In 1910 a highly unlikely party of politicians, poets, social butterflies and an overweight cook, all led by a Shakespeare-quoting bushrat named Hughie Horatio Nelson Baron Bacon, set out from the Willows Hotel in Campbell River to explore the wild interior of Vancouver Island. They were launched on a noble, and for its time, highly imaginative mission: to assess the fitness of the region to become a wilderness park, the first in BC history. They survived with only minor injuries and produced such a glowing report that Strathcona Park, BC's first provincial park, was duly created on March 19, 1911.

In 2011, BC will be celebrating the 100th anniversary of that brave start on what has grown into one of the world's most magnificent park systems. It has not been an easy or even process. The fate of that first park was also the worst, having been riddled with mines, logging and hydro projects. Defending it against further industrial incursion gave birth to an aggressive environmental protection movement that has become one of BC's greatest contributions to the modern world.

This highly authoritative book looks at the giddyup/whoa progress of the BC park system through the eyes of a career park administrator who was part of a team of patient, dedicated visionaries who built the BC Parks Branch and the vast park system it oversees against an unstable backdrop of wildly vacillating public and political support. It is a truly epic story of which every British Columbian can be proud.

James David "Jim" Anderson was born in Yellowknife, took an education degree from the University of Alberta and taught social studies for six years before earning his masters in regional studies from UBC in 1970. In 1971 he was the first professional with specialized training in park planning hired by the BC Parks Branch.

In over 30 years with the government he was involved in almost every aspect of parks management and creation and had a front row seat in the most dramatic period of the park system's growth. Jim and his wife live in Victoria, BC.

James D. Anderson's profile page

British Columbia's Magnificent Parks: The First 100 Years

This compelling history of BC's 996 provincial parks, protected areas, eco reserves, wilderness and recreation areas representing a fifth of BC's land mass and 6000 km of hiking trails is complemented with vibrant colour photographs. From the 1911 Ellison Expedition that led to establishing Strathcona, BC's first provincial park, the text explores the origins of Canada's first parks, the challenges of establishing BC parks due to geography (95% were on inaccessible Crown Land) and governmental controversies. Amendments to the Parks Act enabled the BC government to “make and unmake parks at will” thus, BC has “the worst history of exploitation”. Mining and logging rights in Strathcona Park were exchanged for protecting areas such as Long Beach, Cape Scott. The BC government also paid out over $100,000 to recompense mining rights.