On the Farm

Robert William Pickton and the Tragic Story of Vancouver's Missing Women

By: Stevie Cameron

Narrated by: Erin Moon

Length: 25 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's summary

2011 Arthur Ellis Award for Best Non-Fiction, Short-listed
2011 British Columbia's National Award for Canadian Non-Fiction, Nominated
2011 Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction, Short-listed

Verteran investigative journalist Stevie Cameron first began following the story of missing women in 1998, when the odd newspaper piece appeared chronicling the disappearances of drug-addicted sex trade workers from Vancouver's notorious Downtown Eastside. It was not until February 2002 that pig farmer Robert William Pickton would be arrested, and 2008 before he was found guilty, on six counts of second-degree murder. These counts were appealed and in 2010, the Supreme Court of Canada rendered its conclusion. The guilty verdict was upheld, and finally this unprecedented tale of true crime could be told.

Covering the case of one of North America's most prolific serial killers gave Stevie Cameron access not only to the story as it unfolded over many years in two British Columbia courthouses, but also to information unknown to the police—and not in the transcripts of their interviews with Pickton—such as from Pickton's long-time best friend, Lisa Yelds, and from several women who survived terrifying encounters with him. Cameron uncovers what was behind law enforcement's refusal to believe that a serial killer was at work.

©2010 Stevie Cameron (P)2022 Vintage Canada

Critic reviews

National Bestseller

2011, Arthur Ellis Award for Best Non-Fiction

2011, British Columbia's National Award for Canadian Non-Fiction

2011, Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction

“Rich with detail. . . . Should you buy this book and read it? Definitely.”—Neil Boyd, The Globe and Mail

"Stevie Cameron, who brought the art of political investigative journalism in Canada to new heights over the last three decades, has distinguished herself and her profession once again… [On the Farm] will surely remain a classic for generations of crime readers to come."—Winnipeg Free Press

amazing detail

Absolutely loved. amazing detail, voice changes for different characters, great story. highly recommend. I'll definitely reread!

it's gut wrenching and makes you cry

good story, very thorough. accent is hard to listen to but immersive. don't let Willy pickton go free he is up for day parole in Feb 2023 also arrest Dave pickton for being a sorry accomplice

Narrators fake Canadian accent

I guess I understand why the narrator felt like she had to use a fake Canadian accent through the entire book, but it was SO grating. I was cringing at the “ah-GAIN” and “PRO-ject” and “Bean” instead of been. It nearly made the book unbearable.

Excellent work on Canadian crime

You really feel sad for the women who were lost. The justice system let all but six souls down. Erin Moon is excellent! The book prompted me to research more on the events and learn where the survivors and LEOS are now.

Wow!

Excellently written and narrated! This book is packed with information and the narrator tells it expertly. Highly recommended!

Heartbreaking

Beyond the disgust of Pickton’s crimes is the heartbreaking reality that the missing women were victimized twice…once by Pickton himself and again by the police who ignored their abrupt disappearances. My heart goes out to the families who will never receive justice in the eyes of the courts.

Haunting and well told

The story and narration were amazing. The gory content, though tastefully presented, was difficult to hear. A very worthwhile listen.

Akin to Green River Running Red

This was very well done. The writing was very much investigative reporting and not at all fantastic tales of gore.

Humanize Victims

As a true crime reader, there are thousands of books and documentaries about serial killers. Like other true crimes readers, you soak it all in, get an idea about the killer, and feel sorry for the victims. But On The Farm takes it a step further by humanizing the victims. While this book paints a picture of William Pickton, a brief description of his childhood and influences. The author also took the time to discuss about the victims and their lives. How they are missed by their families.How these women had to live, dealing with their addiction, falling victim to Pickton. how their families are left to pick up the pieces and try to keep their memories alive. On The Farm is a good balance between understanding who the killer is, the victims, and the investigators. As well the difficulties and short comings of the investigations. The sheer magnitude of trying to convict a killer with no body, thousands of DNA samples and only bits and pieces of bone fragments and human remains. This is one of the most disturbing crimes in modern history and this book does an excellent job of explaining this complicated and horrifc crime. While maintaining the humanity of victims.

story is good but content leaves me frustrated

how many times did I hear myself sarcastically say "oh, good job, Canada"? There were so many points of frustration surrounding this story: police complacency, lack of action, ignoring expert opinions and advice, tossing out evidence, and reducing counts from 26 down to 6. I rarely have a serial killer true crime that leaves me so annoyed.