Our Friend Joe: The Joe Fortes Story - Softcover

Literary Nonfiction. African American Studies. Biography. When a young black man named Seraphim "Joe" Fortes arrived in Vancouver in 1885, with little to his name, no one could have possibly suspected that one hundred years later he would be voted "Citizen of the Century." OUR FRIEND JOE is the first biography of the West Indian sailor who became a local legend, saving dozens of lives and teaching three generations of Vancouver children how to swim. On a chance rowboat ride not far from the city, he would find his "perfect place" in English Bay, where the untold story truly begins. In 1900, after years of volunteering, Joe was officially hired by the City as lifeguard, swimming instructor and special constable of English Bay beach. Colorful, often poignant details chronicle Joe's many adventures both on and off shore, his genuine rapport with citizens of all ages and his deeply personal relationship with one Vancouver family. On February 7, 1922, thousands of mourners lined Vancouver's streets to bid farewell to "our friend Joe." His legacy continues today, with one of Vancouver's libraries named after him. Part of the proceeds from this biography are being donated to the Lifesaving Society/Société du Sauvetage, Canada's national organization for lifeguarding and water safety expertise.

Lisa Anne Smith was born in Burnaby, B.C. She travelled extensively while working towards a Business Certificate in Travel and Tourism at the British Columbia Institute of Technology and has written articles for various publications. In her spare time as stay-at-home mother, Lisa self-published a children's book to benefit the St. Roch Preservation Campaign. Lisa has been an education docent at the Museum of Vancouver for the past seven years, and is a member of Native Daughters of B.C. Post #1 and a curator for the organization's Hastings Street Mill store (the oldest building in Vancouver). She lives with her husband, two children, and Sunny (the world's least intelligent but most loveable golden retriever) in Vancouver.