Quadra Island, the largest and most populated of the Discovery Islands at the top end of Georgia Strait, has a history loaded with adventure. From the We Wai Kai warriors of the 19th century to the loggers, gold miners, prostitutes and ranchers who followed, its people have provided the stuff of legend. Taylor draws us into the story of her island home with tales of people like WeKai, the ancestor of the We Wai Kai First Nation, Reginald Heber Pidcock, the crusty potlatch-busting Indian Agent and Helen Bull, the notorious mistress of the Heriot Bay Hotel, who survived a point blank pistol shot.

The Quadra Story: A History of Quadra Island is the product of decades of research that dates back to Taylor's years with the BC Archives and the Museum at Campbell River. The end result is as engaging as a novel while affording a deep understanding of the turmoil European settlement brought for the First Nations people and the adventure and privation settlers experienced in their search for a better life.

Taylor's recent book, Tidal Passages: A History of the Discovery Islands a companion title to The Quadra Story, hit the BC Bestseller List in 2009 and was praised by reviewers as well as long-time residents of the Discovery Islands.

Jeanette Taylor was on the curatorial staff for the Museum at Campbell River for nearly twenty years and executive director of the Campbell River Art Gallery for over a decade. Her passion for history, art and coastal life are evident in her books, River City: A History of Campbell River and the Discovery Islands, Exploring Quadra Island: Heritage Sites and Hiking Trails (Fernbank) and Tidal Passages: A History of the Discovery Islands. Taylor is the coordinator of The Scribes Comprehensive Writing Services, a collective of writers, editors and designers. She teaches nonfiction writing courses and workshops, and leads heritage sites tours aboard the historic Columbia III. Taylor is a resident of Quadra Island, BC.

Jeanette Taylor's profile page

The Quadra Story: A History of Quadra Island

The Quadra Story is a detailed and readable history of the island that Taylor came to live on in the 1970s. She worked in the Campbell River Museum where she was privy to the personal recollections of descendants of First Nations and settler families who played key roles in Quadra’s history. She also drew upon archaeological records, diaries, newspaper articles, photographs and books to carefully reconstruct the island’s history. The book traces the story of the island from the interactions among First Nations groups pre-contact, through the arrival of George Vancouver in 1792, the first settlers, the Dirty Thirties and ends with life on Quadra today.

Taylor is the author of River City: A History of Campbell River and the Discovery Islands and Tidal Passages.

The Quadra Story: A History of Quadra Island

The Quadra Story is a detailed and readable history of the island that Taylor came to live on in the 1970s. She worked in the Campbell River Museum where she was privy to the personal recollections of descendants of First Nations and settler families who played key roles in Quadra’s history. She also drew upon archaeological records, diaries, newspaper articles, photographs and books to carefully reconstruct the island’s history. The book traces the story of the island from the interactions among First Nations groups pre-contact, through the arrival of George Vancouver in 1792, the first settlers, the Dirty Thirties and ends with life on Quadra today.

Taylor is the author of River City: A History of Campbell River and the Discovery Islands and Tidal Passages.