Before We Lost the Lake: A Natural and Human History of Sumas by Chad Reimer
Sumas lake was a variable lack in southern British Columbia. It would grow and shrink with the season. It had a large fishery and the wetlands provided for lush vegetation and wildlife. The Semá:th had lived in this area for many years and lived of the fish and waterfowl as well as plants. The lake also had less-desirable residence, such as strong mosquitos at times of the year. Eventually white farmers moved into the region. The lake was seen as a detriment to farming and hard to categorize as water or land. There were many plans to drain the lake. However, these were primarily set to be privately funded and they kept falling through. The railroad seemed the most likely to do it, but they couldn't justify the expense. Eventually it did fall on the government. The lake was drained and area could be farmed. This lead to ecological harm as well as put areas downstream at great risk for flooding. The Semá:th were also harmed. However, it did open a great deal of farmland and enabled both pasturing of animals as well as crops such as berries. Was it worth it? The book paints a great picture of the history of the region and provides a fairly objective look at the positive and negative aspects of the drainage project.
Notes from the Century Before explores some of the more remote areas of British Columbia. It starts in Telegraph Springs. There towns were built up for the telegraph stations - only to see the need for telegraphs go away. Outwardly, he is exploring some of the land. However, he spends most of his time focused on the people there. They are not "hillbillies", but people that deal with the struggles of isolation in different ways. The Indians also have their experience colored by their history. He also brings his history and longings to the forefront as he uses his experiences with these people to explore his past failings.