Canmore publisher brings Canadians' 'Amazing Stories' to bookstores across the country
by Jennifer Groundwater
In a nation that tends to define itself by what it is not, what could be more necessary than books that tell us our own stories?
Ask this question at Canmore-based Altitude Publishing, and you're likely to get a warm response. Tucked away in an unassuming office on Railway Avenue, over the past 20 years, Altitude has quietly been creating a national success story. You might even call it an amazing story.
Since the 1980s, the company has built its reputation on its excellent full-colour guidebooks, pictorial books, calendars and postcards. From its base in the Rockies, it has expanded throughout Alberta and British Columbia with a range of high-quality products focusing on these provinces.
President and publisher Stephen Hutchings is a man who is fond of a grand vision. Chatting with him about publishing is like taking a bracing shower in a torrent of ideas. Views are expounded, files brandished, tangents explored. Stephen is a man who loves publishing as much as he loves the Next Big Thing. Small wonder, then, that he has taken Altitude from a small, local-interest publisher to a national force with books in stores throughout the country.
Browse any Canmore local's bookshelves, and you're sure to find some of Altitude's titles: maybe Classic Hikes in the Canadian Rockies, the Canadian Rockies SuperGuide, or the Canmore and Kananaskis SuperGuide. Their pictorial books grace many a local coffee table, too. But the Next Big Thing at Altitude Publishing these days is a line of books known as Amazing Stories.
These true stories are about Canada: its historical moments, its fascinating people, even its scoundrels. Launched less than two years ago, the series is now sold coast to coast and is adding new titles every month.
The whole idea was born only a few years ago. Stephen was standing in a Barnes and Noble store in Boulder, Colorado, looking at a display of local-interest books. They were small biographies of Western icons such as Buffalo Bill Cody, the Unsinkable Molly Brown, and Wyatt Earp. Stephen recalls: "They were cheap and, frankly, quite ugly, but when I opened up the cover of one, I read: 37th printing."
Those magic words set Stephen to thinking. "Canada doesn't have anything like this," he mused, then: "It's a great idea for Canada." He knew that our history is every bit as rich and fascinating as that of our neighbours to the south. It just hasn't always been presented that way.
It was 2002. The tourism industry was still reeling from the after-effects of 9/11, and demand for Altitude's mainstay books was low, due to the reduced numbers of visitors in its traditional markets. Stephen decided to bring his new idea to life.
He and associate publisher Kara Turner began to work on the Amazing Stories line in the fall of 2002. They decided to launch the line in their own backyard with stories of the Canadian Rockies. Mary Schaffer, the hardy 19th-century female explorer, was the first subject to be honoured with an Amazing Story.
Then the whole staff at Altitude got in on the game, brainstorming to create lists of Canadian stories that they felt needed to be written. The lists were eclectic, covering "every story you could imagine," says Stephen.
To expand even further, Kara placed ads in the local papers, asking would-be storytellers to come forward with their ideas. The response was enthusiastic, which was fortunate, since Chapters had indicated interest in the line, and 12 titles were needed by March 2003.
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Stephen Hutchings, president and publisher at Canmore-based Altitude Publishing, has seen a great response across the country for his Amazing Stories series of books.
Stephen and Kara tapped into a network of Canadian writers and editors, asking for contributions to the series, and again got a strong response. "People got in touch from all over Canada," recalls Stephen. Before long, Kara was overseeing the creation of dozens of stories.
Once the first dozen titles came out, Stephen felt free to unleash his "giant vision" that included stories that reflect every region of the country, "books to be sold from Gander to Sooke." From a purely western focus, the series began to expand into the rest of the country. Plans for the future include telling the amazing stories of other countries, too, Beginning in May 2005 there will be American and British books as well. "It's a way to export Canadian know-how and creative talent," says Stephen. (Currently, the books are written and edited almost entirely by Canadians, and printed in Manitoba, like all of Altitude's books.)
And what is so great about Amazing Stories? They are true stories about Canadian life. Each book tells the story of a fascinating Canadian or an event that has happened somewhere in Canada, from the earliest days up to the present. The books are slim, with few pictures. What makes them so successful is the fast-paced storytelling and the intriguing characters. They don't cost much - less than $10 per book - and their accessible text means they can be read in one sitting. In fact, they are hard to put down.
Canadians tend to forget that we have a wonderful history ourselves. Not always pretty, it is still something to be remembered and celebrated. The series encompasses names that we recognize, like Grey Owl, Lucy Maud Montgomery and Alexander Graham Bell. It covers important moments in our history, like D-Day, the Halifax Explosion, and the War of 1812. And it features other stories that aren't famous, just compelling: A War Bride's Story, Rescue Dogs, Trailblazing Sports Heroes, and many more.
Dip into the series, and you are sure to emerge with a new respect for Canada's Amazing Stories.
For more information, visit www.altitudepublishing.com
Jennifer Groundwater calls Canmore her home, and enjoys a freelance writing career that has involved, amongst many other things, authoring one of Altitude Publishing's upcoming Amazing Stories.
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