The SilverShorts Doc Project: Personal Stories

John Senders had a remarkable career. He was a pioneer in the science or human engineering and the science of human error. His expertise took him from space capsules to operating rooms. His work on the attention demands of driving has informed the design of dashboards and streets. John passed away on February 12, 2019, just shy of his 99th birthday. We were so gratified to have John participate in one of our workshops funded by the New Horizons for Seniors Program and the Ontario Seniors Community Grant.

When he was a child, Greg Malszecki experienced two epiphanies that convinced him to become a priest. His experiences and observations as a noviciate, however, made him realize the spiritual life he sought was not to be found within church. This video is part of the SilverShorts Doc Project, supported by funding from the federal New Horizons for Seniors Program.

In 1969, at the age of 6, Denise Oliver arrived with her family in Canada in the dead of winter. The cold wasn't the only shock. The dairy farm where her father had secured a job was rundown, the animals in poor condition and the living conditions abysmal -- a sharp contrast to the estate in England where he had worked. But luck and an unknown relative soon came to the rescue. This video was made with funding from the federal New Horizons for Seniors Program.

Jennifer Joiner has always thought of herself an artist. She reflects on the process of making art and wonders about the fate of all of her paintings. This video is part of the SilverShorts Doc Project, supported by funding from the federal New Horizons for Seniors Program.

Back in the 1970s, Lee Adamson, her sister and a couple of friends managed to secure an Opportunities for Youth grant, under a program introduced by the first Trudeau government. They went to the northern community of Hornepayne, where they lived and worked with native families. It was a rich experience that had a life-long impact. This video is part of the SilverShorts Doc Project, made possible through a federal New Horizons for Seniors Program grant.

Gilbert Carty’s educational opportunities were limited in 1950-60s Scarborough when he was the only black kid in his class. But, as an adult, he decided to pursue his dream of becoming a commercial pilot. Along the way, he became the first single dad to get subsidized day care in Toronto. Inspired by a pilot uncle and helped by friends, parents and mentors, he and his son Adam drove out to New Brunswick, where he completed his pilot training at Moncton Flight College. He achieved his goal of becoming an instructor with a variety of jobs as a commercial pilot, and he’s proud of his son, who had the unusual experience of logging time with dad on training flights. Toronto-based Back Lane Studios’ SilverSilver Shorts Doc Project is funded in part by the federal government’s New Horizons for Seniors Program. The initiative aims to encourage seniors to tell their stories on video.

Ann Crichton Harris was the first woman to work as an electrician, running the lights in London West End Theatres in the 1950s. She tells how she made her way from Birmingham to London, landed a back-stage job she loved and describes her appearance at age 20 on Britain’s wildly popular What’s My Line television show. Toronto-based Back Lane Studios’ SilverSilver Shorts Doc Project is funded in part by the federal government’s New Horizons for Seniors Program. The initiative aims to encourage seniors to tell their stories on video.

t took the Caesarian birth of her first child for Polly Priebe to realize that the personal was political. After that experience, she made it her mission that her next child would be born by natural birth.

Hélène Murray describes the organization that she and a number of other families have created so that their adult family members and friends with intellectual disabilities have programs to enjoy in Toronto’s west end.

In 1989, Philip Marchand published what is considered the definitive biography of Canada’s famous media theorist, Marshall McLuhan: The Medium and the Messenger. Years later, Marchand is still bothered by his decision to omit an episode he witnessed as a student of McLuhan.

In 1960, Elke Schliemann was shocked when she arrived at Union Station on a Sunday. Toronto, she said, was “dead, dead, dead.” If she had had the money, she would likely have turned around and gone home to Germany. But she stayed, found work as a psychiatric nurse at 999 Queen St. (now CAMH), and discovered a more European lifestyle on Roncesvalles Ave. and in the High Park neighbourhood.

Parkdale Activity-Recreation Centre (PARC) has been running a drop-in music program for many years on Queen St. W. in Toronto\'s Parkdale neighbourhood. This year, the music program received a CNE grant to take the program to the next level! Great fun for the participants and an opportunity for PARC visitors to enjoy some live music! Check out this tribute video with some exceptional performances.

Toronto jam makers Penny Candy Jam join up with artists from the Parkdale Activity-Recreation Centre to create beautiful and vibrant jam boxes for the 2017 One of a Kind Show. PARC holds a popular Tuesday night drop-in art group with facilitator Vladimir Prochazka. PARC artists painted 500 boxes for Penny Candy Jam. PARC provides materials for the artists, whose work is featured in group shows and sales several times a year.