In 1964, Patricia MacKay immigrated to Canada from England in search of the wild-open lands and cowboy culture that captivated her as a child. In the 1960s, the Wild West was still alive and kicking in the Cariboo-Chilcotin, although it had been tamed—a little. Old-time hospitality and helping anyone in need was the acknowledged way of life.

Pat learned the Cariboo-Chilcotin way of life first hand by spending her summers working on guest ranches and finding other jobs to keep her occupied during the winter. From learning how to cook on the job to kitchen disasters and successes, roundups, branding, square dances and falling in love, she slowly gained acceptance into the tight-knit communities of BC’s Interior.

Ranching meant long hours, hard work, and a lifestyle all its own. Entertainment was homemade. There were rodeos, dances, and music around campfires in the summer and ice hockey, tobogganing, and parties in the winter. Sadly, that way of life is gradually disappearing, but this book relives the way things were between 1964 and 1976; it tells of a unique brand of people from a variety of backgrounds who made this part of the west their home.

Patricia Joy MacKay was born in England and immigrated to Canada in April 1964. Despite having no experience in the culinary arts when she arrived, she worked as a cook on guest ranches in the Cariboo for four summers, where she discovered that working cowboys and open spaces really did still exist. Pat lived and worked in the Cariboo-Chilcotin until 1989, when she moved to the Sunshine Coast and began operating a small farm with her partner. In April of 2012, she moved back home to Williams Lake.

Patricia Joy MacKay's profile page