Northern Rover The Life Story of Olaf Hanson

From 1919 to 1970, Olaf Hanson was a trapper, fur trader, prospector, game guardian, fisherman, and road blasting expert in northeastern Saskatchewan. He told his life story to popular Saskatchewan author A. L. Karras, who wrote this historical memoir in the 1980s. In an uncompromising, straightforward style, Karras and Hanson reveal the geography, wildlife, and natural history of the region as well as the business and social interactions between people. Northern Rover offers a look at the vanishing subsistence and commercial economy of the boreal forest, wound around a fascinating personal story of courage and physical stamina.

About the Author

Arthur L. Karras (1914-1999) is the author of the Saskatchewan classic books North to Cree Lake: The Rugged Lives of the Trappers Who Leave Civilization Behind (1970) and Face the North Wind (1975). This manuscript came to light after his passing in 1999.

Reviews

…Hanson’s reminiscences, which shift from heroic feats of strength over muskeg portages, to genuine wilderness survival tips, to partial remorse over the use of leg-hold traps and the selling of live bear cub, are fascinating in their description of a changing boreal culture and wilderness.

Canadian Literature

Table of Contents

1. Introduction by Anthony Gulig
2. Preface
3. 1. Road to Learning
4. 2. Forest Ranger
5. 3. From Poacher to Game Guardian
6. 4. Bear Cubs
7. 5. Hardships and Happy Days
8. 6. Commercial Fisherman
9. 7. Fur Trader
10. 8. Struggle for Survival in Flin Flon
11. 9. Jan Lake, 1932-33
12. 10. The Wandering Trappers
13. 11. No Pot of Gold
14. 12. At the Rainbow’s End
15. 13. In Rockbound Country
16. 14. Reindeer Lake to Lynn Lake
17. 15. Lady Prospector
18. 16. The Hanson Lake Road
19. Epilogue / Index

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC-ND 2.5 CA). It may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes, provided that the original author is credited.