Born and educated in Scotland, <b>Jan Peterson</b> immigrated with her family to Kingston, Ontario, in 1957. In 1972, she moved with her husband, Ray, and their three children to Port Alberni. With a lifelong interest in painting, writing, and history, she is recognized for her many years of involvement in the arts and community service. As a reporter for the <i>Alberni Valley Times</i>, she won a Jack Wasserman Award for investigative journalism. Jan and Ray retired to Nanaimo in 1996, where she continues to research and write. She is the author of eleven books, including <i>Mark Bate: Nanaimo’s First Mayor</i>; <i>Port Alberni: More Than Just a Mill Town</i>; and <i>Kilts on the Coast: The Scots Who Built BC</i>.
