Books published by Heritage House Publishing Co Ltd

John R. Jewitt''s story of being captured and enslaved by Maquinna, the great chief of the Mowachaht people, is both an adventure tale of survival and an unusual perspective on the First Nations of the northwest coast of Vancouver Island. On March 22, 1803, while anchored in Nootka Sound on the west coast of Vancouver Island, the Boston was attacked by a group of Mowachaht warriors. Twenty-five of her 27 crewmen were massacred, their heads "arranged in a line" for survivor John R. Jewitt to identify. Jewitt and another survivor, John Thompson, became 2 of some 50 slaves owned by the chief known as Maquinna. Among other duties, they were forced to carry wood for three miles and fight for Maquinna when he slaughtered a neighbouring tribe. But their worst fear came from knowing that slaves could be killed whenever their master chose. Since most of the Mowachaht wanted the two whites dead, they never knew what would come first--freedom or death. After Jewitt was rescued, following 28 months in captivity, he wrote a book of his experiences. It appeared in 1815 and became known as Jewitt''s Narrative. It proved so popular that it is still being reprinted today.

"An engaging contribution to Canadian women's history." --BC Books for BC SchoolsA fascinating collection of concise stories about seventeen courageous, independent, and diverse women who shaped the history of Vancouver Island.From the lush rainforest of Clayoquot Sound to the bustling city streets of Victoria, Vancouver Island has been home to an astounding number of inspiring women. On Their Own Terms: True Stories of Trailblazing Women of Vancouver Island celebrates the achievements of seventeen amazing heroines working in multiple fields, from world-famous artists to social activists to groundbreaking scientists and quietly defiant labourers. The diverse women in this engaging new collection include: pioneer and midwife Tuwa 'hwiye Tusium Gollelim, Mary Ann Gyves; world-renowned algae botanist Josephine Tilden;undiscovered aviatrix Lilian Bland;Vancouver Island's first African-Canadian teacher, Emma Stark; andentrepreneur and bounty hunter Ada Annie Rae-Arthur, better known as Cougar Annie.On Their Own Terms will delight and empower anyone looking for true stories of nineteenth- and twentieth-century women who confronted uncertainty, challenged gender norms, and excelled in their respective vocations. Whether you are an entrepreneur, an educator, a rebellious spirit, or an armchair adventurer, these incredible women who thrived on Vancouver Island will captivate you.

"A thought-provoking full-colour art book exploring changing landscapes through the pioneering work and innovative processes of Canadian photographer Sylvia Grace Borda. Sylvia Grace Borda made a substantial debut into new media and photo art when she launched Every Bus Stop in Surrey, BC. With this piece, Borda reclaimed California coastal conceptual photo strategies from the 1960s and used them to document a large Canadian city by its own transit system. This marked her entry into international recognition. Since then, Borda has undertaken epic projects to re-imagine urban spaces, from the 'New Towns' of East Kilbride and Glenrothes in Scotland to modernist faith buildings in Northern Ireland. In this dazzling new monograph, Sylvia's exceptional body of work is examined and placed in both a regional and international context. Specifically, her practice developed in Surrey is examined in relation to art history, the Vancouver School of Art, digital media, community engagement, and projects concluded in Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Finland. Featuring essays by more than a dozen contributors, including curators, artists, and scholars--each presenting specific perspectives on how Borda's diverse arts practice has shifted and expanded the mediums of art, photography, and social awareness--Sylvia Grace Borda: Shifting Perspectives constructs a conversation between the remembrance of place and current narratives in art history."--

A delightfully frightful collection of spooky stories set across Canada, appropriate for all ages and perfect for reading aloud around the campfire. In this spine-chilling companion to Campfire Stories of Western Canada and Ghostly Campfire Stories of Western Canada, Barbara Smith takes readers on a cross-country trip of sinister spirits, urban myths, haunted houses, ghostly shipwrecks, and other unexplained phenomena, just in time for camping season. With over forty hair-raising tales set in every province and territory, Campfire Stories from Coast to Coast combines fact and legend, with truly terrifying results. From an ancient spirit that haunts a Cape Breton lake to a Manitoba hitchhiker who encounters a UFO to a Tofino surfer who receives a fateful warning from a stranger, this collection is a celebration of all things creepy and Canadian. Ideal for camping trips, slumber parties, or lonely nights when you just want to scare yourself silly, Campfire Stories from Coast to Coast is sure to become a family favourite.

A breathtaking full-colour photography book celebrating the architectural splendour and cultural heritage of Winnipeg's famed Exchange District, a National Historic Site and one of the city's most vibrant artistic, commercial, and tourist hubs. The Exchange District is the architectural jewel of Winnipeg's downtown core, a thirty-block area featuring 150 remarkably preserved heritage buildings dating back to the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. These iconic buildings are among the best examples in North America of several turn-of-the-century architectural styles, including Romanesque, Italianate, Beaux-Arts, and Chicago School. From its origins in the 1880s as a commercial and industrial gateway to the Canadian West to its current revitalization, the Exchange exemplifies the spirit of a modern city embracing its past while creating a bright and dynamic future.Treasures of Winnipeg's Historical Exchange is a sumptuous visual feast for residents and visitors. With stunning photography highlighting the impressive scale and intricate detail of the Exchange's imposing banks, sprawling warehouses, and commercial towers, this book will amaze and delight anyone interested in Winnipeg's history and architecture. In addition, the book captures the renewed energy, creativity, hospitality, and entrepreneurial spirit that have invigorated the Exchange in recent years, making it one of Canada's most vibrant up-and-coming neighbourhoods.

Tall tales of coastal adventures, colourful locals, privileged tourists, and elusive fish abound in this hilariously offbeat sequel to The Codfish Dream."David Giblin is a marvellous storyteller."--Ian Ferguson, author of The Survival Guide to British Columbia David Giblin's stint as a seasonal salmon fishing guide on Stuart Island provides a seemingly endless supply of hilarious and bizarre stories that reveal as much about the quirkiness of small coastal communities as they do about human nature itself. Now, in his second book of short interconnected stories set in the 1980s, Giblin introduces us to Gilly, the first female fishing guide to grace the tiny island, whose mere presence is enough to shake the foundations of the very insular, all-male guiding community. With the return of delightfully eccentric characters including VOP, Troutbreath, Lucky Peterson, and Wet Lenny, this rollicking maritime adventure will appeal to anyone who ever gutted a fish and lived to tell the tale.

One of the most colourful chapters in the history of North American settlement began in the 1880s when the rich Alberta grasslands spreading east from the foothills of the Rockies became the magnet for cattle ranching. Award-winning Cattle Kingdom provides readers with all the colourful tales of raffish characters, political intrigues and partnerships, fortunes made and lost, and the harsh realities of prairie winters. The era also gave us the mythic figure of the cowboy, still prominent in Alberta today. Nowhere is the story of ranching more rich and varied than in Alberta. There was an assortment of high rollers, big-money men from the east, English lords and remittance men, along with refugees from the American west and ordinary folk seeking a homestead and a new dream. The newly formed North West Mounted Police was on hand as well. Famous ranches were created during this period, including the Cochrane, the Oxley and the North West Cattle Company (Bar U). The cast of characters included John Ware; the brave and foolhardy Major-General Thomas Bland Strange, who had plans for a ranch for retired British army types; and the scrappy Pat Burns, who parlayed a small slaughterhouse in Calgary into a giant meat-packing and cattle empire. By the time of the first Calgary Stampede in 1912, the cattle kingdom was on the wane. More and more settlers arrived and began fencing and farming the once limitless grazing lands. And then came the discovery of oil. But during its brief and brilliant season in the sun, early ranching in Alberta put an indelible stamp on the history and culture of the Canadian west.