A book that aims to show both sides of the logging industry and the conflict that ensues from it has now won an award.
Aaron Williams is an author and also a third-generation British Columbia logger who returned to the forests of Haida Gwaii to witness what he calls a way of life in the “grip of change.”
Wilfrid Laurier University has named Williams the winner of its 2025 Edna Staebler Award for Creative Non-Fiction for his book The Last Logging Show: A Forestry Family at the End of an Era (Harbour Publishing).
The $10,000 prize recognizes Canadian writers for a first or second book that is written in the genre of creative non-fiction and includes a Canadian locale or significance.
“Winning the Edna Staebler award is an incredible thrill,” said Williams in a press release from Laurier. “To be in the company of such great past winners, as well as fellow nominee Martin Bauman, I’m grateful for all of it. It doesn’t get any better.”
Williams wanted to tell his family’s story but also understand the other side of things. His journey took him into a season at Collison Point, where the loggers are increasingly unwelcome visitors to the ancient forests.
“There’s sort of three braids. It’s about my family’s history as well as the history of logging in B.C. And then, sort of the third, final, most prevalent, the conflict between First Nations groups and settlers over logging rights,” he explained to The Interior News when the book came out earlier this year.
He hopes that by reading his book, people will better understand all the sides of arguments when it comes to logging.
An award ceremony and reception honouring Williams will be held on April 1, 2026 on Laurier’s Waterloo campus.