Daniel Francis

Reading the National Narrative

Robert A. J. McDonald, RIP

Jun 26, 2019

I am very sorry to learn of the death of Bob McDonald on June 19 at the age of 76. Vancouver has lost one of its preeminent historians.

Bob's book on the city's early years, Making Vancouver, 1863-1913 (UBC Press, 1996), is a subtle and groundbreaking study which I return to again and again for my own work. A longtime professor of history at UBC, he was past president of the Vancouver Historical Society and a fixture at its monthly meetings, which is where I used to run into him. In our last conversation he told me about his new book on BC political history which I assume will be forthcoming.

Condolences to his family.