Junction Creek film ‘great promotion for city’

Images, whether they be photographs or films, have great power to embolden and to inform the citizenry. They can be joyful or ominous. At Cinéfest this weekend, Junction Creek, a film full of images of Sudbury’s past and present, was screened to hundreds of people.

The film is about the origins of Sudbury’s environmental degradation on its landscape, with special reference to Junction Creek. It uses historical images from the collections of local historians Jim Fortin and Nada Mehes-Rovinelli to explain why the area was stripped of its trees and soils in many locations.

Narrating the animated part of the film is local musician Andrew Lowe and his son Ben, 13. Ben provides the voice for a youth who retrieves a shopping cart out of the murky waters of the creek. Lowe provides the voice for the damaged cart as it explains to the boy how Junction Creek came to the damaged state it was and how it has become restored now.

The shopping cart notes that, at one time, the creek was full of trout. A historical picture showed a happy fisherman holding up strings of freshly caught trout. Then the environmental pressures on the creek, first from logging, then town development, cause the sensitive fish to disappear and the creek to be spoiled. At one point it was even called garbage creek by residents, recounted the cart.

But then, in a stirring series of film images, it documents how, over the years, through the efforts of many people — many of whom were youths like Ben — it once again became a home for trout.

The images show proud and energetic youth and their supervisors liming the soil and releasing fish. Over and over it was stressed this was a community-wide effort, and a success story for everywhere. The 15-minute film was entirely done in northern Ontario. “All the people, all the animation, all the music and direction, it was all done in Northern Ontario, said project coordinator Carrie Regenstreif.

The Junction Creek Stewardship Committee acted as executive producer, raising the money — $100,000 — to make the film, she added. The director Drew Gauley, from New Liskeard, responded to an ad from community partners Music and Film in Motion. “I won the job out of the three who responded. It took about a year and a half to complete,” said Gauley. He said he got a lot of support from the Junction Creek film committee members and their partners. “I really enjoyed working with Drew. There were not many retakes of my narration,” Lowe chuckled.

“The subject matter is dear to my heart. The history of this creek (Junction Creek) is the history of this town. I have written songs about this,” he said.

His son added, “This was new for me. I found it very interesting to work with the director.” Ben said he was paid for his efforts and has put the money into his savings account.

Coun. Doug Craig said the film pays tribute to the generations of young people who helped restore the creek, planting trees beside the creek and pulling out garbage from its waters.

Roger Nash, poet and professor, said the film was great promotion for the city. “It shows we are dealing with the leading edge of solving the most serious problems the world faces.”

Junction Creek Creek Stewardship committee member Franco Mariotti said the film will be put on DVD and distributed free to all area schools next year after a few additions are made. There will be a showing of the film for the community at Adanac Ski Hill on Oct. 6., at dusk. For more information phone 525-8736, visit www.junctioncreek.com or email info@junctioncreek.com.