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Children (9)
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All About Kids1964 8 minThis vintage short doc from the sixties brings together three quaint vignettes about Canadian childhood. In Quebec Aquarium, school children see marine life at close range, while Children's Play Therapy focuses on the importance of games and handicrafts for young patients recovering at Winnipeg’s Children’s Hospital. Finally, Soccer School takes us to British Columbia, where British coach Trevor Churchill is helping to spark interest in the increasingly popular sport. -
The Challenge in Old CrowGeorges Payrastre 2006 54 minThis documentary focuses on the Yukon's Far North, where 280 Aboriginal people live in the village of Old Crow. Deep in this wilderness, the health of the children is a source of concern—the rise in obesity, diabetes and delinquency rates underscores the extent to which health and social problems are linked. With compassion and insight, this film shows how a handful of parents took control of a situation to ensure a future for their children.
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Eye Witness No. 54Daryl Duke , Felix Lazarus , … 1953 11 minThese vignettes from 1954 cover various aspects of life in Canada and were shown in theatres across the country. Subjects included here are: Ball Stars Start Young: In Vancouver's Little League, baseball players, diamond and equipment are junior size, but not the boys' coaches or the eagerness of teams and fans. An Auto a Minute: This is just about the rate of output seen in one of Ontario's automobile assembly plants. A Railroad Goes to Sea: Swapping steel rails for ocean waves is routine for British Columbia's Pacific Great Eastern Railway, travelling the forty-mile leg between Vancouver and Squamish by railway barge.
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Growing Up Canadian: PlaySusan Terrill 2003 46 minCanada's biggest playground, winter, leads the way as we look at a century of play for Canadian kids. In the beginning you made your own gear and toys, but some store-bought things were irresistible. What Canadian girl, in her time, wouldn't want an Eaton's Beauty doll or a Barbara Ann Scott doll? And what boy, swept up in a cowboy craze, wouldn't die to have a Gene Autry gun or a Lash LaRue whip?
Throughout the century, adults helped to organize clubs, camps and playgrounds--often with the intent of steering children away from trouble. In the end, getting away from adults and crossing forbidden borders have always been a part of the fun.
Play is one of a 6-part series entitled Growing Up Canadian. These documentaries explore the myths and realities of Canadian childhood through family life, schooling, work, play, health and the media. The series marks the contribution of childhood and youth experience in defining Canada as it grew into full nationhood in the 20th century. -
Summer Is For KidsStanley Jackson 1949 11 minThis short film presents a delightful portrait of a young boy's sojourn at summer camp. In idyllic mid-century fashion, two weeks at a Muskoka summer camp are presented as a welcome respite from the congestion of an urban area. From the preliminary scramble for the upper bunk in the cabin to exploring in the woods, cooking food over a fire, and—most exciting of all—passing the beginner's swimming test, Roger's camp adventures are full of joy, camaraderie, and learning.
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Sports and Seasons1946 9 minScenes of Canadian children at play throughout the year show how they suit their sports to this country's changing seasons.
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T.V. TangoMartine Chartrand 1992 3 minFour children who have picked up all sorts of annoying behavior from watching television decide instead to create their own games. This animated film for five- to eight-year-olds is intended to awaken children's critical sense regarding the media messages aimed at them. (Film without words).
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Thousand Islands SummerRoger Blais 1960 13 minThis is a light-hearted film about a summer camp for young girls and their energetic enthusiasm for outdoor life--swimming, hiking, campfire gatherings. Photographed at Camp Mohawk in the beautiful Thousand Islands holiday area of the St. Lawrence River, this colour film provides a good example of the organization, care and preparation that make a summer camp a happy, healthy experience.
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Tuktu and the Trials of StrengthLaurence Hyde 1967 14 minIn this short docu-fiction film, strong and hardy Inuit hunters demonstrate and test their strength in boxing, tug-of-war, and other strenuous activities. We see and hear the drum dance, a demonstration of Inuit poetry and rhythm.
