Acknowledgements

Throughout the summer of 2012 Christopher and I were sustained thanks to countless thoughtful and generous gifts bestowed by friends and strangers alike in the communities of Johnson’s Landing, Argenta, Kaslo, Nelson and beyond. Family members and friends overseas also rallied to our aid. There are too many of you to name individually, but I want you to know how much it meant to us. You created a safety net of support, love and caring in those dark and painful days.

Paul Hunter and Osa Thatcher have been our close friends for more than two decades, through good times and in adversity. They grounded and anchored us with their reassuring presence. Thank you both.

Special thanks also to Gail Spitler and Lynne Cannon. Gail, a wonderful teacher and adviser, quickly resolved every computer glitch. Gail was the first person (after Christopher and Holley, my editor) to read the manuscript; she is a leadership figure in Johnson’s Landing and I was reassured to have her ringing endorsement. I thank Lynne Cannon for creating a sanctuary in Johnson’s Landing where I could feel safe, nurtured and at peace. Gail and Lynne’s beautiful home, and our enduring friendship over many years, formed my bridge back to Johnson’s Landing after the disaster.

I acknowledge with gratitude the financial and other assistance we received after the landslides from the British Columbia provincial government through their Emergency Social Services and Disaster Financial Assistance programs, and from the Canadian Red Cross.

Thank you to the thirty-five people who agreed to be interviewed for this book: for your willingness to relive that painful time and tell me your stories. What storytellers we have in our midst! I am humbled by your trust in me. Of course, any errors in the recounting of your stories are mine alone.

Holley Rubinsky, my writing mentor and editor, assisted me through five drafts of the manuscript as the book’s eventual form gradually emerged out of the content. Holley taught me how to write a book and I am deeply grateful for her enthusiastic commitment and editorial expertise. I learned immensely from our collaboration.

Thank you, Louis Bockner, for your assistance with photography for the book. And to others who generously offered me pictures: Gail Spitler, Lynne Campbell, Lynne March, Renata Klassen, Margaret Smith, Greg Utzig, Kurt Boyer, Lew McMillan, Zan Mautner, Doug Pyper, Lynn Migdal and Christopher Klassen.

To the inestimable Morty Mint, my literary agent: thank you for your encouragement and faith in the project.

My heartfelt thanks to everyone at Harbour Publishing for your support of this writing project and for your professionalism and expertise in bringing it to fruition. You were delightful to work with.

Finally, I want to thank my husband, Christopher, for his unwavering support, even when it meant no supper prepared and the house neglected! I thank the universe that our lives were spared so that we could grieve and remember our past together. There is comfort in memories shared. Christopher’s recollections and perspective on our experience have greatly enriched this memoir.