Mary Oakwell was born in Surrey, England and emigrated to Canada in 1957. She has been working on a variety of writing projects and is the author of Tea Time in Alberta: a guide to 57 great tea houses from Grande Prairie to Waterton Lakes. When she’:s not writing, travelling around the province or taking history classes at the University of Alberta, she can be found at the top of a ladder with hammer or paintbrush in hand, renovating the home she shares with her daughter and their two cats.