2026 Jeanne Clarke Local History Awards

Jeanne Clarke Banner

2026 Local History Service Award Winners

  • Bill Poser -  Poser’s exceptional dedication to the documentation, preservation, and revitalization of Dakelh language and history spans more than three decades, and his contributions have had a profound and lasting impact on Indigenous language work in our region and beyond.
  • Ray Olson & Linda Campbell – Olson and Campbell (known affectionately as the “Train Lady”) are being recognized for their work sharing and promoting the history of the small towns and communities located east of Prince George on the “East Line,” via their train visits through that region. Train passengers learn about pioneer life between 1914, when the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway was the main mode of transportation, and the mid-1960s, when modern conveniences like roads were built to connect to the outside world.

2026 Publication Award Finalists

  • The wild horses of the Chilcotin : their history and future / Wayne McCrory. Harbour Publishing, 2023.
  • The Notorious Georges : crime and community in British Columbia's northern interior, 1909-25 / Jonathan Swainger. UBC Press for the Osgoode Society for Canadian Legal History, 2023.
  • Knots & stitches : community quilts across the harbour / Kristin Miller. Caitlin Press, 2023.
  • A gentleman of considerable talent : William Brown and the fur trade, 1811-1827 / Geoff Mynett. Caitlin Press, 2024.
  • Lha yudit'ih we always find a way : bringing the Tŝilhqot'in title case home / Lorraine Weir with Chief Roger William. Talonbooks, 2023.
  • Going north : memorabilia of tourism in Alaska, Yukon, and Northern British Columbia / by Stan Cohen. Mountain Press Publishing Company, 2024.
  • Shattered glass : sonic epilogues; tales and knowledge from luminary musicians / Mike Gouchie. BWL Publishing Inc., 2025.

About the Jeanne Clarke Local History Award

The Jeanne Clarke Local History Award was established by the Library Board in 1985, in memory of former library board chair Jeanne Clarke to recognize individuals or groups for outstanding contributions in the preservation and promotion of local and regional history. For further information on the Jeanne Clarke Awards, including past winners and nominated publications, please visit our Local History Page.