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Canadian Federation (1850-1929) (11)

  1. Available in English Options
5 years old
18 years old
  • Alexander Galt: The Stubborn Idealist
    Alexander Galt: The Stubborn Idealist
    Julian Biggs 1962 27 min
    For Alexander Galt it was the middle of the road, until he saw some hope for his dream of a united Canada. What was he like, this stubborn idealist? How did he measure up to other political strongmen of his time? In this film you sense the personal clashes and the interplay of political ambitions that left their mark on history.
  • Charles Tupper: The Big Man
    Charles Tupper: The Big Man
    Morten Parker 1961 28 min
    This short historical reenactment is a portrait of Canadian Father of Confederation Charles Tupper. The film harks back to a time when the idea of a federal union was still hotly debated, when it was unclear whether Nova Scotia would come in or remain out. It studies a bigger-than-life politician who won over both his bitterest opponent, Joseph Howe, and the people of this Maritime province, to finally lead Nova Scotia into the Canadian Confederation in 1867.
  • City of Gold
    City of Gold
    Colin Low  &  Wolf Koenig 1957 21 min
    This classic short film from Pierre Berton depicts the Klondike gold rush at its peak, when would-be prospectors struggled through harsh conditions to reach the fabled gold fields over 3000 km north of civilization. Using a collection of still photographs, the film juxtaposes the Dawson City at the height of the gold rush with its bustling taverns and dance halls with the more tranquil Dawson City of the present.
  • Freedom Had a Price
    Freedom Had a Price
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    Yurij Luhovy 1994 55 min
    A disturbing documentary of Canada's first national alien-internment operation. It tells the little-known story of Ukrainian immigrants who found themselves subject to discriminatory and repressive measures during World War I.
  • George-Étienne Cartier: The Lion of Québec
    George-Étienne Cartier: The Lion of Québec
    John Howe 1962 27 min
    This short biopic profiles Montreal lawyer-turned-politician George-Étienne Cartier as he campaigns to unite English and French Canada under Confederation. The political world of a century ago comes to life as we hear debates in the Parliament of Upper and Lower Canada amidst political strife and personal feuds. Ultimately, Cartier skilfully allays the fears of party and sectional leaders, convincing them that federal union would protect, rather than weaken, Quebec’s cherished rights of language and religion. The eloquent and enigmatic Cartier was instrumental in shaping the Canada that was soon to emerge.
  • John A. Macdonald: The Impossible Idea
    John A. Macdonald: The Impossible Idea
    Gordon Burwash 1961 27 min
    This short fiction film tells the story of John A. MacDonald’s rise to power. Canada’s first Prime Minister and one of the Fathers of the Confederation, MacDonald didn’t enjoy an easy political career. When he first shared his vision of a Dominion reaching from sea to sea – an audacious proposal regarded as uncertain even by his supporters – his opponents derided him. “The fox is out of tricks," they taunted. "Bankrupt of ideas, he offers us clouds." This film offers us a memorable flashback
  • Joseph Howe: The Tribune of Nova Scotia
    Joseph Howe: The Tribune of Nova Scotia
    Julian Biggs 1961 28 min
    This short drama is a portrait of Nova Scotian journalist and politician Joseph Howe (1804-1873) and his battle for freedom of press. When, in 1835, Howe was accused of seditious libel, no lawyer dared defend him. Choosing to defend himself, he addressed the jury for over 6 hours, urging jurors to leave an unshackled press as a legacy to their children. Though the judge instructed the jury to find Howe guilty, jurors took only 10 minutes to acquit him - a landmark event in the evolution of press freedom in Canada.
  • The Musical Ride
    The Musical Ride
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    1954 19 min
    This 1954 documentary short presents the famous Musical Ride of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. In a display of brilliant horsemanship, scarlet-coated Mounties take their horses through the many intricate patterns of the Ride, performed to the accompaniment of band music.
  • Men Against the Ice
    Men Against the Ice
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    David Bairstow 1960 28 min
    A look at the history of Arctic travel and the perils confronting early explorers in search of fabled riches and the Northwest Passage. Modern developments in air and sea navigation are also noted.
  • Turn of the Century
    Turn of the Century
    1964 28 min
    This short documentary examines the state of Canada at the end of the 19th century, with a look at the fashions, politics, technologies, and cultural trends that dominated the turn of the century. Equally dramatic, funny, and fascinating, the film puts both past and present into perspective through old photographs and silent film footage.
  • Women on the March
    Women on the March
    Douglas Tunstell 1958 58 min
    This feature film in two parts is an exploration of the women’s suffrage movement. Spearheaded by women like Emmeline Pankhurst, founder of the Women's Social and Political Union, the Suffragettes realized they would have to become radical and militant if the movement was going to be effective. There followed many demonstrations, and imprisonments until the women’s vote was finally granted, in 1918 (Britain) and 1919 (Canada, except Quebec.)