A local 108 Mile Ranch author has penned a new book in his series about working at a sawmill.
The book, called Night Watchman and Friends, is set in the town of Chetwynd, B.C. in a sawmill in the year 2000. It was written by Barry Porter, whoalso wrote the 2022 novel Sawmillers and the 2023 novel Wonderful - A Sawmill Story. Night Watchman and Friends is the latest entry in his series following the lives of sawmill workers in 2000.
"That was the year that the Pine beetles actually made it across the Rockies into the Peace region," Porter explained. "I also wanted to have a sawmill that wasn't brand new with the latest technology."
His novels follow several characters: one of which is related to 100 Mile House named Rob Spanki, who is described as a "strong, neat, fuzzy, and conscientious new millwright apprentice at the Hasler Flats sawmill" according to Porter.
"It's about a group of people, many of whom I introduced in the first and second books, although this book can be read as a standalone," Porter explained. "One of the primary characters is a night watchman [Erik Johansen] who works the graveyard shift - another major character is a millwright apprentice - the people's lives all get intertwined around a period of about three weeks."
Other characters that Night Watchman and Friends stars include Lacey who needs to find a smaller and cheaper apartment, Ray Bozeman a sawmill foreman whose sister has suddenly died in eastern Washington State of a drug overdose, Biff an electrician whose three wives have left him and who believes his married life is over and Clifford Merchant, who has been twice fired as a forest company president and tries to start up his own company only to fall into a life of crime. Finally, Porter also introduces Mel McSorley, the founder of the East Slope Company, who returns from a vacation to discover that he is 50 years delinquent in paying off a debt.
However, Spanki is not the only link Night Watchman and Friends has to 100 Mile House. Because of Porter's fondness for BJ Donuts, he has made it into a "world famous stop to get an apple fritter" which the characters end up doing when they stop in 100 Mile House.
"And in Night Watchman, two people spend the night at the 108 Resort as they are travelling," Porter said, giving another example of the characters interacting with the South Cariboo. "I described the town as a nice place. Centennial Park is a really beautiful spot."
Porter moved to 108 Mile Ranch in 2008 after retiring from a career working in the mills. After a brief stint as a teacher, Porter spent 30 years working in sawmills in Chetwynd, including in a small outdoor bush mill, like the one he features in his novels, and at a large modern sawmill. During this time he met many interesting people and witnessed what he described as happy, sad and tragic events, some of which he draws inspiration from in his novels.
"I started as a junior person piling lumber, noisy at the time, somewhat dangerous at the time, people didn't worry about hearing protection, it was hot in the summer, cold in the winter. Later, I became an electrical apprentice, then a foreman, a superintendent and then a manager. It was a sophisticated place to work." Porter explained, adding his mill was operated by Canadian Forest Products.
His passion for writing, however, predates his time working at the mill.
"From the time when I was little, maybe even Grade 4 or 5, I wanted to write a book. And I remember being young, thinking I just don't know enough how to write a book. I need to learn some big words," Porter said. "I was 75 when I finally did it."
Porter feels good his latest book is completed, noting that it is satisfying when someone reads one of his books.
"I experienced a lot of interesting things over the years working in the forest industry. And then once I started to get comments from people who read my books - that they enjoyed them, I wanted to write more," Porter explained.
Porter plans to write a fourth book that will focus on an attempted serious crime at the sawmill, but Porter would not reveal any more details.
Night Watchman and Friends, is available for purchase at Nuthatch Books or at the 108 Mile Ranch post office and online through Amazon. Porter added he prefers it if people buy locally.
