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Research Prompt #3 - Local History, Niagara Region

Kyla Rose Smith, Concordia University

This research prompt addresses films about the Niagara Region. These films were produced to be shown on local television and in educational settings and were designed in order to develop a sense of local identity and awareness of the region’s history. The general timeframe of these films is 1930s-1970s. These films represent an invaluable resource for the local researcher, as many of them are represented in archives largely by their production notes alone, with the films themselves mainly being held at Library and Archives Canada.

The group of films includes historical educational films, tourism films, newsreels and filmed events coverage. Prominent are films about natural resources in the Niagara Region, especially hydro-electric power from dams along the Niagara River, and agricultural resources, especially the region’s wine industry.

This collection of films will be useful for cultural geographers, historians, those with an interest in hydro-electrical engineering and the history of large-scale public works projects in Canada, transportation (especially maritime).


CESIF Films by Title

Annual Ten Day Festival Celebrating the Niagara Grape Crop

(c.1969, English, Sound)
Accession Number: 1969.0154
Distributor: Ontario Editorial Bureau
Description: This film presents coverage of annual festival celebrating the Niagara Grape crop. This ten-day festival occurred in early fall. It was started by the Ontario Grape Growers’ Marketing Board, formed in 1947 (name changed in 2002 to the Grape Growers of Ontario.) It captures the festival during an earlier period when the celebration focused on the harvest and local community building. As the festival has evolved it has become centred on promoting winery tourism to the region.
Related Research Materials: “Niagara Grape and Wine Festival Records, 1955, 1964-1991, n.d.” Ontario Educational Bureau Fonds RG75-3, held at Brock University Archives, St. Catharines Ontario.
dr.library.brocku.ca/bitstream/handle/10464/2700/grapewine.pdf.txt;jsessionid=8453E14F06C11C7A2EA3725F66ECAD35?sequence=3
Related Film: The Story of Wine in Canada (c. 1954-59)
CESIF Link: Annual Ten Day Festival Celebrating the Niagara Grape Crop

Department of Highways Historical

(1968, English, Sound, Colour, 16mm, 19 mins)
Accession Number: 1968.0033
Producer: Chetwynd Films
Holding Institution: Library and Archives Canada (16mm, VHS, Betacam)
Description: This film presents highlights of the design and construction of the St. Catharines bridge and new highway by-pass to cross the Welland Canal, as well as the official opening of the new Thorold tunnel under the Canal. This film is likely a government-sponsored production intended to serve as a public relations initiative for government spending on road infrastructure. It may also have served as an introductory training film as it covers the construction process of the Thorold Tunnel, done using an open trench technique.
CESIF Link: Department of Highways Historical

A Good Place to Live

(c. 1956, English, Sound, Colour, 16mm, 27 mins)
Accession Number: 1956.0002
Producers: Thompson Products; Leon Shelley
Holding Institutions: Library and Archives Canada (16mm, VHS)
Description: This promotional film was sponsored by Thompson Products, an automotive company, to attract immigrants from Europe to settle in Niagara. The narrative follows an employee of the Thompson Products company. Scenic shots showcase the beauty of the Niagara region. The virtues of Canadian life including freedom of speech, politics, and religion are emphasized. The film also includes shots of urban life, sporting events, and Niagara Falls. Industry was the primary economic driver of the Niagara region at mid-century and automotive-related companies (e.g. General Motors) were major employers in the region. It is unclear where this film was intended to be shown, but it may have been sent out to immigration offices.
Bibliography:
“Films for Business,” Canadian Business 29 (February 1956): 80.
CESIF Link: A Good Place to Live

Jamboree

(1955, English, Sound, Colour, 16mm, 40 mins)
Accession Number: 1955.0047
Sponsor: The T. Eaton Company Limited
Producer: Chetwynd Films
Holding Institutions: Library and Archives Canada (16mm, VHS, Digibeta); University of Alberta (16mm)
Alternate Title: Jamboree of New Horizons
Description: Jamboree provides coverage of the 8th annual World Scout Jamboree, held at Fort George Historical site in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, August 18-25, 1955. This was the first such jamboree held outside of Europe. Over 11,000 scouts from 71 countries attended the event. This film was selected to be screened at the Canadian Pavilion at the Brussels Universal and International Exhibition in 1958 to educate visitors about Canadian culture. [Film News 17.1, 7] The Jamboree was of major significance to both the Scouts organization and the local area, as it raised the Niagara Region’s international profile. A plaque was installed at the site on the 50th anniversary in 2005. Eaton’s Department Store sponsored the film.
CESIF Link: Jamboree

The Land of Niagara

(1946, English, Sound, Colour, 16mm, 20 mins)
Accession Number: 1946.0043
Sponsors: Ontario Government, Department of Travel and Publicity
Producer: Dan Gibson Productions
Distributor: Canadian Travel Film Library
Holding Institution: Library and Archives Canada (16mm)
Description: The Ontario Travel and Publicity Department made The Land of Niagara to encourage travel to the Niagara Region. As with most tourism promotional films of this period, The Land of Niagara focuses on selected periods of Niagara’s colonial history, especially the War of 1812 and the British Loyalist heritage. Highlights include historical information about Fort Erie, the War of 1812, Sir Isaac Brock, Laura Secord, and William Lyon Mackenzie. It also includes scenic shots of Niagara Falls and the Niagara Peninsula through the seasons.
CESIF Link: The Land of Niagara

Lincoln County — Years of Heritage

(1966, English, Sound, Colour, 27 mins)
Accession Number: 1966.0063
Sponsor: Lincoln County (Ontario)
Producer: Robert J. Meyer Productions
Description: Years of Heritage is a promotional tourism film which recounts the “first fifty years” of Upper Canada (c. 1791-1841) along the Niagara Peninsula, including the Battle of Queenston Heights (1812). This film relies heavily on a colonial historical narrative about the Niagara region, especially the War of 1812 and the British Loyalist heritage. It won bronze medal at International Film & TV Festival Awards, History Films category, October 20, 1967 in New York City; broadcast on local CBC channels.
Geographical note: Lincoln County was amalgamated into the Regional Municipality of Niagara in 1970.
Related Materials: Information & correspondence on awards, broadcast, etc., held at Brock University Archives, St. Catharines Ontario in “Lincoln County Archives, 1956-1969” Ontario Editorial Bureau Fonds, RG 75-30
dr.library.brocku.ca/bitstream/handle/10464/4018/Lincoln%20County%20Records%20RG%2075-30.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
Bibliography:
Business Screen 7 no.28 (1967): 10.
CESIF Link: Lincoln County — Years of Heritage

Location Niagara

(1960, English, Black and White, 16mm, 27 mins)
Accession Number: 1960.0082
Sponsors: Niagara Falls Visitor and Convention Bureau; Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce
Producers: Val Productions; Vincent A. Lococo
Holding Institution: Library and Archives Canada (16mm)
Description: This tourism film provides scenic views of Niagara Falls. It was likely produced to be shown in travel and tourism centres. The film may also have been shown in tourist centres at Niagara Falls itself as a mini-documentary.
CESIF Link: Location Niagara

Niagara

 (1929, English, Silent, Black and White, 16mm, 9 mins, 3 mins [alternate version])

The American Falls are viewed from a plane circling above.
Niagara, 1929 Niagara, 1929

Accession Number: 1929.0009
Sponsor: Canadian Pacific Railway
Producers: Associated Screen News; B.E. Norrish
Distributor: Canadian Universal Film Company
Holding Institutions: Library and Archives Canada (35mm, VHS, Digibeta)
Related Title: “Kinograms” (Series)
Description: Scenic shots of Niagara Falls, Niagara river rapids, and the Niagara Glen are shown “from land, by water, and from the sky.” An airplane takes off from Oakes Field, Chippawa, to capture images of the Falls from above. Images of Maid of the Mist approaching the American falls are shown. Also depicts Victoria Park, located in Niagara Falls, Ontario. The short version of the film includes the same content simply edited to shorter duration. The existing print includes a less stylized title card. Part of the “Kinograms” series of films produced by B.E. Norrish for Associated Screen News. These travelogues depicted tourist spots along the Canadian Pacific Railway’s routes, promoting rail travel.
Notes: there exist two versions of this film of differing lengths
Long Version: www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8INhLD5RUI
Short Version: www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiXHEsx6bIc
Bibliography:
Peter Morris, Embattled Shadows: A History of Canadian Cinema, 1895-1939 (Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 1978), 224-225.
CESIF Link: Niagara

Niagara to the Sea

(1928, English, Silent, Black and White, 35mm)
Accession Number: 1928.0020
Producer: Associated Screen News
Description: Associated Screen News was a noteworthy producer of tourism-promoting films in this period. This film includes depictions of scenic spots and cities along the St. Lawrence River, accessible by the Canada Steamship Lines passenger travel route.
Notes: The film is possibly related to a March 1928 pamphlet “Niagara To the Sea: Toronto, Thousand Islands, Montréal, Quebec, Saguenay River”, produced as part of a “Canada Pamphlet” series, Canada Steamship Lines, Ltd. which was produced to promote travel by steamer along the St. Lawrence River. These pamphlets were produced starting c. 1909.
Bibliography:
Jordan Special Collections, Queen’s University.
CESIF Link: Niagara to the Sea

Niagara’s Winter Wizardry

(c.1920, English, Silent, Black and White, 6 mins)
Accession Number: 1920.0014
Sponsor: Ontario Motion Picture Bureau
Producers: Filmcraft Industries; Blaine Irish
Holding Institution: Library and Archives Canada (28mm; 35mm)
Notes: There exist two versions of this film, one long and one short. Specific duration unknown.
Description: Niagara’s Winter Wizardry offers scenic depictions of Niagara Falls and the Niagara River during winter and includes footage of ice formations in nearby caves. This film was likely produced to be shown at tourist centres at Niagara Falls as an educational supplement. The intertitles describe the sights in poetic terms: crystalline whiteness, a fairy-land of frost crystals, and sparkling gems. This narrative accompanies images which look almost other-worldly. Showcasing close-up footage of the ice, the film gives viewers privileged access to potentially dangerous locations along the icy river beneath the falls. Part of the Filmcraft Nature Classics series, advertised as “Dominion Scenes for Canadian Screens” and intended to function as educational documents about Canada for Canadians. The Famous Players Film Service distributed the series weekly.  
Notes: A different version of this film is viewable at the Travel Film Archive: www.travelfilmarchive.com/item.php?id=12918. This version’s title card lists Bell & Howell, a motion picture machinery manufacturer, as the production company. There exists a “sister film” to this one, Niagara’s Summer Sorcery (c. 1920) which shows views of the falls and the river in summertime.
Bibliography:
Peter Morris, Embattled Shadows: A History of Canadian Cinema, 1895-1939 (Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 1978), 144.
CESIF Link: Niagara’s Winter Wizardry

The Norwich Plan for Downtown Restoration

(1965, English, Sound, Black and White, 16mm, 26 mins)
Accession Number: 1965.0020
Sponsors: The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation; Norwich Union Insurance
Producers: Chetwynd Films; Thom Benson; Peter Kelly
Holding Institution: Library and Archives Canada (16mm)
Description: The film shows the progress of restoring the economic viability of downtown Niagara Falls, as a blueprint for similar restoration work in other towns. The Norwich Union Insurance Company sponsored this film as promotion for their downtown rehabilitation scheme. A companion book (c. 1970) seems to have presented the same information as in the film. The city of Niagara Falls is an amalgamation of several smaller communities including Chippawa and Stamford (c. 1962-1970). The connection between Niagara Falls and this restoration programme is unclear, however by 1965 the downtown area of the newly formed City of Niagara Falls had experienced economic decline, overshadowed by the nearby tourist attraction and Clifton Hill entertainment district.
CESIF Link: The Norwich Plan for Downtown Restoration

Picking Locks

(1937, English, Sound, Black and White, 35mm, 10 mins)
Accession Number: 1937.0009
Producers: Associated Screen News; B.E. Norrish
Holding Institution: Library and Archives Canada (35mm, Digibeta, VHS)
Related Titles: Les Grandes écluses (French version); “Canadian Cameo” (series); “Camée Canadien” (series)
Description: One of the Canadian Cameo series of short films, made between 1932 and 1954. This film shows how a canal lock functions with examples from various canals in Ontario including the Welland Canal in the Niagara region. The Canadian Cameo series were short films made to be shown in theatres during a screening programme. They were designed to educate Canadians about their country as well as stimulate travel as the production company was associated with the Canadian Pacific Railway.
CESIF Link: Picking Locks

The Story of Wine in Canada

(c. 1954-59, English, Sound, Black and White, 16mm, 14 mins)
Accession Number: 1955.0019
Sponsor: Canadian Wine Institute [Canadian Vintners Association]
Producers: Dan Gibson; Ashley and Crippen
Distributor: Modern Talking Picture Service
Holding Institution: Library and Archives Canada (16mm, VHS)
Description: This is a short documentary profiling Niagara’s wine industry. The sponsor of the film was the Canadian Wine Institute (now Canadian Vintners Association), which is the national representative body of wine producers in Canada. Scenes show how the grapes are collected and processed during harvest. The film also covers the local culture surrounding the wine industry, most importantly the annual Grape and Wine Festival that celebrates the yearly harvest. The Story of Wine in Canada provides a snapshot of Niagara’s viticulture industry in a period when it was more closely tied to traditional local agricultural practices, rather than the winery tourism which predominates today.
Notes: Modern Talking Picture Service also distributed The Middleton Family at the New York World’s Fair (1939). Founded in 1937 by Frank Arlinghaus, the company eventually comprised 32 film libraries in cities in the United States and Canada, distributing films “of broad interest” to schools, community groups, industry, television stations, and movie theatres.
Related Film: Annual Ten Day Festival Celebrating the Niagara Grape Crop (1964)
Bibliography:
Obituary, Frank Arlinghaus, New York Times, August 1964.
CESIF Link: The Story of Wine in Canada

The Want of a Suitable Playhouse

(1968, English, Sound, Colour, 16mm, 27 mins)
Accession Number: 1968.0053
Sponsor: Shaw Festival
Producers: Crawley Films; F.R. “Budge” Crawley; Vincent Vaitiekunas
Distributor: Modern Talking Picture Service
Holding Institution: Library and Archives Canada (16mm)
Description: This film was part of a campaign to promote the building of a new theatre dedicated to the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake. It is structured as a public relations appeal, with festival officials appearing to make their case. Excerpts from recent productions, interviews with actors, and scenes of historic sites in the town are included to persuade the viewer of the festival’s cultural and tourism-driven economic viability.
CESIF Link: The Want of a Suitable Playhouse


Non-CESIF Films Relevant for Researchers: NFB


Related Published Works

Hughes, Alun. History Made in Niagara, eds. Michael Ripmeester, David Butz, and Loris Gasparotto, eds. St. Catharines: Elbow Island Publishers, 2019.

Larkin, Janet Dorothy. Overcoming Niagara: Canals, Commerce, and Tourism in the Niagara-Great Lakes Borderland Region, 1792-1837. Albany: State University of New York Press, 2018.

Covering Niagara: Studies in Local Popular Culture. Edited by Joan Nicks and Barry Keith Grant. Waterloo: Wilfrid Laurier Press, 2010.

Ripmeester, Michael, Mackintosh, Philip Gordon, and Fullerton, Christopher, eds. The World of Niagara Wine. Waterloo, ON: Wilfrid Laurier Press, 2013.


Archival and Museum Collections of Interest

Brock University Archives and Special Collections
1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St Catharines, Ontario.
brocku.ca/library/collections/special-collections-archives
Extensive archival collection including published materials covering history, geography, environment, military history, economics, agriculture, urban renewal, literature, arts and more. The collection also comprises materials on the War of 1812, the Welland Canal, and early travellers’ journals.

St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre
1932 Welland Canals Parkway, St. Catharines, Ontario.
www.stcatharines.ca/en/St-Catharines-Museum.asp
Extensive archival collection related to the city of St. Catharines and the Welland Canal, including books, maps, photographs, ephemeral documents and artefacts. Houses archive of the St. Catharines Standard newspaper.

Niagara Falls History Museum
5810 Ferry Street, Niagara Falls, Ontario.
niagarafallsmuseums.ca
Searchable digital collections are available online. Collection covers all aspects of Niagara Falls’ city history.

Niagara Falls Public Library
4848 Victoria Avenue, Niagara Falls, Ontario.
my.nflibrary.ca
Extensive archives focused on local history and geneaological records. Searchable digital collections available.

Bibliothèque Publique Welland Public Library
50 The Boardwalk, Welland, Ontario.
wellandlibrary.ca
Collection of materials on history of the City of Welland and the surrounding area of the former Welland County. The collection includes books, maps, government publications, newspaper clippings and documents, city directories and indexes.