Lynn Holden’s first book describes her visits to all 20 locations in Canada; “They’re pretty special,” she says
A Horseshoe Valley woman has published a book to share her extensive travel experiences.
First author Lynn Holden, 77, published Canadian World Heritage Sites in March. It explores all 20 World Heritage Sites in the country.
“They’re pretty special,” says Holden. “They are on the same level as the pyramids in Egypt and the Great Wall of China.”
Holden’s journey to Canada’s World Heritage Sites began 40 years ago when she whitewater rafted on the Nahanni River, which skirts the Northwest Territories and Yukon border.
“At that point, I didn’t know anything about World Heritage sites,” she said. “I saw a park up there that said Virginia Falls, World Heritage Site.”
The former teacher visited two other World Heritage sites, SGang Gwaay and the Rocky Mountains, over the next two years. She was intrigued to know where to find other locations around the world.
“Every summer vacation, I would make time to visit a different one of these sites,” she said. “Every time I thought I was done, I saw another side.”
By 2018, she had visited all 20 locations. Now she wants to share her experiences with the world.
“That’s what the book is about,” she said. “There is a large map on the front showing where the 20 locations are across Canada.”
The book explains the difference between the cultural and geographical sites and provides information about each site. All of the photos in the book were taken by Holden, 77, who is a professional photographer.
“It’s sort of a history book, a geology book, and a table book,” she said.
As she reflects on her adventures at the World Heritage sites, Holden says one of the visits influenced her more than the others.
“I was at L’Anse aux Meadows, a Viking and cultural site in Newfoundland, in 1991 when the Viking ship came ashore,” she recalls. “I decided I could do the Viking’s journey and now I’ve been around the world to see where the Vikings went.”
Holden hopes her book will inspire others to explore some of the “amazing places” across Canada.
“My grandson read the book and says now he wants to go to those places,” she said. “That’s the nicest compliment I can get.”
For those unable to travel, Holden hopes she can give readers a little taste of what it’s like to experience Canada’s World Heritage sites.
Canadian World Heritage Sites is available from Manticore Books in downtown Orillia for $45.