Documentary highlights the long-overlooked contributions of Ontario’s Farmerettes, including those who worked in Lambton County fields.
A new documentary premiering in Sarnia next month is set to shine a light on a largely forgotten chapter of Canadian wartime history — the story of Ontario’s Farmerettes.
Between 1941 and 1952, more than 40,000 teenage girls stepped in to fill a labour shortage on Canadian farms while young men were serving overseas. Many had never stepped foot on a farm before. But with sleeves rolled up and a willingness to work, they helped keep the country’s food supply moving — including in Lambton County.
“We wanted to capture the story of how the Farmerettes helped win the Second World War by volunteering to aid farmers with food production,” said Bonnie Sitter, historical producer of We Lend A Hand: The Forgotten Story of Ontario Farmerettes, which will premiere on Thursday, June 12 at 7 p.m. at the Sarnia Library Theatre. “They weren’t conscripted. They chose to roll up their sleeves and do their part for Canada, and their efforts have largely been forgotten.”
Sitter first learned of the Farmerettes while going through family photos and discovering a 1946 image labelled simply: “Farmerettes.” That image sparked years of research, a feature article in The Rural Voice, and eventually a book — Onion Skins and Peach Fuzz: Memories of Ontario Farmerettes — co-authored with retired journalist Shirleyan English, herself a former Farmerette.
Director Colin Field joined the project in 2019, interviewing 20 surviving Farmerettes, many now in their 90s, for the documentary. The result is a powerful look at the women’s labour, resilience, and the friendships formed in the fields.
“It has been a privilege to travel the province and hear the stories of these surviving Farmerettes,” Field said. “If it wasn't for these girls, the soldiers wouldn't have had food to eat and the economy would have ground to a halt.”
Lambton County played a key role in the Farmerette program. In areas like Thedford, young women worked on farms harvesting onions and celery. Their contributions are preserved locally through a virtual exhibit on the Lambton Heritage Museum website, which includes photographs, stories, and historical context about the Ontario Farm Service Force — the wartime initiative launched in 1941 to coordinate their work.
“The County of Lambton commends Bonnie and Colin for their work in documenting this important story,” said Dana Thorne, curator and supervisor at Lambton Heritage Museum, who will moderate a Q&A with the filmmakers following the Sarnia screening. “We invite everyone to explore the online exhibit before attending the premiere to gain additional context about the Farmerettes' experiences in Lambton County.”
Tickets for the Sarnia screening are available at welendahand.ca/events, with proceeds supporting the cost of the documentary. A second screening is scheduled for July 24 at the Kineto Theatre in Forest.
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