Historical writer Derek Hayes will launch his latest book on Friday at Surrey’s Heritage Rail in Cloverdale.
Iron Road West, a visual history of how railways shaped British Columbia, is Derek Hayes’ 18th book.
Hayes is a trained geographer and award-winning author. Among earning other distinctions, his work has been awarded the Lieutenant Governor’s Medal for Historical Writing and the Roderick Haig-Brown Regional Prize. Hayes’ atlases and illustrated histories are noteworthy for both their detailed research and their design and visual appeal. His books include hundreds of maps and photographs.
The White Rock resident’s latest publication, Iron Road West, contains 500 illustrations alone, helping tell the story of a vital part of British Columbia’s history.
As his book argues, the province wouldn’t exist without the railway — B.C. joined Canadian Confederation with the promise that a transcontinental rail line would reach the west coast. When the Canadian Pacific Railway arrived in 1886, it set off a period of great economic development in the young province.
| White Rock author Derek Hayes. File |
According to publisher Harbour Publishing, Hayes “charts the development of the province through its railway lines” in his latest book, describing “in vivid detail” how railways revolutionized B.C. and “incited fierce competition and personal hatreds.”
On Friday (Nov. 16), Hayes will make a presentation about his travels and sign copies of his book, which will be available at a discounted price. Proceeds from the book sales on Friday will go to the Fraser Valley Heritage Railway Society and the operation of the heritage rail.
The launch event will begin at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 16 at Surrey’s Heritage Rail station in Cloverdale (17630 56 Ave).
editor@cloverdalereporter.com
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