Book Review
by Roger Brunt
People & Peaks of Willmore Wilderness Park
Author: Susan Feddema-Leonard
Editor: Estella Cheverie
We know that Canada, especially
western Canada, was pioneered by hunters, trappers and mountain
people and, of course, by Canada’s First Nations peoples.
But seldom are we provided with a modern-day, close-up view of the
day-to-day lives and activities of these people, whose courage,
resourcefulness and humour (often in the face of, what would
be for lesser stock, overwhelming calamity) is captured here
in the pages of The People and Peaks of Willmore Wilderness
Park.
In private correspondence, author Susan Feddema-Leonard wrote to
me: “You birth your story—then begins the work of
chiseling and shaping the initial thoughts, finally refining them
into a
work of art.”
That’s exactly what Leonard has achieved, a work of art that
not only brings to life in words and fine photography (much
of it by Leonard herself) one of Canada’s most beautiful
and little-known wilderness areas, but pays tribute to the brave
folk who opened up, and now fight to preserve, the Willmore Wilderness.
This fine book not only provides a much-needed historical record
of this area, it pays homage to the men and women who, confronted
by trackless wilderness, grizzly bears, swollen rivers and chest-deep
snows, saw not adversity, but challenge and opportunity.
To them all, and to Susan Feddema-Leonard for capturing these voices
before they are forever silenced by time, I tip my hat.
Roger Brunt,
Salt Spring Island,
award-winning journalist/columnist and director of
The North American School of Outdoor Writing
(March
25, 2007)
http://www.linksnorth.com/outdoorwriting/index.html
COST: $60.00
plus $15.00 shipping & handling.
Visa MasterCard, Amex and Cheques accepted.
To obtain a book please
contact:
Willmore
Wilderness
Preservation & Historical Foundation
Box 93, Grande Cache, Alberta T0E 0Y0 Canada
1-780-827-2696
(phone); 1-780-827-4799 (fax)