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Website: https://www.trippingthefrenchriver.ca
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A Three-Hour Immersive Documentary
TVO Original TRIPPING The French River is the fifth installment of the hugely successful TRIPPING series. In this episode, we experience the timeless beauty of the Ontario wilderness as we paddle down one of Canada’s most important rivers. The waterway is rich with stories that span a millennium. On its course to the Great Lakes, the river runs through a striking landscape cutting through both the boreal forest and the granite of the Canadian Shield. It is a three-hour immersive documentary that airs, without interruption, on April 21, 2024 from 8 pm to 11 pm ET on TVO and streaming anytime after that at tvo.org and the TVO YouTube channel.
The documentary contains no narration and no music. The only audio is from the journey itself.
There are three seamless animations sewn into the documentary that take viewers inside a beaver lodge and back in time to see indigenous paddlers and logging operations along the river. There are also over one hundred factoids embedded in the footage. These nuggets of information about the area give viewers a deeper understanding and appreciation of this journey, regions and the people.
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The documentary is produced by the award-winning team at Good Earth Productions.
Online Shorts
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These stories allow viewers to gain a deeper understanding of some aspects of the program. They will be available at tvo.org and trippingthefrenchriver.ca starting April 21, 2024.
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The Ghost Town of French River Village:
There are some fascinating remnants along the main channel of the lower French River; a steam tank from an abandoned Alligator boat, a crumbling lighthouse and an old chimney from a sawdust furnace. The story of this ghost town is the same as many in northern Ontario. Bustling timber industry to busted town.
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Medicinal Plant Walk:
Norm Dokis has a real connection to his past and his land. He is a member of the Dokis First Nations and he is an expert in nature interpretation for the French River area. One of his specialties is native plants and how they were used in ancient times and how they are still being used today by the Dokis.
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Heritage French River Cottage Restoration:
Along the banks of the French River are some of Northern Ontario’s early cottages. One of the oldest is now owned by Alex Strahan who is renovating his rambling cottage back to its original 1920’s form. Alex has a deep appreciation for the river and a keen understanding of how cottages came to be in Ontario.
The Making of TVO Original TRIPPING The French River
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A video crew was brought in to follow the team during production and document why they chose the French River. They produced a number of behind-the-scenes stories that capture the crew at work and provide insight into the the river, it's route, and the people along the way. These shorts are posted weekly on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and trippingthefrenchriver.ca