The interesting thing is that by the end of the episode the character didn't really find himself, although he gained some self-respect. I saw him as a bit maudlin. He was a man who was running from himself and his past.
Avonlea Traditions Chronicle Winter 96/97

Because the show feels so Canadian, I had wanted to do the character with a bit of an East Coast brogue because I enjoy doing accents. But that didn't go over too well.
Avonlea Traditions Chronicle Winter 96/97