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TV,eh? What's up in Canadian television
Featured, Masterchef Canada

MasterChef Canada selects its Top 3 in emotional episode

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We are just a few weeks away from the finale on June 1, and I have to say this season of MasterChef Canada has been incredible. The guest judges have been A-list and the challenges are the most diverse and difficult I’ve ever seen. Everyone involved should be proud of the work they’ve done.

That, of course, goes for the home cooks who have been put through an emotional wringer this season. They’ve made it this far, but one was set to fall on Thursday night.

“Harvest Family Dinner” began with the final team challenge set on a farm on a crisp autumn day. The word “Family” in the episode title was, of course, a hint that producers would throw Barrie, Trevor, Mai and Thea for an emotional loop by bringing their families in to try out their menus. Barrie, who won the last challenge before Miranda was eliminated, chose his teammate. Her kept the bromance going with Trevor by selecting him, putting Mai and Thea together. The winners of the challenge would immediately be put into the Top 3 … and things got serious super-fast.

I can only imagine how fast that two hours of prep and cooking time must have flown by for the final four, but camera work was a pretty good indication. Hands and feet flew, eyes were focused and every home cook was out of breath. Barrie and Trevor opted for an elevated hunter’s meal of venison while Mai and Thea opted for a surf and turf of bison steak and scallops to reflect their home provinces. Barrie and Trevor worked side by side but without collaboration, trusting each other to pull their weight. Thea and Mai, meanwhile, made recommendations to each other and kept up the advice, and Mai threatened to take over. Which method of working would end up being the winning formula? Remember that it was Thea and Mai’s conflicting advice that had a hand in Justine’s elimination a few weeks ago.

Barrie’s wine sauce for the venison and Thea’s scallops threatened to derail the plans of both squads. The sauce was fixed and the scallops weren’t, meaning that chunk of protein was ignored and Thea’s time had been wasted. Two layers of doneness on the venison was a knock against Barrie and Trevor; the same went for Mai and Thea as Alvin’s steak was overdone. You have got to nail the doneness on protein if you want to score well on MasterChef Canada and those misses were Week 1 mistakes.

Trevor and Barrie won, sending them into the Top 3 and Mai and Thea into the Elimination Challenge. For that, the pair would have to replicate a Hawaiian cloud dessert containing a ginger cookie, pineapple sponge cake and frozen kiwi hidden under a cotton candy cloud. It seemed like an impossible task for Thea and Mai to achieve—I’d love to see Alvin, Claudio or Michael make one—and it looked in the early going like a too-puffy cake would eliminate Mai. But Thea’s candy cloud was a tad deflated and her sponge cake too dense … but her tuille was perfect. Mai’s cloud was fluffier, but a piece of foil from the butter ruined her otherwise wonderful sponge cake.

Mai was eliminated from the competition, meaning Thea is headed to the Top 3 alongside Barrie and Trevor. MasterChef Canada is taking a break for one week during U.S. May Sweeps and returns May 25.

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MasterChef Canada airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CTV.

Images courtesy of Bell Media.

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Anne

Links: Anne with an E

From Sarah Larson of The New Yorker:

Link: How not to adapt Anne of Green Gables
So we see flashbacks to Anne’s life with an abusive family and in the orphanage—another fine idea in principle. In one flashback, vicious girls, spitting threats and insults, taunt Anne with a dead mouse in a grimy alcove; afterward, she comforts herself by stroking its fur sorrowfully. When we cut back to the present, she says, in a hollow tone, “I’ll be as quiet as a mouse,” as dead-eyed as the twins in “The Shining.” We should empathize here, but we’re too busy seething. Continue reading.

From Joanna Robinson of Vanity Fair:

Link: Anne of Green Gables: Netflix’s bleak adaptation gets it all so terribly wrong
Still, none of the many, many other Anne adaptations stray so disastrously far from the spirit of Montgomery’s original books—and the result is a gloomy series with grim, life-or-death stakes draped over the bones of something beloved, warm-hearted, and familiar. The milestones are still there—currant wine, broken slates, puffed sleeves—but seen through a glass darkly. Brave as the concept may be, it falls flat—and feels particularly unwelcome in an already grim 2017. Continue reading.

From Marissa Martinelli of Slate.com:

Link: Netflix’s dark, gritty reboot of Anne of Green Gables has all the subtlety of a chalkboard smashed over your head
The show’s lack of nuance is especially evident while trying to assert its modern sensibilities. Walley-Beckett’s adaptation of Anne is so worried about announcing itself as feminist that it forgets that its source material already was. Continue reading.

From Sophie Gilbert of The Atlantic:

Link: Anne with an E is the best kind of adaptation
So Anne With an E, created by Moira Walley-Beckett, a longtime writer and producer on Breaking Bad, isn’t exactly inventing darkness for the story so much as reading between the lines. It’s Anne of Green Gables for 21st-century audiences, who are perhaps more sympathetic to the idea that children can suffer. That’s not to say darkness defines the show. Anne With an E captures the winning exuberance of Anne Shirley—who, played by AmyBeth McNulty, is entirely irresistible—while finding some deeper potency in her story. The first two episodes offer a gripping and moving setup for the rest of the season, portraying how Anne, despite improbable odds, persuades the elderly Cuthberts to love her. Continue reading.

From Jen Chaney of The Vulture:

Link: Anne of Green Gables fans, you will love Netflix’s Anne with an E
Lifelong fans of the Anne of Green Gables series should find much to admire here, but the newly initiated will be just as easily drawn into the town of Avonlea, where Anne and the Cuthberts live, and enchanted by the open-hearted wonder with which Anne greets the world and spins her creative yarns. Continue reading.

From Lorraine Ali of the L.A. Times:

Link: Netflix moves to Green Gables with scrappy, irresistible Anne with an E 
If only television treated all its teenage girls with the same respect “Anne with an E” affords its whip-smart, scrappy protagonist. Continue reading.

From Allison Keene of Collider:

Link: Netflix’s Green Gables adaptation has grit
Once Anne arrives at Green Gables, it’s a spiritual transformation. She is given hope and new focus on fulfilling her dreams of friendship, education, and both familial and romantic love.  Continue reading.

From Mark Dawidziak of Cleveland.com:

Link: Anne with an E pursues a darker shade of Green Gables
While remaining true to the spirit of Anne and the book, this Netflix series reminds us that Montgomery wrote her novel for all ages. She did not consider it just a children’s book. And it wasn’t designated a children’s book until many decades after its publication. Continue reading.

From Gwen Ihnat of The AV Club:

Link: Anne with an E offers a winning, darker take on a familiar tale
Amybeth McNulty defies her youth with a performance that’s less a portrayal of Anne than an absolute possession. It can’t be easy to make Anne’s fanciful language sing the way she does, and McNulty captures the endearing awkwardness that enables Anne to win over everyone she comes in contact with. Continue reading.

 

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Anne

Link: The sisterhood of Anne of Green Gables is ready for Anne’s next chapter

From Katie Calautti of Vanity Fair:

Link: The sisterhood of Anne of Green Gables is ready for Anne’s next chapter
“L.M. Montgomery was writing in a time period where there were not a lot of women’s voices being heard nearly loudly enough nor often enough—and yet somehow she gave voice to a brave little girl whose loud and important voice is still resonating. I’m just thrilled that as woman producers today, we can continue to push the strength of L.M. Montgomery’s spirit through our Anne Shirley. Anne with an E is definitely our feminist rallying cry.” Continue reading.

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Awards, Featured

Baroness Von Sketch Show, Wynonna Earp and Travelers top Rockie Awards noms

CBC’s Baroness Von Sketch Show, Space’s Wynonna Earp and Showcase’s Travelers are among the nominees for this year’s Rockie Awards.

Handed out during the Banff World Media Festival, the Rockie Awards celebrate excellence in television and digital content from around the world, with participation from more than 40 countries.

CBC’s The Secret Path is nominated in the Animation category, Odd Squad: The Movie in Children & Youth Fiction, Black Watch Snipers and Newfoundland at Armageddon in History & Biography and Paw Patrol in Preschool programming. Baroness Von Sketch received kudos in the Comedy Series: English Language category, with Wynonna Earp and Travelers facing off in the Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Action category.

Here’s a list of the nominees with Canadian projects highlighted in blue:

Animation
HARVEY BEAKS
Nickelodeon
United States

OTTO
NPO in association with NTR Television
Netherlands

REVOLTING RHYMES
Magic Light Pictures in association with BBC One
United Kingdom

SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS
Nickelodeon
United States

THE SECRET PATH
Antica Productions in association with Entertainment One and Edgarland Films
Canada

Children & Youth Fiction
HANK ZIPZER
Kindle Entertainment in association with DHX Media, Walker Productions, and support from Screen Yorkshire
United Kingdom

HETTY FEATHER
CBBC/BBC Television
United Kingdom

ODD SQUAD: THE MOVIE
Sinking Ship Entertainment in association with The Fred Rogers Company
Canada/United States

RANGER ROB
Nelvana Limited/Studio Liddell
Canada/United Kingdom

WILD KRATTS
Kratts Brothers Company, 9 Story Media Group Production in association with PBS, TVO and BC Knowledge Network
Canada

Children & Youth Non-Fiction
HAVE A LOOK AT MY WORLD: HAYA – A GIRL IN SAUDI ARABIA
Hanfgarn & Ufer Filmproduktion GbR, Berlin in association with Suedwestrundfunk
Germany/Saudi Arabia

HELLO WORLD!
Discovery Channel in association with Radicalmedia and WWF
United States

HORRIBLE HISTORIES SPECIAL: SENSATIONAL SHAKESPEARE
Lion Television in association with Scholastic UK, CBBC, BBC Television
United Kingdom

SHIMAJIRO: A WORLD OF WOW!
DASH Co. LTD in association with The Answerstudio Co Ltd. and TV Tokyo Corporation
Japan

OCTOPUS NEWS: FIGHTING AIR POLLUTION
HAKKA TV
Taiwan

Comedy Series: English Language
BARONESS VON SKETCH SHOW
Frantic Films in association with CBC
Canada

BLACK-ISH
Disney/ABC/ABC Studios
United States

FLEABAG
All3media International in association with Two Brothers and BBC3
United Kingdom

FLOWERS
Kudos Film & TV in association with Seeso
United Kingdom

INSECURE
HBO Entertainment in association with Issa Rae Productions, Prentice Penny Productions and 3 Arts Entertainment
United States

Comedy Series: Foreign Language
BOOMERANG
Encore Television Inc.
Canada

CALLBOYS
Woestijnvis/FBO in association with FBO, VIER
Belgium

FREEFALL
Encore Television Inc.
Canada

GENERATION B
De Mensen in association with Canvas, Gardner & Domm, VAF and Screen Brussels
Belgium

MY 80S TEEN MISADVENTURES
AVANTI CINÉ VIDÉO
Canada

Digital Fiction
#HASHTAG
SVT in association with Zentropa Sweden, Film Väst
Sweden

MY 90-YEAR-OLD ROOMMATE
LoCo Motion Pictures/9578056 Canada Inc. in association with Hawkeye Pictures and CBC
Canada

NOW WE’RE TALKING
go90 in association with an UNINTERRUPTED Original Series Produced by Blue Ribbon Content
United States

PEOPLEWATCHING
Lapaire Productions
Canada

THE 5TH QUARTER
OBB Pictures in association with 3 Arts Entertainment, Kids At Play
United States

Digital Non-Fiction
DECODED
MTV and Kornhaber Brown
United States

LIFE & DEATH ROW: LOVE TRIANGLE
BBC Studios in association with BBC Three
United Kingdom

QB1: BEYOND THE LIGHTS
go90 in association with Rated Red, Complex
United States

WE THE VOTERS: 20 FILMS FOR THE PEOPLE
Vulcan Productions, Show of Force and Warrior Poets
United States

YOUNG GUNS
go90 Rogue Atlas Productions in association with Rated Red, Complex
United States

Drama Series: English Language
AMERICAN CRIME
Disney/ABC, ABC Studios
United States

HAPPY VALLEY
Red Productions in association with BBC
United Kingdom

THE MISSING
New Pictures in association with Two Brothers Pictures
United Kingdom

THE NIGHT MANAGER
The Ink Factory in association with AMC and BBC
United Kingdom/Spain

UNDERGROUND
Sony Pictures Television
United States

Drama Series: Foreign Language
BORDERTOWN
Fisher King Productions, Federation Entertainment in association with YLE Finnish Broadcasting Company
Finland

MIDNIGHT SUN
SVT International in association with Nice Drama, Atlantique Productions
Sweden

RUPTURES
Aetois Productions Inc.
Canada

SR ÁVILA
Lemon Films in association with HBO Latin America Originals
Mexico

THE MENTEN CASE
NPO in association with Omroep MAX
Netherlands

VICTOR
Productions Pixcom Inc. in association with Québecor Contenu
Canada

Environmental & Wildlife
AFRICA’S HUNTERS
Primsoll Productions in association with Blue Ant Media
United Kingdom

BEFORE THE FLOOD
National Geographic presents a RatPac Documentary Films Presentation of an Appian Way Production. In association with Insurgent Docs and Diamond Docs
United States

MIGRATING BIRDS: SCOUTS OF DISTANT WORLDS
colourFIELD in association with ZDF & ARTE
Germany

PLANET EARTH II
BBC Studios – Natural History Unit, in association with ZDF, BBC America, France Television, Tencent
United Kingdom/Germany/United States/France/China

SAVAGE KINGDOM
Icon Films in association with Natural History Film unit Botswana for National Geographic Channels
United States

THE POACHER’S PIPELINE
Al Jazeera Media Network
Qatar

YEARS OF LIVING DANGEROUSLY
National Geographic presents a Roaring Forks production
United States

Francophone
CLAUDE LANZMANN: SPECTRES OF THE SHOAH
Jet Black Iris Corporations in association with Jet Black Iris America, Jet Black Iris Productions United Kingdom
United Kingdom/United States

HYPNO
La Récré
Canada

MIDNIGHT SUN
SVT International in association with Nice Drama, Atlantique Productions
Sweden

RUPTURES
Aetois Productions Inc.
Canada

VICTOR
Productions Pixcom Inc. in association with Québecor Contenu
Canada

VIRTUOSO
Média Qube Télé
Canada

History & Biography
BLACK WATCH SNIPERS
YAP Films in association with Corus Entertainment and Rogers Cable Network Fund
Canada

CLAUDE LANZMANN: SPECTRES OF THE SHOAH
Jet Black Iris Corporations in association with Jet Black Iris America, Jet Black Iris Productions United Kingdom
United Kingdom/United States

NEWFOUNDLAND AT ARMAGEDDON
Galafilm Productions Inc.
Canada

STORYVILLE: THE BLACK PANTHERS
Firelight Media in association with BBC
United Kingdom/United States

THE OLYMPIC DREAM – THE 1936 NAZI GAMES
SPIEGEL TV in association with Westdeutschen Runfunk, ARTE
Germany
Interactive Content

CARDBOARD CRASH
National Film Board of Canada
Canada

HALCYON
Secret Location in association with Corus Entertainment, Entertainment One, Independent Production Fund, NBC Universal, Ontario Media Development Corporation
Canada

LAWREN HARRIS: WHERE THE UNIVERSE SINGS
Secret Location in association with Bell Fund, White Pine Pictures, TVO, YesTV
Canada

TAHRIB – JOURNEY WITHOUT END
UFA LAB
Germany

TRAGICALLY HIP: LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO HAPPEN
CBC
Canada

Interactive Content for Kids & Youth
BACKSTAGE: TOO MUCH KEATON
Secret Location in association with Fresh Interactive, DXH Media, Bell Fund
Canada

DOTOPEDIA
Industrial Brothers in association with The Jim Henson company, Bell Fund, CBC
Canada

NATURE CAT’S GREAT OUTDOORS
Spiffy Pictures in association with REDspace Inc., PBS Kids
Canada/United States

PLAYTIME ISLAND
BBC Childrens Interactive and Childrens Design & Engineering
United Kingdom

ROSA’S CODE
YLE Finnish Broadcasting Company
Finland

WORLD OF PEPPA PIG
Secret Location in association with Entertainment One Family, OMDC
Canada/United Kingdom

CBC

Lifestyle
A CRUEL GIFT
KBS Korean Broadcasting System
South Korea

FOOD HEROES
ThreeSixZero Productions
Singapore

HELLO GOODBYE
FORTE Entertainment in association with Pivotal Media
Canada

MAN VS. CHILD: CHEF SHOWDOWN
Kinetic Content for FYI
United States

SMART CITIES 2.0
Very!
Singapore

Melodrama
30 LIVES
Aetios Productions Inc.
Canada

FROZEN MEMORIES
SP Televiṣo, S.A, in association with SIC РSocicdade Independente de Comunica̤̣o
Portugal

GREY’S ANATOMY
Disney/ABC, ABC Studios
United States

MORE THAN LOVE
SP Televiṣo, S.A, in association with SIC РSocicdade Independente de Comunica̤̣o
Portugal

POLDARK
Mammoth Screen Limited in association with BBC
United Kingdom

Music, Performance, Arts & Variety
IMAGINE…THE TRIUMPHS AND LAMENTS OF WILLIAM KENTRIDGE
Lone Star Productions
United Kingdom

KBS SPECIAL PROGRAM, AFFECTIVE SCIENCE PROJECT
KBS – Korean Broadcasting System
South Korea

SPIRIT UNFORGETTABLE
Little Kingdom Productions Inc, in association with Bell Media
Canada

THE SECRET OF A MASTER PAINTER
PosvideoTV in association with AVROTROS Television and NPO
Netherlands

TRACEY ULLMAN’S SHOW
BBC Studios in association with Allan McKeowan Presents
United Kingdom

Preschool
DOT.
Industrial Brothers in association with The Jim Henson Company and CBC
Canada

OCTONAUTS
Vampire Squid Productions Limited, a Silvergate Media company in association with Brown Bag Films
Ireland

PAW PATROL
Spin Master PAW Productions 3 Inc.
Canada

SESAME STREET
Sesame Workshop in association with HBO
United States

SPACE RACERS
Space Race, LLC
United States

Reality
60 DAYS IN
Lucky8 TV
United States

DEADLIEST CATCH
Original Productions LLC, a FremantleMedia Company for the Discovery Channel
United States

GAME OF LIFE – THE HEIR
SBS
Korea

HIGHWAY THRU HELL
GPM- H2H Productions V Inc., in association with Discovery Channel Canada
Canada

LEAH REMINI: SCIENTOLOGY AND THE AFTERMATH
The Intellectual Property Corporation in association with No Seriously Productions
United States

THE STORY OF GOD WITH MORGAN FREEMAN
Revelations Entertainment in association with National Geographic
United States

Science & Technology
BECOMING SUPERHUMAN
The Feds in association with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Australia

DEATH ON A COMET
Exploration Production Inc., in association with Discovery Channel Canada
Canada/United States

FORCES OF NATURE WITH BRIAN COX
BBC Studios Science Unit. A BBC Studios production with PBS co-produced by France Télévisions
United Kingdom

I GOT RHYTHM: THE SCIENCE OF SONG
Souleado Entertainment in association with CBC
Canada

MARS
Imagine Entertainment & RadicalMedia in association with FreMantle Italy for National Geographic
United States

Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Action
BLUE MOON
Aetios Productions Inc.
Canada

OUTLANDER
Tall Ship Productions, Story Mining & Supply Company, Left Bank Pictures in association with Sony Picutres Television
Scotland

TIMELESS
MiddKid Productions, Kripke Enterprises, Davis Entertainment in association with Sony Pictures Television and Universal Television

TRAVELERS
Peacock Alley Entertainment in association with Showcase and Netflix
Canada

WYNONNA EARP
SEVEN24 Films Inc. in association with IDW Entertainment
Canada

Social & Investigative
EXODUS: OUR JOURNEY TO EUROPE
KEO Films
United Kingdom

FLOORTJE BACK TO SYRIA
BNNVARRA Television in association with NPO
Netherlands

HEAVEN’S BORDER
Chosun Media, Walking Cycle Studios, Platform Art Film in association with TV CHOSUN
South Korea

MABEL
National Film Board of Canada
Canada

TERROR STUDIOS
Al Jazeera Media Network
Qatar

THE POACHER’S PIPELINE
CAPA PRESSE in association with CANAL +
France

Television Miniseries
APPLE TREE YARD
Kudos Film & TV
United Kingdom

KU’DAMM 56 – REBEL WITH A CAUSE
UFA FICTION GmbH
Germany

REDEMPTION ROAD
UFA FICTION in association with MIA Film
Germany

ROOTS
A&E Studios in association with Marc Toberoff + The Wolper Organization
United States

THE NIGHT OF
HBO Entertainment in association with BBC, Bad Wolf Productions and Film Rites
United States

Television Movie
DAMILOLA, OUR LOVED BOY
Minnow Films in association with BBC
United Kingdom

L.M MONTGOMERY’S ANNE OF GREEN GABLES
Breakthrough Entertainment in association with Corus Entertainment
Canada

MANHUNT: ESCAPE TO THE CARPATHIANS
Wiedemann + Berg Television GmbH & Co KG in association with ARD Degeto and the WDR
Germany/Romania

STAGE NAME NINO
cOMPAGNIA Leone Cinematografica in association with RAI FICTION
Italy

THROUGH THEIR EYES
WOWOW/ViViA
Japan

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Canada: The Story of Us, Featured

Another side of Canada: The Story of Us — When things go BOOM!

This week and next, CBC is airing back-to-back episodes of Canada: The Story of Us … perhaps due to the negative press the show has received? We can only speculate. Even the Canadian Teachers Federation has jumped on the hate bandwagon and notified “the CBC ombudsman of their deep concern about the educational value of the series The Story of Us,” citing “historical omissions” with respect to the “near-absence of comments by Francophones.”

As a teacher, I find this particularly hypocritical given the decades-long absences of historical details in the various curricula across the provinces. I also feel that as a tool for educators, this program does, in fact, merit a place in our schools NOT as a replacement of effective teaching, but rather a good introductory piece for units in an effort to engage students with new topics. Cinematically, Canada: The Story of Us is extremely well done; each segment is short and gives enough information to interest students. Yes, there are omissions, but a well-trained teacher can and should be well able to fill in the blanks.

The first episode this week, entitled “Boom/Bust,” focuses on the collective effort exercised by Canadians when faced with difficulties. That strength in a common purpose which is explored in this episode is then tested in the next entitled “United at War.” “Boom/Bust” covers the Winnipeg General Strike (1919), the Turner Valley Oil Field (1914), the poverty of St. John’s Ward in Toronto (1911), Montreal’s part in Prohibition (1926) and The Great Depression (1929-37). I was struck by the story of St. John’s Ward. This was an entirely new piece of history that I had never heard about, and I was particularly intrigued by the use of photography to document this story, a practice that would have been very expensive at the time.

The second episode, “United at War” begins in 1940, and Adolf Hitler’s army has already dominated Austria, Czechoslovakia and Poland. Hitler’s threat to the rest of Europe is felt worldwide and Canada comes to our allies’ defence. To support that effort, aircraft factories such as that built in what is now Thunder Bay are developed, and once again, as in the First World War, it is women—1.2 million—who lead the workforce, enabling men to go to war. Spearheading the cause is Elsie “Queen of the Hurricanes” MacGill, Canada’s first female electrical engineer as there is high demand for Canadian built machinery. We also learn about the Battle of the Atlantic and the Capture of a German U-Boat (1942-1944), what it was like behind enemy lines (1944), the defeat of the Glide Bomb (1943-1944) and the Battle of Juno Beach (1944). Many of these topics have been covered before, but the way in which each was depicted gave new life to these familiar yet pivotal aspects of the war. I was particularly keen to learn about how Canadian Engineers at the National Research Council were able to reverse engineer the Glide Bomb in order to create new technology in order to defeat it.

Once again, Elder David Plain of Aamjiwnaang, weighs in with some comments about the time period—1911-1944—covered in Sunday’s episodes.

Episodes 7 and eight were not unlike the previous six episodes, centring mostly on the dominant culture and full of bravado. Episode 8 was devoted to the Second World War. I particularly liked the story of the Hurricane fighter planes but wished they had devoted a little time on the Lancaster bomber. That’s probably because I’m biased. My father flew one and was shot down over Holland in ’43. I was also pleased to see the story of the sappers near the end of the episode, and that they centred on Cree soldier George Horse from the Thunderchild First Nation in Saskatchewan. However, I think they missed a great opportunity by not mentioning Tommy Prince and the Devil’s Brigade. But perhaps they thought that a little overdone and wanted something fresh, invigorating yet not as well known.

Episode 7 starts with, “Spring, 1911.” An interesting date. Let me tell you what was happening in the world of Indigenous peoples in the spring of 1911: we were being strangled by the Indian Act of 1876. Under it, we could not participate in any “Indian religious acts” under penalty of a two- to six-month jail sentence. Enfranchisement was in full force. That section of the act allowed First Nations people to gain full citizenship with all its rights if they gave up their birthright voluntarily. Their names would be struck from the Indian Register, and they would receive a small amount of cash. They would also lose all treaty and band rights. Enfranchisement could also be forced on any individual who earned a university degree, or gained a profession or became ordained.

Each reserve was overseen by a government-appointed bureaucrat called an Indian Agent. These were plum patronage appointments, and most were wholly unqualified. However, everything had to have his approval. Supplies could not be purchased, and products could not be sold without the Indian Agent’s signature. Band Council meetings could not take place without his authorization, and all minutes needed his approval. The Indian Agent had complete authority over every aspect of our lives. We even had to have his permission to leave the reserve for a short period of time.

But in 1911, things were about to get even worse. The Indian Act was amended again. This time it was with a piece of legislation that became known as the “Oliver Act.” It allowed for our lands to be expropriated if a reserve was located by a city of 8,000 or more, and the city needed reserve land for development or expansion.

In 1919, the same year as the Winnipeg General Strike, some land developers were eyeing nearly 1,200 acres of our reserve [Aamjiwnaang, formerly Chippewa of Sarnia] for a steel plant. They offered to buy. We had a general band meeting and voted not to sell. They tried again. Again, we voted not to sell. The developers, along with the City of Sarnia Chamber of Commerce, appealed to the Department of Indian Affairs. The Superintendent of Indian Affairs wrote a letter to the Chief and Council threatening that if we didn’t voluntarily sell the land for the steel plant, the Department would enact the Oliver Act and expropriate all of our lands and forcibly move us. We had a third general band meeting and under the duress of losing our whole reserve, we voted to sell. Of course, all of this was illegal. So, why didn’t we hire good lawyers you might ask? That too was forbidden.

Episode 7 was a story of boom and bust for Canada, but for First Nations, it was just bust. Episode 8 expounded upon Canada’s exploits in the Second World War. While the fighting raged on in Europe, a different kind of fight was taking place back home.

Aerial view of the former Ipperwash Army Cadet Camp located at Stoney Point (Photo from Army Cadet History)

The Department of National Defense (DND) wanted the Stony Point Reserve on Lake Huron to use for training. They went to the Department of Indian Affairs who encouraged the Stony Point Band to surrender their reserve. They had a general band meeting and overwhelmingly rejected the sale. So, the DND used their powers under the War Measures Act to expropriate the whole reserve. They forced the residents to move to nearby Kettle Point Reserve giving each a small plot of land. Although they paid them for improvements, they had made they did not pay them for unimproved land. The DND only had $50,000 in their budget for the acquisition so after they paid for moving and improvements that only left enough to pay the band $15 an acre.

It wasn’t much of a fight.

Chi Miigwetch once again to David Plain for sharing his thoughts!

The final two episodes of Canada: The Story of Us airs next Sunday at 8 and 9 p.m. on CBC.

On Tuesday, May 9, at 8 p.m. on Facebook Live, CBC Montreal host Mike Finnerty will be hosting a live round table to discuss Sunday’s episodes.

David Plain B.R.S., M.T.S., is the author of five books with a sixth, The Exmouth Chronicles: A Memoir due out spring 2017 by Trafford Publications. You can reach David on Facebook or Twitter.

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