Gift to Last, A

1 9 7 6 (Canada)
1 x 60 minute special
1 9 7 8 – 1 9 7 9 (Canada)
21 x 60 minute episodes

The Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC) series A Gift To Last had its origins in a one-off television special of the same name, broadcast at Christmas l976.

In the special, written by Gordon Pinsent, Melvyn Douglas played Clement Sturgess, an elderly man who looked back on his childhood Christmases at the turn of the century and especially to his family hero, his uncle, the colourful and irresponsible Sergeant Edgar Sturgess of the Royal Canadian Regiment (played by Pinsent himself).

Pinsent returned to the role of Edgar, and the series – owing something to The Waltons and something to The Forsyte Saga – echoed the humour, hardship and happiness of Canadian rural life at the turn of the 20th century by looking at it through the eyes of the Sturgess family in the small (fictional) Ontario town of Tamarack.

Harrison Sturgess (Alan Scarfe) died in the first episode and was survived by his wife, Clara (Janet Amos); their children, Clement (Mark Polley) and Jane (Kate Parr); stern family matriarch Lizzy (Ruth Springford); and brothers James (Gerard Parkes) and Edgar.

Edgar’s stern older brother, James, became the overly ambitious mayor and chief magistrate of Tamarack, and ultimately decided to run for parliament.

Edgar eventually married Sheila Dooley (Dixie Seatle), a god-fearing Irish immigrant housemaid who was hardworking and pretty with it.

She scandalised the small Protestant town by deciding to bring up their baby as a Roman Catholic.

John Trevelyan (John Evans) was Sheila’s brother, the town entrepreneur who owned a successful shoe factory.

By the final season, Edgar was serving in the militia and had to adjust to his new life; John had built his business, and Clara was suffering ill health and succumbed to consumption (largely so Janet Amos could be written out of the script for eight episodes while she toured the UK with a theatre company).

Screened on Sunday nights, A Gift to Last was regularly watched by more than one million Canadians every week – a successful landmark for homegrown Canadian-made television drama. The series also aired on the PBS network in the US and in several European countries, including Germany, Austria, Ireland and Belgium.

Gordon Pinsent decided to leave the series after three seasons to concentrate on writing and performing in feature films, and – although CBC considered continuing the series without him – there really could be no series without the boisterous Uncle Edgar.

Pinsent died in Toronto on 25 February 2023 from complications of a cerebral haemorrhage. He was 92.

Sgt. Edgar Sturgess
Gordon Pinsent
James Sturgess
Gerard Parkes
Clara Sturgess
Janet Amos
Lizzy Sturgess
Ruth Springford
Clement Sturgess
Mark Polley
Jane Sturgess
Kate Parr
John Trevelyan
John Evans
Sheila Dooley/Sturgess
Dixie Seatle
Harry Hall
Eric Simon
Harrison Sturgess
Alan Scarfe
Timothy Eaton
Henry Ramer

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