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In Short

Harry Pick’s 1928 narrative chronicle follows the monumental Barr Colony migration from England to the Canadian Northwest in 1903. Blending historical movement with personal trial, the book captures the chaotic arrival in Saskatoon, the arduous two-hundred-mile wagon trek across an unforgiving prairie, and the final settlement of homesteads. It has endured as an authentic, grassroots testament to pioneer resilience, capturing both the high-minded idealism of empire-building and the gritty, comical, and exhausting reality of frontier survival.

The Story

The narrative opens in the spring of 1903 aboard the overcrowded steamship Lake Manitoba, where two thousand British colonists are packed tightly together while crossing the Atlantic. Tempers flare, culminating in a spirited cabin boxing match between a velvet-breeched gentleman and a scrappy former London barman named Sam. Upon landing in St. John and heading westward by train, the party arrives in Saskatoon to find a bustling, disorganized headquarters led by the Reverend Isaac M. Barr. The colonists face immediate chaos as they scramble to acquire transport, purchase heavy machinery, and deal with exorbitant prices and uncooperative local horses and oxen.

Amid the confusion, young Bert, a legal-minded Englishman, and Sam forge a lasting partnership. They cross paths with the Trailey family—William, an amiable and perpetually drowsy ex-insurance superintendent; his sharp-tongued, endlessly complaining wife, Martha; and their beautiful daughter, Esther. The group sets out by covered wagon on the grueling two-hundred-mile trek toward Battleford. Along the route, they encounter muddy alkali flats, unexpected May snowstorms, mosquito swarms, and the terrifying approach of roaring prairie fires. William manages to injure his foot on a forest root, sparking fierce medical debates among the colonists, while Martha frets constantly over imagined disasters and her husband's past.

The journey tests every traveler's physical and mental limits. Animals perish from lack of care and meager rations, leaving emaciated beasts and broken wagons in the wake of the trek. Despite these hardships, romances blossom; Bert becomes deeply enamored with Esther, much to Sam's dry, cynical amusement. After navigating confusing trails with unreliable guides and stumbling upon survey markers, the party finally reaches the designated land claims near Britannia. Standing amid sweeping vistas and wild pea flowers, the pioneers inspect their raw acreage. The narrative closes with Bert writing a buoyant letter home to his mother, announcing their successful arrival and requesting diamond and wedding rings for his impending marriage to Esther.

How It Unfolds

The voyage begins Two thousand British colonists endure cramped, highly congested conditions aboard the steamship Lake Manitoba, finding distraction in spirited shipboard arguments and boxing matches.

Equipping in Saskatoon The chaotic headquarters camp at Saskatoon requires colonists to purchase machinery, haggle over unruly horses and oxen, and contend with the overwhelmed organization of the emigration scheme.

The arduous trek west Travelers set out on a grueling two-hundred-mile journey toward Battleford, confronting deep mud holes, freezing spring snowstorms, and broken-down transport wagons.

Surviving the prairie fires A sudden shift in wind brings towering walls of flame toward the convoy, forcing the travelers into harrowing escapes through smoke-choked sloughs and burned terrain.

Reaching the claim After navigating confusing survey markers across vast open country, the exhausted party finally locates their designated land plots in the Saskatchewan wilderness.

The People

Sam is a sharp, quick-witted former London barman and pugilistic little Cockney who joins Bert on the trek. He wants practical survival and good-natured companionship, brushing aside romantic notions with cynical humor. He ends up as an indispensable, resilient pioneer who successfully adapts to the harsh frontier.

Bert is a young, legal-minded Englishman embarking on the colony with high aspirations and an eye toward future success. He wants to establish a solid claim and win the heart of Esther Trailey, facing down the brutal physical trials of the trail. He finishes the journey deeply in love, successfully securing his land and planning an immediate marriage.

William Trailey is a rotund, mild-mannered, and perpetually drowsy former insurance superintendent. He wants peace, comfort, and minimal conflict, though his primary obstacle is his own physical sluggishness and a tendency to doze off everywhere. He remains largely unbothered by his wife's sharp scolding and ends up sleepily drifting through the hardships of the trek.

Martha Trailey is William’s sharp-tongued, endlessly anxious wife who clings fiercely to past grievances and continuous complaints. She wants order, sympathy, and security, but is constantly thwarted by the dirt, discomforts, and chaotic realities of tent life. She finishes the journey just as vocal and complaining as ever, keeping a watchful eye on her family.

Esther Trailey is William and Martha’s lovely, golden-haired daughter. She wants a break from her mother's endless nagging and finds herself drawn to Bert's affections amid the wilderness. She emerges from the trek deeply happy, standing by her new partner as they claim their future home.

In Its Own Voice

Describing the immense scale of the historic migration aboard the vessel, the text notes the sheer density of the human cargo: "The party, which is declared to be the greatest emigration from England since the departure of William Penn, arrived Saturday morning on the steamship Lake Manitoba, whose cargo of humanity was packed like fish in a box."

Reflecting the chaotic horse-trading and unstable transport animals that greeted newcomers in the frontier town, the author observes: "Teams of vicious-looking mustangs, hitched to brand-new wagons, careered up and down the main street of the tiny hamlet like runaway fire engines."

Highlighting the physical toll and bleak aftermath left behind by fast-moving disasters on the frontier, the text notes: "A couple of weeks of this diet, followed by the new, sappy, green grass over which they positively went mad, put the finishing touches on scores of emaciated animals."

What It's Really About

The book explores the collision between idealized imperial ambition and the unyielding realities of frontier existence. It questions whether civilized, urban-bred Englishmen can successfully strip away their old habits and reinvent themselves as independent agrarians on the Canadian prairie. Beneath the episodic plot lies a deeper meditation on human adaptability: how community is forged through shared suffering, how petty domestic grievances shrink or magnify under extreme stress, and how endurance ultimately trumps ignorance when settling an untamed wilderness.

Why Read It Today

Modern readers interested in Canadian history, pioneer struggles, or the psychology of mass migration will find this firsthand account remarkably vivid and grounded. Reading it feels like sitting across from an aging pioneer who refuses to romanticize his past, offering dry wit and sharp observation instead of polished heroics. The book does not shy away from the difficulties of its era—including period attitudes toward class, gender roles, and indigenous inhabitants, alongside period slang and dialect that require patient reading. Yet its genuine warmth, memorable character friction, and richly detailed portrait of early Saskatchewan make it a rewarding journey. Those who appreciate unvarnished historical narratives and authentic human comedy will find that the vitality of Pick’s pioneers stays with them long after the final page.