Stephen Ruttan is a local history librarian at the Greater Victoria Public Library. Born in Victoria in 1947, he grew up in a smaller, more rural Victoria of pheasants and Garry oak meadows. He obtained degrees in history and library science at the University of British Columbia and returned to Victoria in 1975. He then joined the Public Library staff. He began to write the tales and publicize the library’s local history resources. Four years ago the CBC’s On the Island radio show began interviewing Stephen on the tales, and last year the Times Colonist serialized them in the "Monitor." When not writing about this region he likes to photograph it and hike its trails.