I Long for the Northland

[Frank Pellow]

There is a poem entitled 'I Long for the Northland 'that expresses the poet's love of the Boreal Forrest that stretches all the way across Canada.  I've designed a plaque to hang in a new building on Pellow's Island and that plaque features the poem.  Corporal J. Romanson of the Canadian Army wrote the poem during the second-world-war.  My Father, Christopher Pellow, also in the Canadian army in Europe, clipped the poem from an army publication and sent it home from France to my mother and me, having first underlined the parts that meant the most to him.  I changed a few of the words in order to better describe the part of the Boreal Forrest around Hearst Ontario.

Here Is a photo of the clipped poem:

It’s tacked to a wall in our cabin.

Here is a photo of the plaque:

I cut it in 3mm thick Baltic Birch plywood using 2/0 Pegas spiral blades.  It’s backed with another 3mm thick plywood panel.  The frame is rough-cut Pine.  I've recorded this project in another Scrollsaw Village thread.  Here is a link: I'm cutting a plaque that has a lot of small letters using a spiral blade - Works In Progress & Tutorials - Scroll Saw Village

My dad purchased Pellow’s Island in 1925, thus in 2025, our family will have been guardians of the island for a century.  I’m partway through composing a poem that I’m entitling ‘Returning to the Northland’ that celebrates that guardianship.  My intention is to record that poem in a companion plaque (this time using 6mm thick plywood  —which will make the cutting easier).

Edited October 13 by Frank Pellow

[barb.j.enders]

A beautiful heirloom piece.  

A great story about the poem and your island.

Edited October 13 by barb.j.enders

[FrankEV]

Well done!

[meflick]

Nice work Frank. I can see the sentiment to your work. Your planned companion poem and piece will be the perfect piece with both commemorating  the family island.