The Stump Ranchers
These days there are not many local news outlets that publish local history. Heck, there are not many local news outlets, period. So, I am grateful to The...
(War) Memorials
Dear Readers, I’m sorry for being late in sending my latest dispatch. I recently started a new job at a historic site - good news! But I’ve had less time for...
A Story in Stone
Walking in the woods recently with my friend, we spotted some old bottles and a cooking pot, half buried under moss and leaves. We enjoyed checking them out...
"Destructive Pests"
Developing a university history course is always an exercise in what to leave in and what to leave out. The more you teach the course, the more you learn...
Do Archives Matter?
There has been much talk lately of defending BC and Canada. Canadian flags are flying in apartment windows and on lawns. There’s a giant maple leaf pinned to...
Annexation or Confederation?
It didn’t take long for Trump’s “51st State” comments to go from joke to intention. Triggering an economic collapse that leads to annexation seems to be the...
The Hills Are Alive With Local History
This issue of Left Coast Dispatch is free to all subscribers. Please consider upgrading to a paid subscription - just $5/month. Upgrade now The landscape of...
Black History Month
Last week, riding my bike through Ross Bay Cemetery in Victoria – as I regularly do – I spotted a flash of pink. Winter in the cemetery does not bring many...
Welcome to Left Coast Dispatch
Why start a newsletter? For five years, I was the director of Point Ellice House Museum and Gardens (PEH) where I witnessed the power of storytelling and the...