Coal Creek magic
February 06th, 2023
Often tackling historical subjects far removed from main urban centres, Victoria’s Wayne Norton has returned to one of his favourite places, the Elk Valley in his tenth title, Beneath the Coal Dust: Historical Journeys Through the Elk Valley and Crowsnest Pass (Caitlin $26). Norton made many childhood visits to the area, and he recalls it as “a magical place of mountains and fishing adventures up Coal Creek.” His book of 12 local history stories details people such as Hollywood great, Boris Karloff who appeared as a minor actor in a 1909 Fernie play when he was an unknown English immigrant called William Pratt. Other characters in the book include a 1920s women’s hockey team, Chinese and Syrian immigrants, and a German brewer who built a local beer empire. 9781773860923
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