The Ontario Motion Picture Bureau was established by the

Government of Ontario The Government of Ontario () is the body responsible for the administration of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. The term ''Government of Ontario'' refers specifically to the executive—political Minister ...

in 1917 and was the first state-founded film organization in the world, preceding the Canadian Government Motion Picture Bureau by a year. Its mandate was to carry out "educational work for farmers, school children, factory workers and other classes", to promote the province and its resources and "to encourage the building of highways and other public works". An extension of a growing movement to regulate theatres and films being shown in them, it was also established in an attempt to "counter the growing tide of un-British pictures being shown in theatres" throughout the province. Initially, the Bureau hired private film companies in Toronto to produce films under its editorial control. ''Canada Weekly'' reported in 1918 that, resulting from its establishment, that "Ontario now leads the world in visual education work". By 1923, the OMPB acquired its own studio, in

Trenton, Ontario Trenton (2001 population 16,770) is a large community in Central Ontario in the municipality of Quinte West, Ontario, Canada. Located on the Bay of Quinte, it is the starting point for the Trent-Severn Waterway, which continues northwest to Pe ...

, previously owned by Adanac Films, and began producing its own educational films distributing 1,500 reels monthly by 1925. These films were mostly screened in churches, schools and community institutions. By the late 1920s, its films were increasingly viewed as outdated, while the Bureau itself was being criticised as having a large and unwieldy bureaucracy. It was dissolved on October 26, 1934 by the new Liberal government of

Mitchell Hepburn Mitchell Frederick Hepburn (August 12, 1896 – January 5, 1953) was the 11th premier of Ontario, from 1934 to 1942. He was the youngest premier in Ontario history, becoming premier at age 37. He was the only Ontario Liberal Party leader in the ...

, who had pledged during the 1934 provincial election to cut the size of government. The Bureau's property in Trenton was donated as a community hall.

Films include

*''Tiny's Troublesome Tooth'', early animated film produced by Filmart Motion Pictures for the Ontario Motion Picture Bureau. *''Her Own Fault'', 1921 educational film produced for the Bureau on behalf of the Division of Industrial Hygiene of the Ontario Provincial Board of Health to demonstrate the consequences of unhealthy lifestyle choices. The story follows two factory women, Mamie and Eileen, throughout their daily activities. ''Her Own Fault'' is an educational film that would have originally been shown in schools, churches and other public venues. *''Transport in the North'', 1925 film about life in northern Ontario produced by OMPB's studio in Trenton. *''

Carry On, Sergeant! ''Carry On, Sergeant!'' is a 1928 Canadian World War I drama, and is considered to be one of the earliest Canadian feature-length motion pictures. Costing to make, it certainly was the most expensive. Plot ''Carry On, Sergeant!'' is the stor ...

'', 1928, promoted as Canada's first epic film, a silent, expensive financial failure shot at the Trenton Studios, directed by

Bruce Bairnsfather Captain Charles Bruce Bairnsfather (9 July 188729 September 1959) was a prominent British humour, humorist and cartoonist. His best-known cartoon character is Old Bill (comics), Old Bill. Bill and his pals Bert and Alf featured in Bairnsfather's ...

. *''Cinderella of the Farms'', 1930, the only dramatic feature-length production by the OMPB

References

{{reflist Defunct Ontario government departments and agencies Film distributors of Canada Film production companies of Canada Film organizations in Canada Documentary film organizations State-owned film companies History of film Government agencies established in 1917 1917 establishments in Ontario 1934 disestablishments in Ontario Cinema of Ontario Quinte West Canadian companies established in 1917