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Cowboys and Dog Tales by Tim O'Byrne
The autobiography of an Albertan cowboy. His adventures are vividly depicted in the comical sense of humour natural to him. ... Read more

Book Description

The Frontier World of Edgar Dewdney is a biographical study of a man who played a key role in the cataclysmic events which marked the political, social, and economic transformation of western Canada in the latter half of the nineteenth century. An immigrant adventurer seeking his fortune in the colonies, Dewdney was embroiled in the gold rushes of the 1860s, the B.C. debates on Confederation, the Riel Rebellion of 1885, political evolution in the North-West Territories, and the Klondike gold rush.

For several years Dewdney held important public offices, such as Indian commissioner of the North-West Territories and Minister of the Interior, positions which allowed him to shape the course of events. In many ways, Dewdney's career is a metaphor for the maturing western frontier. In following his exploits, we follow the story of a region experiencing breathtaking change. Brian Titley's purpose in this book is not to praise, but to offer a critical appraisal of Dewdney as a type -- a representative of that class of adventurer who saw in the new land an unprecedented opportunity for self-aggrandisement. ... Read more

Book Description

Frank Howard's mother was a prostitute; his father, purportedly her pimp. When he was six months old they placed him in the care of foster parents who never let him forget that he was the child of those "...no-good sons of bitches...".

At twelve he was committed by a judge to the care of the Childrens' Aid Society and taken to an orphanage in Vancouver. En route he was sexually molested by the policeman accompanying him. Dumped into the foster care circuit, he twice attempted suicide. He never finished grade ten. At eighteen he was sentenced to two years in the B.C. Penitentiary for armed robbery.

In From Prison to Parliament Howard describes those early years, his life in prison, and how, on finishing his sentence, he vowed never to return to crime. He never did.

He became a logger, then President of the Loggers' Local of the I.W.A. At twenty-eight he entered politics as a C.C.F. M.L.A. and went on to become the M.P. for the Northern B.C. riding of Skeena. He held that seat for seventeen years, longer than anyone else since its formation in 1914. During his twenty-seven years as a politician, he won ten elections.

Frank Howard was decidedly instrumental in getting Aboriginal people who lived on reserves the right to vote in federal elections. His three-year filibuster in the House of Commons produced reforms to Canada's divorce laws. His passion for prison reform led to the closure of Canada's barbaric Saint Vincent de Paul Penitentiary.

Blunt, tough, Frank Howard pulls no punches in describing some of his C.C.F./ N.D.P. fellow politicians. Reading From Prison to Parliament, it's easy to understand how his street smarts served his constituents, while at the same time infuriating other politicians. ... Read more

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A Typical Gift Shop Purchase
Having grown up in a Toronto suburb, I remember visiting Casa Loma as a child. Although my memories of this visit have faded over the years, I'm still intrigued by this eclectic structure. Now that 20 or so years have gone by, I thought it'd be wonderful to re-visit Casa Loma via this book. Although numerous color photos of the castle's exterior and interior are contained therein, the book is weak on the actual construction history of this fairy-tale home. However, there is ample biographical information on Sir Henry, the castle's original owner, and his story is a tragic rags-to-riches-to-rags tale. The bottom line: were you to visit the gift shop after a walking tour of Casa Loma, this is the book you'd buy. ... Read more

Book Description

Montreal's rich tradition of literature in both English and French makes it unique in the world. As the result of immigration it has begun to incorporate many varied strands of writing from around the world. In Putting Down Roots, writers from around the world who have made their homes in Montreal grapple with questions of reconciling loyalty to their origins and to their own most private selves with the need to find a readership and the desire to belong to the society where they live. They address the difficulties of adjusting to not one but two new languages in a host society itself feuding over language. The book follows the author's exploratory journeys among writers of Italian, Haitian, Arab, South Asian, and Chinese origin as well as those writing in Yiddish, Spanish, and Hungarian. It lays no claim to being exhaustive or scholarly and is a mere sampling of the rich material about Montreal's writers that has come to her attention.

Selected Contents: Flourishing in Three Languages: Montreal Writers of Italian Background Keeping the Flame Alight: Montreal is Home to Two Yiddish Literary Stars Harvest from Haiti: Rooted in the Caribbean, Writers Blossom in Quebec Forging a Dynamic Literary Tradition in Spanish Plus interviews with Marco Micone, Mary di Michele, Chava Rosenfarb, Yehuda Elberg, Jol Des Rosiers,Ramon Guardia, Alfredo Lavergne, Gyrgy Vitz, John Asfour, Bhagwan Gidwan, and Ying Chen. ... Read more

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Good reading, but could use a little more "colour"
It is written to much like a chronicle rather than a novel. It gives a little different outlook to the American and Canadian West in the mid 1800's. The story also shows Canadians that it's West was not "won" without some violence.....It may spark a little more interest in the Canadian West as soon as we take off our "rose coloured" glasses and look for a little more of the truth. ... Read more

Book Description

Ken Conibear, Northern pioneer, Rhodes Scholar and storyteller of life in Canada's far North, writes of his exciting, dangerous, and humourous experiences taking his boat, the Lady Greenbelly, over 1000 miles from Fort Nelson down the majestic and rugged Mackenzie River to the Arctic Ocean.He took on this adventure for two reasons. First, he intended to carry freight to the Arctic communities with his newly acquired freight scow, the Lady Greenbelly, and then sell her there for a handsome profit. Second, Bill Sweet, an elderly, retired insurance salesman from Seattle who had read Ken's previous books, had convinced Ken to take him and a young friend, Jack Havens, on a side trip-a wilderness filming expedition up the relatively unmapped Rat River.During the course of the trip, everything that could go wrong with the Lady Greenbelly's motor did go wrong, and Bill Sweet himself caused more than a few problems because of his unbounded, but inept, enthusiasm-and excessive politeness. The people met on the trip provide their own stories - the Eskimo whalers who cheerfully gambled away their year's earnings; Mike Krutko, a storekeeper in Fort Providence who always remained cheerful - even as provisions for his store sank with the Lady Greenbelly; the priest at the Catholic mission who recalled last seeing Ken when he was only a small child; and the fir trappers, Jake and Izor, who went Outside to find a wife for Izor and instead adopted a 12-year-old English war orphan-and then headed back north with all the supplies any 12-year-old would need. With an axe, their team of sled dogs and the only butcher's chopping block in the North, they were among many who came to the rescue of the notoriously inept Lady Greenbelly. News travels fast in the North, and the Lady Greenbelly's reputation had spread so that impossible to sell-at any price. Stuck with her, Ken had to return south up the many rapids of the Mackenzie and Liard Rivers, facing more adventures and life-threatening situations-always with courage, a lot of luck and never-ending good humour ... Read more

Book Description

Curtis Joseph, the two-time NHL All-Star is profiled. From how he became "Cujo" to his role as an international competitor, this book takes a look at Curtis' early years, his stints with the St. Louis Blues and Edmonton Oilers and his current role as the Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender. ... Read more

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Great Pictures and Lots of information
This book had great action pictures of Cujo. I really liked the tips Cujo gave for younger players to help them to improve their game. I also thought Curtis Joesph's schedule at the end of the book was neat too. Anyone who likes Cujo or the Toronto Maple Leafs should get this book. ... Read more

Book Description

Rocco Perri came to Canada almost a century ago from Calabria, Italy. Even today his name is well known to historians, police and organized crime—and especially to the people of the city he called home—Hamilton, Ontario.

A poor immigrant, Perri along with his common-law wife, Bessie Starkman, built an unequalled crime empire for the time. During the Prohibition years, Perri provided alcohol to a thirsty clientele in Canada and the United States—a business that was very illegal and highly lucrative. Al Capone and Joseph Kennedy were among Perri’s customers. The Perris also ran gambling, loan-sharking, extortion and prostitution rackets.

ROCCO PERRI: King of the Bootleggers is more than the biography of a man and his empire; it is a riveting portrait of a time when corruption was rampant, murder a business necessity, and discrimination against newcomers forced many to turn to crime as a means of survival. This book also solves a half-century-long mystery about the fate of Rocco Perri. ... Read more

Book Description

This publication is a collection of forty-eight reflections which explore and chronicle the author's ongoing, personal healing journey following a diagnosis of breast cancer.Each set of reflections includes prose, poetry and affirmation.The book is written in such a manner that it can be used for collective or individual reflection.Illustrations by Shauna Barss are sprinkled throughout.The foreword is written by Catherine Ripplinger Fenwick, author of 'Healing with Humour: A Laughter First Aid Kit' and 'Telling My Sister's Story'.The cover features a Courtney Milne photograph and cover design by Ed Pas.

The book honours and promotes harmony amongst a variety of healing practices and belief systems.It also endeavors to enhance awareness of the healing process itself.Strong themes of healing within relationship, finding voice, relinquishing our illusion of control, and striving for serenity are explored.The account celebrates the centrality of spiritual guidance in finding, to whatever degree possible, healing within all realms of our being.These realms include the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. The collection offers many examples of imagery, visualization, meditation, and prayer created to connect with personal sources of guidance and inspiration.

The book addresses a number of audiences including those experiencing health and healing challenges, their significant others, and the professionals who serve them.Given the holistic focus of the book, these professionals span a wide range of disciplines throughout the mainstream, complementary and spiritual care communities.

The author's personal and professional background has allowed her to write in an intimate and inclusive way which will appeal to people from diverse backgrounds in relation to age, gender, education, culture and spirituality. While the reflections center around the experience of healing, anyone seeking personal or spiritual growth may relate to them. ... Read more