KnowBC supports more Black history curriculum in BC schools  

Now on KnowBC: Go Do Some Great Thing, the landmark story of British Columbia’s first Black pioneers and their pivotal role in shaping the province.  Since its original publication in 1978, Go Do Some Great Thing has remained foundational reading on the history of Black pioneers in BC. Updated and with a new foreword by Adam Rudder, the third edition of this under-told story describes the hardships and triumphs of BC’s first Black citizens and their legacy in the province today.

Read now!

Home of the Encyclopedia of British Columbia

The Encyclopedia of British Columbia is the definitive reference work on British Columbia. With more than 4,000 entries and 1,500 accompanying photographs, maps, charts and tables, as well as sound and video clips, The EBC is the source of readable and authoritative information on all the significant British Columbian people, places and things.

Originally a bestselling 824-page book, the The Encyclopedia of British Columbia is now available exclusively online, allowing for easy access to continually updated information and an expanding database of articles. [Read more]

New Books

Go Do Some Great Thing: The Black Pioneers of British Columbia. Killian Crawford, with a foreword by Dr. Adam Rudder. 3rd Edition.

Go Do Some Great Thing

The landmark story of British Columbia’s first Black pioneers and their pivotal role in shaping the province.

Indian Fishing

A comprehensive look into the methods and importance of fishing for the First Nations of the Northwest Coast.

On the Line

A comprehensive chronicle of the labour movement in British Columbia.

Also Featuring

The Encyclopedia of Raincoast Place Names

An indispensable companion and an essential reference for anyone interested in British Columbia history. Read details of the intriguing stories behind more than 5,000 BC coast places.

Marine Life of the Pacific Northwest

The most comprehensive collection of photographs of Pacific Northwest marine life ever published. A must-have resource for anyone interested in marine life and beautiful underwater photography.

Lilies and Fireweed

Abounding with historical photographs and rare glimpses into the daring and difficult lives of the pioneering women who helped shape BC, from fearless immigrants to indigenous women in the workforce.

Far West

From the gold rush to the Gumboot Navy and from “bride ships” to W.A.C. Bennett, BC history comes alive in this highly illustrated and vivid chronicle for young readers.

From the West Coast to the Western Front

It has often been observed that the First World War jolted Canada into nationhood, and no province participated more eagerly in that transformation or felt the aftershock more harshly than BC.

Tofino and Clayoquot Sound: A History

A look into all facets of the geographically and culturally rich land's history, bringing to life the chronicle that started with the drama of geological formation and continues to the present day.

The Sea Among Us

The Strait of Georgia is one of the world’s great inland seas. Rich in history, teeming with wildlife and marine traffic, the waterway is essential to BC for food, jobs, travel and recreation.

Pacific Seaweeds

The authoritative guide to over 100 common species of seaweeds in the Pacific Northwest, from identification and biology to the essential roles seaweed plays in the marine ecosystem and our lives.

Where Mountains Meet the Sea

Combining hundreds of illustrations with the personal accounts of residents and a lively text, the book presents the story of North Vancouver in all its colour and complexity.

Views of the Salish Sea

Interweaving geography, biology and resource economics with history, this is a deft examination of the Strait of Georgia from the 1850s to the modern era.

Keith Thirkell photo

KnowBC Quiz

Test yourself on your knowledge of BC people, places and things—and learn a fascinating fact or two! All the answers are taken from articles in the Encyclopedia of British Columbia.

Did You Know?

Did you know that Simon Gunanoot, a Gitksan trapper accused of murder, remained on the run from the law for thirteen years (1906-1919) before he finally gave himself up, stood trial and was...

Sample Articles from the EBC

Bear, Kermode

BEAR, KERMODE  () (Ursus americanus kermodei) is a subspecies of black BEAR that may be white or black in colour. Kermodes in their white...