After many years of careful conservation, Banff and Jasper National Parks have become vast zoological gardens. Deer, moose, bear, big-horn sheep, birds and small animals that live above the treeline are natural subjects for the close-up camera, with a backdrop of snowy peaks.
This short film tells the story of the creation, in 1885, of Alberta’s Banff National Park. When 3 young prospectors, seeking gold in the Rockies, discovered hot springs similar to those at famous international spas, they were eager to gain ownership of them. A conscientious surveyor, however, recognizing that a discovery of this importance should be preserved for the use and enjoyment of the public, was instrumental in having the springs and surrounding area declared a park. Based on the unpublished memoirs of one of the young prospectors, the story is re-enacted with humor and intercut with scenes of present-day Banff.
Located in Ontario, Point Pelée National Park attracts birds in its long grasses, and brilliant Monarch butterflies on its trees. Wooden walkways through the marsh facilitate access for numerous visitors. A film without words.
This short film illustrates a day in the life at Pacific Rim National Park. Located on Vancouver Island, the park houses giant trees, drooping moss and beautiful ocean views that provide breathtaking material for an eager eye.
An impressionistic overview of Canada's national parks. The film creates a composite landscape as it travels from the East Coast to the West.
Forty miles northwest of Vancouver Island lies Triangle Island, an ecological reserve and home of close to one million birds. Bristol Foster, head of the British Columbia Ecological Reserves Program, guides us across the island through colonies of birds and sea lions. He stresses the need of preserving the ecological balance for the survival of future generations.
Pictures from Auyuittuq National Park on Baffin Island in the Northwest Territories.
This short documentary focuses on a man-made island that became the first federal sanctuary for wildlife in Canada. Situated an hour east of Edmonton, it houses one of the world's densest collections of wildlife, maintained by Parks Canada. Elk Island offers a glimpse of the behind-the-scenes activity of the island.
This short film illustrates a day in the life at Forillon National Park. Situated on the Gaspé peninsula in Quebec, the park offers spectacular views of sea, mountain and forest. A monumental landscape not to be missed. A film without words.
Kluane National Park is situated in the Yukon area of northern Canada and is a research paradise for glaciologists, geologists and other scientists. Mountaineers come to scale the impressive heights. Animals are free to roam, protected by stringent legislation. This film reveals many facets of this beautiful park, which has been declared a protected zone by UNESCO,
In this feature-length documentary, husband and wife team Karsten Heuer (wildlife biologist) and Leanne Allison (environmentalist) follow a herd of 120,000 caribou on foot across 1500 km of Arctic tundra. In following the herd's migration, the couple hopes to raise awareness of the threats to the caribou's survival. Along the way they brave Arctic weather, icy rivers, hordes of mosquitoes and a very hungry grizzly bear. Dramatic footage and video diaries combine to provide an intimate perspective of an epic expedition.
Director Mirjam Leuze’s The Whale and the Raven illuminates the many issues that have drawn whale researchers, the Gitga’at First Nation, and the Government of British Columbia into a complex conflict. As the people in the Great Bear Rainforest struggle to protect their territory against the pressure and promise of the gas industry, caught in between are the countless beings that call this place home.