I was driving back at night from Fulford, having done a house call. There was a guy lying beside the road. He was big, but I was fairly strong at that time, so I put him in the car and got to the hospital, then phoned John to come and help me. The guy had a completely rigid belly. He'd been drinking--I could smell that. So I thought I'd better try and do something, or he'd die ... so I opened him up, and John had to hold the belly open because we had no retractors. We scooped gallons of beer and peanuts and stuff out of his belly, and sewed up the hole, and he survived. I used fourteen cans of ether. It was the sort of thing you had to do. You did what you could.
--Dr. David Boyes, in "You Did What You Could: A Practice on the Gulf Islands"

Since 1972, Raincoast Chronicles, Harbour's signature illustrated anthology, has been highlighting lives that defined the British Columbia coast. Raincoast Chronicles 22, gathered by guest editor David R. Conn, is inspired by givers, guardians, helpers and volunteers who have contributed to the making of our region.

Included in this issue are the recollections of two novice doctors providing all health services on the Southern Gulf Islands (coroner, dentistry, psychiatry, veterinary and ambulance); award-winning writer Alan Haig-Brown's remembrance of his days as a deckhand on the haywire crew of a coastal freighter; and Peter A. Robson's evocative essay about sitting alone and awake in the forest at night in order to save a threatened sockeye run one fish at a time. Also included are stories about how Painters Lodge grew from family fish camp to renowned hospitality hub, the golden years of the provincial forestry workboat fleet and how a team of volunteers managed to create a mountain park on the Sunshine Coast.

Replete with dozens of previously unpublished photographs, this captivating collection is full of memorable characters, laudable deeds and is a valuable contribution to the history of the BC coast.

David R. Conn is a freelance researcher, writer and editor. He worked in coastal shipbuilding, steel fabrication and energy conservation before making a career as a librarian. His poems, reviews and articles have appeared in many magazines and anthologies. He lives in Vancouver.

David R. Conn's profile page