British Columbia History – Fall 2026

Summary

Ishar Singh Gill arrived in Canada in 1905 and built a life as a farmer in British Columbia with his beloved dog King by his side. British Columbia History Fall 2026 Volume 59 No 3 dedicates its entire issue to Dogs in BC History featuring eight stories of how dogs shaped the province's settlement and culture.

The cover story The Teachings of Mutton explores Indigenous knowledge of the now-extinct woolly dog breed through Liz Hammond-Kaarremaa in conversation with Aimee Greenaway. Andrea Fritz tells the story of a woolly dog warming his family through winter. Grant Hayter-Menzies reveals the rediscovery of Muggins a dog with a remarkable story. Vivien Nishi covers Saburo Says Goodbye to Fair Play and King the Dog examining the Japanese Canadian expulsion through a dog's story. Glen Mofford profiles Mike the Bartending Dog who served the community at the Bowser Hotel. Nirmal Gill in conversation with Aimee Greenaway covers Ishar Singh Gill's bonds of home. Peter Smith profiles Dogs of the Silvery Slocan and Terry Arnett traces pack dogs and family pets including the Tahltan Bear Dogs in her family.

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Content Guide

▸ Cover Story

p.10 · The Teachings of Mutton
Liz Hammond-Kaarremaa in conversation with Aimee Greenaway about the Indigenous woolly dog breed. The article traces the breed's significance to Coast Salish cultures. The specific knowledge of breeding and wool harvesting is documented. The dog's extinction and the efforts to recover its cultural memory are discussed.

p.14 · Woolly Dog Warms His Family
Andrea Fritz tells the story of a woolly dog from Indigenous oral tradition. The narrative follows the dog through winter seasons. The specific role of the dog in family life is described.

▸ Features

p.16 · The Rediscovery of Muggins
Grant Hayter-Menzies reveals the story of a dog whose remarkable life had been forgotten. The article traces the research process that uncovered the dog's history. The specific archival sources consulted are named.

p.24 · Saburo Says Goodbye to Fair Play and King the Dog
Vivien Nishi examines the Japanese Canadian expulsion during World War II through a dog's perspective. The article identifies the specific internment camps where families were sent. The story of Fair Play and King the Dog anchors the human narrative of displacement.

p.27 · Mike the Bartending Dog
Glen Mofford profiles Mike who served the community at the Bowser Hotel on Vancouver Island. The article describes how the dog became a local institution. The specific dates of Mike's tenure at the hotel are given.

p.30 · Ishar Singh Gill Bonds of Home
Nirmal Gill in conversation with Aimee Greenaway tells the story of the Sikh immigrant who arrived in 1905. The cover photograph from the City of Vancouver Archives Yucho Chow Studio shows Gill with King in 1918. The challenges of building a life as a South Asian farmer in early 20th-century BC are documented.

p.35 · Pack Dogs and Family Pets
Terry Arnett traces the Tahltan Bear Dogs in her family. The article describes the breed's characteristics and its role in Indigenous hunting. The specific territories where the breed was used are mapped.

▸ Regulars

p.19 · Photo Gallery Dogs of British Columbia
A collection of historical photographs of dogs and their owners from across the province. Each image is sourced from an archival collection named in the credits.

p.37 · Refracting History BC History Bookshelf
Dalys Barney reviews recent publications on BC history. The specific books and their authors are named.

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Editor's Take

The dogs theme could have been a gimmick but every article grounds its canine subject in genuine historical research. The Ishar Singh Gill story with the 1918 Yucho Chow photograph is the emotional anchor of the issue. The woolly dog coverage connecting Indigenous knowledge to breed extinction is the most intellectually substantial piece. The single-theme format means readers who do not care about dogs have no reason to buy this issue. This title suits the BC history enthusiast and the social historian interested in human-animal relationships.

Strengths
• Single theme executed with genuine research depth in every article
• Ishar Singh Gill photograph and story from the Yucho Chow archive
• Indigenous woolly dog coverage connects oral tradition with breed history

Weaknesses
• Single-theme format limits appeal for general BC history readers
• Photo gallery consumes pages without analytical value

Verdict: Selective read — executed well for a single-theme issue but narrowly targeted.