Old Man Savarin Stories: Tales of Canada and Canadians

In Short

This collection of short stories captures the diverse fabric of early Canadian life, spanning the rugged timber camps of the Ottawa Valley, quiet Scottish settlements, Loyalist enclaves, and historical battlefields. Through vivid encounters with untamed rivers, freezing winters, and sudden military conflicts, the characters navigate severe physical hardship and moral dilemmas. Edward William Thomson preserves a vanishing era of North American pioneer history by blending rugged realism with local dialect, showing how ordinary men and women face extreme danger and personal sacrifice with quiet resolve.

The Story

The narrative arc moves across the varied landscape of pioneer Canada and the lives of its inhabitants, tracing a collective journey through hardship, conflict, and quiet endurance. The tales begin along the timber waterways, where rivermen, timber-cutters, and local families confront the raw dangers of the wilderness. In the Ottawa Valley, old Ma'ame Paradis fishes the tumultuous Rataplan Rapid while nearby lumbermen grapple with low wages, severe winter blizzards, and broken timber rafts. Along these treacherous waters, young boys like little Baptiste Larocque learn the harsh realities of survival when a broken lumber raft brings sudden fortune to a starving family, replacing desperate prayers with frantic labor.

As the setting shifts toward settled communities and historical conflicts, the focus turns to the deep-seated loyalties that shape the pioneer character. In a Loyalist settlement, old John Bedell lives with the memory of past military glory, his life bound to British rule and the sacrifices of his family in foreign wars. When caught in the merciless current above Niagara Falls, Bedell chooses to face his end with unyielding patriotism, writing a final note on his metal snuff-box before cheering for the King as his boat plunges over the brink. Meanwhile, in the Scottish settlements, young men prove their mettle against physical injury and severe weather; "Dour" Davie McAndrews drives a team of horses through a blinding snowstorm with a shattered leg, refusing to give up until he delivers a vital warning to save a neighbor's lumbering business.

The collection expands beyond Canadian borders to follow Canadians caught in global conflicts, including the American Civil War and the South African Veldt. On wet, muddy battlefields, young soldiers face the terror of sudden artillery bombardments and the slow agony of camp diseases, holding onto memories of home and distant Thanksgiving feasts. In Africa, burgher veterans and British officers trade war stories and search for lost diamonds across the plains. Finally, the narrative turns to urban transplants and eccentric inventors trying to navigate commercial life in Boston. Across every landscape, the stories culminate in acts of resilience, where individuals overcome environmental hazards, economic ruin, and personal loss through steadfast loyalty to their communities.

How It Unfolds

Life along the rapid Old Ma'ame Paradis fishes the roaring Rataplan Rapid on the Ottawa River while giant figures like Angus McNeil play haunting lamentations on the bagpipes, remembering lost traditions and vanished kin.

Hardship in the timber camps Peter McGrath refuses low wages from his employer and tramps through backwoods hamlets searching for work, only to find the lumber markets glutted and his family facing severe winter poverty.

Deliverance on the river When a massive timber raft breaks apart in the current, young Baptiste Larocque and his family work tirelessly to haul the valuable planks ashore, rescuing themselves from starvation.

Dour Davie's desperate drive Davie McAndrews suffers a broken leg along a dark road, yet he drives his horse team five hours through a bitter snowstorm to secure help for a struggling neighbor.

The Loyalist's final cheer Caught in the rushing current above Niagara Falls, old John Bedell calmly writes a final message on his snuff-box and cheers for the King before disappearing into the cascades.

War on distant fields Young Canadian soldiers endure wet trenches and heavy artillery fire during the American Civil War, holding fast to memories of home while facing the realities of combat.

The People

• John Bedell: An unyielding U.E. Loyalist whose life is defined by fierce allegiance to the British Crown. Caught in the rapids above Niagara Falls, he faces death with unwavering stoicism.
• Little Baptiste Larocque: A resourceful young French-Canadian boy who tries to aid his impoverished family. His alertness during a river catastrophe transforms his family's fortunes.
• "Dour" Davie McAndrews: A determined young driver from the Scotch settlement who possesses immense willpower. Even after sustaining a severe leg fracture, he perseveres through a snowstorm to deliver aid to a neighbor.
• Peter McGrath: A stubborn timber-hewer who refuses reduced wages, driving himself into unemployment and bitterness before learning the true cost of pride during a severe economic slump.
• Adam Bemis: An eccentric Nova Scotian living in Boston who claims to have invented a device capable of world destruction, grappling with the moral weight of absolute power.
• Renwick: A sensitive former political editor who takes a job at The Family Blessing to support his widowed family, struggling to maintain his intellectual integrity under a patronizing employer.

In Its Own Voice

"When the croon of a rapid is heard on the breeze, / With the scent of a pine-forest gloom [...] Then my heart hurries home to the Ottawa hills, / Wherever I happen to be."

An opening poem reflects the deep nostalgia and homesickness felt by Canadians living far from their native forests and rivers.

"God be praised, I die in British waters!"

Scratched onto a metal snuff-box found in his pocket, these final words capture John Bedell's devotion to his heritage even in his dying moments.

"We may take as much trouble as we like, but it's no use unless le bon Dieu helps us."

Little Baptiste reflects on his family's sudden shift from starvation to abundance after a broken lumber raft floats into their river eddy.

What It's Really About

Underneath its tales of wilderness adventure and frontier life, the book examines the tensions between personal independence and community survival. It explores how cultural identity shapes resilience, contrasting the fierce imperial loyalty of British settlers with the quiet, faith-driven endurance of French-Canadian habitants. The stories constantly test the human spirit against indifferent natural forces—raging rapids, freezing snowstorms, and deadly battlefields. Thomson investigates the price of stubborn pride, demonstrating that survival often depends on mutual aid, religious faith, and an unbending sense of duty. Ultimately, the collection serves as a meditation on memory, exile, and what it means to belong to a young nation.

Why Read It Today

This collection offers a vivid, unfiltered window into nineteenth-century Canadian frontier life, ideal for readers who appreciate regional history and rugged wilderness fiction. Edward William Thomson writes with rich atmospheric detail, rendering the sounds of roaring rapids, damp timber shanties, and icy roads with striking clarity. The narrative carries a authentic, unhurried rhythm that immerses the reader in a bygone world.

Modern readers should be prepared for period difficulties, particularly the heavy use of phonetically written regional dialects—including French-Canadian, Scottish, and Irish phrasing—which can slow down the reading pace. Additionally, the text reflects nineteenth-century colonial perspectives and period attitudes toward race and ethnicity. Yet, despite these structural hurdles, the book remains a compelling read. Its depictions of human endurance, quiet sacrifice, and the sheer majesty of the northern landscape linger long after the final page.