The Legend of the Flying Canoe

The time New Years Eve late 1800s The place Gatineau Valley Quebec A group of loggers working in an isolated winter camp yearn to celebrate New Years Eve with their loved ones But the river is frozen the sky is dark and swirling snow makes travelling treacherous If the men want to see their families their only choice is to make a pact with the devil to ride in a flying canoe While pacts with the devil are the stuff of legends from another time the cautionary tale of The Flying Canoe has a resonance for modern life Original music and bold animation preserve the spirit of this wellknown Quebec legend derived from La Chassegalerie first published in 1891 by Honoré Beaugrand Handdrawn animation scanned and coloured on computer