Ten Vancouver reads from the NewsRadio Bookshelf
Posted April 6, 2025 12:02 pm.
Last Updated April 6, 2025 12:03 pm.
April 6 was designated as Vancouver’s official birthday in 2019. It was on that date in 1886 that the city was first incorporated. In honour of Vancouver’s 139th birthday, we have compiled an updated list of 10 reads from the NewsRadio Bookshelf archives that delve into the city’s past, present, and future.
Searching for Serafim: The Life and Legacy of Serafim “Joe” Fortes by Ruby Smith Díaz
Joe Fortes is one of the most celebrated figures in Vancouver history. But, in Searching for Serafim, author Ruby Smith Díaz maintains much of what has been written about Fortes has been filtered through a White colonial lens.
A Perfect Day for a Walk: The History, Cultures, and Communities of Vancouver, on Foot by Bill Arnott
Much has been made about Vancouver’s natural surroundings, but it can also be a very walkable city. And what better way to get to know the city than on foot? That is the thinking behind Bill Arnott’s A Perfect Day for a Walk.
Brewmasters & Brewery Creek: A History of Craft Beer in Vancouver, Then and Now by Noëlle Phillips
Vancouver has become home to dozens of craft breweries over the years. But what isn’t as well known is the fact our beer scene is as old as the city itself. Author Noëlle Phillips hopes to change that with her book Brewmasters & Brewery Creek.
Never Boring: The Up and Down History of the Vancouver Canucks by Ed Willes
Despite coming close in 1982, 1994, and 2011, the Vancouver Canucks have never won the Stanley Cup. In Never Boring, retired sportswriter Ed Willes looks at the “sometimes thrilling, often infuriating, and always fascinating” story of the team.
Surviving Vancouver by Michael Kluckner
Michael Kluckner has been writing about Vancouver and its vanishing heritage for 40 years. Like many of his previous titles, Surviving Vancouver is both a richly illustrated remembrance of things past and an incisive warning for the future.
Vancouvered Out: A Novella by Norman Nawrocki
Former East Ender Norman Nawrocki left Vancouver decades ago. While he returns to the city often, Nawrocki admits he doesn’t always like what he sees. Now, BC’s seemingly never-ending housing crisis is fodder for Vancouvered Out — his 17th and latest book.
East Side Story: Growing Up at the PNE by Nick Marino
Few know the PNE better than Vancouver-based writer, comedian, and elementary school teacher Nick Marino. He spent six summers working at the fair. East Side Story, Marino’s first book, is part memoir and part history.
Exploring Vancouver: 10 Tours of The City and Its Buildings by Harold Kalman and Robin Ward
Vancouver may not be in the top tier of great architectural cities of the world, but its buildings do tell a story. Now, a new book is telling that story once again – well, a new old book, actually. Exploring Vancouver, by Harold Kalman and Robin Ward, is now in its fifth edition.
White Riot: The 1907 Anti-Asian Riots in Vancouver by Henry Tsang
Anti-Asian sentiment is hardly a new phenomenon in Canada, particularly on the West Coast. In White Riot, author Henry Tsang reminds us those ugly feelings have always been bubbling below the surface.
Mount Pleasant Stories: Historical Walking Tours – Walk One: Mount Pleasant’s Heritage Heart by Christine Hagemoen
It may not have the fame of Strathcona, the West End, or Chinatown. But, in Mount Pleasant Stories, author Christine Hagemoen argues Mount Pleasant has just as rich a history as those other neighbourhoods, and it’s one worth saving.
