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In contrast to the widely known experiences of Asian immigrants who came to Canada, this book looks at movement in the opposite direction. Using text and images, it is a collection of stories about how Canadians "found Japan," the first place they reached when travelling westward across the Pacific. These connections began as early as 1848, when the adventurous son of a Hudson''s Bay Company trader tempted fate by smuggling himself, disguised as a shipwrecked sailor, into the closed and exotic land of the shoguns. He was followed by an intriguing cast of characters--missionaries, educators, businessmen, social activists, political figures, diplomats, soldiers and occasional misfits--who experienced a rapidly changing Japan as it underwent its remarkable transformation from a largely feudal society to a modern state. Now, when the world is becoming more Asia-centric, Finding Japan provides glimpses into an earlier era that challenged conventional perceptions about Canadian connections across the Pacific.

It''s 1981, and Sylvia Taylor has signed on as rookie deckhand on a wallowy 40-foot salmon troller. Looking forward to making money for university, she is determined to master the ins and outs of fishing some of the most dangerous waters in the world: the Graveyard of the Pacific. For four months, she helps navigate the waters off northern Vancouver Island, learning the ways of fisherfolk and the habitat in which they breathe, sleep and survive. The politics of selling fish, the basics of tying gear, near-death experiences, endless boat troubles, the emotional perils of sharing cramped quarters--all are part of a steep and unforgiving learning curve. Taylor''s story captures the reality of life on a fishboat and documents the end of an era, a time when the fishing industry wasn''t yet marred by unchecked overfishing or hyper-regulation. Her lyrical, simple prose explores the tight-knit relationship of fishers with the west coast''s wild, untamed waters. Her memoir bursts with all the humour and hell, peace and upheaval that is the Pacific Ocean.

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. In Above Stairs, get to know the the Douglases, the Pembertons, the Skinners, the Creases, the O''Reillys, the Trutches, the Rithets and the Barnards. These families made laws, surveyed land, founded businesses and set a standard of social acceptability for all those living in Victoria at the time. Like a kitchen hand sneaking up the servants'' steps to spy on the rich, discover the glamorous, complicated lives of Victoria''s social elite in Above Stairs.

The stories of the men and women who dug for gold on Williams Creek are told in this rewritten and updated edition of a Canadian best-seller. The legendary town of Barkerville is flourishing today, just as it did more than 150 years ago, but this time under the care of professional and amateur historians. Richard Thomas Wright peels back the pages of history as he unearths the area''s history and chronicles the fortunes and the follies of gold-rush-era Barkerville. The result of years of around-the-world research, Barkerville and the Cariboo Goldfields brings to life the men and women of the creeks who came in search of gold and left their mark on BC history. Wright mined the archives to bring forth new information on the development of the Cariboo goldfields and nearby places of interest. Barkerville includes dozens of little-known historical photos and a complete index. It is the best, most comprehensive source of detailed information on this important national heritage site.