Capt. Sims and Dr. Campbell plan to run the deserted Logan's Inn together. After they put a lot of money and work into improving it, Charlotte Logan shows up and claims her uncle willed her the inn. Her young son Thomas feels neglected.
Neil has been deputized by Constable Payne to witness serving routine summons. While out they see the York coach robbed by the ruthless outlaw Sam Carver. Carver and his men kidnap Harriet Sims. Neil and Constable Payne must rescue her.
When Cleghorne raises his price to cart produce to York, Capt. Sims and Neil build a raft to go down the Grand River to Lake Erie to connect to a barge to New York. Their trip is plagued with setbacks and several Iroquois are watching them.
Neil and Larry hope to get jobs with the railroad and travel to Baltimore, but Neil starts to lose interest in travel when he falls for a young woman staying at the Campbells'. The Sims contentiously celebrate their 5th anniversary.
Everyone is busy preparing for Neil and Christine's wedding. Afterwards they plan to go to Baltimore where Neil and Larry have railroad jobs waiting. Christine's father arrives claiming she is engaged to another man and takes her home.
Emma and John are pleased when their cousin Peter comes from England since he fills the void caused by Neil's marriage and move. Peter, a city boy, is eager to learn about farming, but he has secrets. There is a rash of thefts in the area.
Captain Sims' pretentious nephew Kevin comes to visit. Sims' horse Hector dies from a mysterious illness. A strange young woman wearing a dark, hooded cloak is hiding in a deserted old cabin in the woods. The farmers fear she is a witch.
Sims awakens to the sounds of a break-in and finds a baby downstairs. Sims wants to give him to the authorities, Harriet wants to keep him and Mary McTavish offers to take him; but Dr. Campbell has a hunch about who he really belongs to.
Dr. Campbell treats two different men on one day for gunshots - one an escaped slave and the other a slave owner pursuing him. John is so taken by the two former slaves' tales of the joy of life on the road, that he runs away to join them.
Sims runs as a Tory for the House of Assembly, in part so he can name their community 'Simsville'. Dan Bright, an apple grower from Connecticut, wants to run as a Reformer but cannot due to a technicality; so Dr. Campbell takes his place.
The tax collector is collecting tax from the farmers. One cannot pay and may lose his farm. Two actors arrive and want to help the community put on a production of Hamlet, but Peter suspects the play is just a cover for their real plans.
The Maitlands buy the farm neighboring the Sims. Sims recognizes the father as a soldier who ran when faced by the enemy at Cameron's Cross in the War of 1812. Sims tells Harry Thorpe whose father died there. Thorpe threatens the Maitlands.
An Iroquois woman and her son work for the Campbells in exchange for room and board. It soon becomes apparent the woman is not well. She wants to find her son's father, a white man, before she dies. She believes he will care for her son.
Emma is offered a regular column on rural life in "The Colonial Advocate", but has writer's block. A bison scares Thomas Logan and John when they camp out. The bison may be the solution to their winter provisions and Emma's writer's block.
Thomas Logan and John are playing 'Robin Hood' in the woods when they find a fair maiden asleep in the woods. Jenny is a runaway servant who was convicted of theft. John and Thomas want to 'slay her dragons' and help her escape prison.
The school is reopened with a loan from Capt. Sims. Rebecca Sims is the new teacher. Capt. Sims is angered when he finds out the new textbooks say the Americans won the War of 1812 and threatens to take back his loan.
Reverend Alex Buchanan, an old friend of Dr. Campbell, has come to Canada to serve at an Indian parish out west. Emma overhears Alex tell Dr. Campbell what a good wife she will make and she believes he is planning to propose to her.
Captain Sims publicly condemns the violence in Ireland to justify establishing a local militia. Some Irishmen are listening and kidnap Sims to make an example of him. They take cover in the Campbell house and hold John and Emma hostage.
Brother and sister ornithologists come to catch specimens and to sell subscriptions to their manuscript, "Birds of the Canadas". A competitor, an agent for Audubon, steals their owl. The owl escapes and takes refuge in Emma's barn.
Dr. Campbell is taken by the Chippewa. He performs a tracheotomy to save a boy's life and is rewarded with the sister as his bride. This angers a Chippewa who loves her. A trader who acts as their interpreter also wants the sister.
Captain Sims invites Sir Reginald, an elderly British fencing champion, to give an exhibition. John is bullied by an older boy, Ned. Captain Sims offers to give John some fencing tips so he can teach Ned a lesson, but Dr. Campbell objects.
Dr. Campbell is offered a position at a hospital in Toronto. Emma and John sadly make preparations to leave the farm. Captain Sims is visited by his sister who is very critical of his household. She announces she wants to move nearby.
A few days before Christmas a fire damages the Sims' home. They must find a place to stay. There is no room at the inn so, much to Capt. Sims' dismay, they have to spend the holiday at the Campbells' cabin. Dr. Campbell is preparing haggis.
Reformer William Lyon Mackenzie comes to Wellington County to debate his political opponent, Capt. Sims and dine with the Campbells. He invites Dr. Campbell to Toronto where Dr. Campbell and Sims get caught up in political intrigue.
Dr. Armstrong invites Dr. Campbell to Scotland to lecture at the University on Indian herbal cures. Campbell's advice on easing childbirth pain upsets Rev. Goff who finds the concept heathen. Emma has her stories published in Blackwood's.
In Scotland, Emma attends finishing school and is falling for Fraser Armstrong. Emma has a story published that suggests the government should help the poor. This outrages Mrs. Armstrong. Miss McKie at Emma's school is supportive.