When Manitoba author, radio storyteller, University of Manitoba professor and local Historian, Gordon Goldsborough travels the province he's always on the watch for stories of interest, bits and bites of history that grabs his attention. He has also been a volunteer with the Manitoba Heritage Society for many years, and thus there's no end to the list of rich Manitoa history!
Goldsborough has been travelling across the Westman Region with his latest book, On the Road to Abandoned Manitoba, and has had a great response from his followers who are enjoying this third book in the Abandoned Manitoba series.
When it comes to gathering stories for his books, he says there is never a lack of material!
"Some of my best material has come from tips offered by people who have read my books and have listened to me on the other media that I'm on," explains Goldsborough. "But then there are other ways, like I go to the Legislative Library and do research there. I read old local history books from all over the province. And then sometimes it's just random chance! I'll be out driving somewhere and then I'll see something and then I'll pull over and stop. You know, there are all kinds of things that I've found by complete accident!"
"It's been a very rich experience over the last dozen years, in going out and seeing the province and then finding all of these wonderful places!" he adds.
The first book in the Abandoned Manitoba series came out in 2016 and was soon followed by the second in 2018, which again was very well received. The pandemic pushed the pause button for Goldsborough, but it also gave him more time to thoughtfully decide exactly which stories would be included in the 30-or so chapters.
"There were lots of stories I would have like to have crammed into the second book but just couldn't for lack of space, so when the idea came around for a third, and probably final book, it was like, Wow! Lots of material and I had no trouble in finding enough to fill this book," he says.
Gordon will be sharing his third book, On the Road to Abandoned Manitoba, this week Friday, December 8th in Deloraine at the Prairie Skills Building at 2 pm.
Please listen to more with Gordon Goldsborough below!
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