Historic Shipwrecks of the Southern Gulf Islands of British Columbia


Book Description

British Columbia’s rugged Southern Gulf Islands enticed many pioneers, explorers, colonists, miners, and adventurers in the mid 19th century. Fog, wind, strong currents and the lack of aids to navigation made navigating these striking and treacherous islands a hazardous business. Many vessels and seafarers did not survive their intended voyages, and their forgotten remains now litter the sea floor, visited only by intrepid divers searching for clues to the past. As one reads this book, stories will unfold which remind us that not so long ago, travelling by ship along the British Columbia coast would have challenged even the most seasoned mariner, and that danger lurked below the water’s surface. Historic Shipwrecks of the Southern Gulf Islands of British Columbia is a compilation of 14 stories about Shipwrecks throughout those islands. This book not only follows the history of each vessel and their loss, but also describes for the lay person what divers will see when they dive on the sites today. This book is a must have for those with an interest in British Columbia’s maritime history. It is one of a series of shipwreck publications produced by the Underwater Archaeological Society of British Columbia to make the province’s submerged cultural history accessible to everyone.







Gulf Islands


Book Description

The most accurate and comprehensive guide for British Columbia's coastal waters, from southeast Vancouver Island (Victoria to Naniamo) and all of the Gulf Islands




National Geographic Guide to the National Parks of Canada


Book Description

An illustrated, region-by-region guide to the national parks of Canada, offering sample itineraries and site-by-site tours, and providing historical information, location and activity descriptions, tips for travelers, maps, and lodging information with addresses, phone numbers, and price ranges.




Maria Mahoi of the Islands


Book Description

Literary Nonfiction. Native American Studies. Born in the mid-1850s on Vancouver Island to an Indigenous Hawaiian father and an Indigenous British Columbian mother, Maria Mahoi moved as a young woman to Salt Spring Island in British Columbia's Strait of Georgia, and in mid-life to her very own nearby Russell Island. A true pioneer, Maria lived until 1936 and bore thirteen children, but also kept her father's surname and fiercely protected her interests, including a legal action to acquire Russell Island in her own name. Maria Mahoi's many descendants encouraged and facilitated the telling of her story in its original and now revised edition. Since its original publication in 2004, MARIA MAHOI OF THE ISLANDS has become a classic in its field, and an important document on the history of Indigenous Hawaiians known as Kanakas, who had an early presence across the Pacific Northwest and are now part of the broader Hawaiian diaspora across North America.




In the Valley of the Grizzly


Book Description

This gripping wilderness survival tale grabs young readers at the first sputtering of the small plane engine and does not let go. Fifteen year-old Ben Paul’s dream trip to the wilderness with his Tlingit grandfather quickly turns into a nightmare when their plane makes a forced landing on a lake hundreds of miles from anywhere and right in the heart of an angry grizzly’s territory. They survive the landing but that is the end of their good luck. For fans of Gary Paulsen’s Hatchet, this book delivers the same powerful, page-turning, scalp-tingling adventure.




Best Anchorages of the Inside Passage


Book Description

One of the finest cruising grounds in the world, the Inside Passage is a boater's paradise with hundreds of pristine islands, inlets, and anchorages. Written by former "Pacific Yachting" columnist Vipond and her husband, this resource profiles more than 200 anchorages and destinations. 450 color photos.




The Sea Among Us


Book Description

The Strait of Georgia is a one of the world's great inland seas, a 6,900 sq km body of water lying between the British Columbia mainland and Vancouver Island. Rich in history, teeming with wildlife and marine traffic, it is essential to British Columbians for food, jobs, travel and recreation. The sheltered waters of the strait are home to Canada's largest seaport and over two-thirds of the province's population. The Sea Among Us is the first book to present a comprehensive study of the Strait of Georgia in all its aspects with chapters on geology, First Nations, history, oceanography, fish, birds, mammals,invertebrates and plants. Covering everything from tsunami modelling to First Nations history to barnacle reproduction, the book is a sweeping overview of the waterway. It describes how fjords formed, what the seafloor is made of, and why coastal BC is so prone to earthquakes; it advises on which jellyfish sting, how to tell the difference between Dall's and harbour porpoises, and where to find whales; and it addresses how climate change and human impacts could affect the strait, noting that though marine ecosystems are tough and adaptable, there are limits to this resiliency. As editor Dr. Richard Beamish says, "It is the function of this book to inform British Columbians about the Strait of Georgia. All authors hope that the readers will use the information to ask questions about how the Strait of Georgia is coping with change and how they can provide more of the information that is needed to maintain a healthy Strait of Georgia." Informative, descriptive, cautionary and entertaining, The Sea Among Us is illustrated with attractive colour photographs, figures and drawings. It fills a place on the shelf of essential BC reference books beside The Encyclopedia of British Columbia and Marine Life of the Pacific Northwest.