The area between the Great Lakes and Lake Winnipeg, bounded on the north by the Hudson Bay lowlands, is sometimes known as the "Petit Nord." Providing a link between the cities of eastern Canada and the western interior, it was a critical communication and transportation hub for the North American fur trade for over 200 years. It also became the dispersal point for waves of devastating disease. An extensive trading network, both among Aboriginal groups and fur trade society, carved a path for the diffusion of diseases such as smallpox, influenza, and measles. Over two centuries, these diseases were responsible for a monumental loss of life and forever transformed North American Aboriginal communities." "Historical geographer Paul Hackett meticulously traces the diffusion of these diseases from Europe through central Canada to the West. Hackett's analysis of evidence in fur trade journals and oral history, combined with this study of the diffusion behaviour, yields a comprehensive picture of where, when, and how the staggering impact of these epidemics was felt.

In mid-July 1925, the SS Bayeskimo ran into heavy drift ice at the entrance to Hudson Strait. The ice carried her north, squeezing the steamer and testing the strength of her rivets. Helpless until the tide changed and the ice moved, the officers and crew could only watch and listen to the ship’s tormented groans. Slowly at first, trickles of freezing water seeped through the steel plates on her bow. The trickles became a flood, and Bayeskimo began to sink. Bayeskimo was one of hundreds of ships in the Hudson’s Bay Company’s fur-trade fleet. For much of the company’s history, they roamed Hudson Bay, the subarctic and beyond the Arctic Circle, servicing far-flung posts. Some even battled their way around the tip of South America to open up trade on the west coast of North America. During these arduous voyages, many of them came to grief under conditions that would test the mettle of any ship. Here are some of their dramatic stories.

After Royal Navy captain Sir John Franklin disappeared in the Arctic in 1846 while seeking the Northwest Passage, the search for his two ships, Erebus and Terror, and survivors of his expedition became one of the most exhaustive quests of the 19th century. Despite tantalizing clues, the ships were never found, and the fate of Franklin’s expedition passed into legend as one of the North’s great and enduring mysteries.Anthony Dalton explores the eventful and fascinating life of this complex and intelligent man, beginning with his early sea voyages and arduous overland explorations in the Arctic. After years in Malta and Tasmania, Franklin realized his dream of returning to the Far North; it would be his last expedition. Drawing from evidence found by 19th-century Arctic explorers following in Franklin’s footsteps and investigations by 20th-century historians and archaeologists, Dalton retraces the route of the lost ships and recounts the sad tale of Franklin, his officers and men in their final agonizing months.

From the days of the fur trade, one constant thread weaves its way through the tumultuous history of frontier British Columbia, Washington and Oregon—the war over liquor. Between 1840 and 1917, the whisky wars of the west coast were fought by historical heavyweights, including Matthew Baillie Begbie (the “Hanging Judge”) and Wyatt Earp, and a contentious assortment of murderous whisky traders, angry Natives, corrupt policemen, patronage-loving politicians and trigger-happy drunks.Liquor was a serious and life-threatening issue in 19th-century west coast settlements. In 1864 Victoria, there were at least 149 drinking establishments to serve a thirsty population of only 6,500. Despite various prohibition efforts, the trade in alcohol flourished.Recreating British gunboat arrests, the evangelistic fervour of Billy Sunday and the tireless crusade of the Anti-Saloon League, author Rich Mole chronicles the first tempestuous and tragic struggles for and against having a drink in the Pacific Northwest.

During the frenzied Klondike Gold Rush, many daring women ventured north to seek riches and adventure or to escape a troubled past. These unforgettable, strong-willed women defied the social conventions of the time and endured heartbreak and horrific conditions to build a life in the wild North. At the height of the gold rush, Martha Purdy, Nellie Cashman, Ethel Berry and a few hundred other women were conquering what came to be called the Trail of '98—a route that proved to be an impossible ordeal for many men. From renowned reporter Faith Fenton and successful entrepreneur Belinda Mulrooney to Mae Field, "The Doll of Dawson," and other "citizens of the demimonde," the Klondike's rebel women bring an intriguing new perspective to gold-rush history.

In August 1914, Canada found itself jolted from its splendid isolation by the onrush of a European catastrophe. In Victoria, British Columbia, five hundred youth who had been educated at Victoria High School went to war and were forever changed by the experience. From Classroom to Battlefield follows the experiences of this cohort through the Second Battle of Ypres, when Canadians suffered terribly from the German use of poison gas; the horrors of the Somme, Vimy Ridge, Passchendaele, and Amiens; and, at last, victory at Mons. It weaves Victoria High School’s idealistic hopes into the realities of the pain, suffering, and death in faraway fields of fire, while examining legacies of the conflict at home. This is a poignant book about war, memory, and sacrifice from one of Canada’s preeminent writers of historical nonfiction.

In 1964, Patricia MacKay immigrated to Canada from England in search of the wild-open lands and cowboy culture that captivated her as a child. In the 1960s, the Wild West was still alive and kicking in the Cariboo-Chilcotin, although it had been tamed—a little. Old-time hospitality and helping anyone in need was the acknowledged way of life. Pat learned the Cariboo-Chilcotin way of life first hand by spending her summers working on guest ranches and finding other jobs to keep her occupied during the winter. From learning how to cook on the job to kitchen disasters and successes, roundups, branding, square dances and falling in love, she slowly gained acceptance into the tight-knit communities of BC’s Interior. Ranching meant long hours, hard work, and a lifestyle all its own. Entertainment was homemade. There were rodeos, dances, and music around campfires in the summer and ice hockey, tobogganing, and parties in the winter. Sadly, that way of life is gradually disappearing, but this book relives the way things were between 1964 and 1976; it tells of a unique brand of people from a variety of backgrounds who made this part of the west their home.

The lives of lesbians who grew up before 1965 remain cloaked in mystery. Historians have illuminated the worlds of upper-middle-class "romantic friends" and working-class butch and femme women who frequented lesbian bars in the ’50s and ’60s. The majority of lesbians, however, were lower-middle-class women who hid their sexual identity by engaging in discreet social and sexual relationships.

For the first three quarters of the twentieth century, in the heart of our nation, there thrived a safe haven which nurtured great aspirations of thousands of African American youth and their families. The Sumner Story highlights the history of a segregated high school which became recognized for the stellar academic performance of its students. Highly qualified faculty who believed in the students’ ability to achieve prepared them for a world of competition, hard knocks, compromises and closed doors. The story also denotes and illuminates outstanding career successes of alumni. In a socially and economically segregated nation, black students who had a “Sumner-like” experience were very fortunate because their schools served as clear windows and powerful springboards to promising possibilities. In this regard, nine other segregated high schools are reviewed. Insights can be gained from this story on how to resolve the plight of low-performing schools in socially and economically disadvantaged communities.