In the mid-1880s, Johnny Lind, a teenager from Pond Mills, Ontario, struck out for adventure and wealth. After a decade working as a railroader in the United States, Johnny headed north, to Yukon and Alaska, and he was mining gold nearby when the Klondike Gold Rush began.

As a "sourdough," albeit an unsung one - the nickname for miners who had survived an entire winter in the North - Lind's story goes largely unrecognized in the lore of the era, his understated demeanor overshadowed by the larger-than-life characters that dominate the history books. But he kept journals recording his adventures in the Klondike, and these form an invaluable personal record. His stories shed light on the people and events of the gold rush, from the perspective of an everyman who wound up striking it rich.

Here, Johnny Lind's grandson Phil Lind shares his grandfather's fascinating story, along with his love of the Klondike, the history of the gold rush, the colourful players in that famed period, and the peoples and land affected by the legendary stampede for wealth.

For 40 years, Phil Lind was the right-hand man to Ted Rogers, the late CEO of the massive Canadian communications company. Lind provided the strategic compass to channel Rogers' entrepreneurial brilliance and shape a powerful organization with vast holdings - wireless, cable, telephone, Internet, and media assets - along with the Toronto Blue Jays and a significant stake in Toronto's other professional sports teams via Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Ltd. Lind has been inducted into the Order of Canada and the U.S. Cable Hall of Fame for his role in expanding Rogers into the U.S. Phil is also a collector of contemporary art, such as Vancouver superstar Jeff Wall, and a keen fisherman.

Phil Lind's profile page

HAZEL McCALLION was first elected Mayor of Mississauga in November 1978 and is the longest serving mayor in the city's history. Born in Port Daniel on the Gaspe Coast of Quebec and educated in Quebec City and Montreal, she began her career in Montreal with Canadian Kellogg, an engineering and contracting firm, and was transferred to Toronto in 1942 to help set up the local office. First as mayor of Streetsville and then of Mississauga, McCallion has become a political and business leader and an icon in the community, and has earned her position as a visionary and a tough leader.

Robert Brehl's profile page

"I blazed through this terrific book in one sitting. Lively and well designed, with previously unseen archival photos, it is both an affectionate family memoir and a well-researched history of the Yukon Gold Rush, including the crucial role played by Indigenous Peoples."
Charlotte Gray, author of eleven Canadian history bestsellers including Gold Diggers: Striking It Rich on the Klondike, the basis of a Discovery Channel mini-series

" Tales of an Unsung Sourdough is a well-informed account about Johnny Lind, one of the less-well-known Klondike Gold Rush kings, and his legacy. Based upon the extensive Phil Lind Klondike Gold Rush Collection held at the University of British Columbia, this story is an enjoyable read with fabulous photos."
Michael Gates, Yukon's first Story Laureate; author of seven Yukon history books including Hollywood in the Klondike ; former curator of collections, Klondike National Historic Sites

" Tales of an Unsung Sourdough is simply epic! Readers will love this book for its stories, history, and photos - and they will love Johnny Lind. Through his eyes, we see the people, places, and history of the Klondike Gold Rush. Hollywood producers need to read this book for their next motion picture opportunity."
Don Boswell, former president and CEO, Buffalo Toronto Public Media, producer of the documentary The Klondike Gold Rush