Cal's Autumn Safety Tip Of The Day

 

I was raised on a military base and that gave the schools access to a huge library of National Film Board of Canada shorts and military training films. The government agencies made all kinds of stuff from animation to safety films to documentaries and experimental features. Their history shorts really made the subject come alive for me and some of the greatest Canadian children's stories have been made into memorable features. This is the classic reading of Roch Carrier's The Sweater done by the author himself. In a day where there is some movement in the NHL labor talks this video seems appropriate.



The films that had the largest impact on me where the St. John's Ambulance style safety films. They would show a gruesome accident and then show us how to treat the wounds at the scene after accessing the situation (I know, my Elementary School was hardcore - everyone knew NOT to pull glass out of someones eye and how to make a 'donut' bandage).

The very worst of these films showed kids sliding down freshly plowed piles of snow and getting hit by a sliding car that barely avoids the snowplow. Then the snowplow runs over the bodies the car missed. The fake blood against the pure white snow was particularly effective in getting their point across. The same thing happened in summer only with the street sweeper.

As if nuclear devastation wasn't frightening enough for me to live with daily - now the big machines around me was actively seeking my destruction. When I think about it, I was lucky to live through those days. Don't even get me started on the horror that was 'Lawn Darts'.