George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight | VIDEO OF THE DAY: Canada’s Arctic Circa 1919

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VIDEO OF THE DAY: Canada’s Arctic Circa 1919

January 23, 2012

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What was life like in the Canadian Arctic in 1919? A recently restored documentary film, originally created to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Hudson Bay Company, presents a vivid vision of the northern part of the country as it was back then. The original silent film was called 'The Romance of the Far Fur Country', but no complete print of that picture exists. Eight hours of footage were filmed for the project over nine months of travel. Those eight hours of film have languished, safe but unseen, in a British archive for the last half-century.

The recut film, 'Return of the Far Fur Country', is presently on tour across Canada, visiting both major cities like Montreal, Winnipeg and Victoria and remote communities where the descendants of some of those who appear in it still live. Check out a preview below:

Here are the remaining tour dates for the film:

Elder's Centre, Fork McKay, Alberta: Monday, January 23 @ 1pm

Municipal Building, Fort Chipewyan, Alberta: Thursday, January 26 @7pm

Winnipeg Cinematheque, Winnipeg, Manitoba: Wednesday, February 15 @7pm

Of course, there are many other great stories of Canada's north and the people who live there. For some fascinating insights into Inuit life over the past 70 years, check out this National Film Board Playlist, 'Unikkausivut: Sharing Our Stories'. Included in the Playlist is this short doc from 1942 about life in the Northwest.

Related Stories on Strombo.com:

24 Hours Of Light In 3 Minutes

What Does The Future Hold For Canada's First Nations?

Sources:

The BBC on 'Return of the Far Fur Country'