This short documentary from The Grasslands Project is a portrait of Wood Mountain, Saskatchewan. The town has lost all four of its grain elevators, the railway was torn up, the old hotel is in ruins, and the school has been closed for a decade. One of the only attractions left is the community hall, which, on a scant few weekends out of the year, can still get crowded. Meanwhile, to the handful of kind souls who still live in the village, there are good reasons to call Wood Mountain home.
In this short documentary from The Grasslands Project, residents of Wood Mountain, Saskatchewan, talk about the town now that the grain elevators, railway, school and hotel have been closed. This film can be used to prompt class discussions, essays or research projects. What events or forces caused the most profound changes in farming communities over the past century? What were the results of those changes, positive or negative? Why did the grain elevators shut down in Wood Mountain? What are some other Canadian towns that have had their main source of employment taken away? Where do the majority of jobs come from in your community?