Canoe Lake

by Roy MacGregor

A troubled American woman travels to a small Ontario town, determined to find the mother she has never known. As she searches through dusty records and stirs up old memories among those around her, three young people emerge from the mists of the past . . . a beautiful woman named Jenny, a shy local boy named Russell, and a dark-eyed painter named Tom, who changes the course of Jenny and Russell’s lives. Historical reality and conjecture are skilfully interwoven with intrigue and suspense as these three move unwittingly toward tragedy.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Canada, Book Club, Mystery, Contemporary

304 pages, Paperback

First published March 12, 2002

About the author

Roy MacGregor is a Canadian author of fiction and non-fiction.

Reviews

[Jaidee · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 "poignant and speculative Ontario historical fiction" stars !!

Last year I became enamored of the Canadian artist Tom Thomson. His artwork dazzles and moves me and the allure of his life and the mystery of his death have consumed my inner life. This autumn or the following Spring I will absorb and see much of his art and visit many of his artistic stomping grounds in the Ontario near north on a trip that I will carefully plan. There is something about both the man and his art that catches my breath and makes me both swoon and admire in equal measure.

The author of this book has written a small masterpiece. He is related to the woman (Winnie Trainor) that Thomson was engaged to and this book is equally about her life, her love and her heartbreak. Tying the book together is a noble townsman(Russell) who was a good friend to Tom and had unrequited love for the beautiful and intelligent Winnie. We hear the story through his reflections and his own yearning. Unraveling all of this is a lovely lost woman with depressive neurosis who has lost herself but believes she is the love child of Tom and Winnie and wants to reconcile her own empty life through the discovery of her own ancestral roots.

The prose is rich, descriptive and intelligent with detailed and exquisite character sketches carried through with elegance, wit and the deepest authenticity. A historical fiction that went straight and deep into my heart. With gratitude to Mr. MacGregor.

[Candi · Rating 4 out of 5]

“At the age of thirty-eight, life for Eleanor had become a detached accumulation of experiences, small proofs she did indeed exist.”

Eleanor Philpott, clerk in the Eaton’s store in Toronto during the early 1960s, is on a mission. She’s looking to find the name of her biological mother and father. Feeling unfulfilled at an age that would have likely been considered middle-aged at the time, Eleanor believes that tracing back to her roots will help her discover her true self. Not sure that I believe that is the solution, but I can certainly understand the appeal. Finding a purpose or direction to our lives can often make us reexamine or seek our own past as well as that of our ancestors.

“She acted out a concept of Eleanor Philpott; it was not the role she wanted. Eleanor thought her personality was of the sponge variety – she soaked up what others sent her way, stored it, and delivered it right back to them whenever they touched her – and what she’d really like to do was take that sponge and shred it down until an Eleanor Philpott that was acceptable to her emerged.”

I’m not going to lie. The draw for me wasn’t the concept of this novel. I was attracted to the cover and the title. Yep. And it seemed the perfect companion for a trip into the quiet, lakeside town of Long Lake in the Adirondack Mountains last month. What kept me going wasn’t Eleanor’s journey so much. Rather, it was the descriptions of the landscape, in particular that of Canoe Lake and Algonquin Park in Canada, that reeled me in. The discovery of an artist I’d not previously heard of also kept me invested in the story. There’s a mystery surrounding the death of Tom Thomson, a real-life figure from the early 1900s who painted some very vivid pictures within Algonquin Park. I found myself scouring the internet for images of his paintings. I was not disappointed.


Sunset, Canoe Lake, 1916 (Spring), Tom Thomson

This book kept me entertained during some tranquil moments by the lake. I wasn’t blown away by the premise, having guessed the ending fairly early on. But it did manage to evoke a strong urge to someday visit Algonquin Park. After I do so, I just might purchase one of those paintings for my very own.

3.5 stars

“The present, obviously, is the final measure of the past. If she then goes and alters her past, would it also change her present? She hoped so.”

[MissBecka Gee · Rating 3 out of 5]

The idea for this historical fiction is fantastic!
It's the execution that was lacking.
There is too much unnecessary information clouding the pertinent bits.
I do, however, think this will be fun to discuss at one of my book clubs next month.

[Debbie Robson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm going to start at the beginning. My only criticism of Canoe Lake is the first half of the first paragraph. Maybe it's because I'm Australian but I couldn't make sense of all the details about Vernon - the curfew, the mayor, the mill whistle, Rock Hill. Just a case of too much too quickly. So many details actually stopping me from visualising the town. Soon though I got into the rhythm of the writing, especially when Eleanor Philpott is introduced. I've decided she's one of my favourite characters. She is particularly fascinating because of her past - or lack of it. Although she is thirty eight, her life really hasn't begun when we first meet her.
The novel is told from two points of view - Eleanor's and Russell Pemberton's, a contemporary of the enigmatic painter Tom Thomson. As Eleanor begins to investigate what may have happened to Tom Thomson and his fiancee Janet Turner after his mysterious death, Russell remembers Vernon the way it was when he and Janet were young.
Roy MacGregor weaves the two narratives very skilfully together and towards the end I became really involved in Eleanor's cause. Hoping, particularly in the last few chapters, that she would find what she was looking for. The author's evocation of Thomson is quite masterly and I imagine it would be a bit daunting to create a character that so many people have wondered about. It seems though, because of his own history, that MacGregor was in a good position to do so.
This book is highly recommended and I would love to read another book about Eleanor Philpott. Set maybe a year or so later? There have been a few movies now about the early sixties. How about a book from the perspective of an older woman? The music! The clothes! Would love to read that! I'm sure I would enjoy it as much as this one!

[Robert Blumenthal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was given to me by a friend many months ago, and I finally got around to reading it. It was written in 1980 and was about the Canadian painter Tom Thompson, who died mysteriously in a small town in Ontario, Canada in 1917. There have been various rumors that have swirled, everything from him being murdered to his sweetheart/fiance fathering his child and giving it up for adoption in Philadelphia, PA. In this tale, the woman who is possibly the daughter of the painter is exploring her past in 1961 after her mother dies. Right before she dies, she confesses to having adopted her and giving her some slim info that leads her to the small town in Canada where Thompson had lived. The story also is told from the perspective of Russell Pembroke, who was in love with Thompson's fiance from the get-go. The prose is lovely, the story compelling, and the ending, a bit confusing, but ultimately quite satisfying. The latest paperback version contains an afterword by the author dated 2002 that helps to explain the background information that led to his writing the novel.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable read. I found that the story became more intriguing the further I got into the book. The characters were interesting and the setting in Northern Ontario was very familiar to me which added to my appreciation of the book. Tom Thomson was an amazing artist with a complexity to him that will continue to generate interest in his life and his art for many more years.

[Christie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked up Canoe Lake for the Ontario slot in my 2026 “book from each province” challenge. It took a minute to grab me, but once it did, I was hooked.

I usually hate books that don’t tie everything up in a neat bow at the end, but I knew going in that the mystery surrounding Tom Thomson was never officially solved. That actually made the unresolved nature of the story feel intentional rather than frustrating.

I loved Eleanor. Watching her try to piece together fragments of the past, chasing whispers and half-truths, was easily the strongest part of the book for me. The emotional weight wasn’t in the answer, but in her search for it.

Russell always felt very off to me. His relationship with his mother was deeply unsettling, almost suffocating. There was something stunted and possessive about him that made me uneasy from early on. Even when nothing concrete was happening, he carried a tension that never quite resolved. It added a layer of psychological complexity that I really appreciated.

Overall, I really enjoyed the writing style. It felt atmospheric and deliberate without being heavy. I actually had to keep stopping myself from reading ahead just to see what would happen next, which is always a good sign.

[TBV (on hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whereas, Eleanor reminded herself, she was forty-three, had blown her life, and was right now looking for the link that might allow her to go back and adjust her past. She thought about that a moment. The present, obviously, is the final measure of the past. If she then goes and alters her past, would it also change her present? She hoped so.

This novel is based on the true story of famous Canadian painter Tom Thomson's mysterious death in 1917 at Canoe Lake, Ontario, Canada. Having read Roy MacGregor's non-fiction account of Tom Thomson's death and the continuing mysteries and unanswered questions in his book Northern Light: The Enduring Mystery of Tom Thomson and the Woman Who Loved Him, I can confirm that much of what he has written in this novel is fact. However, it is a work of fiction and what he has done is explore some of the unanswered questions of the case.

At the time of Tom's death it was rumoured that he was engaged to Winnifred Trainor. After his death she went to Philadelphia for a period of time. Could she possibly have had a baby? The premise of this novel is that a fictional character, Eleanor Philpot takes time off work to travel to Vernon, Ontario, to find the mother she has never known. The person whom she thinks might know who her mother is, or might be her mother, is Miss Janet Turner, an elderly spinster living in Vernon. Miss Turner is modelled on Winnifred Trainor. Whether Eleanor will meet or learn much from the enigmatic Miss Turner, well... There is however Russell Pemberton, staunch friend of Miss Turner, and he knows what happened but will he tell? He might not be as forthcoming to Eleanor as she might like, but he allows us, the readers, to share his thoughts and memories and so we get to know what happened to Tom in this story, even though it is only a fictional supposition of what happened to the real Tom Thomson.

For the most part, the other characters in the novel were real people, much of what was said and details of Tom's disappearance and the subsequent discovery of his body are factual. In exploring the case, the author fleshes out the characters very nicely. There is Eleanor with her hangups and identity crisis, as well as old Russell Pemberton who has an inflated sense of his own importance. As a young man (when we share his memories) he comes across as singularly unimaginative and dull as dishwater.

There are some lovely descriptions of nature, and even Russell gets fired up by what he sees when he first visits Canoe Lake (p110). Tom's death was during WWI, and mention is made of the Battle of Vimy Ridge. So the tragedy of Tom and of his lady friend take place against the backdrop of a much larger tragedy.

Mr MacGregor grew up in the area near Canoe Lake where Tom's body was found, and he was distantly related to the deceased Winnifred Trainor. He has done an incredible amount of research into the mystery as evidenced by his book Northern Light: The Enduring Mystery of Tom Thomson and the Woman Who Loved Him. At the end of this novel he includes some of the facts known at the time of writing. This was his debut novel, originally published as Shorelines.

[Georgia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this easy read. I particularly enjoyed the descriptions of familiar Ontario landscapes and learning more about Canadian painter Tom Thompson. This book is a fictionalized version of a true Canadian mystery.

[Cameron Forde · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book. It captures the heart and soul of the area quite well. Canoe lake is close to Parry Sound which is where I grew up and it is nice to see the beauty of the area captured correctly. The book did a good job at capturing the human elements of Tom Thompson's life and death. A history textbook couldn't do this as well because it takes a real author's creativity to bring the past to life in this way. A little truth of life I got from this novel is that everyone's life has a beginning, middle, and end. In this way everyone could have story written about them, but you have to do something special with the beginning, middle, and end for it to matter in the long run. Tom's life was extremely interesting in the beginning and middle, but everyone prefers to focus on the end because of the mystery it is surrounded by. I really liked the little details in this book. It's like the author had a picture of that exact period of time and just wrote exactly what he saw. I like how the book perfectly mixes fact with fiction. If someone told you that this book was one hundred percent fact you had have no reason to not believe them. I didn't like how fluffy the book was. A lot of the story didn't need to be told as it didn't have any pay off in the end. The book realistically could have been 50 pages shorter. This is the only glaring issue with the novel and that is why it gets a score of four out of five. I would highly recommend this to anyone who likes mysteries or is interested in the setting of the novel.

[John Geary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite an amazing book. When I first began reading it, it took me a few chapters to really get into it, as it starts off a little bit slow. But once I got into the flow of the story, it hooked me. It’s interesting from several perspectives.
It’s the first fictional piece by Roy MacGregor that I’ve read after reading several of his nonfiction books and quite enjoying them.
It’s a novel, but it’s based very much on real life events, with many of the names mentioned in the book fictionalized. One of the names not fictionalized, of course, was that of artist Tom Thomson.
I read the 2002 version of this book, which had originally been published in 1980. I also read it after reading the author’s 2011 non-fiction book about the death of Tom Thompson, “Northern Light.“ He obviously used much of the same research for both books but it’s very interesting the way he put a fictional spin on this book that may very well have been what actually happened in reality.
In fact, he was actually distantly related to some of the people involved in the story and his publishing this book brought about an end to some family relationships.
As you may have gathered from my first few sentences, once this book hooked me, I could not put it down. I could not read it fast enough – it became like a really well-written thriller, I was racing to find out what was going to happen in the end.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fictional story about Tom Thompson and his murder on Canoe Lake. It was written in 1980 and was about the Canadian painter Tom Thompson, who died mysteriously near the town of Huntsville (Vernon in the book) a small town in Ontario, Canada in 1917. There have been various rumors that have swirled, everything from him being murdered to his sweetheart/fiance fathering his child and giving it up for adoption in Philadelphia, PA. In this tale, the woman who is possibly the daughter of the painter is exploring her past in 1961 after her mother dies. Right before she dies, she confesses to having adopted her and giving her some slim info that leads her to the small town in Canada where Thompson had lived. The story also is told from the perspective of Russell Pembroke, who was in love with Thompson's fiance from the get-go. The prose is lovely, the story compelling, and the ending, a bit confusing, but ultimately quite satisfying. The latest paperback version contains an afterword by the author dated 2002 that helps to explain the background information that led to his writing the novel.

[Lisa Kelsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book while I was in Parry Sound, near where this book takes place. It's quite evocative of the era and the natural surroundings but the writing and story-telling is just okay. The present day mystery aspect of the narrative just doesn't hold up. i have a feeling because of the author's personal connection to the chatacters, the book would have been more interesting as nonfiction. perhaps he was trying to spare descendants embarrassment, but apparently that didn't work anyway as the book caused a family feud of sorts. I would still say it's worth reading if you're interested in the Group of Seven painters of Ontario, or if you just want to read something that takes place in the Muskoka region and gives a fairly accurate (or so it seems to me) rendering of a time and place.

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read Roy MacGregor’s non-fiction book about Tom Thomson first (“Northern Light”). Having all the details and background knowledge really helped me to contextualize and visualize the setting and time frame of the story.
I really enjoyed the flashbacks from Russell Pemberton’s perspective. The story telling is quite vivid and you feel like you are at Canoe Lake with all the characters.
I feel as though there are some problems with the main character, Eleanor Philpott. I don’t understand why she doesn’t do more research in Philadelphia. She doesn’t come across as all that interesting and she could have much more complexity to her.
I am not sure I liked how the story wrapped up. I don’t need it to be a happy ending or even neat, it just seemed abrupt.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our monthly book club selection to be reviewed quite rightly at a members cottage in northern Ontario next weekend.

I had never heard of this book or for shame the mystery surrounding Tom Thomson’s death. I was only aware of him as an artist from the wonderful Canadian group of seven.

I found this book narrative both compelling and fascinating. The interwoven stories of Russell the Tom Thomson contemporary and Eleanor the woman trying to find herself worked well.

Since I am reading in 2018 the author updated the story with his background which helped inform the reader about the hypothesis.

Highly recommend a good cottage read and Canadian mystery!

[Wendy McBain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sorry I didn't date the book when it arrived. However; I've read this book a lot of times. A fictional story about the death of Canadian Artist Tom Thomson. On so many fronts I just love this book. It's Ontario history, about a painter I think is great and about an Ontario mystery in a part of Ontario I love - Huntsville area. Muskoka.

This book is positively well written and really gets your mind going. What if what Mr. MacGregor is writing here had really happened the way he's depicted? It's a very unique look at some pages of Mr. Thomson's life that fill things in a bit. Even if the situations are fictitious.

Great fun!

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely great read. Picked it up yesterday and couldn't put it down. Have been fascinated with the groups of seven and Tom Thomson since I was a little Girl and sat in n archive library I found when biking by myself in Thornhill. Very plausible story told in a manner that captivates the imagination. Some say it doesn't reveal enough, but I think it respectfully tells a story of an era gone by. Great Canadian read. Now to get my ass to Algonquin park! Saw their exhibit over the holidays and their work truly peaks to the heart!

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I know it was a fictional retelling of the story but I fell like the author did a great job on intertwining the fact and the fiction. While I would have loved a different end I feel that this one brought some really good closer to the story. At first I had some struggles getting it but once the story began to jump back to times and places it became much more interesting! I would highly recommend this book to any one who likes a good mystery and any Thompson enthusiasts!

[Wendy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed it but it was slow in places and it felt like the author was holding back, perhaps because of his personal connection to the real life players involved. There's so much to work with in this story that I felt shortchanged somehow. Once again I wish Goodreads had half point ratings in which case this one would have 2 1/2.

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this fact-meets-fiction glimpse of Tom Thomson (Canadian 'Group of Seven' painter)'s life. Roy MacGregor tackles the mystery of his death on Canoe Lake in 1917 in a very sensitive way and brings to life many of the minor characters involved. The book has a very compelling, dark atmosphere and he builds the story (and the tension) slowly and captivatingly.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Roy MacGregor's fictionalized telling of the story of artist Tom Thomson and local girl Winnifred Trainor is engaging and thorough. How Thomson died is a mystery to this day and this story roused my curiosity about the artist, his art, and the myth.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written and fun to read. It is an interesting speculation of the events... Interesting to find out that the author had a falling out with families related to the actual events. Seems unethical somehow to write about people under those circumstances.

[Liz Carr · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have really enjoyed Mr. MacGregor's books but it wasn't all that difficult to tell this was an early work. A very evocative work of fiction and since no one who knows the answers to the questions, the true story really has no ending.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Makes you think! A puzzle and yet another version of the mysterious death of Tom Thomson.
Living in the near North I can feel and smell the beautifully descriptive vistas presented.
Great book! Glad it fell into my lap!

[Dianne Kaucharik · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel, based on the true story of the famous Canadian artist Tom Thomson and his love interest Winnifred Trainor, is a well told tragedy of great intrigue. As written, however, it is moreso a poignant tale of unrequited love involving a third character.

[Laurie March · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is more of a romance novel than anything but it was fun to snuggle up and read. I enjoyed the story and it really added to the whole mystery surrounding Tom Thomson and his death.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was ok, it was fairly interesting but otherwise there wasn't much really special about it.

[Brianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having worked in Algonquin Park in the museum archives, this story was a great read and touched on a great mystery. My copy is waterlogged from falling out of the canoe! :-)

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm finding this book fascinating!

[Debora Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A novel about the mystery of Tom Thomson's death. Very good book!