(A.18.8 & A18.46) – Loc.A-H-4  –  High Tides was a Denman periodical first published on Feb. 1, 1981. It was published bi-monthly until Feb.1984 and then monthly until Feb.1988 except for 3 random bi-monthly issues during that time for a total of 63 issues. There were 3 calendars published, 1982, ‘83, and ’84 and one chapbook of poetry, Volume 19, 1982. The Archives holds all the above issues.

The first 3 editions were 12 to 16 pp. letter size and folded. The next 15 issues were 14 to 22 pp. legal size, corner stapled editions. The remainder were 16 to 24 pp. letter size and either folded and stapled or simply side stapled. The calendars were 40 pp. letter size and folded and stapled. The chapbook was 60 pp. and 17 cm. x 21 cm.

High Tides was a community newspaper containing Denman Island news, announcements, opinion, fiction, poetry, letters, book reviews, recipes, ads, classifieds and cartoons. The calendars contained about 20pages of fiction and recipes as well as the calendar itself.

The publication was produced by an ever changing committee of island residents and was sold for 50 cents at first and later for 75 cents. The first “chairman” was Marcus Isbister for 3 issues. Then just a list of contributors was printed in each issue if at all. With Issue 19 a masthead began to be published with each issue. Some of those include are Tom Devereux, Paul Bailey, Alan Cheetham, Wendy Colomby, Graeme Tait, Robert Fox, Ianthe Grogan, Jean Hayes, Jesse Edwards and many others over the years. No editor or publisher is ever listed.

The first issue Vol.1, No. 1 (A.18.8) was in the existing Museum collection. The remaining issues (A.18.46) were donated to the archives by Ron Sakolsky and were previously given to him by Hillel Wright.