Hornby, who came from an affluent British family, emigrated to Canada in 1904 and fell in love with the Canadian North. Known as a man who could deal with any situation, however adverse, he seemed to seek out hardship. According to legend he could "out-Indian the Indians" in his ability to survive in the northern wilds and often set out into the bush with little more than a rifle, a gillnet, a bag of flour, and tea. His strange and solitary ways earned him the nickname "Hermit of the North" and old-timers often described him as "bushed" or "bush-queer" as a result of spending too much time in the bush.
