Robert D. Turner – Remembering BC rail and steam
Robert D. Turner interview segment
Produced by Trevor Marc Hughes
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With a new book scheduled to be released in the fall, author and curator emeritus at the Royal British Columbia Museum Robert D. Turner is continuing his chronicling of British Columbia’s history of rail and steam. The Paddlewheeler SS Moyie: The Sweetheart of Kootenay Lake is being assembled by Harbour Publishing, with an ETA of September 8, 2026, and will mark the twentieth book he has produced. In this interview segment, filmed on Protection Island immediately following interviewing his wife, noted ethnobotanist Nancy J. Turner, I also learned much about life on the island, which part of the municipality of Nanaimo. It allows some distance from the city so has a small town atmosphere to it, and boasts quite an assemblage of notable BC authors.
Part of the fun in being admitted to see where authors live and work is getting a glimpse into their lives and witnessing how their respective writing spaces influences their work. I certainly got to see a natural environment that allowed for reflection and contemplation on this windy cool late winter day in March. Also, Robert had kindly brought out many of his books for me to look through (several, I must admit, that I’ve referenced in a book of my own). As he points out in the interview, probably the most encouraging takeaway of all, Robert D. Turner continues to be driven towards more writing projects.
The British Columbia Review Interview Series is grateful for the support of Creative BC and the Province of British Columbia to produce a second round of interview segments as part of ‘Beyond the Lower Mainland: The BC Author Video Road Trip.’
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Trevor Marc Hughes was a freelance arts reporter at CBC Radio from 1997 to 2007. In and around that time he worked as a researcher and associate producer on documentary and current affairs programs that aired on Knowledge Network, The Discovery Channel, and Discovery Health, and were produced by Transatlantic Films, the UK’s oldest independent film production company. His own documentary projects include The Young Hustler, a film he produced and directed, about his grandfather’s days operating a Fraser River tugboat during The Great Depression. He has recently uploaded his interviews with Nancy J. Turner, Wiley Wei-Chiun Ho, Catherine Clement, Graeme Menzies, Henry Yu, and Yasuko Thanh.
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The British Columbia Review
Interim Editors, 2023-26: Trevor Marc Hughes (non-fiction), Brett Josef Grubisic (fiction)
Publisher: Richard Mackie
Formerly The Ormsby Review, The British Columbia Review is an on-line book review and journal service for BC writers and readers. The Advisory Board now consists of Jean Barman, Wade Davis, Robin Fisher, Barry Gough, Hugh Johnston, Kathy Mezei, Patricia Roy, and Graeme Wynn. Provincial Government Patron (since September 2018): Creative BC. Honorary Patron: Yosef Wosk. Scholarly Patron: SFU Graduate Liberal Studies. The British Columbia Review was founded in 2016 by Richard Mackie and Alan Twigg.
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