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WIN with the Northern Sentinel

Kitimat Chronicles: Volume 4, the final installment of Kitimat author Walter Thorne’s collection
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Kitimat author Walter Thorne and the last of Kitimat Chronicles. (Photo supplied)

“Awakening to the strident cries of seagulls and the honking of Canada Geese seemed odd. And as the fog of sleep cleared, the eyes revealed we were awakening in a museum.”

The passage is at the beginning of the chapter titled The King Lives On, the 63rd of a total of 80 stories that comprise the Kitimat Chronicles authored by Kitimat historian and columnist, Waler Thorne, and Dirk Mendel.

Chronicles #59 through to #80 make up the final collection of stories by Thorne, published in Kitimat Chronicles: Volume 4 which is now printed and hitting the shelves.

Volume 4, by Thorne and Mendel, is a collection of 22 historical accounts from the Kitimat/Douglas Channel area over the past 150 years.

The stories were all written by Thorne and assembled and presented in the book, edited by former Northern Sentinel editor Malcolm Baxter, illustrated with pictures by Mendel.

Thorne and Mendel began the Kitimat Chronicles series in 2011, the books popular not only with past and present Kitimatians residents but also visitors and tourists who have bought copies of the series.

Volume 4 has a distinctive maritime-themed cover, the book featuring five stories connected to the Douglas Channel including a look at the Mission Boats, MK Bay Marina, and a large, mysterious mine down the Douglas Channel.

Other components of the book include a story of Kitimat’s Grumman Goose aircraft, an in-depth look at Kitimat’s iconic Delta King riverboat, a look at a colourful pioneer restauranteur, Kitimat’s labour strife centring on the 1976 wildcat strike, stories of the glory days of Kitimat schools back in the 60s and 70s and an intriguing tale titled Exonerating the Librarian.

The new book, published in Victoria by Printorium, can be purchased from the author, at the museum, Misty River Books in Terrace and a few other locations in the Northwest.

The Kitimat Public Library will be hosting a Kitimat Chronicles: Volume 4 book launch at noon on Saturday, April 4. There will be readings of passages and an audiovisual presentation of many of the book’s photos and memories.

To mark the publication of Volume 4, the Northern Sentinel will be giving away a copy of the book to one of its readers.

To stand a chance to win the book, simply answer the question below and submit your entry to the Northern Sentinel by dropping off your entry at our offices at 626 Enterprise Avenue in the Service Centre, or email us.

On your entry, please include your full name, address and a daytime contact number.

Our office is open from Monday to Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to noon, and from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Question: What is the name of Kitimat’s iconic riverboat featured in Kitimat Chronicles: Volume 4?

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The Delta King. (Image supplied)
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The elegant Delta King restaurant. (Photo Walter Thorne)