Welcome to the White Mountain Publications Newsletter
December 23, 2019
Merry Christmas
Happy Holidays
Welcome 2020
I have to admit that 2019 has not been the easiest year to navigate. We have lost people dear to us, put out some amazing books, made many new friends at the store. And in spite of the odds, we are still here. I wish everyone a holiday full of wonder and gratitude.
And my resolution for next year is to try to do these Newsletters every other month.
Canadian Writers' Contest Calendar 2020 going strong
Now is the time to kick start your writing goals for 2020. Time moves pretty fast; please don't wait. Get those words out into the world.
This is our 18th year compiling this resource for writers and there are always many changes each year. The ebook formats are already available as well.
Northern Ontario Poetry Competition
Curtain Call: Our 25th and final annual poetry competition.
The Launch this year will be held at the Golden Age Club, 22 Argentite Street, Cobalt on Saturday September 12th, 2020. A special invitation to all those poets who have ever entered the NOPC is extended for a Seminar sarting at 10 am, Lunch and then the Launch at 2:00 pm. Our last competition deadline is May 31st, 2020.
Twenty-five years is enough. The store takes more time as it becomes more popular; the publishing takes time as well. And I'm not getting younger.
Over the last 24 years we've published 943 poems from 151 different poets in the Northern Ontario communities of Alban, Baysville, Blind River, Charlton, Cobalt, Coleman Township, Connaught, Corbeil, Dryden, Earlton, Elk Lake, Elliot Lake, Englehart, Haileybury, Hanmer, Hearst, Hilton Beach, Huntsville, Iron Bridge, Jellicoe, Kapuskasing, Kenabeek, Kirkland Lake, Larder Lake, Little Current, Longlac, M'Chgeeng, Manitouwadge, Matheson, Mindemoya, Moose Factory, New Liskeard, North Bay, Parry Sound, Porquis Junction, Port Sydney, Powassan, Sault Ste. Marie, Sheguiandah, Shuniah, Sioux Lookout, Smoothrock Falls, South Porcupine, Spring Bay, St. Joseph Island, Sudbury, Swastika, Temagami, Terrace Bay, Thessalon, Thorne, Thunder Bay, Timmins, Warren, Webequie, Whitefish, and Worthington. Some of those poets have passed from this life, others have enlarged on their initial successes to publish their own books, and other writing. We like to think we've helped, or at least inspired some thinking and writing.
Curtain Call is the name of this last collection and I am looking for a beautiful picture of the northern lights for the cover. A picture where they actually look like huge curtains. If you have one, or know where one can be seen, please let me know.
The Store continues
Heading into our sixth year here in Cobalt. The word is out, the visitors keep returning. We keep hearing about our brief appearance in the CBC show Still Standing on the town of Cobalt and on the History channel's Salvage Kings episode. People have been kind. Please stop in if you're in the area. Love to meet you.
New Offerings:
Cal Taylor~The War Years, an autobiographical account of Cal's WW II service with the RCAF.
Selected Chapters of Temiskaming Heritage~Chapter Two is now available. This is a collection of the Proceedings from the Cobalt Historical Society's 2019 symposium.
Stephen Lafricain
Grand Old Man of the River
by Bruce W. Taylor
Stephen Lafricain was born in 1837, and in his 99 years witnessed much history in both Canada and the United States, including treaty signing, the decline of the fur trade, the opening of northeastern Ontario to great mineral wealth. Well worth the read, and the history. Short-listed for the Northern Ontario Lit Award, but sadly was not chosen. (Well they can only chose one...)
Steep Rock, The Men and the Mines also by Bruce W. Taylor is a comprehensive history of the very exciting development of the Steep Rock iron deposits near Atikokan, Ontario. This second edition of the original published in 1978, provides an enduring account of this massive enterprise.
A Place Called Krugerdorf by Herb Kruger. A history of this once-thriving Northern Ontario community, lost to the passage of time.
Immigrant in Porcupine and His Later Journal by Magne E Stortroen combines his two autobiographies in this re-printed edition. Arriving in 1923 from Norway he describes with a wry sense of humour the conditions in the Porcupine logging camps and mines in the 1920s, 1930s.
Airy Somethings: The Extraordinary Life of the Aviation Pioneer Horatio Barber by Terry Grace and Maggie Wilson. Horatio Barber was involved in a variety of business ventures: farming, silver and gold mining, and then in the 1910s, aeroplane design, construction, and piloting. His businesses ranged from bona fide to unethical to outright scams. A fascinating story of an extraordinary man; an exceptional life from the pioneering days of heavier than air flight.
And Favourites in the store...
Cobalt~The Cradle of Hard Rock Mining in Canada A colour pictorial with quotes about Cobalt from the people and places at the time when the whole world knew where Cobalt was on a map. Perfect and affordable souvenir honouring Cobalt's past.
Missing in Cobalt by Terry Cassidy is a murder mystery set in Cobalt 1949. A young woman's body is discovered in the ice in a Buffalo Mines adit, and from there, we have to discover who she is, how she got there, and of course, who did it. Have had rave reviews on this one. And yes, it is fiction.
Books are a great gift for any time of year. They stand the test of time, become part of your life. The good ones can change your life, your perception of the world. Consider a great book for your gift giving year round.
As a reminder to those who have said they would post a review on TripAdvisor, doing so would be a huge favour and show of support (and thank-you to those who did). At least five people came into the store last summer saying that is where they discovered our store. The link is here: TripAdvisor reviews for White Mountain Publications, aka White Mountain Books. We appreciate all your support.
We have compiled a list of the books we handle for the Little Claybelt Homesteaders Museum, similar to the one we have for the old Highway Book Shop books.
Yes, we have been busy. Hope all is well with you and yours. Have a great year.