David W. Leonard was born in the Peace River country in 1945. He became a provincial archivist for Alberta. His history Delayed Frontier: The Peace River Country to 1909 (Detselig 1995) is the story of the coming together of the Cree and Beaver Indians, setting the stage for large scale settlement. He has also written about northern Alberta in The Lure of the Peace River Country 1872-1914 and A Builder of the North West: The Life and Times of Richard Secord.

[BCBW 2003] "First Nations"

Review of the author's work by BC Studies:
Delayed Frontier: The Peace River Country to 1909
The Last Great West: The Agricultural Settlement of the Peace River Country to 1914
On the North Trail: The Treaty 8 Diary of O.C. Edwards