A pioneer in book publishing in British Columbia, James Douglas has also had a profound influence on the industry as a whole. He took Douglas & McIntyre, which began as a small regional publishing house, to national and international prominence. A driving force behind the Association of Canadian Publishers, he worked tirelessly to promote Canadian writers and to urge businesses to think and aim beyond our borders. Known as a patient and generous mentor, he inspired a generation to invest its time, resources and energy in Canadian publishing. As well, he was instrumental in the founding and design of Simon Fraser University'spublishing program, the first in North America.