Author Jay Sherwood will be at the Creston Valley Public Library at 7 p.m. Sept. 30 as part of the library’s Meet the Author series, discussing his latest book, Surveying Southern British Columbia.
This is Sherwood’s fourth and final book about prominent B.C. surveyor Frank Swannell, covering 1901-1907, before Swannell began surveying for the B.C. government. Gore & McGregor, one of the leading surveying companies in the province, hired Swannell to work on projects throughout Southern B.C. from the Rocky Mountains to the West Coast of Vancouver Island, and from the international boundary as far north as Quesnel in the Cariboo and Bella Coola on the Coast.
Swannell’s work had a significant impact on events that shaped the province’s history, including the search for oil, the Pacific cable survey, the early timber licence surveys for the pulp and paper mill at Ocean Falls, and the controversial CPR land grants through Southern B.C. Yet Swannell was more than a surveyor — he was an accomplished and talented photographer, documenting the development of the province through his compass, his measurements and his lens. Surveying Southern British Columbia contains 150 stunning photographs that portray human settlement and untamed wilderness in what were the most remote areas of our young province. Sherwood also includes Swannell’s courtship letters to Ada Driver, which provide delightful details about the life of a surveyor in the field.
Sherwood’s meticulous research portrays the life and career of a young Swannell as he perfects his skills and profits from his mistakes, while helping to shape B.C. it is known today. Surveying Southern British Columbia makes a significant contribution to the history of the province and is a well-crafted conclusion to this important series.
Sherwood is a historian and retired teacher-librarian who worked in surveying for several years. He is the author of five B.C. history books, including Surveying Northern British Columbia, Surveying Central British Columbia , Return to Northern British Columbia, Furrows in the Sky: The Adventures of Gerry Andrews and In the Shadow of the Great War. Three have won awards, including two from the series about Swannell. Sherwood was also the editor for Bannock and Beans, Bob White’s account of the Bedaux Expedition. He enjoys hiking and camping and has visited many of the locations where Swannell surveyed during his career.
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