A peaceful lighthouse at Prescott, Ontario, was once the flashpoint of American invasion in an undeclared war. Robbers called "Blackbirds" preyed on Lake Erie shipping, using false beacons to confuse their victims. The lighthouse at Oswego, New York, was the site of one of the worst disasters in the history of the United States Coast Guard. A Lake Huron lightkeeper wiped snow off the window of his lamp room, and inadvertently caused a shipwreck. A 14-year-old Detroit River lightkeeperšs daughter was the heroine in a courageous rescue.

Lighthouses, from the Upper St. Lawrence River to the head of Lake Superior, have played an integral role in the history, romance, lore and legends of the Lakes. The towers and their keepers bore witness to, and participated in, the dramas of war, shipwrecks, and daring rescues. All while enduring the privations of one of the loneliest occupations on earth.


ISBN 9781-894073-57-6
272 pages, 6 x 9
$24.95

Over 2,000 Feature Films--Made for Cinema and Television The good, the great, the bad and the worse--they're all here...

Indulge your love of Canadian films with A Century of Canadian Cinema. Each entertaining review contains the film's director, writer, actors, plot, length and year of production. The guide contains films from the industry's earliest beginnings in Canada right up to the latest releases--from 1920s silent films to David Cronenberg and Denys Arcand--and it offers insight from a long-time industry observer into how and why these films have made an impact on the Canadian film industry and Canadian society.

From plaid jacket and toque-wearing films shot in the Arctic to co-productions filmed in tropical climes, and from films shot in six weeks on a shoestring to ten-year ordeals that nearly meant the end of everyone involvedŠ our directors and actors have done it all. Using the guide's convenient cross-indexing, follow the first big breaks, the rollercoaster rides, and the latest endeavours of your favourite Canadian talent.

Through his distinguished career, Gerald Pratley has made an extraordinary impact on Canadian cinema. In 1948, he became CBC's first film critic and commentator, broadcasting every week until 1976. He founded the Ontario Film Institute in 1968 and has been active in the industry ever since. Numerous honours have been awarded to Mr. Pratley in appreciation of his years of commitment. Among them are the Queen's Jubilee Medal, the Order of Canada, an Honourary Doctor of Letters, and a Special Genie Award for his exceptional support and encouragement of achievement and excellence in Canadian cinema.

ISBN 1-894073-21-5
6" x 9", 416 pages
$29.95


Outlaws of the Lakes
Bootlegging and Smuggling From Colonial Times to the Prohibition
By Edward Butts

Since the earliest colonial times, the Great Lakes and the Upper St. Lawrence River have been a smugglers' highway. They have borne silent witness to trafficking of almost every commodity governments could tax or ban. Some of the smugglers were hailed as heroes by the public, but they also corrupted government officials, terrorized honest citizens and committed acts of ruthless violence.