They were the oldest of six girls and two boys. Their brother called them bosom pals because they spent most of their time together. They lived with their family in a two-room log cabin home with ten. Because the girls were the oldest, their parents, Robert McLean and Christie (Mercredi) McLean, tasked them with much of the chorus.

The coal oil lantern in Herb Anderson's cabin is lit just before 5:00 am. He is accustomed to these dark and early winter mornings and puts on several layers of flannel, wool pants, and boots before heading out for the workday. It was his first day on the job as a logger, and at 15 years old, he was the youngest logger to start work for the Gift Lake, Alberta, sawmill camp.