Aviation adventures are featured in eight of Shirlee Smith Matheson’s 21 published books (14 nonfiction books for adult readers and seven young adult novels), as well as short stories and stage plays. She is an alumnus of The Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, and has instructed writing courses/workshops and offered presentations for schools, organizations and special events. 
Shirlee holds memberships in The Writers Guild of Alberta, CANSCAIP, and Young Alberta Book Society (YABS), as well as Palm Springs Writers Guild and several aviation museums and related organizations (Canadian Aviation Historical Society; Women in Aviation International; and a founding member of CWIA Alberta-Rocky Mountain High Chapter). 
Awards include The 99’s Canadian Award in Aviation; Athabasca University Distinguished Alumni; Emerald Award finalist (environmental writing); Alberta and BC nonfiction prizes; and Canadian Children’s Book Centre fiction awards. 
Shirlee was employed for a number of years at The Hangar Flight Museum (The Aero Space Museum), and recently completed a project as Historian for Calgary International Airport.
This Was Our Valley, the ongoing saga of hydro-electric dams on the Peace River, will be published in 2019 by Frontenac House of Calgary). 

Twitter: @ssmatheson1