The writer Aaron Williams discusses his memoir The Last Logging Show: A Forestry Family at the End of an Era (Harbour Publishing, 2024), with Joseph Planta.

The Last Logging Show: A Forestry Family at the End of an Era by Aaron Williams (Harbour Publishing, 2024). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: The Last Logging Show

Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta:

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

A terrific book published this year is the memoir from Aaron Williams, The Last Logging Show: A Forestry Family at the End of an Era. A few years ago, just out of university, Aaron takes a job in the logging industry, where both his father and grandfather worked. His great-grandfather built trestles in the 1920s. So perhaps it was inevitable that Aaron would get into forestry, but he was getting into it at a time when there were a lot of changes thanks to forest practices, as well as technology. I’ll ask Aaron about what he’s chronicled in this book, not just his time, but the end of his father’s time in the industry. The book takes us to Haida Gwaii and illustrates how spectacular a place it is. As well we meet some memorable characters, people that Mr. Williams hasn’t forgotten and which colour his memories of the hard, often dangerous work. He’s a terrific storyteller as you’ll read in the book, and hear shortly. Aaron Williams has been published in newspapers like the Globe and Mail and the Halifax Chronicle Herald. He has an MFA in creative non-fiction writing from King’s College. His first book, Chasing Smoke, was based on his experience fighting forest fires through the Pacific Northwest, as well as Idaho, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec. The Last Logging Show is from Harbour Publishing. We spoke in June, with Aaron joining me from Halifax, where he now lives. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Aaron Williams; Mr. Williams, good morning.

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