Showing 282 results

Item consists of an Afghani family’s home movie featuring children and teenagers from the Raptors Junior Dance Pak rehearsing a dance routine at the SkyDome.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Around 1994, 9-year old Azada Rahi living in a nearby co-op auditioned at the Cabbagetown Youth Centre to be part of the junior Toronto Raptors Dance Pak. The choreographer was Clarence Ford, who auditioned kids, teens and young adults from all over the city, and ran the Pak once the crew was established. He was a delight to work with, was extremely kind, and was great at keeping so many young people organized and focused.

Here, November 2nd ,1995, at the SkyDome (presently the Rogers Centre) the Pak rehearses the same routine over and over in preparation for the opening performance at the first-ever Toronto Raptors game. On the day of the performance, Azada recalls pushing through the stomach flu to perform, her hard work could not go to waste, and it was a very exciting time. They had already performed at the Toronto Raptors opening dinner gala the previous summer. The Junior Dance Pak continued to dance at games and other functions for some time, though Azada only stayed with them for about a year and a half to two years.

In 1996 the Pak was hired to perform at the YTV Achievement Awards. Dawning matching plaid and denim ensembles, the Pak backup danced for Indigenous Canadian country singer, Rebecca Miller. This country line-dancing number was one of three performances they did at the Awards that evening, including one with Aashna Patel.

For Azada, the years she spent in the Pak, encountering Canadian athletes and entertainers were "fun and weird". These tapes are the sole recordings of her dancing that she has had access to. Looking back at the footage proved surprisingly hilarious, and are a chance to reflect on herself as an uninhibited young dancer."

Item consists of an Afghani family’s home movie featuring children and teenagers from the Raptors Junior Dance Pak dancing on stage behind Six Nations country singer Rebecca Miller singing and introducing the YTV Achievement Award recipients.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Around 1994, 9-year old Azada Rahi living in a nearby co-op auditioned at the Cabbagetown Youth Centre to be part of the junior Toronto Raptors Dance Pak. The choreographer was Clarence Ford, who auditioned kids, teens and young adults from all over the city, and ran the Pak once the crew was established. He was a delight to work with, was extremely kind, and was great at keeping so many young people organized and focused.

Here, November 2nd ,1995, at the SkyDome (presently the Rogers Centre) the Pak rehearses the same routine over and over in preparation for the opening performance at the first-ever Toronto Raptors game. On the day of the performance, Azada recalls pushing through the stomach flu to perform, her hard work could not go to waste, and it was a very exciting time. They had already performed at the Toronto Raptors opening dinner gala the previous summer. The Junior Dance Pak continued to dance at games and other functions for some time, though Azada only stayed with them for about a year and a half to two years.

In 1996 the Pak was hired to perform at the YTV Achievement Awards. Dawning matching plaid and denim ensembles, the Pak backup danced for Indigenous Canadian country singer, Rebecca Miller. This country line-dancing number was one of three performances they did at the Awards that evening, including one with Aashna Patel.

For Azada, the years she spent in the Pak, encountering Canadian athletes and entertainers were "fun and weird". These tapes are the sole recordings of her dancing that she has had access to. Looking back at the footage proved surprisingly hilarious, and are a chance to reflect on herself as an uninhibited young dancer."

Item consists of an Afghani family’s home movie featuring children and teenagers from the Raptors Junior Dance Pak line dancing on stage behind Six Nations country singer Rebecca Miller singing "Listen to the Radio" at the YTV Achievement Award recipients.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Around 1994, 9-year old Azada Rahi living in a nearby co-op auditioned at the Cabbagetown Youth Centre to be part of the junior Toronto Raptors Dance Pak. The choreographer was Clarence Ford, who auditioned kids, teens and young adults from all over the city, and ran the Pak once the crew was established. He was a delight to work with, was extremely kind, and was great at keeping so many young people organized and focused.

Here, November 2nd ,1995, at the SkyDome (presently the Rogers Centre) the Pak rehearses the same routine over and over in preparation for the opening performance at the first-ever Toronto Raptors game. On the day of the performance, Azada recalls pushing through the stomach flu to perform, her hard work could not go to waste, and it was a very exciting time. They had already performed at the Toronto Raptors opening dinner gala the previous summer. The Junior Dance Pak continued to dance at games and other functions for some time, though Azada only stayed with them for about a year and a half to two years.

In 1996 the Pak was hired to perform at the YTV Achievement Awards. Dawning matching plaid and denim ensembles, the Pak backup danced for Indigenous Canadian country singer, Rebecca Miller. This country line-dancing number was one of three performances they did at the Awards that evening, including one with Aashna Patel.

For Azada, the years she spent in the Pak, encountering Canadian athletes and entertainers were "fun and weird". These tapes are the sole recordings of her dancing that she has had access to. Looking back at the footage proved surprisingly hilarious, and are a chance to reflect on herself as an uninhibited young dancer."

Item consists of an a Khmer-Krom family’s home movie featuring a birthday celebration.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "The Truong/Tram family's home movie footage shot in VHS format on January 25th 1992, captures the 1-month old birthday party of their youngest son in Brantford, ON, shortly after moving from Hull, Quebec. A full and lively gathering, their celebration includes families chatting over a community meal, speeches, gift giving, dancing to 80's music, and loving footage of a peaceful baby enjoying the party. The Truongs/Trams are of Khmer-Krom ethnicity, translating to 'Khmer of the South'. The Khmer-Krom are an [unrecognised] Indigenous group and ethnic minority in the South of Vietnam. Many Khmer people who inhabited the same refugee camps in Vietnam later immigrated together to Canada. When the Truongs/Trams arrived in Hull, Quebec (now Gatineau, Quebec) in 1989, they were able to regularly connect with a Khmer community at gatherings like these. The Troung/Tram family have since relocated to Toronto ON where they continue to celebrate and take pride in their identity, and attend Khmer language and dance classes. The Khmer Buddhist Temple of Ontario in Hamilton remains central to them and their community. Mother, Trinh Nha Truong, was happy to share her footage with Home Made Visible because she wants to show other Canadians that ‘our people live in Canada too.'"

Item consists of an a Haitian Canadian family’s home movie featuring the family in New York celebrating a birthday and Christmas. Video was filmed by André and Ginette Valcin.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "It's November 1969 in New York City and the Valcin Family is celebrating Nadine's dad's birthday. Four-year-old Nadine waves at the camera and helps blow out her father's candles. We see Nadine's mother cutting the cake. Later in the day, Nadine, drinking her juice from a cocktail glass, is engrossed in a serious conversation with her father. Her mom is behind the camera shooting on Super 8mm film. At Christmas, the camera is pulled once more, a very exciting time for Nadine who was an only child. This private but celebratory occasion is one the whole family dresses up for. Nadine dons an all-white pantsuit she later swaps for something more comfortable, while her parents sport equally stylish crisp suits. The clothes become secondary to the gift unraveling — the toy car, doll, keyboard, all slowly collecting around her. André Valcin passed in 1999, so the Valcin family was happy to revisit these memories of him."

Item consists of an a Haitian Canadian family’s home movie featuring the family and their neighbours shovelling snow and digging out the street. Recording also features children playing in the snow and a tractor plowing the street. Video was filmed by André and Ginette Valcin.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "On March 4th, 1971, Montreal saw the "Storm of the Century", a massive snowstorm brought 43cm of snow and 100/km winds to the city. It would take 41 years for this snowfall record to be broken. People lost electricity for as long as ten days. Nadine recalls living on St. Leonard and not being able to see through her patio doors and that the only people who could get around were emergency vehicles and snowmobiles. Of course this major setback meant snow days for everyone, and Nadine's parents and neighbours got to shovelling. In a predominantly Italian neighbourhood, Nadine suspects her family may have been the only Black family on this street. With no school, five-year old Nadine took pleasure in the Montreal pastime of building snow forts."

Item contains a sound recording of an interview conducted by the Home Made Visible with a project participant.

Item consists of a Jamaican-Guyanese family’s home movie featuring two women and a girl dancing; panning shots of the garden, street, and views of the city; and the family chatting around a table in the backyard with music playing in the background.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "'The year is 1990, and the Burke Family is on vacation in Bristol, England. This is filmed where Leah's father, Sam grew up. All of Leah's aunts and uncles had houses in the same neighbourhood, and this is a family reunion of sorts. Here, Leah, age eight or nine, dances to ska and lovers rock with her mother, Rita and Great Aunt Sweeney, while her dad is seen off in the background, and her older brother, Jason, films.

Her dad has roots in Jamaica and her mother has roots in Guyana. At different points in their lives both immigrated to England, and later met each other there. Her parents then set off to Canada during the Pierre Trudeau years in 1972 to raise a family. The Burkes now call many places home.'"

Item consists of a Jamaican-Guyanese family’s home movie. Clip represents a portion of a VHS cassette from Christmas Day in 1992 featuring the narration of a sunrise and featuring panning shots of a snowy street and building in Peterborough.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "'This is Friday, Dec 25th, 1992,' Leah's dad, Sam, begins the voice-over in this clip made in the Burke's family home in Peterborough, ON. Her father describes the beautiful sunrise that clear Christmas morning. It contrasts the weather from just a week prior when there was a record breaking 70 cm of snow, which was the worst snowfall in the province in 90 years. This filming style and voice-over in the Burke's home movies was characteristic of her father, Leah says, 'He wouldn't wait for anybody, he would just start filming.'"

Item consists of a Jamaican-Guyanese family’s home movie. Clip represents a portion of the VHS cassette from 1992 consisting of a brother cooking breakfast on Christmas and a sister filming a tour of the house.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "It's Christmas, 1992, and within the short span of this clip the presence of almost Leah Burke's whole family is felt. From her dad offscreen singing along to gospel (Mahalia Jackson's 'Go Tell It On the Mountain), to her brother, the then sullen teenager, seen cooking pancakes for family breakfast, to finally Leah, who weaves through the house filming. She reveals herself as the documentarian in a mirror reflection waving ‘Hi'. In present day, Leah recalls, 'This is a typical Burke house family moment'."

Item consists of a Guyanese family’s home movie.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "In 2008, Shenaz sets up her Super 8 camera to test it out on the trip from Scarborough to North York and back again. The footage moves at double time, in a time lapse, due to the short filming capacity of Super 8 cameras. Her aunt accompanies her on the first leg of the trip, her expression almost static in the bright winter sunshine. As her aunt exits the car at her destination, Shenaz sets up the camera on the dashboard to face her for a moment, slipping on her sunglasses. The camera is later refocused on her father in the passenger seat, as she drives him to his chemotherapy session. For the last portion of the road trip, Shenaz turns the camera onto the road itself, finally parking in front of her home where she began."

Item consists of a Guyanese family’s home movie filmed by Shenaz Baksh in 2005. Clip features employees at their desks working and drinking beers. Recording also features the CN tower with cranes and construction of Liberty Village in the foreground.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Liberty Village in 2005 was a rapidly changing place, and Shenaz Baksh, equipped with a brand new Super 8 camera decided to document it. The community had changed so much and by the brief shots of construction seen outside her office window, would only continue to change more. This gave Shenaz all the more reason to archive her workplace of five years. Nearing 15 years later, Shenaz's coworkers marveled less at how spaces change over time, like Shenaz had intentioned, but more at their youthful appearances."

Item consists of a Guyanese family’s home movie on black and white footage featuring wide and panning shots of market stalls, mid and close shots of merchant interactions with customers, and tracking shots of customers walking through the market.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "As a child, Shenaz wandered Mahaica Market with her mother shopping for the weeks groceries. As an adult and as a filmmaker, Shenaz wanted to capture her childhood memories and archive the vendors in the market. For Shenaz, recording her trip back to her childhood community had less to do with being Guyanese and more to do with being a filmmaker and an artist."

Item consists of a Guyanese family’s home movie documenting what appears to most likely be a trip to Kaieteur Falls and includes footage from the plane's windows flying to and over the falls.

Item consists of a Guyanese family’s home movie featuring what appears to most likely be Kaieteur Falls. Footage zooms out from the falls to a landscape shot, cuts to men walking in the Amazon, cuts to several shots of the falls and the valley below, and ends with the three men at the river bed.

Item consists of a Guyanese family’s home movie featuring what appears to most likely be Kaieteur Falls and Orinduik Falls. Footage consists of a close up of the top of the falls; a close up of the middle section of the falls; another view of the falls, the river below, and a rainbow; a landscape shot of the falls from a far away plane window which is covered in water droplets alongside views of the winding river; three men walking on a trail; and a close up of a quickly moving river and rapids.

Item consists of a Guyanese family’s home movie featuring what appears to most likely be Kaieteur Falls and includes footage of a plane, people walking through the Amazon and looking at the habitat, and a lookout with a scenic view of Kaieteur Falls and the valley below.

Item contains a sound recording of an interview conducted by the Home Made Visible with a project participant.

Item consists of a Chinese-Russian family's home movie.

Project and donor contributed description follows: "Ahead of his time Kate’s dad, George, takes one of the original selfies and films himself in his bathroom mirror on Super8 Kodachrome film in 1963. Kate’s brother, Stan, recalls seeing his dad set up lights to make this possible.

George was a real film buff, a fan of Charlie Chaplin, and actively sought out arts and culture. Life and Time magazines came through the mail every week, and Kate says if it weren’t for him taking up these interests she wouldn’t have a worldview outside of small town Prairie Manitoba."

Item consists of a Chinese-Russian family's home movie.

Project and donor contributed description follows: "Filmed by Kate and Stan’s dad, George, in 1963. George staged this shot of Stan is in his Virden Band uniform marching with his alto horn in his bedroom before going downstairs into the world. Four years later the Virden Band would go on to play at Expo ’67 in Montreal."

Item consists of a Chinese-Russian family's home movie featuring footage of a sign that reads: "Virden Cafe : fish & chips, chop suey".

Project and donor contributed description follows: "The neon lit café sign of the Virden Café at night, Kate’s dad’s Chinese Canadian restaurant."

Item consists of a Chinese-Russian family's home movie.

Project and donor contributed description follows: "On January 24th, 1963, Kate’s mother, Clara Chan, prepares for Chinese New Year the night before, setting the table and filling red envelopes with money her kids.

Cut to the next day where Stan, Joyce, Linda and Kate, are coming downstairs to receive their red envelopes. Everyone sings around the piano as Joyce plays. Upon further observation Kate’s friend notices that they are singing 'Away in a Manger'.

Clara is a Russian refugee who came to Canada after the war in 1950. Fortunately for Clara the Manitoba law that prohibited white woman from working in Chinese restaurants was repealed in 1948. Her parents met in the Virden Café in 1950."

Item consists of a Chinese-Russian family's home movie.

Project and donor contributed description follows: "In the 1960s Kate’s dad, George admired the RCMP and made a point of befriending them. This segment includes four RCMP weddings. Here at Virden United Church George, like much of the town, waits to see the bride and groom. George would later go on to screen these films at the town Holiday parties.

The Chan family was the only Chinese family in the community and his relationship with the RCMP helped him maintain his business as the owner of the Virden Café. It also helped that Kate’s mother, Clara, was Russian and hostess at their café."

Item consists of a Chinese-Russian family's home movie.

Project and donor contributed description follows: "In the 1960s Kate’s dad, George admired the RCMP and made a point of befriending them. This segment includes four RCMP weddings. Here at Virden United Church George, like much of the town, waits to see the bride and groom. George would later go on to screen these films at the town Holiday parties.

The Chan family was the only Chinese family in the community and his relationship with the RCMP helped him maintain his business as the owner of the Virden Café. It also helped that Kate’s mother, Clara, was Russian and hostess at their café."

Item consists of a Chinese-Russian family's home movie.

Project and donor contributed description follows: "In the 1960s Kate’s dad, George admired the RCMP and made a point of befriending them. This segment includes four RCMP weddings. Here at Virden United Church George, like much of the town, waits to see the bride and groom. George would later go on to screen these films at the town Holiday parties.

The Chan family was the only Chinese family in the community and his relationship with the RCMP helped him maintain his business as the owner of the Virden Café. It also helped that Kate’s mother, Clara, was Russian and hostess at their café."

Item consists of a Chinese-Russian family's home movie.

Project and donor contributed description follows: "In the 1960s Kate’s dad, George admired the RCMP and made a point of befriending them. This segment includes four RCMP weddings. Here at Virden United Church George, like much of the town, waits to see the bride and groom. George would later go on to screen these films at the town Holiday parties.

The Chan family was the only Chinese family in the community and his relationship with the RCMP helped him maintain his business as the owner of the Virden Café. It also helped that Kate’s mother, Clara, was Russian and hostess at their café."

Item consists of a Chinese-Russian family's home movie.

Item consists of footage of a sign with Christmas 1962 written on red. Project and donor contributed description follows: "Christmas 1962: George captures holiday decorations, neon lights, dinner and his kids opening presents, etc."

Item consists of a Chinese-Russian family's home movie.

Item consists of footage of a town with Christmas decorations and individuals at a restaurant. Project and donor contributed description follows: "An RCMP dinner at Virden Café including all of the grooms and brides."

Item consists of a Chinese-Russian family's home movie featuring a snowy house with Christmas decorations on the lawn. Project and donor contributed description follows: "George Chan filmed Christmas decorations in town, day and night."

Item consists of a Chinese-Russian family's home movie.

Project and donor contributed description follows: "George films the TV and captures Queen Elizabeth's message to start off the Christmas day."

Item consists of a Chinese-Russian family's home movie.

Project and donor contributed description follows: "Kate and her siblings open presents and set the scene for a play her dad directed with typewriter and doctor/nurse kits.  Kate’s mom is in the silk housecoat. Joyce plays piano and they all gather to sing around her."

Item consists of a Chinese-Russian family's home movie.

Project and donor contributed description follows: "Mom and Joyce picking up the wrapping and cleanup, etc."

Item consists of a Chinese-Russian family's home movie featuring footage of carving and eating a turkey dinner.

Project and donor contributed description follows: "It’s Christmas dinner in 1953, the Chan family sits around the table, Stan, Joyce, Linda and Kate. They are joined by Dad’s first son, Karl Chan, sitting to the right of Kate’s mother, Clara. Karl came to help out in the Virden Café as Virden was in the midst of an oil bloom. Kate’s dad George always remained behind the camera. "

Item consists of a Chinese-Russian family's home movie.

Project and donor contributed description follows: "George Chan gets Kate and her siblings to act out a play he’s labelled 'Fun with Toy' The toy is the mechanical alligator that came directly from China right before Christmas along with customized clothes. They play doctor and nurse with their new presents, the Ben Casey kits.

Stan, plays a mischievous boy who startles the doctor played by Kate. Linda plays the nurse, and Joyce plays the mother of a sick child (the doll). Kate calls it a 'play toy within a play of toys'."

Item contains a sound recording of an interview conducted by the Home Made Visible with a project participant.

Item consists of an Argentine-Chilean family’s home movie featuring a child playing in his house and park; the first third of the clip consists of urban and rural landscapes.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Jean-Pierre Marchant's parents immigrated from South America in the early 1970s before he was born. His mother is from Argentina and his father is from Chile. Jean-Pierre was born in Vieux-Rosemont, Montreal, and spent the first year of his life there before they all moved to (what was then) the suburbs in Saint-Hubert, Longueuil, about 14 km from downtown Montreal. Jean-Pierre recalls day trips with his parents to the United States and Toronto. On this day, the family captures the roads and cityscapes of New Hampshire."

Item consists of an Argentine-Chilean family’s home movie featuring a party with adults and children dancing, footage of and from the top of the CN tower, a child playing around the house and pool, and a child playing with a soccer ball wearing a 1978 Argentina Championship t-shirt.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "These clips show episodes from Jean-Pierre Marchant's childhood in the mid-1970s Montreal. His parents were immigrants, recently arrived from Argentina and Chile. Throughout Jean-Pierre's childhood, they documented the family's life with a Super 8 camera (and would later switch to video). These clips depict him as a playful child, trips, and well-attended birthday parties. Looking back, Jean-Pierre recognizes that these parties were a big opportunity for the adults to get together and celebrate. The Marchants mostly socialized with people from similar backgrounds, and Jean-Pierre says that 'it was important for my parents, who were trying to make a life in a new place, to associate with others who spoke their language'."

Item consists of an Argentine-Chilean family’s home movie featuring adults and children having a barbecue in a park, hanging out in a car, and meeting Santa Claus.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "These clips show episodes from Jean-Pierre Marchant's childhood in the mid-1970s Montreal. His parents were immigrants, recently arrived from Argentina and Chile. Throughout Jean-Pierre's childhood, they documented the family's life with a Super 8 camera (and would later switch to video). These clips depict him as a playful child, trips, and well-attended birthday parties. Looking back, Jean-Pierre recognizes that these parties were a big opportunity for the adults to get together and celebrate. The Marchants mostly socialized with people from similar backgrounds, and Jean-Pierre says that "it was important for my parents, who were trying to make a life in a new place, to associate with others who spoke their language."

Item consists of an Argentine-Chilean family’s home movie featuring several everyday moments including children playing in the snow during winter and by the pool during the summer, parties and celebrations, a trip to Niagara Falls, and a tour of a house for sale.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "These clips show episodes from Jean-Pierre Marchant's childhood in the mid-1970s Montreal. His parents were immigrants, recently arrived from Argentina and Chile. Throughout Jean-Pierre's childhood, they documented the family's life with a Super 8 camera (and would later switch to video). These clips depict him as a playful child, trips, and well-attended birthday parties. Looking back, Jean-Pierre recognizes that these parties were a big opportunity for the adults to get together and celebrate. The Marchants mostly socialized with people from similar backgrounds, and Jean-Pierre says that 'it was important for my parents, who were trying to make a life in a new place, to associate with others who spoke their language.'"

Item consists of an Argentine-Chilean family’s home movie with the first half featuring of children and adults gathered in a garage and backyard, and the second half capturing Niagara Falls during the wintertime.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "These clips show episodes from Jean-Pierre Marchant's childhood in the mid-1970s Montreal. His parents were immigrants, recently arrived from Argentina and Chile. Throughout Jean-Pierre's childhood, they documented the family's life with a Super 8 camera (and would later switch to video). These clips depict him as a playful child, trips, and well-attended birthday parties. Looking back, Jean-Pierre recognizes that these parties were a big opportunity for the adults to get together and celebrate. The Marchants mostly socialized with people from similar backgrounds, and Jean-Pierre says that "it was important for my parents, who were trying to make a life in a new place, to associate with others who spoke their language."

Item contains a sound recording of an interview conducted by the Home Made Visible with a project participant.

Item consists of a Chinese family’s home movie featuring children playing, celebrating birthdays, opening presents, and eating sweets.

Project and donor contributed description follows: "This footage documents a series of four of Derek Kwan’s birthdays in Vancouver in the nineties between October 1991 and 1994.

In October 91, the setting is a McDonald’s ball pit in the greater Vancouver area. Surrounded by friends, family and cousins, Kwan and other kids are wearing the McDonald’s card paper hats eating birthday cake, with his mom sitting behind him. At present opening time, seen in the shot is his uncle, cousins, and grandma.

For Derek’s 3rd birthday in October 1992, we are located in Richmond, a suburb 20 minutes away from the city of Vancouver. We are indoors and adults are encouraging Derek to hit a piñata of Mickey Mouse’s head that was made by Derek’s mom, Victoria. She loved to create themed birthday parties, and DIY party favors with her friends, and Derek remembers having a piñata every year, until he got too old for it.

Victoria made the piñata incredibly strong, and it’s very difficult to break. Eventually the adults jump in and start helping the kids break through the Mickey piñata. Derek shares: "Disney holds cache to it as a kid growing up in the 90s as the happiest place on earth."

Each year, when Derek opens his gift, he consistently receives boxes from the Bay, which he notes is interesting as a staple Canadian store. At his third birthday he also receives a table hockey set, another inherently Canadian gift, and the family excitedly surrounds the set.

At Derek’s fourth birthday in 1993, we are located at Chuck E Cheese. Much like the McDonalds ball pit, Chuck E Cheese was a go-to sport for 90s kids birthday parties. Derek receives action figures, and a ninja turtle toy.

Documented at Derek’s fifth birthday in 1994, is Derek’s childhood home in East Vancouver, where he lived during elementary and high school. We see the backyard and kids playing surrounding the basketball hoop.

Derek shares that thoughts of being Chinese took a back seat and he didn’t think too deeply about it growing up. East Vancouver was very diverse and being white was the minority. He grew up around Chinese, Vietnamese, Pilipino and East Indian people. Although race wasn’t a forefront in Derek’s mind, it was brought to his attention during family functions when everyone spoke Cantonese, and for cultural festivals like Chinese New Year."

Item contains a sound recording of an interview conducted by the Home Made Visible with a project participant.

Item consists of a Haitian and Sudanese family’s home movie featuring featuring speeches, performances such as children singing, and audience members at a francophone Catholic school's Christmas recital.

Project and donor contributed description follows: "Stella Isaac’s sister films her at her elementary school, École élémentaire catholique du Sacré-Coeur during their annual Christmas concert in 2004 at la Paroisse du Sacré Coeur located at Sherbourne and College. The footage captures a particular experience and community of mostly Black students of Congolese, descent attending the French school, which was located at Sherbourne and Bloor. Now located near Christie Pits, the community and neighborhood is no longer remembered in the same way. On stage during the concert the school’s principal mentions the students’ practice of prayer exemplifying the experience of religiosity at the school.

Education at Sacré-Coeur is rooted in Catholicism and Christianity. Stella recalls a time when students in the class would put their Bibles and crosses on their tables before tests for an extra blessing. This was normal practice. Stella enjoyed attending a Catholic School and has fond memories of the experience, especially when receiving mentorship from particular teachers who pushed their students to prepare for success in their futures. "I have a slight obsession with this time period and this school, especially as it relates to what it was like educating Black students. It was in an environment where I had a teacher that completely pushed us and believed in us and our intelligence.

The footage also documents images of Stella’s younger brother, Jordan, who has Down Syndrome. She describes him lovingly: "It was nice seeing my little brother making tons of noise and yelling my sister’s name, rubbing my mom’s face."

In relation to Home Made Visible, Stella shares: "It’s great to allow families the opportunity to revisit old footage, explore their history and share that. A lot of people don't think of Black people in Canada just existing. It’s a great way to change the Canadian narrative.""

Item contains a sound recording of an interview conducted by the Home Made Visible with a project participant.

Item consists of an Iranian-Canadian family’s home movie featuring landscapes, cityscapes, and heritage sites in Iran.

Project and donor contributed description follows: "Both Bita and her father, Abbas, contributed to this write up. Bita felt protective of her family and their image,  and chose to contribute a clip that didn’t centre people but a place. The scenery itself is a beautiful valuable contribution of a country in flux.

In 1998, Abbas visits Iran with his daughter Bita for the first time in sixteen years since moving to Canada. Bita at the time was a shy eight year-old and recalls that she didn’t speak for the first three weeks of the trip and that this was her first time leaving Canada.

In this clip Abbas is alone behind the camera capturing historical sites. He was prompted to take this trip because an Iranian friend in Vancouver couldn’t go home and asked him to make these movies of Cyrus the Great, Isfahan, etc. and to bring them back to show on local Persian TV. He did end up making these movies on a miniDV camcorder but never did give them to his friend.

The clip starts out at night time in Shiraz, with the Takht-e Lamshid built for Cyrus the Great. Then moves on to Isfahan, the "Great Mosque" that in farsi they call the Shah Mosque based in Naghsh-e Jahan Square. Abbas recalls at the time wondering how locals knew he hadn’t been living their for 16 years. People could tell that he had left and was living somewhere else. For Abbas, these clips show a country rich with stories and pride.  

After years of searching for these tapes, they found them again in the summer of  2018 the night before Bita returned to Iran for the second time in her life."

Item contains a sound recording of an interview conducted by the Home Made Visible with a project participant.

Item consists of an Indian family’s home movie.

Project and donor contributed description follows: "The children are reciting; reciting a shopping list, nursery rhymes like "itsy bitsy spider," and their ABCs. The video letter of the boys learning to write and spell is a way to build and maintain a relationship with their grandmother from afar."

Item consists of an Indian family’s home movie.

Project and donor contributed description follows: "The children are practicing Urdu by reciting what they know: a well-known Indian nursery rhyme about a thirsty crow, and a biryani song that the family made-up because the boys found it amusing. The video letter of the boys practicing Urdu is a way to build and maintain a relationship with their grandmother who doesn’t speak English."

Item consists of an Indian family’s home movie.

Project and donor contributed description follows: "Muslim by faith, the children practice memorizing the Quran in Arabic. Their parents teach them to recite one line at a time to ensure that they learn at a young age. They know that seeing this would bring their grandmother joy and make her proud. The video letter is a way to connect with her through these recitations of a shared faith as she doesn’t speak English."

Item contains a sound recording of an interview conducted by the Home Made Visible with a project participant.

Item consists of an Indian family’s home movie.

Project and donor contributed description follows: "The clip shows a view of the landscape outside of the family’s high-rise window. Seen are full, lush green trees, and in the distance is the Lake Ontario water line. The footage frames the wide six lane Kingston Rd. looking East. The view overlooks a sea of red rooftops, a suburban residential landscape of apartment towers in the distance and detached single family homes."

Item consists of an Indian family’s home movie.

Item consists of footage a family travelling to the Metropolitan Toronto Zoological Society. Project and donor contributed description follows: "In this clip, it’s the family’s first visit to Canada so the Jabbars take them to tourist sites. Seen here, the family is entering their vehicle on their way to a day excursion. S’s father is getting into a large vehicle from the late eighties. The car accommodates hand-breaks, since her father could not use his legs due to his disability.

Since S's father was the first of his siblings to come to Canada, everyone was excited to visit. It was also quite an accomplishment for a man with a physical disability to seek an independent life overseas for himself and his family so this was often admired."

Item consists of an Indian family’s home movie.

Project and donor contributed description follows: "As their first visit to Canada, they take them to tourist sites. Seen here, the family is enjoying a picnic at the Toronto Zoo.

Since S's father was the first of his siblings to come to Canada, everyone was excited to visit. It was also quite an accomplishment for a man with a physical disability to seek an independent life overseas for himself and his family so this was often admired."

Item consists of an Indian family’s home movie.

Project and donor contributed description follows: "As their first visit to Canada, they take them to tourist sites. Pictured here are views of rides at the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE).

S’s father, who is the eldest sibling of their generation, attracted a lot of family to visit because it is customary for people to always visit the eldest. Since S's father was the first of his siblings to come to Canada, everyone was excited to visit. It was also quite an accomplishment for a man with a physical disability to seek an independent life overseas for himself and his family so this was often admired."

Item consists of a Chinese family’s home movie featuring two children playing on a swing set in the winter. Project and donor contributed description follows: "Their extended family are visiting from Macau for their first Winter visit. For many of them it was the first time experiencing the Canadian cold. "I remember we were outside playing in the snow for a really long time… the adults were playing in it just as much as the kids", Lorna recalls. The children can be seen playing on the swing bundled up in coats and snow pants."

Item consists of a Chinese family’s home movie featuring adults outside on a snowy day and two children playing on a swing set in the winter. Project and donor contributed description follows: "Their extended family are visiting from Macau for their first Winter visit. For many of them it was the first time experiencing the Canadian cold. "I remember we were outside playing in the snow for a really long time… the adults were playing in it just as much as the kids", Lorna recalls. The children can be seen playing on the swing bundled up in coats and snow pants."

Item consists of a Chinese family’s home movie featuring children opening and playing with Christmas presents. Project and donor contributed description follows: "During this Christmas, the family have their cousin Sau Fong visiting. The children are waving excitedly to the camera as they open and show their gifts. Over the years, uncles and aunts would occasionally stay with the Lo family while studying English at the local college. Home movies were one of the ways they stayed connected to relatives in Macau and shared their life living in Canada. Copies were routinely made to send back.""

Item consists of a Chinese family’s home movie featuring children opening Christmas presents and performing a dance in a living room. Project and donor contributed description follows: "During this Christmas, the family have their cousin Sau Fong visiting. The children are waving excitedly to the camera as they open and show their gifts. Over the years, uncles and aunts would occasionally stay with the Lo family while studying English at the local college. Home movies were one of the ways they stayed connected to relatives in Macau and shared their life living in Canada. Copies were routinely made to send back.""

Item consists of a Chinese family’s home movie.

Project and donor contributed description follows: "Lorna "… remembers filming that specific clip’—the video of the twins giving a home tour of their new home. The camera would routinely come out during gatherings, a feature in the background of their lives, but this was the one home movie Lorna remembers the most. She remembers seeing the house and thinking "A room dedicated for toys, that was unheard of. I thought it was the greatest thing." Moving into this home marked a new chapter in the Lo’s family history."

Item consists of a Chinese family’s home movie.

Project and donor contributed description follows: "The year is 1981 and the Lo family are spending a summer afternoon picking vegetables and fruits from their backyard. One of the twins, Lorna helps their father harvest cabbage while the other twin, Vivien keeps Aylwin – the youngest and only a year old accompanied on a blanket. Featured through out the clip is the one outdoor activity that remained a family tradition over the year, picking apples from the beloved Crab Apple tree"

Item contains a sound recording of an interview conducted by the Home Made Visible with a project participant.

Item consists of a Hong Kong-Chinese family’s home movie.

Project and donor contributed description follows: "A clip documenting the Red Packet (hóngbāo) ceremony taking place at Mr. Wong’s 70th birthday celebration in 2002.

During this ceremony family members were called up in a particular order to accept a red envelope of money from Mr. Wong.

Deanna Wong, Mr. Wong’s daughter who found and digitized this video, recalls that family members were called up according to age and lineage.

For example, Mr. Wong’s siblings would be called first, followed by their children and grandchildren. In this video Mr Wong's eldest son, Terry was called first, and then, since their middle son Ted was not present, Deanna, the youngest of the three, came next. Following her came Terry's kids from eldest to youngest. And since Deanna nor Ted had children at the time, the eldest cousin and his wife, and their kids etc followed.

As the eldest of 13 siblings, Mr. Wong would have had many envelopes to hand out!

Originally from Hong Kong, Mr. Wong came to Canada to study engineering at McGill University in the mid-1950s, where he met Deanna's mother.

Mrs. Wong's father, Deanna maternal grandfather, immigrated to Canada in 1921 and paid the $500 head tax in order to enter the country. Mr Wong's father, Deanna’s paternal grandfather, was a doctor specializing in acupuncture, which was illegal in Canada at the time, so he settled in California. Now his family lives around the world, including the United States, Singapore, Japan, and in various places in Canada. This milestone birthday presented a great opportunity for a family reunion. And to accommodate everyone, this celebration took place in the home of Deanna’s eldest brother and Mr. Wong’s eldest son, Terry.

Now a longtime resident of Toronto, Deanna calls Winnipeg home where she and her two brothers grew up. Although they were one of the few families of colour around, she remembers her neighbourhood and her experiences fondly. Her parents, particularly her mother, worked hard to build a Chinese community where the children could have Chinese friends and be exposed to their culture. They started a Mandarin school, even though Cantonese was their mother tongue, and began a summer camp.

Family and community come together again at this celebration, one of many for the Wong family."

Item consists of a home movie captured by an African Nova Scotian/Indigenous Black family featuring celebrations and interviews about Kwanza, New Years, and a Christmas tree lighting.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "At Auburn Highschool in North Preston, Nova Scotia, LaMeia Reddick attended an applied broadcast journalism class, where she had the opportunity to learn and explore directing, interviewing, production and editing.

The school had its own news station, and LaMeia could nurture her interest in recording stories of african canadian content. The stories students recorded would be broadcast for the school. In the footage, LaMeia documents a big Kwanzaa celebration at the Halifax Public Library, a large and diverse gathering of people of African diaspora, from various backgrounds, faiths, cultures, and ethnicities. The celebration includes performances with drums, song and dance. LaMeia interviews Tracey Jones about the meaning, origin, and seven principles of Kwanzaa.

Karen Hudson, the principal at Auburn Highschool was influential to LaMeia, and continues to make a long lasting impression on the culture and students at the school. She has introduced African enrichment to the school’s programs, including afrocentric math class, which helps black students excel at math. She continues to be an important role model and won the top principal in Canada award. LaMeia had a really positive experience at the school; having a black female principal as well as the courses available to her contributed to her future successes and set her up on the right path. "Having a school that valued your cultural experience and taught me about it, provided me with opportunities to nurture that part of myself, as well as understand my identity which [teenagers] are in the process of formulating."

The footage is a testament to how hard Principal Karen Hudson worked to introduce African culture to kids. LaMeia is interested in sharing the footage with Karen, and would like to interview her now. Karen and LaMeia live in neighboring communities, North Preston and Cherry Brook, which are large Indigenous and Black communities in Canada."

Item consists of a home movie from a Pakistani-Indian family featuring a trip to Delhi to attend a family member's wedding.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "On one of her trips to Delhi, Mariam attends her mom's cousin's second wedding. Cousins, aunts, and extended family are gathered on the floor and sofas. Women are dressed in bright yellow and orange saris and joy radiates through song as the bright sunlight washes the shot.

The family is singing folk songs and playing the dhol, a South Asian drum, in a town dialect that would only be recognizable to someone from the state of Uttar Pradesh (U.P) and perhaps Delhi.

The songs are familiar to Mariam, but she doesn’t understand what is being said. They are part of an oral tradition, sung in celebration and passed down from generations. The folk songs cannot be found online and aren’t "officially" preserved.

Mariam remembers that holding the camera was very enjoyable, and she documented hours of what she calls mundane footage of family eating lunch and going about everyday activities, mostly on her yearly trips to India to visit extended family. She is a filmmaker, and plans to create short films with selected clips from her home movies.

Mariam’s transition to Canada is complex and layered: ‘Having grown up in Dubai, I carry a sense of knowing what it feels like not being from where you grew up [...] I didn’t process how difficult it was [to move to Canada] because [at first] I was excited to be [in Montreal], and put my heart into classes and the university experience.’"

Item consists of a home movie from a Huron-Wendat family documenting winter in Wendake.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "There is a heavy snow storm on Alexander Gros-Louis’ veranda sometime in the 1950s. The Gros-Louis family are Huron Wendat, and the footage is shot on the reserve in Wendake, Quebec, which is twenty-five minutes from Quebec City. Snow storms are quite commonplace in Wendake. Every surface is covered in white, and the shot on Super 8 film looks very dreamy. Seen in the shot is a snowmobile that looks to be from the fifties era. At the time there were no street lights or paved roads, and they weren’t plowed regularly. People in Wendake were quite poor. Although it’s a bit different now, it’s still very working class. Seen briefly in the shot, are Alexander’s son and grandson, both named Paul.

Ron Gros-Louis is Alexander’s grandson. He and his wife, Patricia retired to Wendake from Montreal. They don’t see Wendake any differently than any other small town.

There are currently 2,134 people of Huron-Wendat ancestry. Most of whom are descended from the 300 ancestors who came from Huronia in what is now part of Northern Ontario's Simcoe and Grey counties. Wendake has been an Indigenous reserve since 1697. On the reserve are some Cree, Inuit, and Montagnais peoples from the northern parts of Quebec, there to attend high school and university as some schools in the north do not go past elementary. There are therefore a lot of Indigenous languages being spoken.

Life was very restrictive for Indigenous people at the time that Alexander Gros-Louis grew up. You had to sign in and out of the reserve with an Indian agent, and there was a lot of marginalization, surveillance, and policing by keeping track of who was entering and leaving the reserve.
Alexander couldn’t join the army, because he was labelled as a "savage," in official documentation. A childhood lack of Vitamin D caused rickets, which left him with bowed legs throughout his life. He left the reserve at the age of fourteen to work as a lumberjack in Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, and eventually as a taxi driver in Montreal. He worked shovelling coal for Canadian National Railways on steam locomotives, and afterward became one of the first Indigenous engineers for the CNR."

Item consists of a home movie from a Huron-Wendat family documenting a summertime parade in Apache Junction, Arizona.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "There is a parade likely in celebration of the fourth of July, in Apache Junction, Arizona. As a Railroad Engineer, Alexander Gros-Louis traveled a good part of his life by train, and spent many summers in Arizona to escape the Quebec winters. Seen in the clip are people in uniform dressed in navy blue, red and white, fire engines, and the Fire Chief. Most notably though, the camera spends time on Natives in full dress riding through the parade on horses. Seen on the sidelines are Alexander’s half-brother Paul-Henri and sister in law. "

Item consists of a Tamil family’s home movie.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "It’s 1997 and four-year-old Abhirami Balanchandran is being taught how to read by her mom. In her family home at Markham and Eglinton in Scarborough, Ontario, her mom goes through the alphabet with her one by one. Abhi looking back sees her funny facial expressions and sees a ‘very inquisitive, more playful version of herself…. It’s a sweet reminder.’"

Item consists of a Tamil family’s home movie.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "At nine-year-olds, Abhirami Balanchandran visits Sri Lanka for two months with her family for the second time. It was 2003 and during the civil war so it required multiple checkpoints before she was able to reach her hometown of Jaffna located in the north. They visited for Thaipusami, where she witnessed Kavadi for the first time. Kavadi is a ritual done for the Murugan, God of War where the back is pierced with several hooks while people partake in ceremonial dance. It was traditionally done for both sacrifice and preparation for war. It was Abhi’s first time witnessing something like that from her community which was definitely a cultural shock. ‘It was jarring, fascinating and beautiful.’ So much has changed since this video was taken and looking back at the footage of what Jaffna looked like has skewed her idea of what home looks like."

Item consists of a Tamil family’s home movie.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "At nine-year-olds, Abhirami Balanchandran visits Sri Lanka for two months with her family for the second time. Here her and her family join several other Tamils come to witness Thuku Kavadi] where a person’s back is pierced with hooks hanging from a pillar, with no harness or anything else holding them up. It looks like you're flying. Abhi recalls asking her mom, ‘How do they do that?’ and her mom told her people train for months with such deep meditation that they transcend pain from their bodies. Sometimes they are suspended for as long as two hours. This ritual is also a part of the ceremonial festival Thaipusam for Murugan, the God of War."

Item consists of an Eritrean family's home movies featuring the preparation of home roasted coffee.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Lu Asfaha’s family begins the day by preparing their home roasted coffee for the Jebana (coffee pot) on the Assumption of St. Mary. Raised in a family of Christian Orthodox, Lu grew up taking the day off to observe this religious holiday with her family. Food, drinks and even a custom cake is ornamentally laid out to celebrate the day. Lu can be seen animatedly gesturing to the camera as she talks to her uncle behind the camera, a common occurrence in their home movies.

The only footage selected that did not take place on the Assumption of St. Mary is a typical family dinner of the Asfaha eating Injera and Tsebhi from a large dish. Common to many cultures from across the African continent, her family can be seen eating by hand, enjoying the flavourful dish. The adults appear to handle the spice level better than the children.

When asked about her identity, Lu speaks of the unique experience of being Eritrean in Toronto. Being from an East African identity that has a significantly smaller population compared to the Somali and Ethiopian one, the specific social location of Eritreans tends to be either rendered invisible or lumped in with the dominant East African identities represented in the city."

Item consists of an Eritrean family's home movies featuring a cake with "Happy St. Mary Day" text decoration, children sitting on a couch eating cake, and a child dancing in front of the camera.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Lu Asfaha’s family begins the day by preparing their home roasted coffee for the Jebana (coffee pot) on the Assumption of St. Mary. Raised in a family of Christian Orthodox, Lu grew up taking the day off to observe this religious holiday with her family. Food, drinks and even a custom cake is ornamentally laid out to celebrate the day. Lu can be seen animatedly gesturing to the camera as she talks to her uncle behind the camera, a common occurrence in their home movies.

The only footage selected that did not take place on the Assumption of St. Mary is a typical family dinner of the Asfaha eating Injera and Tsebhi from a large dish. Common to many cultures from across the African continent, her family can be seen eating by hand, enjoying the flavourful dish. The adults appear to handle the spice level better than the children.

When asked about her identity, Lu speaks of the unique experience of being Eritrean in Toronto. Being from an East African identity that has a significantly smaller population compared to the Somali and Ethiopian one, the specific social location of Eritreans tends to be either rendered invisible or lumped in with the dominant East African identities represented in the city."

Item consists of an Eritrean family's home movies featuring a family eating a meal together and discussing a Portuguese related class assignment.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Lu Asfaha’s family begins the day by preparing their home roasted coffee for the Jebana (coffee pot) on the Assumption of St. Mary. Raised in a family of Christian Orthodox, Lu grew up taking the day off to observe this religious holiday with her family. Food, drinks and even a custom cake is ornamentally laid out to celebrate the day. Lu can be seen animatedly gesturing to the camera as she talks to her uncle behind the camera, a common occurrence in their home movies.

The only footage selected that did not take place on the Assumption of St. Mary is a typical family dinner of the Asfaha eating Injera and Tsebhi from a large dish. Common to many cultures from across the African continent, her family can be seen eating by hand, enjoying the flavourful dish. The adults appear to handle the spice level better than the children.

When asked about her identity, Lu speaks of the unique experience of being Eritrean in Toronto. Being from an East African identity that has a significantly smaller population compared to the Somali and Ethiopian one, the specific social location of Eritreans tends to be either rendered invisible or lumped in with the dominant East African identities represented in the city."

Item consists of a Chinese-Canadian family’s home movie documenting a birthday.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "It’s June 1993. Kristina Wong and her family celebrate her older sister Kathleen’s 5th birthday in their family home in Scarborough, Ontario. Visible here are Kristina’s Aunt Linda, Aunt Lai, her other sister, Melissa in teal and her cousins: Bethany, Eric, Matthew and Steven. Her mom, Lin is in the bright pink shirt opening the cake. Her father, Michael films behind the camera. About a minute in Kristina appears as a baby in pink."

Item consists of a Chinese-Canadian family’s home movie documenting Christmas celebrations.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "It’s Christmas eve, December 24th, 1994 at Kristina Wong’s family home in Scarborough, Ontario. Kristina Wong is about to experience her first Christmas. In the film you can also see her dad and her two sisters. Her mom is filming. Kristina recalls how her parents filmed a lot of her and her siblings growing up and stopped by the time she reached her teens."

Item consists of a Chinese-Canadian family’s home movie documenting Christmas celebrations.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "It’s Dec 30th, 1994 the day after Kristina Wong’s first birthday. She celebrates with her dad, mom and two sisters in Scarborough, Ontario. Kristina recalls that growing up in Scarborough in the 90s, ‘everyone was an immigrant. To me, I lived beside Pacific Mall so everything was very Asian growing up so I felt more Canadian than Chinese versus the opposite.’’"

Item consists of Japanese family's home movie featuring family members walking around and walking.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Terry Watada became interested in his family history when he realized his parents were forced into internment camps by the Canadian government during World War II. The youngest of two boys and with an 18-year age gap, he only came to know this history in his late teens. The footage selected shows glimpses of Terry’s childhood and features community members with whom he grew up. A small clip shows Terry wearing his cub scout uniform. In 1959, he was eight-years-old and was part of the 45th cub scout "wolf pack"; he later became a scout until the age of 17.

The families on the farm near the beginning of the footage feature the Watada family visiting the Itos in Cooksville, Ontario. Mr. Ito had connections with Terry’s father when he lived in BC; Mr. Ito was a former employee of Matsujiro Watada. Because his father helped with the down payment of their farm, the Watadas would receive bushels of vegetables every season during Terry’s childhood.

A prominent feature of his childhood, Terry and his family attended organized community picnics along with other members of the Japanese Canadian community in Toronto. A game played was the catching of mochi balls. A coveted gift since the process to make it by hand was time consuming. The picnic near the end of the selected home movies depicts a Shinto lion dance (around 68’ or 69'). There were always religious undertones at these picnics, either Buddhist or Shinto along with the Obon festival that would take place every year. The religious undertone would shift as they became an event that no longer only catered to a Japanese audience."

Item consists of a Japanese family's home movie featuring individuals walking down the street and children playing in autumn leaves.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Terry Watada became interested in his family history when he realized his parents were forced into internment camps by the Canadian government during World War II. The youngest of two boys and with an 18-year age gap, he only came to know this history in his late teens. The footage selected shows glimpses of Terry’s childhood and features community members with whom he grew up. A small clip shows Terry wearing his cub scout uniform. In 1959, he was eight-years-old and was part of the 45th cub scout "wolf pack"; he later became a scout until the age of 17.

The families on the farm near the beginning of the footage feature the Watada family visiting the Itos in Cooksville, Ontario. Mr. Ito had connections with Terry’s father when he lived in BC; Mr. Ito was a former employee of Matsujiro Watada. Because his father helped with the down payment of their farm, the Watadas would receive bushels of vegetables every season during Terry’s childhood.

A prominent feature of his childhood, Terry and his family attended organized community picnics along with other members of the Japanese Canadian community in Toronto. A game played was the catching of mochi balls. A coveted gift since the process to make it by hand was time consuming. The picnic near the end of the selected home movies depicts a Shinto lion dance (around 68’ or 69’). There were always religious undertones at these picnics, either Buddhist or Shinto along with the Obon festival that would take place every year. The religious undertone would shift as they became an event that no longer only catered to a Japanese audience."

Item consists of a Japanese family's home movie featuring a boy saluting in a cub scout uniform.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Terry Watada became interested in his family history when he realized his parents were forced into internment camps by the Canadian government during World War II. The youngest of two boys and with an 18-year age gap, he only came to know this history in his late teens. The footage selected shows glimpses of Terry’s childhood and features community members with whom he grew up. A small clip shows Terry wearing his cub scout uniform. In 1959, he was eight-years-old and was part of the 45th cub scout "wolf pack"; he later became a scout until the age of 17.

The families on the farm near the beginning of the footage feature the Watada family visiting the Itos in Cooksville, Ontario. Mr. Ito had connections with Terry’s father when he lived in BC; Mr. Ito was a former employee of Matsujiro Watada. Because his father helped with the down payment of their farm, the Watadas would receive bushels of vegetables every season during Terry’s childhood.

A prominent feature of his childhood, Terry and his family attended organized community picnics along with other members of the Japanese Canadian community in Toronto. A game played was the catching of mochi balls. A coveted gift since the process to make it by hand was time consuming. The picnic near the end of the selected home movies depicts a Shinto lion dance (around 68’ or 69’). There were always religious undertones at these picnics, either Buddhist or Shinto along with the Obon festival that would take place every year. The religious undertone would shift as they became an event that no longer only catered to a Japanese audience."

Item consists of a Japanese family's home movie featuring a boy walking up a front lawn and leaving his friends on a bike.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Terry Watada became interested in his family history when he realized his parents were forced into internment camps by the Canadian government during World War II. The youngest of two boys and with an 18-year age gap, he only came to know this history in his late teens. The footage selected shows glimpses of Terry’s childhood and features community members with whom he grew up. A small clip shows Terry wearing his cub scout uniform. In 1959, he was eight-years-old and was part of the 45th cub scout "wolf pack"; he later became a scout until the age of 17.

The families on the farm near the beginning of the footage feature the Watada family visiting the Itos in Cooksville, Ontario. Mr. Ito had connections with Terry’s father when he lived in BC; Mr. Ito was a former employee of Matsujiro Watada. Because his father helped with the down payment of their farm, the Watadas would receive bushels of vegetables every season during Terry’s childhood.

A prominent feature of his childhood, Terry and his family attended organized community picnics along with other members of the Japanese Canadian community in Toronto. A game played was the catching of mochi balls. A coveted gift since the process to make it by hand was time consuming. The picnic near the end of the selected home movies depicts a Shinto lion dance (around 68’ or 69’). There were always religious undertones at these picnics, either Buddhist or Shinto along with the Obon festival that would take place every year. The religious undertone would shift as they became an event that no longer only catered to a Japanese audience."

Item consists of a Japanese family's home movie featuring children in the snow.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Terry Watada became interested in his family history when he realized his parents were forced into internment camps by the Canadian government during World War II. The youngest of two boys and with an 18-year age gap, he only came to know this history in his late teens. The footage selected shows glimpses of Terry’s childhood and features community members with whom he grew up. A small clip shows Terry wearing his cub scout uniform. In 1959, he was eight-years-old and was part of the 45th cub scout "wolf pack"; he later became a scout until the age of 17.

The families on the farm near the beginning of the footage feature the Watada family visiting the Itos in Cooksville, Ontario. Mr. Ito had connections with Terry’s father when he lived in BC; Mr. Ito was a former employee of Matsujiro Watada. Because his father helped with the down payment of their farm, the Watadas would receive bushels of vegetables every season during Terry’s childhood.

A prominent feature of his childhood, Terry and his family attended organized community picnics along with other members of the Japanese Canadian community in Toronto. A game played was the catching of mochi balls. A coveted gift since the process to make it by hand was time consuming. The picnic near the end of the selected home movies depicts a Shinto lion dance (around 68’ or 69’). There were always religious undertones at these picnics, either Buddhist or Shinto along with the Obon festival that would take place every year. The religious undertone would shift as they became an event that no longer only catered to a Japanese audience."

Item consists a home movie featuring a neighbour covered in snow and community members playing winter sports such as ice skating, tobogganing, and hockey.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Terry Watada became interested in his family history when he realized his parents were forced into internment camps by the Canadian government during World War II. The youngest of two boys and with an 18-year age gap, he only came to know this history in his late teens. The footage selected shows glimpses of Terry’s childhood and features community members with whom he grew up. A small clip shows Terry wearing his cub scout uniform. In 1959, he was eight-years-old and was part of the 45th cub scout "wolf pack"; he later became a scout until the age of 17.

The families on the farm near the beginning of the footage feature the Watada family visiting the Itos in Cooksville, Ontario. Mr. Ito had connections with Terry’s father when he lived in BC; Mr. Ito was a former employee of Matsujiro Watada. Because his father helped with the down payment of their farm, the Watadas would receive bushels of vegetables every season during Terry’s childhood.

A prominent feature of his childhood, Terry and his family attended organized community picnics along with other members of the Japanese Canadian community in Toronto. A game played was the catching of mochi balls. A coveted gift since the process to make it by hand was time consuming. The picnic near the end of the selected home movies depicts a Shinto lion dance (around 68’ or 69’). There were always religious undertones at these picnics, either Buddhist or Shinto along with the Obon festival that would take place every year. The religious undertone would shift as they became an event that no longer only catered to a Japanese audience."

Item consists of a Japanese family's home movie featuring a woman washing dishes and boy working at a table.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Terry Watada became interested in his family history when he realized his parents were forced into internment camps by the Canadian government during World War II. The youngest of two boys and with an 18-year age gap, he only came to know this history in his late teens. The footage selected shows glimpses of Terry’s childhood and features community members with whom he grew up. A small clip shows Terry wearing his cub scout uniform. In 1959, he was eight-years-old and was part of the 45th cub scout "wolf pack"; he later became a scout until the age of 17.

The families on the farm near the beginning of the footage feature the Watada family visiting the Itos in Cooksville, Ontario. Mr. Ito had connections with Terry’s father when he lived in BC; Mr. Ito was a former employee of Matsujiro Watada. Because his father helped with the down payment of their farm, the Watadas would receive bushels of vegetables every season during Terry’s childhood.

A prominent feature of his childhood, Terry and his family attended organized community picnics along with other members of the Japanese Canadian community in Toronto. A game played was the catching of mochi balls. A coveted gift since the process to make it by hand was time consuming. The picnic near the end of the selected home movies depicts a Shinto lion dance (around 68’ or 69’). There were always religious undertones at these picnics, either Buddhist or Shinto along with the Obon festival that would take place every year. The religious undertone would shift as they became an event that no longer only catered to a Japanese audience."

Item consists of a Japanese family's home movie featuring a boy playing outside with toy military vehicles.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Terry Watada became interested in his family history when he realized his parents were forced into internment camps by the Canadian government during World War II. The youngest of two boys and with an 18-year age gap, he only came to know this history in his late teens. The footage selected shows glimpses of Terry’s childhood and features community members with whom he grew up. A small clip shows Terry wearing his cub scout uniform. In 1959, he was eight-years-old and was part of the 45th cub scout "wolf pack"; he later became a scout until the age of 17.

The families on the farm near the beginning of the footage feature the Watada family visiting the Itos in Cooksville, Ontario. Mr. Ito had connections with Terry’s father when he lived in BC; Mr. Ito was a former employee of Matsujiro Watada. Because his father helped with the down payment of their farm, the Watadas would receive bushels of vegetables every season during Terry’s childhood.

A prominent feature of his childhood, Terry and his family attended organized community picnics along with other members of the Japanese Canadian community in Toronto. A game played was the catching of mochi balls. A coveted gift since the process to make it by hand was time consuming. The picnic near the end of the selected home movies depicts a Shinto lion dance (around 68’ or 69’). There were always religious undertones at these picnics, either Buddhist or Shinto along with the Obon festival that would take place every year. The religious undertone would shift as they became an event that no longer only catered to a Japanese audience."

Item consists of a Japanese family's home movie featuring a woman and a boy eating a table.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Terry Watada became interested in his family history when he realized his parents were forced into internment camps by the Canadian government during World War II. The youngest of two boys and with an 18-year age gap, he only came to know this history in his late teens. The footage selected shows glimpses of Terry’s childhood and features community members with whom he grew up. A small clip shows Terry wearing his cub scout uniform. In 1959, he was eight-years-old and was part of the 45th cub scout "wolf pack"; he later became a scout until the age of 17.

The families on the farm near the beginning of the footage feature the Watada family visiting the Itos in Cooksville, Ontario. Mr. Ito had connections with Terry’s father when he lived in BC; Mr. Ito was a former employee of Matsujiro Watada. Because his father helped with the down payment of their farm, the Watadas would receive bushels of vegetables every season during Terry’s childhood.

A prominent feature of his childhood, Terry and his family attended organized community picnics along with other members of the Japanese Canadian community in Toronto. A game played was the catching of mochi balls. A coveted gift since the process to make it by hand was time consuming. The picnic near the end of the selected home movies depicts a Shinto lion dance (around 68’ or 69’). There were always religious undertones at these picnics, either Buddhist or Shinto along with the Obon festival that would take place every year. The religious undertone would shift as they became an event that no longer only catered to a Japanese audience."

Item consists of a Japanese family's home movie featuring a boy praying and reading a book in bed.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Terry Watada became interested in his family history when he realized his parents were forced into internment camps by the Canadian government during World War II. The youngest of two boys and with an 18-year age gap, he only came to know this history in his late teens. The footage selected shows glimpses of Terry’s childhood and features community members with whom he grew up. A small clip shows Terry wearing his cub scout uniform. In 1959, he was eight-years-old and was part of the 45th cub scout "wolf pack"; he later became a scout until the age of 17.

The families on the farm near the beginning of the footage feature the Watada family visiting the Itos in Cooksville, Ontario. Mr. Ito had connections with Terry’s father when he lived in BC; Mr. Ito was a former employee of Matsujiro Watada. Because his father helped with the down payment of their farm, the Watadas would receive bushels of vegetables every season during Terry’s childhood.

A prominent feature of his childhood, Terry and his family attended organized community picnics along with other members of the Japanese Canadian community in Toronto. A game played was the catching of mochi balls. A coveted gift since the process to make it by hand was time consuming. The picnic near the end of the selected home movies depicts a Shinto lion dance (around 68’ or 69’). There were always religious undertones at these picnics, either Buddhist or Shinto along with the Obon festival that would take place every year. The religious undertone would shift as they became an event that no longer only catered to a Japanese audience."

Item consists of a Japanese family's home movie featuring featuring a view of a neighbourhood, a bridge, and animals at a zoo (reindeer, zebras, lions, and geese).

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Terry Watada became interested in his family history when he realized his parents were forced into internment camps by the Canadian government during World War II. The youngest of two boys and with an 18-year age gap, he only came to know this history in his late teens. The footage selected shows glimpses of Terry’s childhood and features community members with whom he grew up. A small clip shows Terry wearing his cub scout uniform. In 1959, he was eight-years-old and was part of the 45th cub scout "wolf pack"; he later became a scout until the age of 17.

The families on the farm near the beginning of the footage feature the Watada family visiting the Itos in Cooksville, Ontario. Mr. Ito had connections with Terry’s father when he lived in BC; Mr. Ito was a former employee of Matsujiro Watada. Because his father helped with the down payment of their farm, the Watadas would receive bushels of vegetables every season during Terry’s childhood.

A prominent feature of his childhood, Terry and his family attended organized community picnics along with other members of the Japanese Canadian community in Toronto. A game played was the catching of mochi balls. A coveted gift since the process to make it by hand was time consuming. The picnic near the end of the selected home movies depicts a Shinto lion dance (around 68’ or 69’). There were always religious undertones at these picnics, either Buddhist or Shinto along with the Obon festival that would take place every year. The religious undertone would shift as they became an event that no longer only catered to a Japanese audience."

Item consists of a Japanese family's home movie featuring a man cleaning a car.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Terry Watada became interested in his family history when he realized his parents were forced into internment camps by the Canadian government during World War II. The youngest of two boys and with an 18-year age gap, he only came to know this history in his late teens. The footage selected shows glimpses of Terry’s childhood and features community members with whom he grew up. A small clip shows Terry wearing his cub scout uniform. In 1959, he was eight-years-old and was part of the 45th cub scout "wolf pack"; he later became a scout until the age of 17.

The families on the farm near the beginning of the footage feature the Watada family visiting the Itos in Cooksville, Ontario. Mr. Ito had connections with Terry’s father when he lived in BC; Mr. Ito was a former employee of Matsujiro Watada. Because his father helped with the down payment of their farm, the Watadas would receive bushels of vegetables every season during Terry’s childhood.

A prominent feature of his childhood, Terry and his family attended organized community picnics along with other members of the Japanese Canadian community in Toronto. A game played was the catching of mochi balls. A coveted gift since the process to make it by hand was time consuming. The picnic near the end of the selected home movies depicts a Shinto lion dance (around 68’ or 69’). There were always religious undertones at these picnics, either Buddhist or Shinto along with the Obon festival that would take place every year. The religious undertone would shift as they became an event that no longer only catered to a Japanese audience."

Item consists of a Japanese family's home movie featuring a man smiling.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Terry Watada became interested in his family history when he realized his parents were forced into internment camps by the Canadian government during World War II. The youngest of two boys and with an 18-year age gap, he only came to know this history in his late teens. The footage selected shows glimpses of Terry’s childhood and features community members with whom he grew up. A small clip shows Terry wearing his cub scout uniform. In 1959, he was eight-years-old and was part of the 45th cub scout "wolf pack"; he later became a scout until the age of 17.

The families on the farm near the beginning of the footage feature the Watada family visiting the Itos in Cooksville, Ontario. Mr. Ito had connections with Terry’s father when he lived in BC; Mr. Ito was a former employee of Matsujiro Watada. Because his father helped with the down payment of their farm, the Watadas would receive bushels of vegetables every season during Terry’s childhood.

A prominent feature of his childhood, Terry and his family attended organized community picnics along with other members of the Japanese Canadian community in Toronto. A game played was the catching of mochi balls. A coveted gift since the process to make it by hand was time consuming. The picnic near the end of the selected home movies depicts a Shinto lion dance (around 68’ or 69’). There were always religious undertones at these picnics, either Buddhist or Shinto along with the Obon festival that would take place every year. The religious undertone would shift as they became an event that no longer only catered to a Japanese audience."

Item consists of a Japanese family's home movie featuring a woman reading a book.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Terry Watada became interested in his family history when he realized his parents were forced into internment camps by the Canadian government during World War II. The youngest of two boys and with an 18-year age gap, he only came to know this history in his late teens. The footage selected shows glimpses of Terry’s childhood and features community members with whom he grew up. A small clip shows Terry wearing his cub scout uniform. In 1959, he was eight-years-old and was part of the 45th cub scout "wolf pack"; he later became a scout until the age of 17.

The families on the farm near the beginning of the footage feature the Watada family visiting the Itos in Cooksville, Ontario. Mr. Ito had connections with Terry’s father when he lived in BC; Mr. Ito was a former employee of Matsujiro Watada. Because his father helped with the down payment of their farm, the Watadas would receive bushels of vegetables every season during Terry’s childhood.

A prominent feature of his childhood, Terry and his family attended organized community picnics along with other members of the Japanese Canadian community in Toronto. A game played was the catching of mochi balls. A coveted gift since the process to make it by hand was time consuming. The picnic near the end of the selected home movies depicts a Shinto lion dance (around 68’ or 69’). There were always religious undertones at these picnics, either Buddhist or Shinto along with the Obon festival that would take place every year. The religious undertone would shift as they became an event that no longer only catered to a Japanese audience."

Item consists of a Japanese family's home movie featuring a boy and a woman passing and catching a ball with a glove.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Terry Watada became interested in his family history when he realized his parents were forced into internment camps by the Canadian government during World War II. The youngest of two boys and with an 18-year age gap, he only came to know this history in his late teens. The footage selected shows glimpses of Terry’s childhood and features community members with whom he grew up. A small clip shows Terry wearing his cub scout uniform. In 1959, he was eight-years-old and was part of the 45th cub scout "wolf pack"; he later became a scout until the age of 17.

The families on the farm near the beginning of the footage feature the Watada family visiting the Itos in Cooksville, Ontario. Mr. Ito had connections with Terry’s father when he lived in BC; Mr. Ito was a former employee of Matsujiro Watada. Because his father helped with the down payment of their farm, the Watadas would receive bushels of vegetables every season during Terry’s childhood.

A prominent feature of his childhood, Terry and his family attended organized community picnics along with other members of the Japanese Canadian community in Toronto. A game played was the catching of mochi balls. A coveted gift since the process to make it by hand was time consuming. The picnic near the end of the selected home movies depicts a Shinto lion dance (around 68’ or 69’). There were always religious undertones at these picnics, either Buddhist or Shinto along with the Obon festival that would take place every year. The religious undertone would shift as they became an event that no longer only catered to a Japanese audience."

Item consists of a Japanese family's home movie featuring flowers growing on the side of a house.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Terry Watada became interested in his family history when he realized his parents were forced into internment camps by the Canadian government during World War II. The youngest of two boys and with an 18-year age gap, he only came to know this history in his late teens. The footage selected shows glimpses of Terry’s childhood and features community members with whom he grew up. A small clip shows Terry wearing his cub scout uniform. In 1959, he was eight-years-old and was part of the 45th cub scout "wolf pack"; he later became a scout until the age of 17.

The families on the farm near the beginning of the footage feature the Watada family visiting the Itos in Cooksville, Ontario. Mr. Ito had connections with Terry’s father when he lived in BC; Mr. Ito was a former employee of Matsujiro Watada. Because his father helped with the down payment of their farm, the Watadas would receive bushels of vegetables every season during Terry’s childhood.

A prominent feature of his childhood, Terry and his family attended organized community picnics along with other members of the Japanese Canadian community in Toronto. A game played was the catching of mochi balls. A coveted gift since the process to make it by hand was time consuming. The picnic near the end of the selected home movies depicts a Shinto lion dance (around 68’ or 69’). There were always religious undertones at these picnics, either Buddhist or Shinto along with the Obon festival that would take place every year. The religious undertone would shift as they became an event that no longer only catered to a Japanese audience."

Item consists of a Japanese family's home movie featuring a community picnic and includes footage of dancing and children playing. Footage of flowers is also included.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Terry Watada became interested in his family history when he realized his parents were forced into internment camps by the Canadian government during World War II. The youngest of two boys and with an 18-year age gap, he only came to know this history in his late teens. The footage selected shows glimpses of Terry’s childhood and features community members with whom he grew up. A small clip shows Terry wearing his cub scout uniform. In 1959, he was eight-years-old and was part of the 45th cub scout "wolf pack"; he later became a scout until the age of 17.

The families on the farm near the beginning of the footage feature the Watada family visiting the Itos in Cooksville, Ontario. Mr. Ito had connections with Terry’s father when he lived in BC; Mr. Ito was a former employee of Matsujiro Watada. Because his father helped with the down payment of their farm, the Watadas would receive bushels of vegetables every season during Terry’s childhood.

A prominent feature of his childhood, Terry and his family attended organized community picnics along with other members of the Japanese Canadian community in Toronto. A game played was the catching of mochi balls. A coveted gift since the process to make it by hand was time consuming. The picnic near the end of the selected home movies depicts a Shinto lion dance (around 68’ or 69’). There were always religious undertones at these picnics, either Buddhist or Shinto along with the Obon festival that would take place every year. The religious undertone would shift as they became an event that no longer only catered to a Japanese audience."

Item consists of a Japanese family's home movie featuring flowers growing on the side of a house, a garden, and flowers in a vase.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Terry Watada became interested in his family history when he realized his parents were forced into internment camps by the Canadian government during World War II. The youngest of two boys and with an 18-year age gap, he only came to know this history in his late teens. The footage selected shows glimpses of Terry’s childhood and features community members with whom he grew up. A small clip shows Terry wearing his cub scout uniform. In 1959, he was eight-years-old and was part of the 45th cub scout "wolf pack"; he later became a scout until the age of 17.

The families on the farm near the beginning of the footage feature the Watada family visiting the Itos in Cooksville, Ontario. Mr. Ito had connections with Terry’s father when he lived in BC; Mr. Ito was a former employee of Matsujiro Watada. Because his father helped with the down payment of their farm, the Watadas would receive bushels of vegetables every season during Terry’s childhood.

A prominent feature of his childhood, Terry and his family attended organized community picnics along with other members of the Japanese Canadian community in Toronto. A game played was the catching of mochi balls. A coveted gift since the process to make it by hand was time consuming. The picnic near the end of the selected home movies depicts a Shinto lion dance (around 68’ or 69’). There were always religious undertones at these picnics, either Buddhist or Shinto along with the Obon festival that would take place every year. The religious undertone would shift as they became an event that no longer only catered to a Japanese audience."

Item consists of a Japanese family's home movie featuring a boy filling a pool and children playing in the water.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Terry Watada became interested in his family history when he realized his parents were forced into internment camps by the Canadian government during World War II. The youngest of two boys and with an 18-year age gap, he only came to know this history in his late teens. The footage selected shows glimpses of Terry’s childhood and features community members with whom he grew up. A small clip shows Terry wearing his cub scout uniform. In 1959, he was eight-years-old and was part of the 45th cub scout "wolf pack"; he later became a scout until the age of 17.

The families on the farm near the beginning of the footage feature the Watada family visiting the Itos in Cooksville, Ontario. Mr. Ito had connections with Terry’s father when he lived in BC; Mr. Ito was a former employee of Matsujiro Watada. Because his father helped with the down payment of their farm, the Watadas would receive bushels of vegetables every season during Terry’s childhood.

A prominent feature of his childhood, Terry and his family attended organized community picnics along with other members of the Japanese Canadian community in Toronto. A game played was the catching of mochi balls. A coveted gift since the process to make it by hand was time consuming. The picnic near the end of the selected home movies depicts a Shinto lion dance (around 68’ or 69’). There were always religious undertones at these picnics, either Buddhist or Shinto along with the Obon festival that would take place every year. The religious undertone would shift as they became an event that no longer only catered to a Japanese audience."

Item consists of a Japanese family's home movie featuring two boys playing with sticks in the backyard.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Terry Watada became interested in his family history when he realized his parents were forced into internment camps by the Canadian government during World War II. The youngest of two boys and with an 18-year age gap, he only came to know this history in his late teens. The footage selected shows glimpses of Terry’s childhood and features community members with whom he grew up. A small clip shows Terry wearing his cub scout uniform. In 1959, he was eight-years-old and was part of the 45th cub scout "wolf pack"; he later became a scout until the age of 17.

The families on the farm near the beginning of the footage feature the Watada family visiting the Itos in Cooksville, Ontario. Mr. Ito had connections with Terry’s father when he lived in BC; Mr. Ito was a former employee of Matsujiro Watada. Because his father helped with the down payment of their farm, the Watadas would receive bushels of vegetables every season during Terry’s childhood.

A prominent feature of his childhood, Terry and his family attended organized community picnics along with other members of the Japanese Canadian community in Toronto. A game played was the catching of mochi balls. A coveted gift since the process to make it by hand was time consuming. The picnic near the end of the selected home movies depicts a Shinto lion dance (around 68’ or 69’). There were always religious undertones at these picnics, either Buddhist or Shinto along with the Obon festival that would take place every year. The religious undertone would shift as they became an event that no longer only catered to a Japanese audience."

Item consists of a Japanese family's home movie featuring individuals enjoying the water and the lawn near the water.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Terry Watada became interested in his family history when he realized his parents were forced into internment camps by the Canadian government during World War II. The youngest of two boys and with an 18-year age gap, he only came to know this history in his late teens. The footage selected shows glimpses of Terry’s childhood and features community members with whom he grew up. A small clip shows Terry wearing his cub scout uniform. In 1959, he was eight-years-old and was part of the 45th cub scout "wolf pack"; he later became a scout until the age of 17.

The families on the farm near the beginning of the footage feature the Watada family visiting the Itos in Cooksville, Ontario. Mr. Ito had connections with Terry’s father when he lived in BC; Mr. Ito was a former employee of Matsujiro Watada. Because his father helped with the down payment of their farm, the Watadas would receive bushels of vegetables every season during Terry’s childhood.

A prominent feature of his childhood, Terry and his family attended organized community picnics along with other members of the Japanese Canadian community in Toronto. A game played was the catching of mochi balls. A coveted gift since the process to make it by hand was time consuming. The picnic near the end of the selected home movies depicts a Shinto lion dance (around 68’ or 69’). There were always religious undertones at these picnics, either Buddhist or Shinto along with the Obon festival that would take place every year. The religious undertone would shift as they became an event that no longer only catered to a Japanese audience."

Item consists of a Japanese family's home movie featuring a car driving downtown of a town.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Terry Watada became interested in his family history when he realized his parents were forced into internment camps by the Canadian government during World War II. The youngest of two boys and with an 18-year age gap, he only came to know this history in his late teens. The footage selected shows glimpses of Terry’s childhood and features community members with whom he grew up. A small clip shows Terry wearing his cub scout uniform. In 1959, he was eight-years-old and was part of the 45th cub scout "wolf pack"; he later became a scout until the age of 17.

The families on the farm near the beginning of the footage feature the Watada family visiting the Itos in Cooksville, Ontario. Mr. Ito had connections with Terry’s father when he lived in BC; Mr. Ito was a former employee of Matsujiro Watada. Because his father helped with the down payment of their farm, the Watadas would receive bushels of vegetables every season during Terry’s childhood.

A prominent feature of his childhood, Terry and his family attended organized community picnics along with other members of the Japanese Canadian community in Toronto. A game played was the catching of mochi balls. A coveted gift since the process to make it by hand was time consuming. The picnic near the end of the selected home movies depicts a Shinto lion dance (around 68’ or 69’). There were always religious undertones at these picnics, either Buddhist or Shinto along with the Obon festival that would take place every year. The religious undertone would shift as they became an event that no longer only catered to a Japanese audience."

Item consists of a Japanese family's home movie that predominantly features a parking lot.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Terry Watada became interested in his family history when he realized his parents were forced into internment camps by the Canadian government during World War II. The youngest of two boys and with an 18-year age gap, he only came to know this history in his late teens. The footage selected shows glimpses of Terry’s childhood and features community members with whom he grew up. A small clip shows Terry wearing his cub scout uniform. In 1959, he was eight-years-old and was part of the 45th cub scout "wolf pack"; he later became a scout until the age of 17.

The families on the farm near the beginning of the footage feature the Watada family visiting the Itos in Cooksville, Ontario. Mr. Ito had connections with Terry’s father when he lived in BC; Mr. Ito was a former employee of Matsujiro Watada. Because his father helped with the down payment of their farm, the Watadas would receive bushels of vegetables every season during Terry’s childhood.

A prominent feature of his childhood, Terry and his family attended organized community picnics along with other members of the Japanese Canadian community in Toronto. A game played was the catching of mochi balls. A coveted gift since the process to make it by hand was time consuming. The picnic near the end of the selected home movies depicts a Shinto lion dance (around 68’ or 69’). There were always religious undertones at these picnics, either Buddhist or Shinto along with the Obon festival that would take place every year. The religious undertone would shift as they became an event that no longer only catered to a Japanese audience."

Item consists of a Japanese family's home movie predominantly featuring Ferris wheels and a helicopter at a fair.

Project and donor(s) contributed description follows: "Terry Watada became interested in his family history when he realized his parents were forced into internment camps by the Canadian government during World War II. The youngest of two boys and with an 18-year age gap, he only came to know this history in his late teens. The footage selected shows glimpses of Terry’s childhood and features community members with whom he grew up. A small clip shows Terry wearing his cub scout uniform. In 1959, he was eight-years-old and was part of the 45th cub scout "wolf pack"; he later became a scout until the age of 17.

The families on the farm near the beginning of the footage feature the Watada family visiting the Itos in Cooksville, Ontario. Mr. Ito had connections with Terry’s father when he lived in BC; Mr. Ito was a former employee of Matsujiro Watada. Because his father helped with the down payment of their farm, the Watadas would receive bushels of vegetables every season during Terry’s childhood.

A prominent feature of his childhood, Terry and his family attended organized community picnics along with other members of the Japanese Canadian community in Toronto. A game played was the catching of mochi balls. A coveted gift since the process to make it by hand was time consuming. The picnic near the end of the selected home movies depicts a Shinto lion dance (around 68’ or 69’). There were always religious undertones at these picnics, either Buddhist or Shinto along with the Obon festival that would take place every year. The religious undertone would shift as they became an event that no longer only catered to a Japanese audience."