9 Films About Northern Ontario You Have To Watch

Northern Ontario is known as a filming hotspot thanks to its charming towns, diverse landscapes, and easy accessibility (not to mention, generous tax incentives). It’s made it an ideal location for filmmakers and showrunners, whether they’re looking for a small town to shoot a Hallmark romance, a rugged backdrop for an adventure shot, or a wintery setting for a thriller. 

But while this region has long been an in-demand shooting location, many projects filmed in Northern Ontario aren’t necessarily set there (excepting the hockey classic Shoresey, of course). With that in mind, here are a handful of classic and under-the-radar films that give this striking region the credit it deserves and actually take place in Northern Ontario. Whether animated shorts or epic adventures, these Northern Ontario films will help you appreciate the destination that much more.

Here are 9 must-watch films set in Northern Ontario. 

1. The Forest Commandos (1949), dir. Van Campen Heilner

This short documentary from Warner Brothers captures the dramatic life and times of some Northern Ontario forest rangers and bush pilots as they fight forest fires from the air (and via canoes), conduct campsite inspections, and educate campers about campfire safety. It’s an interesting (if somewhat cheesy) look at this important Canadian career at a time when timber was Canada’s top natural resource—and needed to be protected. Check out the history of fire towers and climb the Temagami Fire Tower next time you're in town. 

Available to watch on YouTube.

2. The Incredible Journey (1963), dir. Fletcher Markle

This is the beloved story of three pets who, stranded far from home, decide to make their way back to their owner through the wilds of Northern Ontario. The movie showcases the kind of adventures (and landscapes) that can only be found in the province's north. Sheila Burnford, the author of the book on which the Disney movie is based, lived in Port Arthur, Ontario (now the city of Thunder Bay), and her love of the region is informs much of the book’s action—from Tao the Siamese cat inadvertently loosening a beaver dam to Bodger the Bull Terrier tangling with a couple of black bear cubs. The filmmakers went to great lengths to accurately portray the northern setting as Burnford knew it, taking photographs around her Thunder Bay home to ensure the selected locations closely matched. Check out this fascinating history of local author Sheila Burnford and how the original novel came to be.

Watch The Incredible Journey on Disney+ (subscription)

Watch The Incredible Journey on YouTube ($3.99)

Watch The Incredible Journey on Apple TV ($3.99)

3. Paddle to the Sea (1966), dir. William Mason

This 28-minute film stars a small, hand-carved wooden canoe making its way from Lake Superior through the Great Lakes and into the Atlantic Ocean. Based on the classic Caldecott-award-winning 1941 children’s book by Holling C. Holling, this William Mason film provides a tour of the region as the little boat slides down snow-covered hills, encounters local wildlife, gets caught in a fishing net and is found and restored by a craftsman before being sent back on its way. The striking nature footage, anchored by the little canoe creates a sense of wonder that earned it an Academy Award nomination for best short film. Visit Nipigon’s Paddle to the Sea Park on your next visit north!

Watch Paddle to the Sea on the National Film Board of Canada

4. North of Superior (1971), dir. Graeme Ferguson

When Cinesphere, the world’s first permanent IMAX theatre, was set to open at Toronto’s Ontario Place in 1971, it needed films to play in this new format—and few subjects seemed as worthy of this huge screen as the awe-inspiring vistas of Northern Ontario. The founders of IMAX Corporation produced and directed it themselves (inventing some of the equipment as they went), capturing aerial shots of landmarks like Lake Superior and Ouimet Canyon, as well as the capsizing of a canoe, locals tubing down snowy hills, a moose-hunt outing, and even a lakeside wedding. The stunning scenery and novel format proved a hit and during its initial run, 1.1 million people watched it. It’s returned to IMAX screens (including the Cinesphere) many times in the last four decades. (The award-winning Cinesphere, built by architect Eberhard Zeidler and part of a plan to create the “most imaginative urban waterfront concept in the world," is currently closed for repairs). To see these landscapes in real life, plan your own Lake Superior Circle Tour today. 

Watch North of Superior on YouTube

5. Log Driver’s Waltz (1979), dir. John Weldon

This jaunty music video for the Canadian folk song of the same name explores the romance of log driving—the practice of moving felled logs down the river from the logging camps to the sawmills. Combining actual footage of log drivers riding the logs downstream, it shifts into a more whimsical animation showing the drivers’ impressive dance skills. The song, by Brantford-born folksinger Wade Hemsworth (and performed by Kate Anna McGarrigle), draws on his experience as a surveyor in the wilds of Northern Ontario, as he was struck by the nimble footwork of the log drivers he saw. Directed and animated by John Weldon, the animation showcases the Northern Ontario logging industry as well as the beautiful lakes, waterways, and boreal forests found in the region. One of the National Film Board's most popular films! 

Watch Log Driver's Waltz on National Film Board of Canada

6. Blackfly (1991), dir. Christopher Hinton

Like Log Driver’s Waltz, this is another classic animated short based on a song by Wade Hemsworth and featuring the singing of the McGarrigle sisters. It’s also inspired by Hemsworth’s time in Northern Ontario, when he accompanied a survey crew for the Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario as they explored whether Little Abitibi River was fit for a dam. This song focuses on one of the region’s less-than-appealing natural wonders: The pesky black flies familiar to anyone who has spent a summer up north. The quirky film even earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Short.

Watch Blackfly on National Film Board of Canada

7. One Week (2008), dir. Michael McGowan

This road-trip movie follows English teacher Ben Tyler (played by Joshua Jackson who won a Genie award for his performance) on an epic motorcycle ride from Toronto to Vancouver Island—crossing stunning Canadian landscapes, meeting locals, and reconsidering his relationship along the way. His journey takes him through Northern Ontario, including a visit with Husky the Muskie. Bonus points for an all-Canadian soundtrack. Check out these other top roadside attractions up north. How many have you seen?

Watch One Week on Apple TV ($3.99)

8. Indian Horse (2017), dir. Stephen S. Campanelli

Though one of the newer films to take place in this region, this story illuminates a dark period of Canada’s past. This adaptation of Richard Wagamese’s novel tells the story of an Ojibwe boy who is forced to attend an Indian residential school away from his family and finds an escape in hockey. He goes on to become a star player. The film’s wintry Northern Ontario scenes take place in Greater Sudbury and Killarney Provincial Park, and the residential school scenes were shot in Peterborough.

Watch Indian Horse on Apple TV ($3.99)

9. Jane Goodall: Reasons for Hope (2023), dir. David Lickley

This 45-minute IMAX film focuses on the environmental icon’s “four pillars of hope” for the future: human intellect, nature’s resilience, the power of young people, and the indomitable human spirit. Helping to illustrate this is the film’s focus on the “regreening” that the city of Sudbury underwent, transforming its practices to shift from major polluter to a model of clean air and ecological resilience. Check out the inspiring history of how Sudbury got its green back. 

Watch Jane Goodall: Reasons for Hope on IMAX or a theatre near you. 

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