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The Road Taken

The Road Taken

| 52 min

This 1996 documentary takes a nostalgic ride through history to present the experiences of Black sleeping-car porters who worked on Canada's railways from the early 1900s through the 1960s. There was a strong sense of pride among these men and they were well-respected by their community. Yet, harsh working conditions prevented them from being promoted to other railway jobs until finally, in 1955, porter Lee Williams took his fight to the union.

Claiming discrimination under the Canada Fair Employment Act, the Black workers won their right to work in other areas. Interviews, archival footage and the music of noted jazz musician Joe Sealy (whose father was a porter) combine to portray a fascinating history that might otherwise have been forgotten.


Credits
  • director
    Selwyn Jacob
  • producer
    Selwyn Jacob
    Dale Phillips
    Jerry Krepakevich
  • executive producer
    Dale Phillips
    Graydon McCrea
  • script
    Frederick Ward
  • narrator
    Frederick Ward
  • camera
    Charles Konowal
    Les Krizsan
  • sound
    Arthur McKay
    Norman Dugas
    George Novotny
  • editing
    Michel Lalonde
  • music
    Joe Sealy

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