On Vancouver Island, waterfalls do not perform on a schedule. But they respond to rain, gravity, and seasonality. In summer, many of them retreat into the forest — narrowing into quiet threads slipping over stone, easy to miss unless you know exactly where to look. By contrast, when winter arrives, bringing Pacific storms and weeks of steady rainfall, the Island’s hidden water systems awaken. Creeks swell, underground channels overflow, and the rocks burst into a roar. This is when waterfalls become what they were meant to be. And that is why winter is the best season for waterfall watching on Vancouver Island. Winter makes it clear that the Island is not a static backdrop, but a living system.

The passions of the BC and Yukon Book Prizes — the largest regional celebration in the publishing world — have now settled. The finalists and winners are well known, led this year by the breakout A Haida Wedding (written by Terri-Lynn Williams-Davidson, published by Heritage House Publishing), alongside the customary dominance of Greater Vancouver representatives. Island authors and their publishers had their moment too, as the annual Victoria Book Prizes were also awarded. At the same time, publishers have already applied for new ISBN pools, giving us a glimpse of the upcoming season’s premieres. The beginning of the calendar autumn is, quite naturally, a new year not only for certain faith communities but also for the publishing world. Very soon, the literary year will be ushered in with celebrations — once again at Salt Spring Island’s Paper Covers Rock and in the capital with the Victoria Festival of Authors, marking its tenth anniversary this year.

In the meantime, we present our selection of this year’s most remarkable books whose theme is the most beautiful place in the world — Vancouver Island. The list includes only works published in 2025, excluding traditional guides and reissues from earlier years. As a bonus, we’ve added a short preview of the most anticipated upcoming publishing premieres. Because what could be better than a selection of fine reading while sipping coffee or tea in your favourite cozy spot in the fall? We sincerely hope the Top Books of VanIsland.Life 2025 will appeal to you.

For more than eight millennia, humanity has revelled in wine. And as long as the earth and the sky, and people beneath that sky upon this earth, the tradition will live on. Not every place under the sun is destined for winemaking. To make it so, the stars must align, and several conditions must come together.

First of all – climate – there must be enough warmth for the grapes to ripen, but without extreme heat. Soils are also needed – well-drained and mineral-rich – as this has the greatest influence on the taste of the wine. Proper climate and soils must come together on the appropriate terrain, creating an optimal microclimate on slopes or valleys, near a river or the sea. And, finally, the decisive human factor – traditions, technologies, infrastructure.

This is exactly how, and only how, all wine regions in the world have been formed. From the Caucasus, Mesopotamia, and the Near East, extending to Ancient Greece and Rome and the rest of Europe, and further – to the New World, particularly in North America. Thus the winemaking tradition has reached British Columbia and Vancouver Island.