Jennifer David writes about 'miracles on a shoestring' in her new book 'Original People. Original Television. The Launching of the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network'

Jennifer David shares a fascinating story "about a little piece of Canadian history" in her new book 'Original People. Original Television. The Launching of the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network'.

When APTN was launched on September 1, 1999, Jennifer was the fledgling network's Director of Communications, noting in the introduction she became a "Launch Survivor" meeting over the next decade with the "other participants" who got together "over dinner, or beer, or in airport departure lounges, and the talk invariably turns to that crazy year of 1999, to the crises averted, politics, stick-handled, egos assuaged, and miracles wrought on a shoestring." 

Jennifer relates that the talks always ended with a comment that someone should write a book about it, and she agreed to do it before "one of the most unique stories in broadcasting would disappear into the footnotes of academic journals."

I had not even completed the first page of the introduction, and Jennifer had my attention. I knew I was in for a "good read".

Jennifer is the daughter of Bunny and the late Keith J. 'Buddy' Swanson,  a graduate of Chapleau High School and holds Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Journalism degrees from  Carleton University.

Jennifer in white right  honoured on role in CHS play 1987

She left APTN in 2000 to start her own communications company. 

She is a member of Chapleau Cree First Nation.

Even the nine chapter titles such as 'The Death of a Thousand Cuts and the Launch of Television Northern Canada', PRE-PRODUCTION: The Ark or the Titanic?' or 'The Sleepless Summer' contribute to moving the story along.

I particularly enjoyed Jennifer's anecdotal introduction in the Backstory to Chapter One, 'A Neutron Bomb - Aboriginal People Respond to Early Film and Television' where she very effectively captures  the oral storytelling tradition of First Nation people. 

For example on Launch Day, Septemberr 1, 1999, at six a.m. she writes that everyone in Winnipeg knows 'The Forks' east of downtown an open area where the Assiniboine River flows into the Red River -- a sacred and ancient gathering place for First Nation people.

She notes that at one time it was a hub for the fur trade where generations of Metis gathered to sell their furs to the Hudson's Bay  and Northwest Companies. "Today The Forks hosts a gathering of a different sort, but with echoes of the past --a new meeting of peoples, a new kind of trade"  Just one of Jennifer's metaphorical blendings of past and present.

Jennifer's description of the Circle where people have gathered for a ceremony on the day APTN is launched, is a great piece of writing. About herself she writes, I'm trying to breathe deeply and find some stillness in the moment, in the smoke of sage and sweetgrass and the crisp morning air."  As APTN's Director of Communications, she had a busy day ahead of her.

Fast forward to Chapter Nine at 6:58 p.m where Jennifer starts by telling the reader, "APTN was born prematurely."

Apparently, the first shot that 9 million Canadians were supposed to see was an image of a sunrise with the voice of Gordon Tootoosis, one of Canada's best known Aboriginal actors welcoming and introducing the new network. But a glitch occurred as the uplink went live at 6:58 p.m. and they saw the stage at The Forks with Alika Fontaine, a member of the musical group Fifth Generation warming up the crowd. Nobody really noticed the glitch.

Chapter Nine then consists of a series of anecdotes about that historic evening. Most impressive way to end the book with other people's voices and impressions.

"...tonight we put on a hell of a show. And today had been a day for the history books." The oral tradition of First Nation peoples continued in a new media!

Writing about Jennifer's book, Keith Spicer, the former chair of the CRTC wrote: "This is a vital story told with brio by Jennifer David. No dry history, her book is more like a detective novel. It's a gripping tale about a little known part of Canada's broadcasting mosaic. It's packed with unforeseeable zigzags, and especially with  colourful, outside characters -- Canadians -- and not just aboriginal ones -- should read this. First, because it's an important story. Second, because it's truly entertaining."

In her dedication, Jennifer remembers her Dad, Keith J 'Buddy' Swanson, a wonderful storyteller in his own right, who died in 2011. She wrote, "To my Dad, for a life of inspiration, And if he was still here, he would have been this book's greatest promoter." Indeed he would have been Jennifer.

'Original People. Original Television. The Launching of the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network' by Jennifer David, published by Debwe Communications Inc, www.debwe.ca is on sale starting September 1, 2012. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

YOU CAN ORDER BOOK DIRECT FROM JENNIFER!!!!!!!!!

SEND CHEQUE OR MONEY ORDER TO  JENNIFER DAVID  IN AMOUNT OF $28.00 AT

488 Gladstone Ave.

Ottawa, ON  K1R 5N8

613-237-3315, ext. 233

www.stone-circle.ca

Visit our blog

If you are in Winnipeg, there will be a book launch ... CLICK LINK FOR DETAILS http://www.mcnallyrobinson.com/event-11567/Jennifer-David----Book-Launch/

Dr G.E. Young a pioneer in cable television in Canada

If someone asked you who the pioneers of cable television were in Canada, immediately you may be inclined to say Rogers or Shaw, the giants of the industry in English Canada today. And to a great extent, you are right.

But although most Canadians have likely never heard of him, Dr G.E, Young who practised medicine in the small isolated northern Ontario community of Chapleau for more than 50 years, deserves a place right up there among the giants of the cable industry. In the 1960s Dr Young placed microwave towers on the top of a hill, originally called "Slaughterhouse Hill" and later "Dr Young's Hill" and started his "clothesline" cable system with poles and wire in all the back lanes of the town, with dishes atop his medical and apartment complex in downtown Chapleau.

In the early years reception was limited and snowy, and the stations few, but Dr Young's efforts brought cable television to a community that would otherwise have likely been limited to the CBC affiliate station in Timmins for many years.

Dr Young also waged many battles with the CRTC, the regulatory agency, as he had little patience for the bureaucracy. However, in 1982, when his licence was up for renewal, once again Dr Young made history. He comvinced the CRTC that the people of Chapleau had a right to be heard live at the hearing, but as the hearing was in Toronto, very few would be able to attend.

So, an audio link was established over phone lines from Dr Young's office in Chapleau to the CRTC hearing in Toronto, and Chapleau citizens were able to make their case live. And I was so privileged to host the Chapleau end of the hearing and broadcast it live with video over the system's community channel. It was the first time in Canadian history that the CRTC had permitted a hearing of this kind where everyone was not physically present in the room

Graham Bertrand assumed responsibility for all the technical aspects of the production. Dr Young and Tony Byvank were in Toronto.

When I visited Dr Young in 2001 on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the incorporation of Chapleau, he had recently sold the cable system, bringing to an end about 40 years of his involvement in providing television to the community.

Dr G.E "Ted" Young, born and raised in Chapleau, graduated from Queen's University in medicine and never planned to return home. He interned at Columbia University in New York and went home to replace a doctor for six months and he stayed making Chapleau a better place for being a true visionary who despite many challenges worked for his people.

At 94 years of age, Dr Young lives in retirement in Chapleau.




NOTE: I am aware that A.J, Grout the president of Smith and Chapple Ltd, also started a cable system in Chapleau in the 1950s. In fact, I had a weekly program on CHAP TV in 1958, but the system was closed down in the early 1960s and it was Dr Young who carried on to bring us television.