Growing Up North

In 1944, United States troops secured Saipan as Japan fell, Canadian Cameroon Highlanders conquered St-Andre, and Morris Bradburn’s family traveled over one hundred miles by canoe so he could be born in a hospital near the Hudson Bay’s fort in northern Canada. It was a different time in an uncertain world as the seventh child joined the Bradburn family. In his memoir Growing Up North, Bradburn shares a fascinating narrative about his memories growing up in the small, isolated community of Oxford House, Manitoba. In a world where Cree was the only spoken language, Bradburn relays details about the fur trade in Canada, the history of the Cree nation, and the lives of the people in his family and the Oxford House community. With freedom to play and study as he wished, Bradburn details how he persevered through challenges, experienced many adventures, and learned independence after he was sent away to attend school. Growing Up North provides an unforgettable glimpse into the life of a little boy who grew up during a time when the air was clean, fish filled the lakes, and everyone shared the joys of living in the great northland.