The onset of winter in Prince George brings up warm memories for Keith Billington, and brings forth his latest book based on his Arctic experiences.
Cold Land, Warm Hearts is his second volume of Arctic memoirs. The first, 2008's House Calls By Dogsled, started his real life saga in the far north. He and his wife lived for six years at a medical outpost with the Gwich'in people in the Fort McPherson-Inuvik area of Northwest Territories. This latest book is not so much a continuation as it is a fleshing out of that time of adventure in the 1960s when the outside world was just beginning its advance on the cultural traditions of the First Nations north of 60.
"The closest word to describe it is a sequel, but only if you've read my first book. This one stands alone, but it might help you round out the stories in the first one," Billington said.
Cold Land, Warm Hearts was inspired by a visit Keith and Muriel Billington's recent trip back to the far north, their first time back since leaving there just before the 1970s got going.
"History there has been sort of compressed," he said. "When we first went there it was 1962 and it was like time rolled back 100 years. Going there again, we see all the modern developments they have now that they didn't have at all when we were living there. It has helped them a lot; or has it?"
Billington took note of the amenities that the Gwich'in people now enjoy just like any modern town, but they were concerned about the loss of traditions that was clearly taking place because of it. He was a nurse and Muriel a midwife, the only medical professionals in the region at the time. Now, he said, there are five nurses and three of them are Aboriginal, but the hunting parties use pickups instead of dogsleds and the elders are vexed by the younger generation's disinterest in the old ways.
A relentless diarist, Billington wrote all these impressions down from the return journey, blended that with his memories of life amongst the Gwich'in, and framed it into this latest book.
Billington's first book put him on a successful tour route all around the province and Harbour Publishing has now run a third printing of his debut.
The Billingtons have lived in Prince George since 1973 so when it came time to launch Cold Land, Warm Hearts he picked here to be the official launch site. The release party takes place on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Books and Company. He will read from the book, present a slide show, and meet with the public. Anyone interested is invited to attend.
