To Olson Family Members, April 3, 1949

On the day before his 50th birthday, Sigurd is in Toronto, where he has just succeeded in a major conservation goal: organizing a group of influential Canadians to generate support in that country for preserving the large portion of the Quetico-Superior canoe country in Ontario, and for a treaty to manage well the Rainy Lake watershed on both sides of the border. He also is excited to relay the information that the documentary film he wrote, directed and starred in, Wilderness Canoe Country (meant to generate support for a ban on airplanes in the area known today as the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness) is getting high marks from professionals and is scheduled to be seen by President Harry Truman.

Toronto, Canada
April 3, 1949

Dear Far flung family of mine:

It is Sunday morning of the last day of my 49th year. Tomorrow I will be fifty. The thought of it is rather exhilarating and I feel is partly responsible for my sense of good feeling today. What a whirlwind this past year has been. Instead of slacking off as people should do when they reach this ripe old age, my pace has been speeded up double, triple and sometimes quadruple. However it has been exciting and satisfying and this morning I am happy. Next Sunday, I hope to spend at home in Evanston and on Monday I see you Dad, or perhaps Sunday night. I only wish I could see you all.

Things have gone very well here in Canada. We have a splendid and powerful group organized and I can see only success in the offing. We are moving slowly now and consolidating our winnings. For the first time, I begin to see the end, or possibly the beginning of a new Quetico-Superior. If the Treaty goes through, all little problems such as Air Control and other things will be automatically solved.

Last night I attended a lecture at the Royal Canadian Inst., by The Right Hon. Vincent Massey on "The Canadian Pattern." At a reception afterward, Mr. Massey asked me if any of the brickbats thrown at the US had hit me. I assured him they hadn't and that I was a much better Canadian for having heard him. I am beginning to feel more at home in the Canadian scene.

Yesterday, I went through a beautiful art gallery showing Canadian landscapes. For two hours I was enthralled. Painting up here is a very live art and Canadians seem much more conscious of the value of art than we do down below. Can it be that I am being infiltrated by the old English conception of Yankee crudeness. Heaven forbid. Saw one picture for $1200 that I would like to steal.

On off moments I am working on a new article for the National Magazine [note: National Home Monthly] for summer or September. Got 12 beautiful kodachromes from Lee Prater of Washington [U.S. Forest Service] to use. I hope it will be good. Have outlined it, but I need to go off somewhere to think. One of mine was featured this week in the Canadian Forestry Asso. magazine, Forests and Outdoors. I haven't enough copies to send you but will try to get some later. It came out at a very good time. Secret - it was one of the first movie scripts [of the film "Wildnerness Canoe Country"], which was too long for use, but which had the makings of an article.

...Word from New York, that top film executives had seen the movie. They are tremendously enthusiastic and highly complimentary, may work out distribution through Paramount in Canada and the US. Word from Washington - President Truman will see it this week. The little old movie has certainly gotten around. Much love to you all.