We Lend a Hand Film Screening

Award-Winning Documentary “We Lend A Hand: The Forgotten Story of Ontario Farmerettes” to Screen in
Brantford on April 13, 2026
A largely forgotten chapter of Canadian history will be brought to light as the 50-min documentary film We Lend A Hand:
The Forgotten Story of Ontario Farmerettes screens in Brantford, Ontario. The film has been selling out theatres across
Ontario and will now be screened at the Langford Schoolhouse (1694 Colborne St E, Brantford, ON N3T 5M1) on April
13th, 2026.
Created by Director/Producer Colin Field and Historical Producer (and Exeter resident) Bonnie Sitter, the documentary
tells the extraordinary story of 40,000 teenage girls who volunteered on Canadian farms during and after World War II
and helped sustain the nation’s food supply when young men left to fight overseas.
Bonnie Sitter, an author, was searching through old family photographs when she found a captivating image of a group of
young women taken on her late husband’s family farm near Thedford with a caption on the reverse that read:
“Farmerettes 1946.”
This led Bonnie to research the Farmerette story, and publish an article in The Rural Voice asking for women who served
as Farmerettes to get in touch with her. Shirleyan English, a retired London Free Press journalist, read the article and
wrote a letter to the editor, explaining her own experience as a Farmerette, and how it remained the best summer of her
life. Bonnie and Shirleyan would go on to co-author the book Onion Skins and Peach Fuzz: Memories of Ontario
Farmerettes in 2019.
“We wanted to capture the story of how the Farmerettes helped win the Second World War by volunteering to aid farmers
with food production,” says Bonnie. “Most of these girls had never seen a farm. They came from all over Ontario as
volunteers. They weren’t conscripted. They chose to roll up their sleeves and do their part for Canada, and their efforts
have largely been forgotten”.
Director Colin Field first met Bonnie in 2019 and was inspired by her research and desire to bring this forgotten
Canadian story to life. He proposed a documentary film, and Bonnie agreed to fundraise to bring the project alive. Colin
interviewed 20 Farmerettes – now in their 90s – for the documentary, and after two years of work, and with the help of
sponsors and generous donors, We Lend a Hand: The Forgotten Story of Ontario Farmerettes is finally complete.
“It has been a privilege to travel throughout 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”.
The film will be screened at 2:00 pm & 7:00 pm with doors open 30 minutes before each show.
After the screening there will be a Q&A with historian & author Bonnie Sittler. Followed by a chance to acquire
autographed copies of Onion Skins and Peach Fuzz: Memories of Ontario Farmerettes, Shirleyan English and Bonnie
Sitter’s amazing book.
Tickets for the April 13th screening at the Langford Schoolhouse are available through the links below
Ticket Links:
2:00 pm : https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/1984186634637?aff=oddtdtcreator
7:00 pm : https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/1984186481178?aff=oddtdtcreator
Watch the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ImJcqxbZgs
For more information please visit welendahand.ca