HikingTrailsBooks.com offers publications on hiking in Victoria and vicinity.
Title
Hiking Trail Books of Vancouver Island, published by the Vancouver Island Trails Information Society
Description
About Us
The Vancouver Island Trails Information Society is a non-profit society dedicated to providing accurate information to the public about trails and parks on Vancouver Island.
Originally, VITIS was formed as the Outdoor Club of Victoria Trails Information Society. O.C.V. members, especially Dr. Jim Fiddess and Ted Fairhurst, had long dreamed of producing a book about the trails known and used by the club. Their dreams were realized in 1971 with the formation of a hard-working committee. The new editor was to be Jane Waddell, ably assisted by Bill Burroughs, John Harris, Dave Birch and Jane Toms among others. The group incorporated as a non-profit society and produced its first book in December of 1972.
That very first volume, Hiking Trails: Victoria and Southern Vancouver Island, contained only 32 pages and 18 destinations, and had an initial print run of only 2000 copies. Hand-drawn maps and delightful sketches by Laurie Rossiter illustrated the text. Several of the original supporters of the project had promised to underwrite the printing costs, should the project fail, but by the time the invoice for printing was received from Morriss Printing, the book had hit Eaton's best-seller list and the printing costs were already recouped.
