THIS WAS OUR VALLEY Earl K. Pollon and Shirlee Smith Matheson Calgary, Detselig, 1989. 401pp, paper, ISBN 0-920490-92-1 (doth) $26.95, 0-920490-91-3 (paper) $17.95. CIP Adult/Post-secondary Reviewed by John Harkness. Volume 18 Number 2 1990 March It is from Hudson's Hope, the third oldest community in B.C., that the co­authors of this volume emerge. To­gether in This Was Our Valley they chronicle the impact of the dam on this town and its surrounding area. In Part 1 Pollon - hunter, trapper, lime kiln and sawmill operator, editor of the local paper, and poet - gives us a biographical account of his activities in and around the area, the coming of the dam, and its impact on his way of life. He is a good story-teller and his tales are augmented by some of his poems and many personal photographs. Matheson's narrative, Part 2, examines the social, economic and environmental impact of the dam and many of the conflicts that arose as this particular area became more important and valuable to a wider sphere. I found This Was Our Valley some­what interesting but I suspect its appeal will not be wide. More informative maps for those unfamiliar with the area, as many will be, would have been useful. There is no index and most of the text is quite episodic. John Harkness, Emery C.I., North York, Ont.