re:LOCATION
How Uprooted Communities Fight to Survive
4 x 30 Min. Documentary Series
TV Series Synopsis
The re:LOCATION documentary series is a collection of compelling, socially relevant stories that need to be told, especially in light of ongoing efforts to re-examine historical events and achieve reconciliation by acknowledging past injustice to Canadians who have been marginalized and arbitrarily uprooted for political and economic reasons.
Each episode will portray a culturally and geographically diverse community from different periods in Canadian history that has been involuntarily and sometimes inhumanely relocated, often with devastating consequences.
Every episode in re:Location is both a story of loss and rebirth as the surviving members of the communities reveal their resilience and devotion to preserving the essential values and the most important legacies of their respective communities and cultures. Their stories of past and present, before and after forced relocation will be brought to life and examined in their historical, cultural, political and economic context by a carefully selected and articulate cast of community members.
re:LOCATION is a Canadian anthology that will, for the first time, showcase the stories of communities from a pan-Canadian perspective for a national audience. The series will honour and celebrate communities that maintain and cherish a profound sense of commitment to their geographic roots, rallying heroically to rebuild and preserve what is uniquely theirs.
These are stories of human endurance, adaptability, determination and resilience.
© 2020 Sound Venture Productions Ottawa Limited
The Royal Canadian Geographical Society, in partnership with Sound Venture Productions is proud to announce the world broadcast premieres of Re:location, a compelling half series highlighting community relocations in Canada.
The programs will premiere on the Cable Public Affairs Channel (CPAC) at 9PM EST over four successive Sundays in April, starting on Sunday April 4. Each episode will also be rebroadcast at midnight EST.
All premiere broadcasts will be simultaneously broadcast across CPAC’s English and French channels. The entire documentary series will be rebroadcast on CPAC as part of an encore marathon presentation on Tuesday, July 1 (time TBA).
 | Episode #1AfricvilleIn Africville, its troubled past and the turbulent present dynamically coalesce to spotlight a community that has remained strong and resilient in the face of overwhelming racism and injustice. Africville, the once vibrant, prosperous and self-sustaining community that took pride in its own church, post office, school and brightly painted houses, has now come to represent the oppression and racism faced by Black Canadians and the efforts to right historic wrongs. The history of the African-Canadian village with origins dating back to the late 1700’s is well-documented, but in light of the Black Lives Matter protests that swept the world in the spring of 2020, there is a renewed sense of urgency to revisit Africville and document its living history. We’ll hear from the original residents of Africville who witnessed the destruction of their homes and livelihood in the name of ‘urban renewal’ during the1960s, and their children and grandchildren who continue to fight for equality and justice. Africville: Sunday April 4 at 9 p.m. EST (rebroadcast midnight EST) |
 | Episode #2The Métis of AlbertaIn 2019, after more than 90 years of perseverance and struggle, the Métis Government Recognition and Self-Government Agreement was signed. 135 years after Louis Riel fought and died for self-determination of the Métis, his vision has finally been realized. In The Métis of Alberta, we meet Holden Atkinson, a young cowboy from Black Diamond, Alberta, who tells us that his forefathers were also cowboys and worked for the Hudson’s Bay Company when it was founded in the 1600’s. As we see Holden compete in rodeos, he introduces us to his mother who has been digging through the archives in search for answers about her identity, and his grandfather who shares intimate memories of growing up caught between two worlds, and personifies the historical experience of the Métis people. The Métis of Alberta: Sunday April 11 at 9 p.m. EST (rebroadcast midnight EST) |
 | Episode #3Japanese InternmentThe story of Japanese-Canadians interned and relocated during WW2 as told through the eyes of one family, spanning four generations, who persevered and came home after more than 70 years to reclaim what was taken from them. During the Second World War, the Canadian government detained and relocated more than 22,000 Japanese-Canadians in the name of national security. After the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, Japanese-Canadians were stripped of their homes, businesses and livelihood and sent to internment and work camps across the BC interior and Canada. The majority of these “enemy aliens” were Canadian citizens by birth. This program tells the story of those who were relocated through the eyes of one family, spanning four generations, who persevered and came home after more than 70 years to reclaim what was taken from them during this dark chapter of our Canadian history. The internment of Japanese Canadians in WWII: Sunday April 18 at 9 p.m. EST (rebroadcast midnight EST) |
 | Episode #4The Lost Villages of the St. Lawrence SeawayThe last living survivors of the thousands who were uprooted by the St. Lawrence Seaway come together to preserve the legacy of their lost villages. The construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway began in 1954 and is recognized as one of the most monumental engineering and construction achievements in history. In the name of economic progress and nation building, over 6,500 residents were relocated from their villages as they watched their homes flooded and submerged under the great St. Lawrence River. In a visual journey to the past and present, the last generation of these Lost Villages share their memories buried and unearthed, lost and found, and their commitment to keeping the legacy alive as they strive to build their own future. The lost villages of the St Lawrence Seaway: Sunday April 25 at 9 p.m. EST (rebroadcast midnight EST) |