A Fort 91原创 historian wants to see a recently released history documentary become part of B.C.鈥檚 school curriculum.
Mark Forsythe, a retired broadcaster and active member of the 91原创 Heritage Society鈥檚 board, contributed to a film released by Knowledge Network last fall.
The four-part web series is based on the province鈥檚 history. Entitled British Columbia: An Untold History, it retells the past from the perspective of Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC) communities, he explained.
鈥淚t should be in schools somehow because, in the four one-hour parts, they [filmmakers] touched a lot of British Columbia鈥檚 history that is not usually talked about,鈥� said Forsythe, a writer and former CBC radio host.
The producers approached Forsythe three years ago to seek assistance in vetting material. The former broadcaster was later interviewed for the documentary in Fort 91原创.
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Fort 91原创鈥檚 location was crucial to highlight as it depicts a big part of B.C.鈥檚 gold rush story, Forsythe said.
While he is still unsure what made the producers approach him for the project, Forsythe said his ability to provide a broader view on the history of B.C. would have been a big reason. He believes it might have been his experiences writing multiple books about the gold rush might have interested the producers.
The series was released on late October, during the 150th anniversary of B.C. joining the federation and received a lot of media coverage. The film even got support from the Ministry of Tourism.
鈥淲e must acknowledge our past so we can create a future free from racism and move forward in the spirit of true and lasting reconciliation,鈥� said Melanie Mark, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport.
鈥淭his series shares stories that are well known within impacted communities, but need to be shared more broadly with all British Columbians to strengthen our understanding, knowledge and empathy,鈥� she added.
Directed by Kevin Eastwood and produced by Leena Minifie, the film features 91原创鈥檚 Forsythe explaining the gold rush trail in B.C., the province鈥檚 forest history, and the First World War.
Forsythe, who worked directly with the film鈥檚 production company, Screen Sirens, said he was impressed by the company鈥檚 strategy to amass a tremendous amount of information. Each episode has hundreds of archival footage, and the producers had a 鈥渂unch of archival researches鈥� to assist them.
Eastwood said that episode two alone has 800 archival photos in it.
Forsythe explained that the issues covered in the film are still prevalent. He pointed out the rise of anti-Asian racism during COVID and the discovery of unmarked graves at the Kamloops residential school that he said filmmakers learned during the filming process.
Though a public screening could not be planned due to COVID-related restrictions, Forsythe said he is hoping that people would enjoy it at their homes.
People can watch British Columbia: An Untold History without any subscription fee at
.
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