Besides holding down a full-time editor's job on a big city daily newspaper, Harvey Currell used his spare time for 49 years at the work he loved best-combing the byways and backwoods of Ontario-and infrequently even England and the eastern U.S.-in search of fascinating destinations never discovered by travelers who stick to the superhighways. Every week he distilled his adventures into a Trips column-from 1958 to 1971 for The Toronto Telegram and from 1971 to 2007 for The Toronto Sun. On many of his early expeditions he had two eager passengers, his young daughter and son. They would listen carefully as Harvey interviewed foresters, naturalists, archaeologists, farmers, conservation officers, potters, woodcarvers, trappers, glass blowers, gliders, cabinet makers and dozens of other specialists in many fields.
At the conclusion of Harvey's interview, the kids would take over and ask their own questions. Often they would make notes to share their information at school the following week, sometimes before Dad's story had appeared in the paper. Newspaper readers clipped and saved the columns, sometimes for years, before going on the trips.
In Byways and Bylines, Harvey recreates 32 memorable trips while sharing his own life story.