GC: "It is all about the gathering and sharing of information which nutures and empowers the Sasquatch Community and which informs the public in general. You were the architect of one such gathering of information in the summer of 2004 at the Vancouver Musuem. How did this come about and what was involved to make it work?"

In 2001, I reasoned that one way to get possible high-profile scientific attention to the sasquatch/bigfoot issue would be to prepare a presentation showing the best evidence we have and provide it on a CD to major universities and institutions. This idea was an outcropping to Peter Byrnes idea to do basically the same thing with a detailed analysis of the Patterson/Gimlin film. Here, the idea was to do a scientific analysis, and if positive (film indicates a natural creature), provide a printed report to such institutions. Unfortunately, while the report was positive, the distribution never took place.

While a CD would not be as impressive as a printed report, it was far more cost effective. I thereupon started to prepare a presentation using what information I had or could find. As I moved forward, it became evident that what I was doing would make a wonderful book on the subject. My main concern in this connection was getting the rights to use all of the material I had selected. A friend in Quebec, Yvon Leclerc, agreed to assist me with the project by providing his material and preparing illustrations. I had known Yvon for some years and had shared information with him. It was Yvon who came up with the title MEET THE SASQUATCH (originally MEET BIGFOOT) for the presentation, and perhaps one day a book..

By January 2003, I had a very impressive presentation. In that month, my daughter, Donna, urged me to see an exhibit at the Vancouver Museum on the '50s - this being "my time," as it were. After going through the exhibit, I noticed that the museum did not have anything on the sasquatch. This was particularly odd in that British Columbia is well-noted for the creature. I determined that if they would make room for a few items (casts and posters particularly) I would donates such material. I envisioned a cabinet in the corner sort of thing. I was not aware that this museum and the provincial museum in Victoria did have sasquatch- related artifacts in storage.

I wrote a letter to the museum showing printed scans of the material I had and suggested a display. I also provided a copy of the CD showing the presentation. The museum replied and said they would like me to provide a full exhibit on the subject that would run for six months or so. I contacted John Green who agreed to work with me on the project. I subsequently contacted other researchers for donations (Rick Noll, Dr. Fahrenbach, Dr. Bindernagel, Dr. Meldrum to name a few).

The museum informed that I would need a Catalogue of Exhibited Items. I made a color printout of the presentation and started working towards preparing a catalogue. In conjunction with the catalogue, I went to see Dave Hancock (Hancock House Publishers). I showed him the presentation printout and he suggested that rather than a catalogue, have a book to accompany the exhibit, which would be far more appropriate for this kind of exhibit. He advised that the presentation would be excellent for such a book. The museum agreed to this plan and provided assistance and full cooperation in preparing the book and getting approvals for use of images and artifacts. (all items on exhibit were referenced to a book page number). I was appointed a co-curator for the museum with authority to loan material on behalf of the museum. I then asked Tom Steenburg to edit the book on an on-going basis. A lot of material was added to the exhibit and the book as we moved forward, making coordination quite a challenge..

While the whole project was certainly worth while, and something was definitely accomplished by getting an exhibit on the sasquatch into a major city museum, there is something that needs to be said. That exhibit ran from June 14, 2004 to February 1, 2004 - about 26 weeks. I, of course, had a pass, so could visit and see any and all exhibits at any time I pleased. I visited the museum at least once a week - usually on Sunday, although often during the week as well as on Sunday. I generally walked through all exhibits on my visits. Seldom were there many people in the museum (not just my exhibit, all exhibits). At the most no more than four or five people at any one time. I think that if the reader asks himself or herself when the last time he or she went to a museum, the question as to why the museum was virtually empty will be answered. Museums are a "thing of the past." The main, and almost only, patrons are school children who are required to attend on class visits. I can only speak for the Vancouver Museum, but I would suspect that what I say is the same for all museums. The media, I believe, is aware of this so don't pay much attention to museums.

Unfortunately, the exposure for the sasquatch issue I had hoped to get through a museum exhibit was highly marginal, if anything. The saving grace was my book (with due credit to John and Tom), MEET THE SASQUATCH, which basically resulted from the exhibit as I have explained. One other minor accomplishment - I did manage to get a number of sasquatch artifacts out of museum moth balls for a few months. Sadly, they have now all be returned to their respective dungeons.

GC: What can you reveal to us about your newest project? From what I know of it, this endeavor will make "Meet the Sasquatch" appear to be no more then a footnote, despite its lavish beauty."

Meet the Sasquatch is primarily a book about the hard, or reasonably hard, evidence support the existence of sasquatch. The only sightings it references(other than the P/G film) are in the Early Written Records and what I call the "Classics." Sightings really don't carry much weight unless they are backed by a photograph or tangible evidence of some sort (footprints, handprints, hair and so forth). I naturally did not plan to include sightings to any great degree in the original presentation that formed the basis of the book. The reason I included the sighting material shown was to generally "set the stage" as it were. What I included were the most colorful and most publicized sasquatch stories. In retrospect, I should have included only the most credible stories Four of what I show are among this group (Burns, Ruby Creek, Roe and Crew). Most of the other material is highly controversial, especially Jacko. The Sasquatch Chronicle, my current project, is a totally different work. It complements Meet the Sasquatch by concentrating on sightings. With both books, a fairly comprehensive account of the sasquatch is provided. This is basically a "no holds barred book." If a sighting received attention in the media or attention with an author, such is a candidate for inclusion. I am not evaluating material, although sometimes I include a personal comment. The book is being written under the chronicle format whereby every story is presented in the current tense (although it just happened). In other words, the reader is automatically put into the story time frame (he or she is not "transported back' with past date references). Where subsequent events have occurred related to the same story, I include a FAST FORWARD section to bring the reader up to date. The book will be a highly illustrated work with as many photographs and illustrations as possible.

From the outset, it needs to be understood that this book is about what people have said occurred. I have no way of disproving their stories and I really can't play judge and jury. I must let readers decide for themselves as to the merits of the material presented. People have all sorts of different belief systems. What might be highly credible to one person is totally without credibility to another. Nevertheless, I draw the line at the tabloids and what I consider pure nonsense.