Unknown Nanaimo: History You Never Learned in School

April 8, 2026

This Thursday! The Nanaimo Historical Society presents a talk by author T.W. Paterson about his new book, Unknown Nanaimo: History You Never Learned in School.

Join this FREE public event at 7PM on April 9 at the Bowen Park Complex (500 Bowen Road).

From the Nanaimo Historical Society:

Speaker T.W. (Tom) Paterson will present his newest book Unknown Nanaimo: History You Never Learned in School as an introduction to his latest and most ambitious project to date, a detailed history of greater Nanaimo coal mining. Paterson's approach is based on both archival and field research, making it unlike anything written to date.

Since his late teens, T.W. (Tom) Paterson has been a familiar byline to thousands of readers who have enjoyed his newspaper and magazine articles, and 30 books on British Columbia’s ‘popular’ history. From 1997-2020, Tom's historical column Cowichan Chronicles appeared twice weekly in the Cowichan Valley Citizen. 'T.W.’ is perhaps best known for his ghost town books which have been in print since the 1970s. Today, Tom continues to inform and entertain online at www.CowichanChronicles.com.

Read more about T.W. Paterson and Unknown Nanaimo in this article from the Nanaimo Bulletin.

Get a copy of the book at Windowseat Books in Nanaimo.