Ground: A Memoir of Art and Activism in BC’s Interior (Caitlin Press) is the extraordinary memoir of Ann Kujundzic, a feminist, artist and activist who established the Kelowna Art Centre, collaborated with George and Norma Ryga, joined the Voice of Women, lived and worked on a co-op farm, fought for women’s reproductive rights and social justice, and joined the Raging Grannies to fight against the military’s recruitment of the youth, all while juggling the roles inherent of motherhood.

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When your culture is banned and your land and resources stolen, it takes a special individual not only to survive but to thrive. Grounded in the wisdom of his elders, Gisdewe Alfred Joseph wove respect, kindness and courage into his years of service to the Witsuwit’en people of northwest British Columbia. As an artist, teacher, chief band councilor, house chief and lead plaintiff in Delgamuukw-Gisday Wa v. BC – one of the most important Aboriginal title cases in Canada – Alfred relied on the lessons he learned as a boy to deal with a pervasive colonial reality. Read Song of the Earth: The Life of Alfred Joseph (Creekstone Press), by Ross Hoffman and Alfred Joseph.

Read the Roots of BC

Now in paperback, British Columbia: A New Historical Atlas (Douglas & McIntyre) by Derek Hayes, reveals the plans and strategies that created the province we know today through a fascinating visual lens—from maps by early Indigenous inhabitants and the Europeans who arrived to explore and exploit vast resource wealth, to maps drawn by those who, decades later, prepared for war, built dams, promoted real estate, and even tracked murders.

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Chronologically arranged and rich with photographs, The Lieutenant Governors of British Columbia (Harbour Publishing), by historian Jenny Clayton, paints a vivid picture of the lives of BC’s thirty Lieutenant Governors. Clayton’s biographical essays capture the distinct personalities and events that have characterized the office from 1871 to the present, offering a unique perspective on the evolution of the province. 

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Finally, check out By Snowshoe, Buckboard and Steamer: Women of the British Columbia Frontier by Kathryn Bridge (Royal BC Museum Publications, May 2019)

“…a cloud passing away from the face of the moon revealed a band of wild horses bearing down upon us at a full gallop. As they came near and saw us they divided into two groups, passing by on either side. Had the moon not come out they would probably have become entangled in our tent ropes, and we should not have lived to tell the tale.” 

This vivid quote, recounted by Violet Sillitoe, one of four women featured in archivist Katheryn Bridge’s exploration of BC frontierswomen, inspired a Read Local BC Facebook comment: “Wow! That passage gave me chills. I will definitely be buying this book!”

BC: There’s a book for that!

So this BC Day, don’t just stop at enjoying the great outdoors but take a chance on the great indoors – that is, wherever books are sold or lent. After all, books are meant to be explored just as much as our parks and coastlines. If you need any more recommendations, browse the rest of our blog here at Read Local BC, or ask your local bookseller and librarian what BC books they recommend. 

If you have a “book for that” recommendation for us at Read Local BC, let us know via Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.