Forty years ago, droves of young women migrated away from urban settings and settled in rural areas across North America. Many settled on the north coast of British Columbia, on Haida Gwaii or around Prince Rupert. Gumboot Girls tells the stories of thirty-four women, through their own eyes, as they moved from their comfortable city-dwelling surroundings to the rugged north coast. Part back-to-the-land, part adventure, heartbreak and love, this collection of stories edited by Lou Allison and compiled by Jane Wilde was inspired by the book Girls Like Us by Sheila Weller. Wilde, the creator of the collection, encouraged, prodded and cajoled her friends (and some of their friends) to tell the story of a generation of young women who flocked to the north coast of BC in the 1970s.

Lou Allison moved to the West Coast from Ottawa in the western migration of the 1970s. She settled in Dodge Cove after having children, working all over the North Coast, and living on boats and float houses with her partner, Jeremiah, while completing her English degree by the light of a kerosene lamp. Lou now works full time at the Prince Rupert Library and is devoted to all things related to books. She is the editor of the bestselling anthologies Gumboot Girls (2012) and Dancing in Gumboots (Caitlin Press, 2018), with Jane Wilde. With Gumboot Guys, forthcoming from Caitlin Press, Lou looks forward to another opportunity to read and share the stories of our North Coast lives.

Lou Allison's profile page

Jane Wilde moved to the West Coast in the early 1970s from Guelph, Ontario. She resided on Haida Gwaii from 1976–79 and, after attending nursing school, returned to Prince Rupert as a maternity nurse. For thirty-five years, Jane worked in health care in rural communities, living in Dodge Cove and Prince Rupert with her partner, Richard. She relocated to the Comox Valley in the fall of 2016. She compiled stories and images for the bestselling anthologies Gumboot Girls (2012) and Dancing in Gumboots (Caitlin Press, 2018), as well as the forthcoming Gumboot Guys (Caitlin Press, 2023), with editor Lou Allison.

Jane Wilde's profile page