Fonds 505 South Peace Regional Archives Film collection

1 sound recording

“Crossing the Canadian Rockies by Packhorse and River” is a 30 minute video made in 1989 by combining narration, maps, still photographs and a 1937 silent film. The subject is two crossings of the Canadian Rockies in 1937 – one by packhorse from Bend, B.C. to Wembley, Alberta, and the other by boat following the trail of Alexander Mackenzie on the Pack and Parsnip Rivers from Prince George to Finlay Forks and up the Peace River to Ft. St. John. The excursions were organized by Nicholas Ignatieff, an instructor at Upper Canada College. Bert Osborne, from Wembley, outfitted the group, supplying 86 horses and 12 guides, including Adam, Pete Campbell, Dan, Ray, Narcisse, and Bert Dalgleish. Part of the film was shot at the Osborne Ranch at Wembley.

“Lying across northern Alberta and British Columbia is the Peace River Country – a huge block of farm land ringed by mountains and barren hills, and watered by the river. Peopled by missionaries, trappers and fur traders, the district also absorbed 10,000 homesteaders between 1910-1940, and grain became its most important product. Fishing, fur farms, timber and oil remained factors in the economy. This picture of the district looks at its unique mixture of old and new.”

“A summary and analysis of the Peace River District showing the economic factors necessary for an integrated and prosperous development. It is a warm and human story of change from primitive sod-busting to modern, mechanized agriculture and industry, and a tribute to the pioneer spirit which still finds scope in our northern settlement fringe.”

Video copy of the film “Canada’s New Farmlands: the Sherk Family” produced by United World Films Inc. It features the Peace River District in Alberta as it develops into a rich grain country, and details the problems of the new settlers and how they are being helped by the Government of Canada. The family featured in the film are the Sherk brothers from the Lower Beaverlodge area.

Promotional video for the Volunteer Services Bureau showing what the volunteers in the Grande Prairie District were involved with during the year 1990.

Conditions governing use:

VSB retains copyright

Three videos of “Dinosaur Days” in 1991. This was an annual festival in Muskoseepi Park put on by the City of Grande Prairie and a host of organizations and volunteers, including the Grande Prairie Museum. These videos show a group called “Time Travelers” which interpret the past through many activities for the public: starting fire without matches, making and using tools designed by early man, and other activities of archaeological and paleontological interest. The second film includes a dig at Charlie Lake Caves between Dawson Creek and Fort St. John, British Columbia.

Video commemorating the construction of “the famous Alaska Highway, stretching from Dawson Creek, British Columbia to Delta Junction, Alaska and continuing to Fairbanks, Alaska, a distance of over 1,500 miles. Because of the threat of Japanese invasion in 1942, the highway was conceived to provide a land link with Alaska connecting a series of air bases in Canada. A pioneer road was constructed in the remarkably quick time of nine months through some of the most remote and scenic country in North America. This tape traces the history of the highway using contemporary footage, the original U.S. Army Signal Corps movie, rare original footage, interviews and still photos.” Two copies available in the Video Library.

Video created by local author Jim Nelson and promoted as “A Visit with a Pioneer Artist.” “Euphemia (Betty) McNaught takes the viewer on a personal visit to the original McNaught Homestead. She introduces her horses, takes us down to the lake and the campsite in the pines and, of course, caps it all off with tea. The conversation ranges from her memories of being left behind by the wagon train with which she came over the Edson Trail, to her personal relationships with several members of the famous Group of Seven under whom she studied at the Ontario College of Art.” Many of her paintings are featured in the video.

“When Dr. Mary Percy left civilized England for the wilds of northern Alberta in 1929, the clock seemed to turn back a century. Battle River Prairie had no roads, no electricity, no telegraph, no services. But blackflies were plentiful, and so was snow. Dr. Percy became the first and only doctor in Canada’s last homesteading area. In winter, her eyelashes froze to her glasses. In summer, she sometimes had to be fished out of rivers when her horse lost its footing. English sidewalks were only a genteel memory. Mary Percy planned to spend only a year in Alberta – until her romance, in the form of Frank Jackson, came striding through her examining room. Sixty-five years later she is still there. Articulate, witty and outspoken at 90 years of age, the doctor is a gifted storyteller, recalling harrowing experiences as a practitioner of frontier medicine. With the nearest hospital days away, she often had to improvise – sometimes operating on her kitchen table. As a pioneer and community builder living off the map, Dr. Mary Percy Jackson brings history to life. The film evokes the essence of the rugged times she has lived through. ‘People these days would call it a challenge,’ she says. ‘I thought it was hilarious.’”

Video telling the story of the Peace River from its beginning in the foothills of the Rockies to its entry into the Arctic Ocean. Covers the history of the river as well as its natural features.

“Discover the Spirit of the Peace” was a video produced to promote the history and museums of the Peace River District of Northern Alberta through the Spirit of the Peace Museums Network. It was made with the assistance of a Special Projects Grant from Museums Alberta. Two copies are available in the Video Library.

This video is one of five in a series of Treaty 8 Centennial Research Workshops. The focus of the series is on Aboriginal genealogy and other related historical research techniques.

This video is one of five in a series of Treaty 8 Centennial Research Workshops. The focus of the series is on Aboriginal genealogy and other related historical research techniques.

This video is one of five in a series of Treaty 8 Centennial Research Workshops. The focus of the series is on Aboriginal genealogy and other related historical research techniques.

This video is one of five in a series of Treaty 8 Centennial Research Workshops. The focus of the series is on Aboriginal genealogy and other related historical research techniques.

This video is one of five in a series of Treaty 8 Centennial Research Workshops. The focus of the series is on Aboriginal genealogy and other related historical research techniques.

This DVD is the companion video for the publication, “The Peace: a history in photographs”. It outlines the unique history of the Peace River Country, the last area in North America to be homesteaded, and the site of the continent’s last great land rush. The video is interpretive and examines “what we, citizens of the 21st century, can learn from the early pioneers and settlers? What brought them here, far from all they knew, what kept their spirit strong through hard times, inspired them to build vibrant communities and prosperous economies?”

A documentary produced by Vicom (Edmonton) and the Edson Trail Historical Society to tell the history of the Edson to Grande Prairie Trail, originally opened in 1911. There are two discs: a DVD of the documentary, music video of the title song, and extra scenes and a CD of music from the documentary.

This film of unknown provenance may possibly be from the Foster Family film collection. The film shows people standing beside a motor home, a white house (possibly an historic site), a couple standing in front of a house, and the Scenic Heights Cemetery, including individual gravestones.

Two copies of an Alberta Resources documentary film made for Alberta Energy and Natural Resources and Procter and Gamble Cellulose Ltd. by JEM Film Productions. The film shows various parts of the logging industry including loggers’ morning routine, early logging efforts, a climax forest and forest fire, a tree inventory by aerial photography, forest management unit mapping, ecosystem impact, forest harvesting, reforestation (including seed harvesting and processing, seedling nurture, and planting), and cut block recordkeeping.

Two copies of a Procter and Gamble Cellulose Ltd. safety presentation by JEM Film Productions. The film appears to be aimed at those who want to use Procter and Gamble logging roads for recreational purposes. The film shows distracted driving on the logging road, including a near miss and an analysis of what the driver did wrong, the hazards of being on a logging road as the film follows a truck driver around, and a car check to perform before setting out.

An Alberta Resources documentary film made for Alberta Environment and Procter and Gamble Cellulose Ltd. by JEM Film Productions. The film shows and describes scenes of natural beauty, the definition of a forest, the history of Alberta’s forests, wildlife, photosynthesis, threats to forests, the incursion of man, the history of Procter and Gamble’s Grande Prairie operations, pulp mill operations, reforestation, and recreational opportunities. The film makes use of interviews with several people including local farmers, Procter and Gamble officials and employees, and government officials.

Two copies of a documentary made for Procter and Gamble Cellulose Ltd. by Century II Motion Pictures. The film documents the building of a sawmill next to the pulp mill on the Procter and Gamble site at Grande Prairie. Scenes include an aerial view of the Grande Prairie plant, groundbreaking (including speeches), construction of the new mill, views of the forests, wildlife, and harvesting trees, processing trees into lumber, and Grande Prairie. The film emphasizes the benefits of the sawmill to the community including jobs, construction materials, training in new skills, and new people.

Two copies of a documentary film made for the City of Grande Prairie, County of Grande Prairie, and Procter and Gamble by Deep Cove Motion Pictures. The film shows and describes the city of Grande Prairie and surrounding area including aerial views, street scenes, various industries (agriculture, forestry, oil and gas), recreational and cultural opportunities, shopping, and services.

Conditions governing use:

Original film elements are held at the Provincial Archives of Alberta. Copyright retained by filmmaker Ken Jubenvill until 2021 when it will be transferred to PAA.

Three copies of a documentary film made for Procter and Gamble by JEM Film Productions. The film documents the opening of Procter and Gamble’s new pulp mill outside of Grande Prairie in 1974. Scenes include views of forests, aerial views of Grande Prairie, the history of Procter and Gamble’s involvement in Grande Prairie, the building of the mill on the Wapiti River, the mill’s opening ceremonies including speeches, a tour, and a demonstration of harvesting techniques, and the pulping process.

Two copies of an Alberta Resources documentary film made for Alberta Energy and Natural Resources by JEM Film Productions. The film begins by showing various Alberta industries including oil and gas, forestry, agriculture, and mining, then focuses specifically on forestry. The film describes climactic zones, types of trees, photosynthesis, how forests capture water, wildlife, recreation in forests, conservation, statistics and potential of the forestry industry, forest fires, and forest management (including systematic harvesting and reforestation). The film mostly considers the province as a whole, but some Grande Prairie footage and content is included.

The video commemorates the sacrifices of Ypres, the Somme, Vimy Ridge, and Passchendaele during World War I.

A compilation of vignettes designed for honoring Remembrance Day.

The War Amps & Operation Legacy Remembrance Service.

Songs by John McDermott to fit the theme of “Never Again”.

This video features the songwriters who have produced music to accompany The War Amps military heritage documentaries.

This video features a wreath laying ceremony at the National Military Cemetery in Ottawa and includes a piper playing the “Lament” and a bugler playing “The Last Post”.

The film records South Peace Centennial Museum’s “Pioneer Days” 1977, the Peace River at Hudson’s Hope and Site 1 construction of the Hudson’s Hope Dam, Gastown (Vancouver), Courtney Music Festival Camp, and nature shots. This film has a soundtrack.

A film copy of an episode of television journalist Clete Roberts’ “World Report” set in Grande Prairie, Alberta Roberts interviews resident Chester Miller (owner of a local taxi company) and visitor Mr. Benoit (Executive Editor of Montreal paper “La Patrie”) and has a drink with local Fred Johnson.The television show is hosted by Clete Roberts, produced by F. D. Kahlenberg, and photographed by Charles Smart. World Report first aired on CBS.

Conditions governing use:

The film is under copyright, presumably to CBS.

A film copy of an episode of television journalist Clete Roberts’ “World Report” set in Grande Prairie, Alberta Roberts interviews area farmer Percy Clubine, Mayor Robert C. Waddell, Deputy Mayor/Public Works J. C. Mackie, MLA Ira McLaughlin, and RCMP Constable Nicolson. The end of the episode features scenes of natural resource exploration, particularly oil, in the area surrounding Grande Prairie.The television show is hosted by Clete Roberts, produced by F. D. Kahlenberg, and photographed by Charles Smart. World Report first aired on CBS.

Conditions governing use:

The film is under copyright, presumably to CBS.

A film copy of an episode of television journalist Clete Roberts’ “World Report” set in Lone Mountain, British Columbia in the Peace River region (described as about a 4 hour trip from Grande Prairie). Roberts interviewsThe television show is hosted by Clete Roberts, produced by F. D. Kahlenberg, and photographed by Charles Smart. World Report first aired on CBS.

Conditions governing use:

The film is under copyright, presumably to CBS.

A film copy of an episode of television journalist Clete Roberts’ “World Report” set in Lone Mountain, British Columbia in the Peace River region (described as about a 4 hour trip from Grande Prairie). Roberts introduces the men working on the oil rig, interviews geologist Bill Bickum, and shows a wet gas seepage.The television show is hosted by Clete Roberts, produced by F. D. Kahlenberg, and photographed by Charles Smart. World Report first aired on CBS.

Conditions governing use:

The film is under copyright, presumably to CBS.

Sound and video recording of the 6th annual Fiddler’s Jamboree put on by the Grande Prairie Museum in February 1993.

Sound and video recording of Doug Clarkson produced by Sunwapta Broadcasting for CFRN TV as part of the Great Albertans series.

This accession contains records related to the Spanish Flu in general and its impact on the local region. The records consist of 2 digital copies from the original born digital version. The film was created as part of a student project for a GPRC history class. The students are Ryley Tkachuk, Keadyn Know, and Fox Imler. Items from the SPRA holdings were used in this film.