The Nanaimo Bastion, which marked its 150th anniversary in 2003, remains a prominent symbol of Nanaimo's heritage as an HBC fort, coal-mining centre and transportation hub, a vital link between other developing parts of Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland. Hub City, the second volume in Jan Peterson's trilogy on Nanaimo's vibrant history, tells of the development of this Vancouver Island community from the arrival of the E&N Railway in 1886 through to the end of the First World War and the Spanish enfluenza epidemic. Included in her story are such pivotal events as the mining disaster of 1887, the Big Strike of 1912-1914, the emergence of the labour movement, and the rise and fall of coal baron James Dunsmuir.

Born and educated in Scotland, Jan Peterson immigrated with her family to Kingston, Ontario, in 1957. In 1972, she moved with her husband, Ray, and their three children to Port Alberni. With a lifelong interest in painting, writing, and history, she is recognized for her many years of involvement in the arts and community service. As a reporter for the Alberni Valley Times, she won a Jack Wasserman Award for investigative journalism. Jan and Ray retired to Nanaimo in 1996, where she continues to research and write. She is the author of nine previous books, including Hub City: Nanaimo 1886-1920 and Kilts on the Coast: The Scots Who Built BC.

Jan Peterson's profile page