Set in the mid 19th century when 1000's of French Canadians were immigrating to the New England states to work in the mills, (Les payés d'en haut) refers to the (Laurentions) an area north of Montreal and the lives of the People living there. This is an adaption of a popular TV show called Les Belles Histoires des pays d'en haut, which ran from 1957 to 1970.