Eye Witness No. 28
New Look on Rails: The Montreal Locomotive Works takes on mass manufacture of diesel engines for Canadian railways, using pantograph machines that turn out six steel patterns in one electronic operation. Dedication to the Dance: In the Boris Volkoff School of Ballet in Toronto, long hours of training and exacting routines pay off in the making of professional ballet dancers. Fun in Fur Land: The annual Trappers' Festival at The Pas, Manitoba, complete with a Fur Queen's court and numerous competitions to test the timberline techniques of northerners, ends with the toughest dog derby in Canada.
New Look on Rails: The Montreal Locomotive Works takes on mass manufacture of diesel engines for Canadian railways, using pantograph machines that turn out six steel patterns in one electronic operation. Dedication to the Dance: In the Boris Volkoff School of Ballet in Toronto, long hours of training and exacting routines pay off in the making of professional ballet dancers. Fun in Fur Land: The annual Trappers' Festival at The Pas, Manitoba, complete with a Fur Queen's court and numerous competitions to test the timberline techniques of northerners, ends with the toughest dog derby in Canada.
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directorRonald WeymanAllen StarkGordon Burwash
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photographyLorne C. BatchelorWalter A. SuttonJean-Marie Couture
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editingGeorge Grant
Warnings: Stereotypical statements about gender roles (“it’s a man’s job,” “where there’s furs, there’s females”). Outdated terminology (“midget car,” “nimrod”)
This style of narration with a musical score was typical for the 1950s era. How has narration changed over time? Create a modern documentary mimicking this style to highlight a modern invention. How do these snapshots offer a summary of Canadian life at the time? What do they tell us about technology? Stereotypes and gender roles? Societal beliefs? While Indigenous people are likely present for the last segment, they are not mentioned or identified. Research some of the events that were showcased to find the innovations and inventions of Indigenous Peoples, while respecting any protocols that may need to be considered.
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Eye Witness No. 28, Ronald Weyman, Allen Stark & Gordon Burwash, provided by the National Film Board of Canada