Born in Yorkshire, England on January 4, 1956, Dave Preston of Metchosin on Vancouver Island was raised by a mother who loved gardening. Having arrived in Canada in 1981 and in British Columbia in 1987, he wrote The Story of Butchart Gardens (Highline Publishing, 1996), an admiring history of the tourist attraction on Vancouver Island that reputedly attracts almost one million visitors per year, according to promotional materials. Also a musician, Preston has contriuted to Northwest Best Places; Idiot's Guide to Canada in the 60s, 70s & 80s; The Canadian Book of Lists; and Prickly Pears & Puppy Dogs (poetry). His plays include F F F; Personals; Waiting for Godonlyknows; and Pancakes. Rails and Rooms is a cross-Canada travelogue by train, with stops at legendary hotels that include Hotel Halifax, the Chateau Frontenac, the Chateau Laurier, the Royal York, the Lombard, the Fort Garry, Banff Springs, Chateau Lake Louise, Hotel Vancouver and The Empress in Victoria. Preston quotes Sir William Van Horne, first General Manager of the Canadian Pacfic Railway, who said, "If we can't export the scenery, we'll import the tourists."

BOOKS:

All is Bright - A Yorkshire Lad's Christmas, White Rose Content, 2007

A Child's Christmas in Yorkshire, Highline Publishing, 2004

Rails & Rooms - A Timeless Canadian Journey, Whitecap Books, 2001

The Story of Butchart Gardens, Highline Publishing, 1996

[BCBW 2009] "Gardening" "Transportation"