In 1913, the BC government hired G.B. Milligan and E.B. Hart to lead two separate, small expeditions exploring the extreme northeastern part of British Columbia for 18 months. These explorations helped provide the first detailed information of this region. Unfortunately, World War I began just as these men completed their work, and the information they gathered got filed away and forgotten in the shadow of the great war.

Now, on the centennial of these expeditions, historian Jay Sherwood's new book documents the Milligan and Hart expeditions. He reveals what their northern explorations accomplished and he shows readers what this remote part of the province was like 100 years ago.

Sherwood also delves into the characters of Milligan and Hart. At just 25 years old, Milligan had already been a land surveyor for four years and had worked in parts of Peace River country. The consummate professional, he conducted his surveys efficiently and accurately. Hart was 16 years his senior, but had never before done any surveying or even used a sextant. Through political friendships, he managed to secure a contract to explore and survey an area adjacent to Milligan's. His inexperience posed many problems for him and for the surveyor general, who had to contend with compounding expenses and demands from Hart's debtors.

This is a story of how two very different men complete difficult tasks in a harsh environment dominated by cold winds, raging rivers and waterlogged muskeg.