Ken Mather recounts the fascinating story of a historic house and the people who lived in it for over a century. The house was designed and built in 1910 for the Buchanans, a well-to-do family from Montreal, by Robert Findlay, who was renowned for his designs for Montreal’s affluent merchants and industrialists.

When the Buchanans moved to Vancouver after the First World War, the house was sold to the Layton family from Norfolk, England. They became an integral part of the Coldstream community for the next 15 years. A daughter, Elizabeth Layton, had the distinction of being the Secretary to Winston Churchill during the war. With the outbreak of the war and the break-up of the family in 1940, the Laytons sold to the Austin, Hugh and Grace Mackie, who had been running the Vernon Preparatory School since 1914. They lived their retirement years in the comfort of the lovely house. Though Hugh and Grace Mackie had four sons in all, only Patrick “Paddy” survived to inherit the house after the passing of his parents and uncle. Paddy was a true “renaissance” man: a musician, painter and naturalist, along with many other talents. It was Paddy who established the foundation that maintains the house to this day.

Through compelling research and captivating detail, Mather illuminates the people and events of this storied landmark and the reader will learn much from this excellent account.

Ken Mather has been involved in researching, writing and interpreting western Canadian heritage for nearly four decades. He started out as a researcher for Fort Edmonton Park in 1973. In 1979, Ken moved to BC to work at Barkerville Historic Park; he became the park's curator in 1982. From 1984 until 2004 he was the manager/curator of the historic O'Keefe Ranch near Vernon, BC, where he developed his love of early cowboy history. Ken continues as the curator at the O'Keefe Ranch and lives with his wife, Debbie, near Armstrong, BC.

Ken Mather's profile page