"The Oxy," Occidental Hotel, Nanaimo, circa 1975. Built in 1886, still open. Image from Glen Mofford.
Glen Mofford offers wonderful stories about the proprietors and patrons of the hotels he describes in Along the E&N. FULL STORY
A sixth book from Anny Scoones revives her wandering ways. Island Home: Out and About on Vancouver Island by Anny… FULL STORY
There is much in Thanh’s memoir Mistakes to Run With to ponder about sacrifice, human nature, and acceptance, says reviewer… FULL STORY
A new biography shines a light on this wild steelhead in a sea of Canlit farmed fish says reviewer John… FULL STORY
“Chop suey” cafes and restaurants continue to dot the Canadian landscape. Imogene Lim reviews Ann Hui’s overview from Victoria to… FULL STORY
Harder-to-reach remote islands are special places where ingenuity, creativity, passion, and hard work lie at the heart of making satisfying… FULL STORY
A new book tracks O’Keefe from Nepean, Ontario in 1861 seeking fortune in the West, to establishing the historic O’Keefe… FULL STORY
Reviewer Paul Falardeau says Van Camp’s tone is conversational, whether hearing a tape recording or the gossip of aunties, we… FULL STORY
Reviewer Theo Dombrowski unravels and praises a challenging read that is “centrally about the mottled and myriad worlds of sexual… FULL STORY
Possibly his most important work is Indians at Work: An Informal History of Native Indian Labour in British Columbia 1858-1930… FULL STORY
A sentimentalist would be tempted to describe him as an unknown soldier of Canlit. For decades within the Writers Union… FULL STORY
Like Alex Colville paintings and Alice Munro short stories that stay with us, his stories can range from vaguely disconcerting… FULL STORY
A new book examines the layered life on islands in the Salish Sea, including Salt Spring Island. Review by Theresa… FULL STORY
The B.C. sea otter population (approx. 6,000) are descendants of 89 Alaskan otters relocated to Vancouver Island in 1969-72. Review by… FULL STORY
Pam Withers’ latest young adult novel is a suspenseful tale that imagines the plight of stowaways at the mercy of… FULL STORY
Flow is a wonderful, 640-page tribute by Michael Barnholden and Talonbooks, according to Grahame Ware, who providess an extensive response.
Ray Spaxman is touted by Larry Beasley as the “Father of Vancouverism” in his 425-page celebration of planning for the… FULL STORY
Glorious Mountains lists North Shore peaks by height, difficulty, best berry patches, best for kids, most masochistic, etc. The Glorious… FULL STORY
The title of Pamela Klassen’s The Story of Radio Mind refers to unorthodox telepathy experiments conducted by Du Vernet. The… FULL STORY
Philip Resnick’s “Fugue” is a terse, elegiac, moving tribute to Tiananmen Square’s Liu Xiaobo who faced the tanks. Passageways by… FULL STORY
