​SUNDAY AUGUST 30  11 AM TO 3 PM
NEIL GOWER BOOK SIGNING AT INDIGO SOUTH EDMONTON COMMON  
Hope to see you there!

Residents of St. Albert, Morinville, Lac Ste. Anne, and Sturgeon County! Mark your calendar. I will be at Chapters/Indigo St. Albert on Sunday, September 20th from 11 to 3.

I will be signing two books of interest to area residents:
-A Métis Man's Dream; From Traplines to Tugboats in Canada's North tells the story of Gordon Gill, starting with his Iroquois-Cree grandfather Noel L'HIrondelle who left Lac La Nonne in 1916 so his children would not be taken to residential school.  The book follows Gordon's upbringing on a trapline north of Manning, Alberta, the educational and other discriminatory factors facing Métis children in those days, and his move to the boats of the Mackenzie River. Gordon went from kitchen help to engineer, from manning tugboats to repairing them and ultimately to success as both an important Métis shipbuilder and then a leader in the crane business. Learn about Gordon's philosophy, work ethic, business approach, and background in this Canadian Best Seller!

-Also related to the Sturgeon River country is Blue Sky, Red Canoe, my memoir of time on the Sturgeon River homestead created by my Great Grandparents W R and Suzanna Gibbons, and reflections on life as a canoeist, explorer of Alberta rivers, and student of history.  It has been said that this is an insightful, personal, and more philosophical series of stories spanning the last 50 years of the 20th century.

I hope you can attend the book signing and stop to say hello!

See you September 20th!

People have been asking about my forthcoming book about the 1956 sinkings of two northern tug boats while working the waters of the transport route from Edmonton to the Arctic. The book is done, but I await responses from publishers.

I am really excited that never-before-published information and photos found in my research tell these stories, as well as those of other 'Boys of '56' who went on to stellar and groundbreaking careers in northern transportation.

​Edmonton Book Signing
​July 11, 2026 starting at 11 am.
Chapters (soon to be INDIGO) Westside  99 Ave and 170 St, Edmonton.
Hope to see you there!

​A Metis Man's Dream; From Traplines to Tugboats in Canada's North, relates the story of the Arctic ice tug "Gordon Gill".

Here are four photos related to the vessel which didn't make the book (with thanks to Jim DeLancey and Terry Haight, and credit to the Hay River Hub)

​Here are several old photos of a noteworthy northern ship with an Edmonton connection.

This is the Yellowknife Expeditor. Brought from Vancouver around Alaska and into the Mackenzie River watershed for the US Navy in World War Two, the vessel was acquired by Edmonton-based Yellowknife Transportation Company Ltd. after the war.  

In 1950, YT launched a twice-weekly passenger-freight service between Hay River and Yellowknife using the Expeditor to cross Great Slave Lake. The seven hour (one-way) trip crossed about 190 km (120 miles) of the deepest lake in North America.

Later, sixty feet of bow was removed, and tall wooden barge pushers attached, converting it to a tugboat; . 

When I first saw the Expeditor, in the summer of 1969, she was dry-docked at Bell Rock shipyards near Fort Smith, NWT.  She plays a part in my new book, 

(With thanks to Jim DeLancey and Terry Haight; photos starting with N- are courtesy of the NWT Archives).

Good morning.
I am an historian by nature and not at all enamoured of A-I.
However, I accidentally asked A-I for a comment on my book "A Métis Man's Dream; From Traplines to Tugboats in Canada's North".
Here is what it came up with.

"A Métis Man's Dream: From Traplines to Tugboats in Canada's North" by Neil Gower is a biography about Gordon Gill, a successful Métis business owner who built his career from humble beginnings. The book explores Gill's life journey, from working on his grandfather's trapline to becoming a prominent figure in Canada's North, founding companies like Northern Arc Shipbuilders and Northern Crane Services.

*Key Themes:*

- *Overcoming Adversity*: Gill's experiences with residential schools, poverty, and personal injuries shaped his resilience and work ethic.
- *Cultural Identity*: The book highlights the history and struggles of the Métis community, as well as Gill's efforts to preserve his cultural heritage.
- *Northern Development*: The story touches on the growth and decline of the marine industry in Canada's North and the impact of oil and gas exploration on Indigenous communities.

The book is praised for its engaging storytelling, historical context, and the author's meticulous research. Gill's life serves as a testament to perseverance, hard work, and the importance of family and community ties."

Who would have thought it? And maybe you'd enjoy it too!