A local politician has another title to add to his resume: award-winning author.
Belcarra Mayor Ralph Drew is the winner of the BC Historical Federation Book Award and the Lieutenant-Governor's Medal for Historical Writing for his hard-cover coffee-table book Forest and Fjord: The History of Belcarra.
"All I can say is, 'Wow.' It is such an honour to receive this recognition," Drew said about the award and medal, which will be presented to him June 6 in Surrey.
This is the first book for Drew, who self-published the 544-page tome that included a fully referenced index and photographs illuminating Belcarra's colourful history.
It took Drew 10 years to gather the research that covers the history of Belcarra and nearby areas. The book describes the living conditions of some of the earliest pioneers and the vacationers who were rowed to their cottages with supplies if they couldn't afford their own boat.
In those days, ferries, traveling post offices and grocery stores kept the isolated community on Indian Arm supplied with news and food.
More information about the book is available here.
