The Prairies
Explore and learn more about the Prairies without even leaving home. These non-fiction books are full of photography, history, and facts about Manitoba and Saskatchewan, and give an insightful look at the fascinating world just outside your door.
The Prairie Garden
- TPG Publications Inc 
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$17.95
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The 2021 edition of The Prairie Garden focuses on flowering shrubs and the queen of flowering shrubs, roses. Always popular topics in the past, they are definitely worth revisiting! The last time we focused on shrubs was in our 2009 edition, “Deciduous Shrubs” (still available in limited quantities). Since then, hundreds of exciting new flowering shrub cultivars have emerged, many of them well suited to prairie gardens. Our “Roses” edition of 2008 is now sold out, but readers keep asking us for information on that topic. And rightly so: since 2008, important new hardy roses such as the Canadian Artists and 49th Parallel series have come on the market. Plant developers in our region have played a major role in breeding, selecting, and trialling all kinds of hardy flowering shrubs for the prairie landscape, including roses. With Dr. Philip Ronald of Jeffries Nurseries as our guest editor, we take a fresh look at these useful and beautiful plants in our 2021 edition. As always, The Prairie Garden aims to be a guide for gardeners of all skill levels in the short-season gardening zones of Canada and the US. You’ll find over thirty articles on the theme and another dozen or so on general gardening topics, all contributed by experienced gardeners and experts. Guest editor Dr. Philip Ronald was raised in the Canadian prairies and educated in plant breeding and horticulture at the University of Manitoba and the University of Saskatchewan. He currently divides his time between teaching ornamental horticulture at the University of Manitoba, managing Riverbend Orchards, a 20-acre fruit farm, and providing support to the research and marketing programs at Jeffries Nurseries. He resides near Portage la Prairie with his wife Karen and their children.
Broken Ribs and Popcorn
- Geoff Kirbyson
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How the Winnipeg Jets became the best team in the NHL's most offensive era to not win the Stanley Cup
Foreword by Tom McVie
The Winnipeg Jets were decimated when the WHA merged with the NHL in the spring of 1979, losing most of the players who led them to the team's third AVCO Cup victory that spring -- Kent Nilsson, Terry Ruskowski, Rich Preston, Kim Clackson and Barry Long. They were only able to protect two skaters -- Morris Lukowich and Scott Campbell -- and a single goalie, Markus Mattsson. General manager John Ferguson used a patchwork of players for the first couple of years but after drafting Dave Babych No. 2 overall in 1980 and Dale Hawerchuk first overall the year after, he had the core around which he would build his team for the rest of the decade.
Praise for The Hot Line: How the Legendary Trio of Hull, Hedberg and Nilsson Transformed Hockey and Led the Winnipeg Jets to Greatness:
"A book about (The Hot Line) was long overdue and Winnipeg journalist Geoff Kirbyson has risen to the challenge." -- Winnipeg Free Press
"Winnipeg produces great lines. In literature Miriam Toews-David Bergen-Gabrielle Roy. In journalism: Carol Off-Jim Coleman-Marshall McLuhan. In music: Bif Naked-John K. Samson-Daniel Greaves. But the line of lines in Winnipeg belongs to hockey. Thank you Geoff Kirbyson for The Hot Line." -- Ron MacLean, Hockey Night in Canada
Saskatchewan Book (hc)
- George Webber , Lorna Crozier
Hardcover
$45.00
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An evocative collection of contemporary photography that shines a light on the charm and disintegration of small towns in Saskatchewan.
Captured over 30 years, the 200 images in this finely wrought exhibition document prairie landscapes and rural structures like no other in recent memory. With skill, sensitivity, and a renowned eye for detail, documentary photographer George Webber once again transports the viewer with his lens across time, geography, and history.
Bright colours, sun-baked facades, endless horizons, and straight edges are all beautifully haunted by the shadow of time's inevitable decay and nature's slow embrace of abandoned human settlements. The varying shades of prairie-blue skies can hum with optimistic vibrancy, while fists of cloud can march toward an unknowable front.
Saskatchewan Book shows us that small prairie towns remain beacons of affection and bastions of memory, all the while succumbing to the enigmatic fate that eventually enfolds all living things.
Out of Old Manitoba Kitchens
- Christine Hanlon
Hardcover
$24.95
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Out of Old Manitoba Kitchens tells the story of the province's early inhabitants through the foods they prepared. Feast on dozens of photographs, more than 80 recipes and countless recollections. Discover how Indigenous pemmican was the perfect recipe for propelling the fur trade, how Scottish bannock became a staple for the First Nations, and why a Manitoba social always ends with kielbasa. Tuck into tales of Franco-Manitoban tourtière, Icelandic vinarterta, and Mennonite rollkuchen. From the campfires of the Métis buffalo hunt and the outdoor kitchens of the early settlers, to the bread ovens of the Ukrainian immigrant and the dining halls of the Winnipeg General Strike, Manitobans of all stripes have contributed to a rich culinary heritage. They bring to the table a delectable spread of culturally diverse dishes, adapted to the local landscape and influenced by a determination to survive, and then thrive, on food from the forest, rivers, lakes, and prairie soil. The tastes and aromas of those early kitchens come to life on pages filled with memories, hand-written recipes, and colourful images from bygone days. Savour the stories, pictures, and flavours from Out of Old Manitoba Kitchens.
Freshwater Fishes of Manitoba
- Kenneth Stewart , Douglas Watkinson
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Winner of the Best Illustrated Book of the Year Award at the 2004 Manitoba Writing and Publishing Awards.
Winner of the 2004 Mary Scorer Award for Best Book by a Manitoba Publisher.
Clearly written and handsomely illustrated, this book is a comprehensive and definitive guide to all 95 of Manitoba's freshwater fish species. With its many lakes and rivers, Manitoba has Canada's third most diverse freshwater fish fauna, ranging from the sturgeon, goldeye, and catfish in the province's south, to Arctic char and Arctic grayling in the northern rivers that feed into Hudson Bay.
This book gives all readers an easy-to-use guide to the province's varied fish fauna. Detailed identification keys and over 150 colour photographs enable both amateurs and specialists to recognize any fish found in Manitoba's waters. Fish are grouped by order and family, and colour-coded for fast reference. Each fish is described in detail, including its physical characteristics, spawning and feeding habits, distribution, habitat, ecological role, and economic importance.
Prairie
- Candace Savage
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Praise for the previous edition of Prairie:
"Impelled with its sense of the miraculous in nature."
--Globe and Mail
Candace Savage's acclaimed and beautifully written guide to the ecology of the prairies, now revised and updated.
This revised edition of Prairie features a new preface along with updated research on the effects of climate change on an increasingly vulnerable landscape.
It also offers new information on:
conservation of threatened species, including the black-tailed prairie dog and farmland birds;
grassland loss and conservation;
the health of rivers and the water table;
the effects of neonicotinoid insecticides on prairie wetlands;
the benefits of regenerative agriculture
Illustrated with elegant black-and-white line drawings and maps, this award-winning tome continues to be a highly readable guide to understanding the ecology, geological history, biodiversity, and resilience of the prairies.
Illustrated with elegant black-and-white line drawings and maps, this award-winning tome continues to be a highly readable guide to understanding the ecology, geological history, biodiversity, and resilience of the prairies.
Love This Saskatchewan
- John Perret
Hardcover
$39.95
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Master Photographer John Perret Launches “Love This Saskatchewan”– a major retrospect of his finest photography of unique places and once in a lifetime chance happenings while on the land. 14 notable Saskatchewan writers, musicians and artists contribute their own visions and write personal remembrances of what Saskatchewan means to them. Perret’s photography takes you to all points rural and natural in the province, from woodlands to grasslands, boreal forests to sand dunes in the north. It touches the heartstrings of the past with mud filled trails glistening in sunset gold, to futuristic blue skies, as much as you can take in, then transform to sparkling indigo heavens painted with the northern lights. He shows us with over 100 photographs the remarkable space we live in and how it continues to be a catalyst for nurturing creativity, the love and respect we have of this land. Love This Saskatchewan, features chapter introductions by: Trevor Herriot, Arthur Slade, Brad Johner, Bill Waiser, Connie Kaldor, Brenda Baker, Monique Martin, Yann Martel, Ken Mitchell, Glen Sorestad, Lloyd Ratzlaff, Dorothy Knowles, Madeleine Dahlem, and Maria Campbell - all prominent Saskatchewan writers, artists, and musicians.
John Perret lives in Saskatoon and enjoys living in a city small enough that he can be out in the countryside in a matter of minutes, to view the horizon and open sky. He has had many passions in his life, but by far one of the greatest has been to travel the province and capture the beauty of the land through the lens of his camera. He has a Bachelors of Education from the University of Saskatchewan and a Masters of Photographic Arts from the Professional Photographers of Canada. He has been the recipient of many awards and his photographs have traveled as far as China and Bogotá, Colombia. John has always had ties to the land and he co-owns a quarter section of natural grassland along the North Saskatchewan River. From trips to the north to summers on a farm near Lilac, from berry picking along the back roads to camping in the Nisbet forest, John has come to deeply love and appreciate Saskatchewan.
Photographer's Guide to Saskatchewan
- Robin Karpan , Arlene Karpan
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$24.95
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Saskatchewan is a photographer's dream, with ruggedly beautiful native prairie, some of Canada's baddest badlands, breathtaking wildlife spectacles, and legendary northern waterways brimming with jaw-dropping scenery. Saskatchewan is the sand dune capital of Canada - home to both the largest and second largest dune fields in the country. Our sunrises and sunsets are simply the most dazzling on the planet. Then there are those enchanting hidden gems that seem straight from the pages of a fantasy novel.
The Photographer's Guide to Saskatchewan focuses on nature, wildlife and awesome landscapes. Award-winning writers and photographers, Robin and Arlene Karpan, guide you to their favourite haunts throughout the province, from prominent national and provincial parks to little-known photogenic treasures. Supplemented by maps, GPS coordinates, and 250 stunning photographs, the 208-page book not only takes you to photogenic hot spots, but also reveals what you need to know to capture amazing images.
Saskatoon
- Amy Jo Ehman
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$22.95
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In 1899, Saskatoon was little more than a few wooden houses and false-fronted shops. There were no bridges, no railways, not even an elevator rising above the rooftops. There was no reason to think Saskatoon would be more successful in the long run than any other prairie town. Saskatoon not only survived, it thrived. Saskatoon tells the story of the dreams and determination of the people who built a dynamic City of Bridges on the South Saskatchewan.
Winnipeg by Winnipeg
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Hardcover $13.77
A visual portrait of Winnipeg as seen through the eyes of its citizens, Winnipeg by Winnipeg showcases the icons, the moods, and the neighbourhoods of Manitoba's largest city. This book is a compilation of stellar photographs of Winnipeg by 67 amateur and professional photographers. For those who call Winnipeg their home, for those who wish they could call Winnipeg their home, and for those who have stopped by to visit this fine city, the book captures the real Winnipeg in all its glory. From the beauty of the hoar frost on a crisp winter day to the sheer delight of people skating, walking, or riding our river trails and walkways; from the spectral realities of our backlanes to the seldom-seen misty mornings on Portage Avenue; from the local accessibility of our recreation and sport facilities to the eye-pleasing treasures inside our museums, Winnipeg is ablaze with colour and vitality - its strong sense of community and neighbourhood always evident.
Manitoba By Manitoba
- McNally Robinson Booksellers
Hardcover $13.77
Images of the Province by Its Citizens Manitoba by Manitoba captures the province in all its guises, from the geology and human history to farms and landscapes at sunset, from close-up shots of the province’s inhabitants, both human and not, to wintery settings under a glorious sky lit by the northern lights. This book is a compilation of photographs of Manitoba by some of our most talented amateur and professional photographers. Experience the startling contrast of these Manitoba moments: beaches that look like they could be in the Caribbean; ports that look like they could be on the shore of a sea; winter landscapes that appear arctic-like in the winter yet resemble a scene one might expect to encounter much further south when seen in the summer. Manitoba by Manitoba is sure to surprise even those most familiar with the province.
Haunted Winnipeg
- Matthew Komus
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$24.95
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Unexplained footsteps at Seven Oaks House. A woman vanishing into thin air at the Hotel Fort Garry. Spirits reaching out from beyond the grave at the Pantages Theatre. Just what is happening in Winnipeg’s heritage buildings at night? Early Winnipeg was a booming city full of excitement with no shortage of murders, cheating lovers and tragic accidents; all play a role in Winnipeg’s reputation as one of Canada’s most haunted places. Haunted Winnipeg shares with the reader the city’s best-known ghost stories, as well as some lesser-known tales. Hear about the people who may be haunting these historic sites while learning about the buildings’ unique and creepy history. Matthew Komus has developed programs and exhibits for many different museums and heritage sites in Manitoba. Topics covered include everything from hockey and haunted buildings (very popular), to modernist architecture and composting toilets (not as popular). Though he has written articles, tours and booklets, this is his first full-length book. He also operates Winnipeg Ghost Walk, the city’s first walking tour.
Henry Kalen's Manitoba
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Hardcover
$24.95
Reader Reward Price: $22.46
A portrayal of Manitoba through the lens of its most respected photographer, Henry Kalen's Manitoba is a book that captures the landmarks, the icons and the communities of one of Western Canada's most beautiful provinces.
The prairies, the north, the cities and towns, the lakes and the rivers are captured by a photographer who revered the simple beauty of Manitoba's landscapes.
Henry Kalen, who was an architect, became one of Canada's most distinguished architectural photographers. And so Manitoba's built environment, and in particular Winnipeg's bridges, parks and buildings, are brilliantly depicted.
For visitors, for those who wish to see what Manitoba is all about and for proud Manitobans who want a visual remembrance of the province they call home, this is a collection to cherish.
More Abandoned Manitoba
- Gordon Goldsborough
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$35.00
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Foreword by The Honourable Gary A. Filmon, Premier of Manitoba (1988 - 1999)
Gordon Goldsborough returns with more compelling abandoned sites from across Manitoba. Armed with a drone and a deep curiosity about local history, Gordon had more stories to share than could fit into one book. Adventure into abandoned quarries, dance halls, hospitals and more!
This is a selection of our current The Prairies titles. To find other titles or authors, or just to browse, please use the search box.
