Felled timber is taken down the Mattagami, a Northern Ontario River. The men who guide the logs on “the drive” are “famous for their dexterity” as poling and burling are demonstrated. In an amusing sequence the men are shown as “proverbial for their appetite.” The independence that workers enjoyed at this time and described in Ian Radforth’s history of the industry is evident.

Using herring as bait, fishers catch halibut in a large region off the coast of British Columbia, from the Strait of Juan de Fuca all way to Kodiak Island to the north. Fishers, in boats of 6 to 20 men then bring their haul on a larger “mothership” to be processed in factories in Prince Rupert. About 100 tons are processed daily.

The plight of young unmarried working women was a concern in the growing cities of the early 20th century. Young, unmarried women working in cities could be tempted by the vices, neglecting their work. This film is a morality play, starring a “good” factory girl and “bad” factory girl, employed making heels for shoes at the Gutta Percha Rubber Factory in Parkdale, Toronto, where it was shot.

The film follows two men, “Smith and Jones” who are working at a Toronto factory when it shuts down for the winter. They are soon hired at a mining camp, where working and living conditions appear to be easy and comfortable. The portrayal of the industry’s safe and easy conditions is comical to today’s viewer.

The sudden death of Thomas Stanley, a successful but ‘extravagant’ man leaves his wife, son and daughter in difficult circumstances. They search for boarders to help make ends meet. What follows is a morality tale about the importance of properly addressing letters and parcels.

The production of shells during WWI introduced unprecedented levels of mechanization to the metal industry. Just a couple of years before this film was made, machinists staged a series of strikes, opposing the de-skilling and work intensification that threatened their work. Yet, these struggles are absent in the detached, sublime depiction of the technology needed to make a shell.

A promotional portrayal of cottage country in the Huntsville area, the film acknowledges this was Indigenous land. Visitors travel on boats called ‘Algonquin’ and ‘Iroquois.’ Cottagers enjoy various activities on water and land, such as tennis, horseback riding and lawn bowling. An Indigenous man, said to be the grandson of the local chief, in full headdress, visits the lodge by canoe.

This documentary provides a detailed look at silver mining in the Cobalt, Ontario area. The work of an underground miner is shown in some detail. The film captures some of the environmental impact that mining had on the area. The inclusion of the value of what is mined reflects the enormous wealth that was extracted from this region.

Injuries and fatalities are a serious issue at an electrical utility. Management thinks it is due to worker carelessness. A lineman named Jim is planning to marry on this day but “won’t take safety seriously”. He lives in a boarding house, is late for work and is not yet married. The more fastidious and conscientious worker is married, has two children and follows safety procedures carefully.

While the film refers to “business” the location of the story is the Postal Service, at the central sorting station at the foot of Bay Street in Toronto. Conveyors are featured assisting the sorting and movement of mail, with the employees working to the pace of the conveyors. The implication is that this technology might have broader applications in other types of work.

The social control of children was a growing concern in the nineteenth and early twentieth century. This film opens with young children playing on the sidewalk, unsupervised. To ensure a healthy environment and avoid “criminal propensities” in school age children, several playgrounds and recreation centres are funded by a private philanthropist.

This production captures the stone construction of what is now called the “Whitney Block”, part of the Government of Ontario buildings at Queen’s Park. While the film’s theme explores the “ancient trade of stone masonry” there is a high level of mechanization throughout the construction process from quarrying at Queenston, in Niagara, from cutting the stones into massive slabs for the building’s walls to final stone carving over the entrance.

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 travelers in Canada and the United States.

Fruit production in the Niagara Region is featured. Young women dubbed “Farmerettes” love the job of fruit picking. Their demeanor suggests nothing of the exploitation discussed in Carmela Patrias’s work on the Niagara Fruit Region on the period. Fresh fruit is sold at market, while some is processed into jams, which are in turn sold throughout the region in various venues.

This film was shot at Durant Motors in Leaside, then a suburb of Toronto. Technology and the organization of production varied significantly between plants and manufacturers in this period, when the industry was still relatively young. This record of production is sufficiently detailed to document hazards and capture how the organization of work was based on gender and age.