Comments on: Everything I Know About Canada, I Learned During The Commercials...

Everything I Know About Canada, I Learned During The Commercials...

Alvy Ampersand — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 03:20:42 -0800

A collection of NFB Vignettes that taught a generation of Canadians about archetypal norsemen, hydraulic treeshears, birling, how to speak French without having to learn it, and more!
(YouTubeorama)

(Vignettes previously discussed on MeFi in this Hinterland Who's Who FPP)

By: DataPacRat

DataPacRat — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 03:43:13 -0800

The Log Driver's Waltz has been stuck in my head for /decades/ without seeing it on TV - I'm glad I can finally hear it all the way through, to the finish, and hear it /end/. A related un-forgettable tune-plus-cartoon is "Black, fly, the little blackfly / always the blackfly no matter where you go / I'll die with the blackfly pickin' my booones / In north Ontario-io, in north Ontario", though YouTube doesn't seem to have it...

By: Malor

Malor — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 03:47:46 -0800

Yeah, I really like the 'birling' link, that is NEAT. Definitely best of the web. Even if it is Youtube.

By: anthill

anthill — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 03:55:54 -0800

Ah, I miss the blackfly song... nothing else quite seems right to sing while you are getting your own bones picked in north Ontario-io...

By: pracowity

pracowity — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 04:09:24 -0800

The woodchuck, also called the groundhog, is one of the larger Canadian rodents. A mature adult may weigh up to seventeen pounds. In winter, it depends almost entirely on body fat, until April, when new plant food reappears. Like the beaver, the woodchuck's front gnawing teeth grow continuously, except during hibernation. Constant grinding trims them down. The breeding period lasts three months, and from four to five young are usual. In May, at about seven weeks, the young are weaned, and cautiously begin to forage on their own. However, they still depend almost entirely on their mother to warn them of impending danger. For more information on the woodchuck, contact the Canadian Wildlife Service in Ottawa.

By: Mayor Curley

Mayor Curley — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 04:28:44 -0800

It's funny how culture can work on a geographical scale-- I was thinking that some of these would have been really appropriate for broadcast in Maine where I grew up (particularly the one about logging, but not so much in Massachusetts, which is similar in culture to Maine. So these really made m feel like I grew up in a buffer zone between Boston and the Maritimes.

By: unmake

unmake — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 04:30:36 -0800

My appreciation of the CBC, and things Canadian in general, has been inceasing at an expontial rate. PBS/NPR are downright corporate compared to our neighbors to the north.

By: pracowity

pracowity — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 04:33:55 -0800

in north Ontario-io... That's On-tari-ari-ario.

By: sindark

sindark — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 05:32:36 -0800

It's exactly this kind of content - which was paid for with taxpayer money in the first place - that demonstrates the value of the internet as a valuable distribution mechanism. Now, I just need to find a copy of The Log Driver's Waltz in mp3 format. It will be like being propelled back to elementary school.

By: Dipsomaniac

Dipsomaniac — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 05:40:25 -0800

Not a vignette, but The Cat Came Back is definitely an NFB classic.

By: thejimp

thejimp — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 06:05:43 -0800

Wow, this takes me back. Especially the Voyageurs short with that cool music. La la-la la la la la la la, la la-la la la laaaa laaaaa.

By: zenzizi

zenzizi — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 06:23:53 -0800

omg this "how to speak french" vignette is hilarious! :D and how enjoyable following my BOC post who acknowledge being inspired by the NFB for their name (they in scotland now but raised in manitoba) i remember myself some cross-country skiing NFB shorts that /did/ have the kind of retro-synth-analog background music atmosphere that the BOC captures so well..

By: Zinger

Zinger — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 06:24:18 -0800

You know, I'd have thought I'd forgotten most of these but seeing them again brought them all back. Now if anyone can find mpgs of the John and Janet Foster nature documentary films my school used to show every week, my childhood will have gone completely digital retroactively.

By: zenzizi

zenzizi — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 06:25:56 -0800

oops it is alberta not manitoba.

By: furtive

furtive — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 06:42:03 -0800

The Riverdale Lion made my eyes water.

By: GuyZero

GuyZero — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 06:50:58 -0800

I think people who grew up at the same time I did in Ontario learned 2 songs as kids - the national anthem and the log driver's waltz from when they played that short between cartoons on saturday morning.

By: notsnot

notsnot — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 06:55:08 -0800

how weird is it that we have this, from the real education Board of Canada, only three posts after somethigna bout the band, Boards of Canada?

By: Alvy Ampersand

Alvy Ampersand — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 07:09:56 -0800

Actually, my original draft mentioned BOC. I discarded it as filler(Along with a lot of tedious crap about the NFB) before I came here to post. When I saw zanzizi's FPP, I didn't know whether to spit or wind my watch. :)

By: furtive

furtive — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 07:17:16 -0800

The NFB was not adverse to telling the occasional tall yankee tale.

By: Turtles all the way down

Turtles all the way down — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 07:29:05 -0800

Trees

By: furtive

furtive — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 07:30:40 -0800

The greatest story ever told.

By: zenzizi

zenzizi — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 07:39:22 -0800

furtive that's a great story for sure and i'm so happy the habs is (1 point shy of) making the playoffs this year :D and you know what i just seen on tv a best buy ad of habs-sweater customers making fun of some other leafs-sweater customer with the complicity of the best buy clerk.. lol now what's the chance of that?

By: stinkycheese

stinkycheese — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 08:20:48 -0800

Two years ago, I attended the Ontario Library Association (OLA) conference and spoke to some people working the NFB display. They told me that there were plans afoot to have many, if not all, NFB films available online from their website for free - an idea which, I'm sure you'll agree, would make for some pretty unparallelled web content. Sadly, this hasn't happened yet. But I hold out hope it still may - and, in the meantime, you can see many of the most popular cartoons the NFB has produced (including the aforementioned Log Driver's Waltz) on these titles, which are usually available at your local library (assuming you live in Canada). Also must mention Ryan in any discussion of NFB flicks to see.

By: bonehead

bonehead — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 08:44:25 -0800

STOP JIGGLING YOUR EYES!

By: gesamtkunstwerk

gesamtkunstwerk — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 08:51:26 -0800

I particularly liked the Cuteness of Colin Farrel, with shots of him masterbating and having sex artfully inserted into publicity photos. The NFB definitely has its moments of genius.

By: krunk

krunk — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 09:06:11 -0800

Interesting fact: the Logdriver's Waltz was written by Kate and Anna McGarrigle. Kate McGarrigle is the mother of Rufus and Martha Wainwright (and ex-wife of Loudon Wainwright III).

By: antifreez_

antifreez_ — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 09:37:01 -0800

These all bring back wonderful memories of my childhood, when my mother who works at the Vancouver Public Library would bring home VHS tapes of these shorts, all compiled together -- as a kid, I preferred watching these NFB cartoons far more than anything on TV on Saturday mornings. Occasionally, I still stay up late some nights with my TV tuned to CBC-TV just to catch that NFB animated short with the national anthem -- they continue air it at the end (and possibly beginning) of every broadcasting day.

By: rmm

rmm — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 09:44:49 -0800

I love a dose of Cancon in the morning :) Thanks for posting this. *runs to nominate DrNO25, poster of the videos for Canadian sainthood* I can imagine YouTube's server being inundated by nostalgia-seeking Canuck MeFis :) *googles lyrics to Log Driver's Waltz, thinks nostalgically of Ontario...*

By: antifreez_

antifreez_ — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 09:52:28 -0800

I've often thought that the NFB should have their own TV station, or at least some dedicated airtime on the CBC to increase exposure. Just last year, NFB films were winning Oscars -- these were Canadian films, telling Canadian stories, but I'm willing to wager that there are many, many Canadians who haven't seen them, even though the Canadian public are the owners of the NFB.

By: arcticwoman

arcticwoman — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 09:57:25 -0800

You have made this Canadian girl very, very happy.

By: arcticwoman

arcticwoman — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 10:05:59 -0800

Does anyone know where to find the "Little Salmon" one?

By: arcticwoman

arcticwoman — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 10:09:07 -0800

Wow, this takes me back. Especially the Voyageurs short with that cool music. La la-la la la la la la la, la la-la la la laaaa laaaaa. J'entends le moulin tique tique taque Jentends le moulin taaaaaque J'entends le moulin tique tique taque Jentends le moulin taaaaaque tique tique taque tique tique taque tique taaaaque tique taaaaque J'entends le moulin tique tique taque Jentends le moulin taaaaaque Best sung a la ronde

By: Space Coyote

Space Coyote — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 10:36:06 -0800

Last year I bought a Canadian animation boxed set just for The Man Who Planted Trees.

By: mendel

mendel — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 10:53:19 -0800

You can look the part as well!

By: dreamsign

dreamsign — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 11:11:47 -0800

My appreciation of the CBC, and things Canadian in general, has been inceasing at an expontial rate. PBS/NPR are downright corporate compared to our neighbors to the north. Then you'll be interested to know that the CBC website is occasionally/randomly offering an online survey with such gems as: - should the federal goverment really own a network? - how does the CBC compare to other sources of news and information and my personal fave: in a two-income household, is it wrong for the woman to earn more than the man? I can only think that Heritage has a new Conservative mandate and they're looking for ammunition. The first question is suggestive, the second perhaps innocuous. The third? Trying to rate how "traditional" I am? I encourage you to pepper the gov with complaints of how the CBC is lagging behind the BBC in services and demand more, as I did. /derail

By: antifreez_

antifreez_ — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 12:22:24 -0800

You can look the part as well! I've got the long-sleeved version of that shirt -- in fact, I'm wearing it right now. One of the most comfortable t-shirts I've ever owned.

By: C.Batt

C.Batt — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 13:32:53 -0800

oh YEAH! The Log Driver's Waltz. I love that song. The Sweater. "This is per-SAY-cue-shion!" Awesome.

By: sindark

sindark — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 13:38:49 -0800

An mp3 version of "The Log Driver's Waltz" is online here: The sound is much better than in the YouTube video.

By: TimTypeZed

TimTypeZed — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 14:00:16 -0800

Started school in the mid-60's. Haven't retained any special memories of the vignettes or the hinterland who's whos. What I remember from assemblies in the gym or movie nights at summer camp is being introduced to Buster Keaton riding the railroad across Canada in a pumpcart. And that environmental film where the guy rowing the canoe through the wilderness keeps being tossed into the fouled present, scoops a drink out of the clearwater lake and gets a mouth full of modern day sludge.

By: bumpkin

bumpkin — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 15:16:32 -0800

Thanks so much. Big dose of nostalgia for this ex-pat finishing off a long stint in the US. I'm coming home!! And The Big Snit is one of the best animated shorts evAR.

By: thejimp

thejimp — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 16:45:10 -0800

Cool, thanks arcticwoman. I didn't know that. Here's the whole thing.

By: Eideteker

Eideteker — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 16:50:16 -0800

Wow, the Log Driver's Waltz is the new old "I Wanna Marry a Lighthousekeeper" song.

By: stevil

stevil — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 18:31:31 -0800

Ask and ye shall receive. Blackfly. Disclaimer: it's currently processing and I've never uploaded to YouTube before so it may not work. But it may.

By: stevil

stevil — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 19:26:22 -0800

Looks like it works.

By: painquale

painquale — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 20:41:15 -0800

The Logdriver's Waltz! Thank you thank you thank you.

By: DataPacRat

DataPacRat — Sat, 15 Apr 2006 02:08:44 -0800

Blackfly! Wonderful! Thank you! (And hey, I was right; this version /is/ "in north Ontario-io". :) )

By: stinkycheese

stinkycheese — Tue, 18 Apr 2006 13:27:57 -0800

Wasn't the Ontari-ari-o from an old Becker's ad? I remember it as going, "Ontari-ari-o runs to Becker's". /feels shame, sits in box