Here Is the Land

This short documentary is part of the Canada Carries On series of morale-boosting wartime propaganda films. In Home Front, the various WWII-era social contributions of women are highlighted. From medicine to industrial labour to hospitality, education and domesticity, the service these women provided to their country is lauded.

In Australia, children live in the Outback, too far from others to travel to any school. The Australian government has a school with no student only teachers that correspond with their pupils and teach those children at their own pace.

A narrated examination of old-fashioned maple sugar production in the St. Lawrence Valley. Footage shows local farmers tapping trees and gathering sap in the sugar bush; sleds being pulled variously by dog, horse, and ox; the boiling of sap in cauldrons and the casting of sugar in wooden molds; and a sugaring-off party at which local youths gather to taste the first maple sugar of the season.

This film illustrates the difference between World War II and the war of 1914, emphasizing the importance of mechanization, and contrasting the mobile tactics with the immobility of trench warfare. The scientific approach, both to problems of military strategy and to new weapons, is all-important. The film shows some of the work done by Canadian scientists to make these weapons as effective as possible.

Produced to celebrate the Jubilee of Federation, Cavalcade of Australia provides an historical review of the development of the nation between 1901 and 1951. The film opens with the visit of the Duke and Duchess of York (later King George V and Queen Mary) to Australia in 1901 to open the first Commonwealth Parliament. Through the use of historical footage, the film not only covers notable events in the Commonwealth story but also social development, fashions and economic growth over the period.

Not by any means a truly comprehensive scientific study, this film nevertheless conveys in a popular fashion facts as to the development and habits of various types of apes. Skillful direction and interesting commentary almost succeed in transforming the film into an “entertainment” piece.

This short documentary from the Canada Carries On series celebrates the contribution of Canada’s railroads to the war effort. The film includes a sequence from Buster Keaton's 1926 silent comedy The General, as well as a re-enactment of Lord Strathcona driving the final spike into the Canadian Pacific Railway Line.

A WWII film about children evacuated from Britain and sent to Canada for their safety. The film begins in England with children seeking shelter as anti-aircraft guns roar outside. On their arrival in Canada, they are thrilled by the brightly lit cities, powerful Canadian trains, hot dogs and ice cream. They find, too, that instead of becoming Mounties or cowboys, they have to go to school. The closing sequence shows them learning to ski and skate and preparing for Christmas in their new homes.