About the Book
Full of intrigue, adventure, greed, and tragedy, the enduring legend of Slumach’s Gold is examined in riveting detail in this newly expanded edition of a bestselling classic.
Newly expanded and revised, Slumach’s Gold: In Search of a Legend—and a Curse chronicles Canada’s most enduring lost-mine mystery. For more than 130 years, people have been captivated by the story of a secret cache of gold with nuggets “the size of walnuts,” supposedly buried near Pitt Lake in southwestern BC. Knowledge of its exact whereabouts died with Slumach, a Katzie Nation man executed for murder in 1891. Slumach, according to rumours that spread like wildfire in the years following his death, placed a curse on the hidden motherlode to protect it from interlopers and trespassers.
Countless prospectors, adventurers, amateur sleuths, and history buffs have attempted to find Slumach’s gold over the years. It has been the subject of books, articles, TV shows, and podcasts. But thus far, no one has succeeded in locating the legendary gold. Or have they? In this fascinating new edition of Slumach’s Gold, Brian Antonson, Mary Trainer and Rick Antonson diligently sift through history and myth, separating fact from fiction, but leaving the legend intact—along with the promise of gold yet to be found.
About the Author(s)
Brian Antonson co-founded Nunaga Publishing with Rick Antonson and Mary Trainer in 1972. Together they published more than twenty-five books, including their co-authored In Search of a Legend: Slumach’s Gold, which was re-released in a much-expanded version by Heritage House in 2007. He is co-author of Whistle Posts West: Railway Tales from British Columbia, Alberta and Yukon, published by Heritage House in 2015. Brian was production director at CKNW/98 New Westminster and general manager at CFVR/850 in Abbotsford, and was associate dean of Broadcast and Media Communications at the British Columbia Institute of Technology from 1985 to 2010. He lives in Mission, British Columbia, Canada.
Rick Antonson co-founded Nunaga Publishing with Brian Antonson and Mary Trainer in 1972. Together they published more than twenty-five books, including their co-authored In Search of a Legend: Slumach’s Gold, which was re-released in a much-expanded version by Heritage House in 2007. He is co-author of Whistle Posts West: Railway Tales from British Columbia, Alberta and Yukon, published by Heritage House in 2015. Rick was president and CEO of Tourism Vancouver from 1993 to 2014. He lives in Predator Ridge, British Columbia, Canada.
Mary Trainer co-founded Nunaga Publishing with Rick Antonson and Brian Antonson in 1972. Together they published more than twenty-five books, including their co-authored In Search of a Legend: Slumach’s Gold, which was re-released in a much-expanded version by Heritage House in 2007. She is co-author of Whistle Posts West: Railway Tales from British Columbia, Alberta and Yukon, published by Heritage House in 2015. Mary has been writing about British Columbia for four decades and was communications coordinator with Metro Vancouver for twenty years. She lives in Summerland, British Columbia, Canada.
Reviews
"Slumach's gold is one of North America's most famous lost treasures!"
—Adam Palmer, expedition team leader, Deadman’s Curse: The Legend of the Lost Gold
“Slumach’s Gold: In Search of a Legend—and a Curse brings together stories that have touched the spirits of my Ancestors. My mother Gail’s traditional name is Kwelaxtelotiya meaning “to be close to.” Like Slumach’s canoe touching the water, these words written are “close to” many truths about the legend of the hidden gold. My hands are raised to the authors who have recorded and shared Slumach’s oral history.”
—Taylor Starr, Cultural and Heritage Monitor and descendant of Slumach
“Forget the Dutchman, Lasseter's Reef, Yamashita's Gold, and all the other ‘lost mines’ that are just stories. Slumach's gold of Pitt Lake may not be as well known, but it certainly has the best and most evidence—guaranteed it will make a treasure hunter out of you!”
—Brian Dunning, host of the award-winning podcast Skeptoid
“The story of Slumach’s gold has been called the best campfire story ever. It’s easy to see why, with its long-lost gold mine, hanging, curse, and more. Even better, it’s grounded in fact. Authors Brian Antonson, Mary Trainer, and Rick Antonson deftly mined the legend for this lively, important new work.”
—Peter Edwards, Toronto Star journalist and co-author of Lytton: Climate Change, Colonialism and Life Before the Fire (with Kevin Loring)
“This book is a must-read for anyone fascinated by the world of lost gold, legends about treasure-hunters, and tales of a hidden motherload protected by a curse. I know, I've been there!”
—Donald E. Waite, author of British Columbia and Yukon Gold Hunters: A History in Photographs
“What makes this book stand out is the painstaking research that has gone into separating the truth from the fiction. The authors have put together a well-researched, well-written book that is rich with illustrations. Perhaps, but not likely, this edition will put to bed the false research, myth-making, and genuine lies that have surrounded Slumach and his mythical treasure.”
—Ken Mather, author of Stagecoach North: A History of Barnard’s Express
“Legend has it that old-time swashbuckling gold prospectors cried out 'There’s Gold in dem der hills!' after a successful day of prospecting. Mary Trainer, Rick Antonson, and Brian Antonson have been articulately proclaiming that same message for the last 52 years. The ongoing passion these three have for great storytelling and accurately recording BC history is nothing short of legendary.”
—Dave Doroghy, author of Show Me the Honey and co-author of 111 Places in Vancouver That You Must Not Miss
“An intriguing and meticulously researched tale of elusive gold in the British Columbia wilderness that has the heady additions of murder and a curse. As one treasure hunter says, “If you think it’s just about gold, then you are missing the truth.”
—Ed Butts, author of This Game of War
“Slumach’s Gold combines true crime, history, mystery, and memoir. A fascinating account of buried treasure and ancient curses, played out against a backdrop of backcountry justice in the wilds of late nineteenth-century British Columbia. The authors’ personal connection to the story (which has fascinated them since childhood) adds to the appeal, even as they reveal the truth behind certain long-standing legends.”
—Nate Hendley, author of Atrocity on the Atlantic and The Beatle Bandit
“A great piece of research that reads like a mystery novel or a CSI episode . . . Slumach’s Gold combines legend, myth, documentation and oral history. It’s a masterpiece.”
—Richard Thomas Wright, author Barkerville and Overlanders
“A fresh new look at one of British Columbia’s enduring mysteries.”
—Chuck Davis, author of Vancouver Then and Now
“Qualifies as a British Columbia classic”
—BC BookWorld
