South Okanagan photographer and writer Richard McGuire is celebrating the local region with a new book of his photography and bite-sized text descriptions of area landscapes, landmarks, communities and history.
The paperback coffee table book contains 60 pages with 47 full-page colour photographs and is titled: “A Landscape Like No Other: South Okanagan, Similkameen & Boundary Country.”
“Many Canadians and people outside Canada have no idea such a special corner of Canada exists,” says McGuire. “We have semi-arid, desert-like landscapes with plants and animals not found anywhere else in Canada. We have grasslands, ponderosa pine forests, blue lakes, vineyards and orchards. Even jagged rock formations and mountains with alpine tundra.”
McGuire first fell in love with the region when he picked cherries in the Okanagan one summer in the 1970s. Eventually, he moved to Osoyoos in 2012 to take a position as photographer, reporter and subsequently editor of the Osoyoos Times, a precursor to the Times Chronicle.
“The book includes some of my most popular photos from the past 12 years as well as a number of new ones I’ve never displayed before,” says McGuire.
The South Okanagan portion celebrates the communities of Osoyoos, Oliver, Okanagan Falls and Kaleden. Penticton and other communities to the north are omitted because their character is quite different, though they may be included in a future book.
There are introductory sections on Similkameen and the Boundary Country, which are less populated than the Okanagan, but have rich mining and railway histories from around the turn of the last century.
McGuire plans a soft launch of the book at the indoor Market on Main this Saturday, April 13 at the Watermark Beach Resort in Osoyoos from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It will also be available at his booth during the Saturday Osoyoos Farmers’ Market from May to October next to Osoyoos Town Hall.
Launch events and plans to sell it through local retailers will be announced later.
A Sample of Photos:
A Landscape Like No Other
Chapters:
- Introduction
- Osoyoos
- The Syilx Okanagan People
- Oliver
- Okanagan Falls & Kaleden
- The Similkameen
- Boundary Country
- Vineyards & Orchards
- A Fading History
- Deserts, Grasslands, Forests, Rock & Wildlife
Online Purchase:
Online purchases cost slightly more due to addition of shipping and taxes, but the high-quality books are produced by Lulu.com using print on demand (POD), and are available in Canada, the U.S. and internationally.
Store Purchase:
These retailers sell the book, but stocks are limited, so it’s best to phone first:
- The Happy Paper Parlor – Osoyoos
- Wayside Books & Art – Osoyoos
- Destination Osoyoos – Tourist Information Centre – Osoyoos
- The Art Gallery Osoyoos (TAGO)
- Osoyoos & District Museum and Archives
- Osoyoos Home Hardware
Watch for other retailers in other communities to be added to this list.
Osoyoos Farmers’ Market/Market on Main:
- Richard McGuire will be selling “A Landscape Like No Other” at the Osoyoos Farmers’ Market (Market on Main) most Saturdays from May 4 – October 5, 2024.