Garnet Basque's how-to book on gold panning has had at least a dozen printings. Born in 1945, Basque was known as a Type A personality who operated Canadian West magazine from 1985 to 1994, plus Sunfire Publications in Langley. He published and self-published numerous titles about 'lost treasures' and frontier settlements, using various imprints, and he particularly benefitted from his association with T.W. Paterson, later taking credit for some of Paterson's work. Their B.C. ghost town atlas includes Anyox, Blackfoot, Cedar, Eholt, Glacier, Krag, Miocene, Oceanic, Retallack, Sheep Camp, Tachme, Volcanic City, Weneez and Zincton. A similar study of ghost towns and mining camps of Vancouver Island covers Leechtown, Bamberton, Mount Sicker, Cassidy, Morden, Extension, Wellington, Red Gap, Powder Point, Union Bay, Cumberland's Chinatown, Bevan, Headquarters, Fort Rupert, Cape Scott, Zeballos, Clayoquot, Fort Defiance, Port Hughes, Clo-oose, Kildonan, Hayes Landing, Barclay Townsite and Sechart. Lost Bonanzas, Vol. 2 contains eleven stories that include the Lost Dragon Mine of the Cariboo and The Gold Boulder of Kootenay Lake. Volume 1 has 13 similar stories. He kept the work and name of T.W. Paterson 'alive' for many years by issuing books under Tom Paterson's pen name, not always with Paterson's permission, after Paterson took a ten-year sabbatical from the writing game. Garnet Basque died suddenly of a heart attack while driving in the autumn of 1994 leaving Sharon Basque in charge of his press. Heritage House took over distribution of Sunfire titles.

BOOKS:

British Columbia Ghost Town Atlas (Garnet Publishing, 1973; Sunfire Publications, 1982).

Canadian Treasure Trove: Volume One (Garnet Publishing, 1973).

Gold Panner's Manual: A Complete Guide for the Novice (Sunfire/Stagecoach, 1974, 1976; Mr. Paperjack, 1978, 1979, 1980; Stagecoach Publishing, 1985, 1988, 1991; Heritage House, 1992; The Lyons Press, 1999).

Methods of Placer Mining: How to Mine Gold for Fun or Profit (Mr. Paperback, 1983, Heritage House, 1999; 2004).

Fraser Canyon and Bridge River Valley (Sunfire Publications, 1985). Originally written by T.W. Paterson.

Ghost Towns and Mining Camps of Vancouver Island. T. W. Paterson and Garnet Basque. (Sunfire Publications, 1989, 1992; Heritage House, 2003).

Ghost Towns and Mining Camps of the Boundary Country (Sunfire, 1992; Heritage, 1999). Originally written by T.W. Paterson.

Editor

Lost Bonanzas of Western Canada: 13 true stories of lost mines, from British Columbia, Alberta and the Northwest Territories (Sunfire/Mr. Paperback, 1983, 1988, 1990; Heritage House, 1997, 2000). With T.W. Paterson.

West Kootenay The Pioneer Days (Sunfire Publications, 1990; Heritage House, 2004).

Frontier Days in the Yukon (Sunfire, 1991; Heritage)
0-919531-32-68 $14.95.

Frontier Days in Alberta (Sunfire, 1992; Heritage)
0-919531-34-2 $15.95

Frontier Days in British Columbia (Sunfire, 1993; Heritage, 2000)
$22.95 1-894384-01-6

Lost Bonanzas of Western Canada: Vol II, 11 True Stories of lost mines, from British Columbia and the Yukon (Sunfire Publications, 1994). With T.W. Paterson.

[Alan Twigg / BCBW 2005] "Publishing" "Gold"