Lois' Children, Recollections of Growing Up in the Kettle Valley in the 1940's

About the Book

Set in beautiful rural Kettle Valley, this book consists of 25 short stories, (136 pages) of the life of a young male growing up in the southern interior of British Columbia in the 1940s. The book starts with the story "Wonders of Winter" which was a first prize winner on the CBC Radia "Afternoon Show". The stories follow the cycle of all four seasons ending with a description of Christmas.

The author and his 3 younger brothers and a sister are being raised on a cattle ranch/mixed farmning operation, prior to the use of tractors. All the farming was done using horses. There were no paved roads, the one room school was three miles away and the primary means of transprotation out of the area was by the Kettle Valley Railway.

Interspersed with stories associated with work and play, school and chores is a story associated the emigration of Japanese people forced to move from Coastal BC. Additional stories trace the lives of wildlife such as owls, cougars and beavers.

The book is of sufficient interest to Kathryn Gretsinger, host of the CBC's "Afternoon Show" that she has provided an introduction.

This is a book which will provide useful historical information for today's 9 to 14 age group, a reminder of life in the 1940s for those over 60 and entertainment for the ages in between.

About the Author

Geoff Bate was born in Penticton, British Columbia and was raised on a cattle ranch in the Kettle VAlley area near present day Rock Creek. He attended high school in the Okanagan, graduating from South Okanagan High School in Oliver. During his school years, whe not working on the family ranch, he worked for the BC Forest Service, first on a local lookout, then as a memeber of the Kettle Valley fire suppression crew.

After high school graduation Goeff joined the BC Forest Service where he remained continuously employed for the next 35 years. He served in many parts of the province including botht he East and West Kootenays, Smither, Prince George, Fort St. John, Vancouver and Victoria. Positions included Assistant and Deputy Ranger, Ranger and Ranger Supervisor. His last position was Manager of Fire Management and Control for the province with headquarters in Victoria. In 1978 Geoff earned a diploma in Public Administration from the University of Victoria. After retirement from the Forest Service he enjoyed a successful second career as a wildland fire management consultant.

GEoff is a past member of the Canadian Institue of Forestry, past President of the Forest History Association of British Columbia and a member of the Boundary History Society.

This is Geoff's second book. His first, titled The Places of Kettle Valley identified the original homes and farm buildings in the Kettle VAlley area, and, as well, included information about the one-room schools, the post offices, the railroads and some of the pioneers in that area.

He and his wife, Lonny, are avid photographers, bird watchers, hikers and naturalists. They have travelled throughout Western North America, the Middle East, Europe, Africa, Australia and Central and South America.