Alternative Service camps, 1942

Classification scheme:

Hist.Mss.26.1.1

Title: J. Harold Sherk films of Alternative Service camps, 1942

Date of creation: 1942

Physical description: 4 film reels (1 hour, 52 min.) : 8mm, b&w and col. sequences

Administrative history: Films created by J. Harold Sherk while visiting Alternative Service work camps in Ontario and British Columbia in 1942. He served as secretary of the Conference of Historic Peace Churches, and was resident chaplain at the Montreal River Alternative Service work camp (1941-1942). He also accompanied Alternative Service workers from Ontario to camps in British Columbia in 1942.

Custodial history: Reels donated to the Archives in 2015 from the estate of Iva (Sherk) Taves by Mila (Taves) Reusser. Reels were transferred to video tape (ca. 1990) by Mennonite Central Committee Ontario and digitised by the Archives (2011).

Scope and content: See index, below. Index was created from the digital copy. All times mark the beginning of the segment identified.

Notes: See Hist.Mss.26.3.4.3 for VHS copy, and Hist.Mss.26.6.25 for digital copy.
Original description and index created by Laureen Harder-Gissing in 2015.

Restrictions on use: Only the digital copy is accessible for viewing.

Index:

Hist.Mss.26.6.26 (J. Harold Sherk, Reels 1 and 2, 1942)

  1. Montreal River Alternative Service Work Camp and environs, (Montreal River Harbour, Ontario), 0:00
  2. Train travel, Sault Ste. Marie, 14:12
  3. Mennonite leaders, 14:28
  4. Secretary typing (possibly MCC office in Ontario), 14:53
  5. E.J. Swalm with Mounties in front of Parliament Buildings, Ottawa, 15:01
  6. Montreal River camp and environs, (Montreal River Harbour, Ontario), 15:29
  7. Family scenes on a farm in southern Ontario, 15:59
  8. Ship in a harbor, 16:21
  9. Bridge over Montreal River area waterfall and Montreal River environs, 16:30
  10. Alternative Service workers building a road near Montreal River, 17:29
  11. Building a chapel and recreation hall at Montreal River, 21:15
  12. Montreal River and Lake Superior environs, 22:19
  13. Montreal River camp kitchen and dining hall, 23:55
  14. Montreal River Alternative Service workers doing chores, playing board games, writing letters, distributing mail, holding church services, playing games outside, displaying caught fish, local boy with toy airplane, 24:22
  15. Montreal River Alternative Service workers on boat cruise on the Queen II, May 1942, 27:41
  16. Sunset on the lake, 32:55
  17. Train travel in winter, 33:52
    1. Winnipeg,  posing in front of Countess of Dufferin train engine, 35:43
    2. Broadview, Saskatchewan train depot, 37;41
    3. Disembarking at Banff, Alta., 38:09
  18. Alternative Service camp near Banff, Alta., 39:17
    1. Clearing and burning brush
    2. Scenes of Banff environs
    3. Clearing and burning brush
    4. Camp life
  19. Castle Mountain, 44:27
  20. Camp life near Banff, 45:34
  21. Sawback Range, 46:41
  22. Cutting wood, camp life and environs near Banff, 47:54
  23. Town of Banff and environs, 50:10
  24. Train travel across the prairies, 52:09
  25. Montreal River environs and camp, road building, cutting wood, winter, 54:29-1:02:08

Hist.Mss.26.6.26 (J. Harold Sherk, Reels 3 and 4, 1942)

  1. Test pattern, 0:00
  2. Map showing Montreal River and Petawawa, Ontario,  0:30
  3. Renfrew, Ontario,  0:38
  4. Petawawa Forest Experiment Station, 0:48
  5. Train travel  (possibly families coming to visit Montreal River), 8:18
  6. Montreal River camp, 8:45
  7. Train travel  (probably going west in June 1942), 10:22
    1. Banff, 13:28
    2. Lake Louise, 13:38
    3. Mount Field, 14:30
    4. Coquitlam (disembarking), 16:19
  8. Green Timbers Forestry Station (Surrey, B.C.), 16:45
  9. Vancouver, B.C. (possibly Stanley Park), 19:20
  10. GT5 (Mount Seymour Alternative Service Work Camp, Dollarton, B.C.), 19:50     
  11. GT4 (Webster’s Corners Alternative Service Work Camp, Haney, B.C.), 20:52
  12. GT3 (Vedder Alternative Service Work Camp, Vedder Crossing, B.C.), 21:17
    1. Sikh Temple (Abbotsford, B.C.) 21:26-21:45
  13. GT2 (Emory Creek Alternative Service Work Camp, Hope, B.C.), 22:46
  14. Jacob Wiens and other Mennonite leaders and family members in Vancouver, 24:23
  15. Q2, (Menzies Bay Alternative Service Work Camp, Campbell River, B.C.), 24:48
  16. Q7, (Loveland Lake Alternative Service Work Camp, Campbell River, B.C.), 25:41
    1. Scenic waterfall and rapids by rail bridge, 26:54
  17. Q3 (Lower Campbell Lake Alternative Service Work Camp, Campbell River, B.C.), 28:23
  18. Q1 (Quinsam Lake Alternative Service Work Camp, Campbell River, B.C.), 29:19
  19. Q4 (Coutenay Alternative Service Work Camp, Courtenay, B.C.), 31:55
  20. Q5 (Bowser Alternative Service Work Camp, Bowser, B.C.), 32:47
  21. Q6 (Horne Lake Alternative Service Work Camp, Parksville, B.C.), 33:40
  22. Cowichan District map, 35:38
  23. C6 (Alberni Alternative Service Work Camp, Port Alberni, B.C.), 35:47
    1. British Columbia Forest Service Ranger Station (probably near Port Alberni), 36:33
  24. C5 (Nanaimo Lakes Alternative Service Work Camp, Nanaimo, B.C.), 39:04
  25. C1 (Hill 60 Alternative Service Work Camp, Duncan, B.C.), 40:33
  26. C3 (Koksilah Alternative Service Work Camp, Shawnigan Lake, B.C.),42:02
  27. C4 (Goldstream Alternative Service Work Camp , Langford, B.C.), 43:32
  28. City of Victoria, B.C.,  44:47
  29. Train travel through mountains, 45:43
    1. Field, British Columbia, 47:31
    2. Great Divide, 48:16
  30. Train travel through prairies, 48;42
  31. Sunset over lake (probably Lake Superior),  49:17-49:26