The Government of Ontario sought to promote the province to tourists and ‘sportsmen’ by featuring its abundant lakes, forests and fish. ‘Native lore’ is used to explain the beauty of the 30 Thousand Islands, near Parry Sound. The ease of travel to this wilderness is communicated to wealthy travellers in Canada and the United States. Georgian Bay offers welcoming hotels and lodges. The accommodation is comfortable, and the food is delicious. Indigenous guides help guests catch fish, using their “instincts”. This racist trope and another racist image of a black woman illustrate attitudes of this era, through a government-sponsored film.

“When Summer Comes” 1922, film, 6 minutes 33 seconds, Graphic Consultants collection, accession number 1972-0105, item number ISN 279815, Library and Archives Canada.

Film editing and musical direction by Bennett Sobel. The song “Beside a Babbling Brook” courtesy of Upbeat Recordings; The Original Indiana Five · Johnny Sylvester (1923)

Further Discussion

Bregent-Heald, Dominique. "James Oliver Curwood: Advertising Canada Across the Border." Journal of Canadian Studies/Revue d'études canadiennes, vol. 52, no. 3, Fall 2018, pp. 691-717.

"The Steamship Era." On This Spot: Historical Walking Tours, www.onthisspot.ca/cities/parrysound/steamships.

"A Brief, Illustrated History of Landscape and Aboriginal Peoples in the Muskoka River Region," https://irp-cdn.multiscreensite.com/e31177cf/files/uploaded/Aboriginal-Peoples-Muskoka-River-Region.pdf