From the recording Open Water
Development of the Ottawa Valley in the early to mid-1900s involved large blocks of land being expropriated to make room for industrial development (hydroelectric) and for government institutions such as Garrison Petawawa and Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. Historical records show the old settlement roads and the locations of homesteads, stopping places and early farms. Some of the names of the old farms and stopping places have been adopted in our modern world, but otherwise all that remains are the traces of old homesteads; house foundations, steamboat wharfs, stage coach trails. These lands have also become wildlife refuges with access controls allowing the wild lands their privacy. This song pays tribute to the sadness that affected folks felt when they were told to move. These folks include the Richards, Forans, McQuestions, Shields, Nadeaus and many more. Like with the song Holden Pond, this is not a protest song; it simply tells the story of a time and place in the Upper Ottawa Valley.