History Matters

Located in the geographic centre of British Columbia, the Lakes District is a unique region with a fascinating backstory. History Matters, the first book published by the Lakes District Museum Society in a half century, gives readers a glimpse into the lives of some of the heroes, villains, misfits, and everyday people who have in the past called this region home.

In 2018, the Lakes District Museum Society began posting short stories and photographs about Burns Lake and surrounding communities on its social media page. This book is a compilation those posts, along with new material and never-before-seen photographs gleaned from the society’s archives. Want to know how an employee of the Yukon Telegraph spent his time? What was a tie-hacker’s life like? How did an unknown skier from Burns Lake make it to the 1932 Olympic Winter Games, and a man many feel was the real-life James Bond come to live in Colleymount? History Matters answers these and other important questions.

In addition to touching and sometimes humorous tales of life in the Lakes District, readers of this book will encounter thrilling stories of murder, adventure, international intrigue, and even the supernatural. This collection is a valuable contribution to the community’s history, and one that will fascinate anyone interested in the area, its past, or the European colonization of Western Canada.