National Network for Equitable Library Service

Everybody has a train story. Whether it comes from a distant relative who worked on the railways or from a family train trip that formed a lasting impression of the Canadian landscape, trains inspire a sense of wonder and nostalgia. They are embedded in the history of Canada as a whole and western Canada in particular, and for generations they were how most people travelled and saw the country. Today, trains get the most attention in the context of tragedy, in the aftermath of rare but catastrophic derailments.

In her third book of off-the-beaten-track explorations of western Canada, Liz Bryan travels scenic roads of British Columbia’s Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island. From country routes winding through the Fraser Valley to forest roads on Vancouver Island leading to coastal settlements such as Zeballos and Telegraph Cove, these journeys celebrate amazing landscapes and trace the early human history of these regions.

Join Liz Bryan on 18 picturesque journeys through the diverse landscapes of the British Columbia Interior. Winding through sagebrush and forest, grassland plateaus and mountain valleys, beside river canyons and multicoloured volcanic rocks, these road trips reveal the rich variety of the province's geology and natural history and show how the strands of human history are closely interwoven with the land. First Nations, fur traders, explorers, gold miners, ranchers and homesteaders—all have left their mark.

A Place in Mind: The Search for Authenticity is the result of Avi Friedman’s worldwide quest for successful environments where people congregate and feel comfortable. Whether he writes of the conviviality of a teahouse in Istanbul; the serenity of Assisi; the squatter settlements of Tijuana, or the architectural harmony of neighbourhoods in London, Friedman conveys his excitement at discovering people-friendly places—antidotes to social isolation. His search for unique spots took him to spiritual places, workplaces, towns’ squares, very cold places and warm ones.

Près d’un feu, France, vous invite à venir vous asseoir avec elle, et de fermer les yeux. À travers le crépitement des flammes, avec sa voix douce et chaude, laissez-là vous bercer par les mystères de la brousse de cet endroit unique au monde… Il décide de se coucher et de fermer les yeux durant quelques minutes et puis le lion relève la tête et son regard se tourne vers moi. Je descends mon appareil photo et je glisse mes yeux dans les siens avec le profond désir de communiquer avec lui.

Qui ne rêve pas de tout vendre et de partir en voyage ? Combien réinventent leur vie afin de rendre possible cette douce folie ? Ce livre offre le récit d'un couple de jeunes retraités qui a osé vendre sa maison et ses biens en ne gardant pour seul port d'attache que celui du coeur. Vous les suivrez durant une année, de la prise de décision jusqu'au tourbillon de sa mise en exécution, et découvrirez une vie empreinte de liberté forte en rebondissements et en événements cocasses.

L'île Hans a fait l'actualité internationale, en 2010, lorsque le Danemark et le Canada en ont revendiqué tour à tour la possession. Pourquoi cette dispute à propos d'un rocher désert d'à peine un kilomètre carré situé au 80e parallèle ? Pour les ressources pétrolières qui s'y trouvent ! Parti en kayak rejoindre cette île qui n'appartient en réalité qu'au silence et au blizzard, le journaliste Emmanuel Hussenet raconte son incroyable périple dans le froid extrême et les glaces dérivantes.

In the early days, Plains Indians travelled on foot across the vast Canadian prairies, with only fierce, wolf-like dogs as companions. Later, with the arrival of Europeans, horses and canoes appeared on the scene. In Rediscovering the Prairies, Norman Henderson, a leading scholar of the world’s great temperate grasslands, revives the earlier modes of prairie travel. He journeys along 325 kilometres of Saskatchewan’s Qu’Appelle Valley by dog and travois (the wooden rack pulled by dogs and horses used by First Nations to transport belongings), then by canoe, and finally by horse and travois.

Join beloved storyteller Anny Scoones as she sets out to discover the quaint and quirky charms of Victoria, BC. Not just a book of facts, Hometown is a gentle stroll through a diverse region with a fascinating and layered history. Observe, pause, ponder, and have what Anny likes to call “a little think” on the various characteristics and personalities of these areas. Consider not only how public art, beach creatures, monuments, heritage and historical features create a neighbourhood and contribute to a larger city, but also how they make us feel, how they move us.

Beyond Beauty is the story of a remarkable journey that Bill Terry and his wife, Rosemary, undertook when they joined a party of Dutch and British alpine plant hunters intent on botanizing on the roof of the world. The expedition travelled in a convoy of eight jeeps over roads that were rarely paved and occasionally terrifying.