Grassroots Artisans: Walter Stansell, Dan Sarazin, Henry Taylor; In Conversation with Barry Penhale

L.M. Marsh was a freelance writer and songwriter who lived in Ottawa.

Studying this book of photographs and conversations, my only regret is that I was not present. I wanted to meet these extraordinary men in person — to touch Walter Stansell’s working replica of his grandfather’s saw mill, to paddle down the river and smell the white spruce root that holds Dan Sarazin’s canoes together, or to share a pot of tea with Henry Taylor in his camp in the woods.

Most of the skills learned by these artisans were handed down from generation to generation; the main concern of these craftsmen appears to be that due to lack of interest, their talents may be buried with them.

The publisher’s goal — recalling the colourful and courageous characters of the past to fill the vacuum so long apparent in the preservation of our heritage — has undoubtedly been accomplished. However, it may be of greater importance not only to preserve history but to continue making history. A concern, especially now that Walter Stansell has died, may be that only part of the obligation has been completed. The oral history has been recorded in print; but it may be necessary to document the methods in an instructional package so that Dan Sarazin’s fears that “once the art is lost, it is never going to come back” will not be realized.