Exploring Prince George: A Guide to North Central BC Outdoors

David W. Leonard is the project historian (Northern Alberta) in the
Historic Sites and Archives Service, Alberta Community Development. He
is the author of Delayed Frontier: The Peace River Country to 1909 and
co-author of The Lure of the Peace River Coun

This is one of the most comprehensive outdoor travel guides to be
released by Rocky Mountain Books or by anyone else in Western Canada.
One reason is the extent of territory it covers, which, centred in
Prince George, is about 400 square kilometres. All points of interest
within that area, as well as its natural environment, history, and
folksy legends, are covered. And all of this is presented from the
personal perspective of the author, who has been travelling the area for
more than 35 years, has worked with various government committees and
private ventures on recreation in and environmental control of the area,
and has written numerous articles about BC’s northern outdoors.

The guide presents a chapter on each of the four districts leading out
from Prince George, and includes a chapter on the city itself. There is
some unevenness in the treatment given to each district: for example,
some districts get historical profiles and some do not. Oddly, a section
on the history of the entire area appears toward the end. Also, Nash
occasionally digresses too much into the personal, as in the chapter
“The Passing of Pierre Trudeau,” in which he details how much the
former prime minister meant to him. But those are minor quibbles. The
book is rich in photos and maps and has a comprehensive index. This
reviewer regards it as a must-read for anyone planning a visit to Prince
George and its surrounding wilderness area.