The historian and writer Frances Backhouse joins Joseph Planta to discuss her new book Once They Were Hats: In Search of the Mighty Beaver (ECW Press, 2015).

Once They Were Hats: In Search of the Mighty Beaver by Frances Backhouse (ECW Press, 2015). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Once They Were Hats

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, at TheCommentary.ca.

A really wonderfully engaging book out now is Once They Were Hats: In Search of the Mighty Beaver. Whether you regard them as ugly rodent-like creatures, or like someone from a previous era covet their fur for a coat or hat, beavers are fascinating. This book looks at the millions of years of history of these water and land creatures, who were depended upon for the fur trade. Their pelts were highly sought after, leading to endangerment at one point. Castor canadensis has had an integral part in the country’s history, its iconography, and our landscape and waterways. Beaver dams are known for their protection of beavers, built with rigour, that can result in flooding and flood control. Frances Backhouse is the author of this book, and she joins me in person now to discuss the journeys she’s taken to find the beaver, and learn more about this unique species, whether over time or in their habitats today. It’s a well written book, one that I enjoyed a lot. Frances Backhouse is the author of five books, including Children of the Klondike, which won the 2010 City of Victoria Butler Book Prize. She is a freelance writer, and teaches creative nonfiction at the University of Victoria, where she lives. The website for more is at www.backhouse.ca. The book is published by ECW Press. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Frances Backhouse; Ms. Backhouse, good morning.

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