National Network for Equitable Library Service

Built in 1889 and now home to the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, the Spencer Mansion is a magnificent building with a rich and layered history. With detailed research, historian and author Robert Ratcliffe Taylor describes the original appearance of the house, designed by William Ridgway Wilson for Alexander Green and his family, as well as its inhabitants over the decades. Also known as Gyppeswyk, after the village in England where Green wed Theophila Rainer, the house is more commonly referred to as the Spencer Mansion, after later owners David and Emma Spencer.

Just how, and why, did Vancouver Island get onto the map? How was knowledge of our immediate geography acquired and recorded? With 130 maps, dating between 1593 and 1915, this cartographic history tells the story of how Vancouver Island and the surrounding area came to be mapped. The book shows local cartographic milestones, marking progress in our knowledge through the island’s rich—although comparatively short—recorded history. However, the maps, by themselves and without context, cannot tell the whole story.

The first real look at the Canadian West Harmon's Journal-the first published English-language journal written in B.C.-is a lively, engaging story that, unlike other early journals, captures the rough-and-tumble life of a fur trader and explorer in the western Canada of 200 years ago. Harmon's descriptions of the cultures and customs of the people he met provide important observations of various First Nations almost before they were touched by European culture.

Winner of the 2017 Taste Canada Food Writing Award in Culinary Narratives. The food lover's guide to finding the best of the best in the vibrant Okanagan.Discover the edible delights of the Okanagan with profiles on more than 125 farm-to-table chefs, bakers, beekeepers, orchardists, farmers, market gardeners, butchers and charcutiers, fisherpeople, coffee roasters, distillers, craft brewers, chocolatiers, millers, foragers, cheesemakers, fishmongers, and producers of fine craft foods and drink.

A compilation of the best of the region’s food, drink, and recreation, the book reveals local culinary secrets: crusty double-baked bread, lavender-infused pepper, seasonal vegetables, dark red cherries, sinfully rich double-cream brie, and farm-fresh eggs with yolks so dark they will startle. And of course, the wines. What would delicious local food be without famous vintages from the unique Okanagan terroir?

"Her book is a gift to all of us."— Patrick Lane, author of There is a Season. Following the lead of her earlier bestselling books, Anny Scoones once again charms and inspires readers with her insights and observations. Using her experiences on a farm as a backdrop, Anny muses on the environment, fate, time and aging. In this collection of personal memoirs, Anny reaches deeper into what nature, rural life and agriculture mean to us. She explores the thrills, joys and disasters of what really happens in the countryside and nearby towns.

In the early sixteenth century, the first exploratory ships arrived on the Pacific Coast of North America. These rovers were seeking gold and silver, fur pelts, a safe passage from the Pacific to the Atlantic, and above all, adventure. Though many of the voyagers didn’t survive the dangerous sea crossings or the perils that awaited them on land, their stories live on in Pioneers of the Pacific Coast. Agnes C. Laut chronicles long-forgotten true stories packed with hazards and surprise.

Canada’s 150th birthday is the perfect opportunity to start exploring this country with your kids while finally experiencing the spectacular Canadian destinations you’ve been dreaming about. Planning a family getaway can be overwhelming, but award-winning freelance travel writer and blogger Jody Robbins puts you on the right path with savvy suggestions for families who are keen to explore Canada with their little loved ones.

Out of print for more than 40 years, this is an intimate and heartwarming biography that throws a whole new light on one of Canada's most beloved and iconic artists. In 1916, Emily Carr wasn’t famous. She was poor, and she taught art classes to children to make a living. One of her students was seven-year-old Carol Pearson. Pearson spent hours every day with Carr: they painted together at the water’s edge, and she helped care for the dogs, birds, monkey and other animals that Carr kept as pets.

When Fort Victoria was first established in the mid-nineteenth century, eight pioneer families of Europe’s upper class formed the social elite of the modest colony. The self-named aristocracy of this new land, these families shaped a world suited to their proper tastes on the upper floors of the fort, and eventually, in beautiful homes that imitated the height of fashion in Europe. However, between their tea parties and balls, these particular families greatly influenced the progress of the city of Victoria and the province of British Columbia.