Harbour Publishing’s Raincoast Chronicles series has been celebrating the people who have defined life on B.C.’s coast for over 40 years.
Join guest editor David R. Conn as he celebrates the release of the 22nd issue of the series — Raincoast Chronicles 22: Saving Salmon, Sailors and Souls: Stories of Service on the BC Coast — with a book tour on Vancouver Island this November.
Join David in Comox for a book signing at the Comox Library (101-1720 Beaufort Ave.) on Nov. 18 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., with books for sale by Blue Heron Books.
Raincoast Chronicles 22, gathered by Conn, highlights B.C.’s service workers — it is inspired by the givers, guardians, helpers and volunteers who have contributed to the making of our region. Conn’s piece in the collection, for instance, recounts the recollections of two novice doctors providing all health services on the Southern Gulf Islands (coroner, dentistry, psychiatry, veterinary and ambulance).
Also included in this issue are: award-winning writer Alan Haig-Brown's remembrance of his days as a deckhand on the haywire crew of a coastal freighter; Peter A. Robson's evocative essay about sitting alone and awake in the forest at night to save a threatened sockeye run one fish at a time; as well as stories about how Painter’s Lodge grew from family fish camp to renowned hospitality hub, the golden years of the provincial forestry workboat fleet, and how a team of volunteers managed to create a mountain park on the Sunshine Coast.
Replete with dozens of previously unpublished photographs, this captivating collection is full of memorable characters, laudable deeds and is a valuable contribution to the history of the B.C. coast.
Conn is a freelance researcher, writer and editor. He worked in coastal shipbuilding, steel fabrication and energy conservation before making a career as a librarian. His poems, reviews and articles have appeared in many magazines and anthologies. He lives in Vancouver.
For more information on the Raincoast Chronicles 22 book signing in Comox, contact Blue Heron Books at 250-339-6111. This event is made possible with assistance from the Canada Council of the Arts.
— Harbour Publishing