You can't make it up
Entertaining non-fiction titles read like novels, writes Pat St. Germain.
Here on the Coast: Reflections from the Rainbelt
Howard White Harbour Publishing
Humorist, historian and gifted storyteller Howard White is the best kind of company for socially distanced readers: knowledgeable, concise and entertaining. White grew up on B.C.'S raindrenched south coast — a.k.a. the Sunshine Coast, a geographical misnomer White and his wife Mary corrected back in 1972 when they came up with the first Raincoast Chronicles anthology. Over a lifetime of some 75 years so far, he's amassed a motley collection of amusing yarns, thoughtful anecdotes and lighthearted reminiscences.
White figured starting a publishing house would be a surefire way to get his own books into print, so he and Mary founded Harbour Publishing in the mid-1970s. It has produced about 500 books, including some 20 Raincoast Chronicles titles and even a few White found time to write.
The Bushman's Lair: On the Trail of the Fugitive of the Shuswap
Paul Mckendrick Harbour Publishing
In 2001, RCMP lured fugitive and publicity hound John Bjornstrom — a.k.a. the Bushman of the Shuswap — out of hiding by posing as a documentary film crew. Bjornstrom had walked away from a correctional centre north of Kamloops and taken up residence on Shuswap Lake, stealing supplies and building hideouts.
Author Paul Mckendrick's family had a cabin at the south end of the lake, and was one of few people who got a first-hand look at Bjornstrom's ultimate man-cave — spacious and well-equipped, complete with solar and battery-powered electronics.
A former ranch hand, truck driver and private detective, the Bushman had a wild story to tell. He claimed to be living in the Shuswap to investigate child pornographers. Hiding out was convenient given that assassins were on his tail, thanks to some convoluted involvement in the Bre-x scandal. Bjornstrom died in 2018, but it's a safe bet he'd be thrilled his legend lives on.