James Douglas: Father of British Columbia

DOUGLAS DAY 2011

2011-11-25T19:55:00.001-08:00


Mahaica, Demerara - JD's birthplace in Guyana (c) Government of Guyana] Ministry of Youth, Culture and Sport

Since I wrote James Douglas: Father of BC and it was published in 2009, JD's statue in Guyana has been enclosed by a wrought iron fence. The above image was taken on November 16, 2011, three days before the celebration of Douglas Day in British Columbia at Fort Langley.

The bronze likeness in Guyana was cast from the same mould as the original that stands outside the fort where JD was proclaimed the first governor of BC in 1858 [below].

The CBC video of this year's celebration can be seen here: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2011/11/19/bc-video-douglas-day-history.html

With appreciation to Clyde Duncan, president of the Guyanese Canadian Cultural Association of B.C

2011-10-07T17:25:00.000-07:00

At last I was able to visit the grave of James Douglas in September 2011. I drove through the huge Ross Bay Cemetery just off Dallas Road where many of Fort Victoria's early settlers are buried, as well as later luminaries. Victoria's history was all around me commemorated with life-sized stone angels, obelisks, mausoleums, and the more typical headstones. Here and there, I saw tiny graves, obviously of children and babies from 1850s onward. Life was tenuous on the edge of the Empire.

As I had no map of the site and no one was there to ask where to find the grave, luck played a part in locating the last resting place of JD. And suddenly I saw it right beside the road in the middle of the cemetery. I recognized it immediately from a photo in the Provincial Archives. Had it been off the road, I'd never have found it.

The grave is well tended and the railings around it, freshly painted. What I didn't know was JD's wife Amelia was also buried in the same family vault and so was his son, James. One other person's name is carved on the red marble - I didn't recognize it, so I will have to do some more research.

MOOSE FACTORY - 1670 TO 2011

2011-07-14T19:37:00.000-07:00


Taken by Andrew Evans, Digital Nomad for (c) National Geographic 2011

This image is Moose River close by Moose Factory, shot on July 14, 2011. The view looks exactly as it did to the Europeans in the Hudson's Bay Company who built a fur trading post there in 1670 and to James Douglas, governor of the Colony of Vancouver Island, who saw it in mid-1800s

The fort was situated on Moose Island in the Cochrane district of northern Ontario at the southern end of Hudson Bay beside James Bay. Moose Factory was the first English speaking settlement in Ontario and only the second HBC fort in North America. Nearly 1500 Moose Cree First Nation people live there today.

Many thanks to Andrew Evans and the National Geographic Traveler!

TEACHERS' RESOURCE GUIDE NOW AVAILABLE

2011-03-29T15:39:00.000-07:00

I'm pleased to announce that Dundurn has just posted the Teachers' Resource Guide to James Douglas: Father of BC.

This book is relevant for grade 5-10 Social Studies, First Nations 12, as well as Law 12, etc.

Key domains include Identity/Society/Culture, Governance, Economy and Technology, Human and Physical Environment, and Aboriginal.

You can read and download the free TRG for your classroom at http://www.dundurn.com/books/james_douglas (Click on "Download Teacher's Guide" icon.)

JD NAMED TO RESOURCE LINKS "BEST BOOKS OF 2010"

2011-02-25T11:50:00.000-08:00

Image by Julie H. Ferguson (Photos by Pharos) via FlickrJames Douglas was named to the Best Books of 2010 today by Resource Links Magazine in the category, Nonfiction Grades 7-12.

This magazine reviews and rates children's books for teachers and their slogan is "Connecting Classrooms, Libraries and Canadian Learning Resources."

I'm immensely proud of this accolade for my latest book.
Thank you, Dundurn and Resource Links!!

JD NOW AVAILABLE ON KINDLE IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS

2010-12-02T20:39:00.000-08:00

Cover via Amazon The long-awaited electronic version of JD is now available for Kindle e-readers and their compatible mobile devices here.

Versions for the Sony e-readers, Chapters' Kobo, and Barnes and Noble's Nook will be available before Christmas. JD will also be for sale in iBooks.

TEACHERS' RESOURCE GUIDE COMING SOON

2010-10-23T11:23:00.000-07:00

I'm pleased to let Social Studies teachers know that the Teacher Resource Guide for James Douglas is underway and should be available from Dundurn in mid-November 2010.

This TRG will be especially valuable for Gr. 5 & Gr 10 Social Studies, First Nations 12, as well as Law 12, etc.

Key domains: Identity/Society/Culture, Governance, Economy and Technology, Human and Physical Environment, and Aboriginal.

YET ANOTHER GOOD REVIEW!

2010-08-17T10:24:00.000-07:00

A history student’s dream is to be able to morph into time gone by. The very best we can do in this regard is to read a well-written book that conveys the information we need in a way that puts us directly into the time and place. Julie H. Ferguson’s book, James Douglas, Father of British Columbia is one of these books. While written for the young adult, I would recommend this book to readers of any age. It brings us to a time illuminated to the present, as we re-enact the struggle, strength and courage of the early settlers in British Columbia. In reading it, I found myself wanting to know more. I empathized with the people and the hard life of our pioneers as they tried to upstage the order of things and bring European life to our shores.

James Douglas was a man of strength and character. Of humble beginnings and mixed race, he was on a challenging uphill road from the very beginning. The trip from Quebec to British Columbia was filled with challenges and hazards, all of which the young James Douglas embraced. From the beginning, it was recognized that he was a hard worker who was determined to succeed, first with the North West Company and then with the Hudson’s Bay Company.

The reality of life for the women accompanying these early adventurers was hard to imagine. They quite literally “kept the home fires burning” while the men went about their work – negotiating First Nations settlements, exploring areas for new settlement, bringing business to the new colonies. Much sorrow was endured. Many babies were lost to disease and malnutrition and older children, too, succumbed to various maladies. Neither mothers nor fathers were spared as they tried to carve out new lives for themselves in a new country.

James Douglas eventually became Governor of British Columbia. It was a perilous road and he became a hardened traveller. He managed to stave off wars and to formulate a kind of peace with the native peoples in his jurisdiction. However, he was a hard man whose ego dominated during the last years of his life.

Ms. Ferguson’s book is enhanced by her use of letters from James Douglas outlining and explaining events. Although most of these letters are fictional representations of real documents, they add immediacy and excitement to the story.

This “James Douglas” book would be an asset in the classroom of any teacher of Canadian history. Its relevance goes far beyond British Columbia. Its portrayal of the hard life of the early settlers across this country alone makes it a valuable read. And – the book itself, complete with photographs - is compelling.

I would recommend “James Douglas” as a book to be read at home by parent and child. The fun of comparing and contrasting life with all its changes from 1803, through the 19th and 20th centuries, to the present would provide vibrant discussion. More understanding of First Nations’ concerns would ensue, too, as results of agreements between Douglas and the native inhabitants of our great land were examined.

James Douglas, Father of British Columbia by Julie H. Ferguson – a must for Canadian schools and
homes!

Sharon L. Stainton, B.Ed (English & History)
Teacher, Writer, Visual Artist

Images: North West Co. coat of arms - Wikipedia
James Douglas - Photos by Pharos (Julie H. Ferguson) 2009

ANOTHER STELLAR REVIEW FOR JD

2010-07-06T16:13:00.000-07:00

Resource Links magazine for teachers and librarians has just published another stellar review for JD.
In part it reads:

Julie Ferguson has made the life of James Douglas and the fur trade exceedingly readable. I was surprised to find myself treating this book as something of a page-turner. Douglas’ life was certainly interesting and complex in and of itself, but Ferguson handles the material in a way that makes it even more captivating.
Read the full review here

"OFF THE PAGE"

2010-04-28T14:56:00.000-07:00

The TALONS at Gleneagle Secondary in Coquitlam

Grade 9 and 10s

About thirty talented students spent the afternoon on April 26, 2010, with author, Julie H. Ferguson, experiencing the adventures of James Douglas in a presentation called Birthing British Columbia. Packed with images, short readings, and discussions, they discovered what it must have been like to live, travel, and work in a wild land cut off from civilization before Canada was born.

We had a lively two hours together and discovered what it took to open up a land of mountains, snow and ice, and rushing white water. How did the early fur traders manage without sleeping bags, bug repellent, milk, and bread and butter for decades at a time. What did they do when ink froze, the salmon runs failed, and there was no doctor for 2000 kms?

The students began to appreciate just how tough JD had to have been to simply survive, let alone lead two colonies and manage two frenzied gold rushes. At the end, one lucky student won a copy of the book, James Douglas: Father of British Columbia.

The program, "Off the Page" is paid for by the Federation of BC Writers and sends about 35 authors into schools throughout BC every year. I am grateful for this second opportunity to participate.

OFF THE PAGE

2010-03-02T16:37:00.000-08:00

My author contribution to "Off the Page" will take place at Gleneagle Secondary School in Coquitlam on Monday, April 26.
We'll be discussing things like:

How did JD manage without toilet paper and shampoo on his 7000 km journeys back and forth across Canada?
How did the brigades find their way without maps in the 1820s?
What did they eat on the trail?
What happened if JD got sick or injured?

I can visit your school too....

The Federation of BC Writers sponsors "Off the Page" annually enabling 35 authors to visit schools all over the province.

LATEST REVIEW

2010-02-26T19:29:00.000-08:00

When I was in school, Canadian history was a major part of our curriculum over the years, but I doubt I retained more than five percent of what I was taught. If we had had books like James Douglas: Father of British Columbia to read, I would have remembered much more. Julie H. Ferguson’s captivating biography of Sir James Douglas makes history compelling and entertaining.

Written for teen readers, the book provides a detailed, chronological exploration of Douglas’s personal and professional life that include excerpts from his letters and a bit of imagined dialogue. Clearly, James Douglas was a complicated man, not without faults, and Ferguson’s balanced view offers intriguing insight about Douglas’s character. And a strong character this man was as he travelled by canoe and snowshoe throughout Canada numerous times, worked his way up the ranks of HBC, and eventually became the first governor of the Colonies of Vancouver Island. He survived hardship, hunger, family tragedies, and even the gold rush era.

The author provides a timeline of Douglas’s life (1803-1877) accompanied by major events in the U.S., Canada, and Britain before and during that period. The timeline makes a terrific reference point and exemplifies the intense change and challenge Canada experienced in the nineteenth century. Anyone interested in Canadian history should read this beautifully written book, not only for its historical value, but to better understand the man who gave everything he had to help shape this country. You won’t be disappointed.

Debra Purdy Kong, author of Fatal Encryption

JD LISTED BY BC STUDIES!

2010-02-22T14:52:00.000-08:00

Nice to see JD listed in the latest Bibliography of British Columbia compiled by BC Studies.
It's only a list, but you can see it at http://ojs.library.ubc.ca/index.php/bcstudies/article/viewFile/449/474.

FEBRUARY IS BC'S BLACK HISTORY MONTH

2010-02-03T15:33:00.000-08:00

Blacks contributed to the beginnings of our province of British Columbia in ways that the current population have forgotten or perhaps never even know about:

James Douglas, the first governor of BC, was part-Black.
JD invited 35 Blacks from San Francisco to Victoria in the spring of 1858. He offered immigration to the colony after he learned of the US Supreme Court edict that denied free, native-born blacks citizenship.
Over the years, JD welcomed over 700 Blacks who settled in Victoria and on Salt Spring Island.
They bought land, some started businesses, and others took jobs on the farms that provided food for the population.
Four Blacks were recruited to the Victoria police force to keep the unruly gold miners from getting out of hand.
During the Pig War in the San Juan Islands, the Blacks formed the Victoria Pioneer Rifle Corps, which JD supplied with uniforms and guns.
Mifflin Gibbs, one of the earliest Black settlers, built and operated a store, making a small fortune from the gold-crazed prospectors. He became a councillor and acting mayor of Victoria in 1866 and put the town's finances in order. Read more of how he influenced the development of BC at http://thetyee.ca/Life/2008/02/07/MifflinGibbs.

TEENS - IF YOU LOVE TO WRITE, THIS IS YOUR MOMENT!

2010-01-26T16:53:00.000-08:00

Yesterday HarperCollins officially launched inkpop, which it called "the first interactive writing platform for teens backed by a major U.S. publisher." Created by HarperTeen, the site combines community publishing, user-generated content and social networking to connect "rising stars" in teen literature with readers and publishing professionals.

Since its soft launch late last year, inkpop has garnered more than 10,000 members and nearly 11,000 submissions, including novels, poems, essays and short stories. The visitors are teens ages 13 and older and come from 109 countries and territories. An international group of HarperCollins editors and authors review the site's top five monthly selections, providing feedback to the young authors while considering their work for publication. (ed. What an opportunity!!)

In a statement, Susan Katz, president and publisher of HarperCollins Children's Books, said, "As with all of our online consumer programs, the concept of community-building is aligned with our ongoing corporate digital marketing efforts to cultivate a two-way dialogue with our readers."

With thanks to Jena Lohrbach for letting me know about this.

KNOWBC: The blog of the Encyclopedia of BC

2010-01-22T10:34:00.000-08:00

My first post as a guest blogger is now up on KNOWBC.
It is about JD's Black roots. This image taken late in his life does not show his skin colour. The only picture of him to do so was painted long after his death and hangs in Government House in Victoria. All the images of JD from his lifetime play down his Black heritage. Do you know why?

Visit www.knowbc.blogspot.com to see the post. While you're there, take a moment to browse the blog as there are many fascinating vignettes of BC history to read.

LINKS TO BC HISTORY ADDED

2010-01-20T11:03:00.000-08:00

At the request of several readers of this blog, I have added a few links to BC history sites.
You can find them on the right-hand column - just scroll down.

SS Beaver sailed throughout BC's waters in JD's time

(photo taken about 1870)

JD TO BE PART OF "OFF THE PAGE"

2010-01-10T16:46:00.000-08:00

The Federation of BC Writers has selected 34 children's authors to go into schools throughout the province in the next five months and present a session about their books and the writing life.

I'm happy to report that I made the cut and so did JD. Authors then have to choose the school they want to visit. I have done that and am awaiting their response.

I've done been a part of "Off the Page" before and look forward to the opportunity to meet the students and get them intrigued about Canadian history. Will announce the lucky school as soon as I hear....

Do you want an author visit to your school? Contact me here.

...THE SHORT VID...

2009-12-23T14:37:00.000-08:00

Finally got the book trailer done. Here it is!

READ THE STORY OF DOUGLAS DAY 2009 AT FORT LANGLEY

2009-12-18T10:23:00.000-08:00

Last November 19, I was at Fort Langley to attend Douglas Day commemorating the birth of British Columbia. Afterwards, I wrote an article for Travel Thru History, a wonderful site celebrating historical sites around the world:

Rain pours down and the chill creeps into my bones as I trudge up the hill, past a statue of James Douglas. I splash through the gate in the tall palisade at Fort Langley towards the Big House....

Read the rest and see the photos at www.travelthruhistory.com/html/historic43.html

CONTEST NOW CLOSED

2009-12-17T10:44:00.000-08:00

The contest to win two copies of JD is now closed.

No one won the prize this time due to insufficient entries, so I will run it again in the New Year. STAND BY!!

THE FIRST MAJOR REVIEW FOR JD

2009-12-10T16:08:00.000-08:00

The first major review of JD came in today from the University of Manitoba's Canadian Review of Materials. It said, in part:

James Douglas: Father of British Columbia joins the excellent Canadian biography series developed through Dundurn Press and provides a valuable and engaging addition to the historical literature available to the school curriculum, from middle school onward. Its contribution lies in several aspects: in its very balanced historicity (it doesn't presuppose any inevitable of foreseen progress to the present, but rather looks at each period in its own terms and within its own perspective); and in its equal emphasis on the personal and human dimension of the events and circumstances.

...Very valuable as well is the attention paid to the internal life of the family during the years both of the fur trade and of initial colonization. Douglas' wife was of mixed blood as well, but in her case Métis and French-speaking. Their marriage was "according to country custom" – a matter of course during the days of the fur trade. But while such things mattered little then, they led to subsequent uneasiness with the subsequent arrival of British settlers and rather less flexible assumptions and attitudes. On several levels, the trading culture and the colonizing culture were in less than full harmony; and Douglas' own story at the centre of both is enormously instructive.

... a first rate biography and thematic history. Strongly recommended for middle school and up.
Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association.

Read the full review at http://umanitoba.ca/outreach/cm/vol16/no15/jamesdouglas.html

TIME FOR ANOTHER CONTEST!

2009-12-09T15:07:00.000-08:00

The fifth teen reader to correctly identify James Douglas's favourite daughter and her birthplace will win a free copy of JD for Christmas and one for their school library.

Here's what to do to win:
Send your answer to me at info@beaconlit - don't forget your full name and where you go to school!

Contest ends on Dec 16/09 at midnight PST.

Good luck!!

EARLY REVIEWS OF JD

2009-12-05T13:34:00.000-08:00

Reviewers are beginning to comment on JD, the book. As an author I look forward to readers' reactions. Here are three:

James Douglas: Father of British Columbia is an excellent book for anyone looking for a highly readable, fast-paced and entertaining account of one of the most important figures in British Columbia's history. I came away from this book with a clear picture of Douglas and his times and a vastly greater appreciation for life and the political challenges in the early days of our province. I only hope Ferguson writes more books like this one. Highly recommended. Joyce Gram, writer and editor, December 2009

Julie Ferguson makes history come alive. It is like opening a time capsule and following prominent events of the time through the vivid portrayal of James Douglas’s life and his influential hand in transforming colony to province. ...it should be a part of B.C.’s school curriculum. Irene Butler, travel writer, November 2009

Julie Ferguson's gripping story about James Douglas is thoroughly researched and well written. It is peppered with fascinating details about Douglas's passion for early Canada and British Columbia's west in particular. Gloria Barkley, writer and poet, November 2009

Have you read JD? What did you think of it? Please write your reactions in a comment below.

WHO WAS JD?

2009-12-01T10:14:00.000-08:00

In a less tolerant world than today, James Douglas was an unlikely leader for the Hudson's Bay Company and the infant colonies on the outermost edge of the British Empire. He was part-Black and born out of wedlock in British Guiana, now Guyana. At nine, his Scottish father plucked him from his mother and sent him to school near Glasgow. He never saw his mother again. At 15, JD sailed alone for Montreal to join the fur trade. He never saw his father again.

Douglas was to spend 45 years on the North American frontier before he returned to civilization. How did he do it? His health was robust, and he was tough physically, but he had to have more to survive the privation and hazards. Discover what made it all possible for him in James Douglas: Father of British Columbia, an ideal gift for the teen reader in your life!