Who was Canada's J.D.McArthur? A pretty good question, which I hope, in part, to answer.
A Lumberman? Yes.
A railroad building contractor? Certainly.
A paper company owner? Hard to deny.
A brick factory owner? As far as I can tell.
A friend of the Indigenous? Back then no one was.
A benevolent soul? No, not so much.
A friend of the Chinese? That's not for me to say.
OR WAS HE
A force of nature? Just look around, it's obvious.
OR
Something not quite human? Possibly. Read a few pages and you just might get what I mean...
Companion to this book: "The Saga of J.D. McArthur and The Winnipeg River Princess" - The Musical! Audio CD
The Saga of J.D. McArthur & The Winnipeg River Princess
"I finished the Saga of JD McArthur and the Winnipeg River Princess last night. Got to tell you, it’s really excellent. Covers so much greatness. It’s funny, it’s poignant, it’s sad, it’s telling. Just a very good story and very good writing. I loved it."
Ryan Weber, of The Weber Brothers
"Reflective of the reality of colonial settlement, this is an unmasked view of JD McArthur’s part in the development of the Winnipeg River region, and beyond. Written as a cautionary tale, it is a story about exploitation brought on by greed; a compulsion which, despite being well hidden under our modern veil of civility, just might live in all of us.
By telling uncomfortable truths, Sveinson lifts the veil of time, in so doing he challenges the traditional narrative, illustrating how the insatiable nature of big businesses can come back, like a boomerang, to consume everything, including the greedy and the thoughtless who run them."
Dallas Mitchell, of The Zombies Ate My Media
"Great tragedy and injustices are intertwined in the founding of our Canadian nation. What Sveinson has accomplished in this novella is the elevation of such an instance to a tangible, and poignant reminder of the devastation caused by greed and corruption. The characters are big and colourful, making this story worthy of legend in it’s ability to stir the imagination, allowing us to question how different things could have been."
Sean E. McMullen, Person of Theatre
"The finest writing I’ve ever seen Sveinson pen. It’s very descriptive and directly to the point. The explanation of what a wendigo truly is segues fantastically into the Saga of JD McArthur and the Winnipeg River Princess. This story accomplishes to characterize not only the development of the Lac du Bonnet Manitoba region, it also helps explain the development of the Canadian prairies and the North West Territories, including the men that shaped them. In short, this novella is bursting with horror, humour and history. Three of my most loved things."
Andrew Scott, Canadian Singer, Songwriter, and lover of fast trains
"Spell-binding, larger than life. Sveinson dramatically unveidark underbelly of our country’s traditional pioneer history. In so doing he reveals the horror of the power of the ancient (some say mythic) Wendigo. With this creature being made real, Sveinson challenges our romantic notions of the dashing adventurers who braved the wilds. In fact, in deconstructing this premise, he reveals a tragedy of epic proportions, a result of our conquest over the natural order."
Gail Mooney, Pinawa Players
- I’m a Return and Refund policy. I’m a great place to let your customers know what to do in case they are dissatisfied with their purchase. Having a straightforward refund or exchange policy is a great way to build trust and reassure your customers that they can buy with confidence.