Caroll Simpson’s memoir Alone in the Great Unknown describes her move away from an established life as an elementary-school teacher, and out to the remote reaches of Babine Lake, where she owned and operated a successful fishing lodge for many years. The story is open to coverage on several levels, reflecting diverse facets of life in Northern BC. Alone in the Great Unknown is in part a deeply personal tale. Simpson experienced not only the tragedy of her husband’s death shortly after the move, but also the many wonders and challenges of adapting to life alone and off the grid, in a place accessible only by a 40-mile round trip by boat in summer, and a journey by ice breaker barge and snowshoe in winter. On a larger scale, the book is also about Simpson’s eventual role as an environmental activist, speaking out for the growing wilderness-tourism industry and participating in the development of a government land plan. (Ted Douglas photos/Lakes District News)
