Private Project

1910: The Uncovering

For many years the only transportation link across Canada was one railway line. This tenuous ribbon of steel was built through high, snowy, and unpredictable mountains. The tragic avalanche that occurred at the Rogers Pass summit in March of 1910 remains Canada's deadliest. 58 railway workers, majority Japanese died while attempting to clear a snow slide from the tracks when another larger avalanche struck from the other side in the middle of the dark night. This documentary project also delves into the lives of two unlikely friends today, a downtown Vancouver businessman, and a Japanese-born ski guide brought together by their need for purpose, healing, and a shared passion for researching the mysteries and injustices of this event. During production, the team was surprised with a visit by a 1910 victim’s great grandson from Tokyo.

  • Chad Townsend
    Director
    Nomoto - A BC Tragedy
  • Owen Akira Kato
    Writer
    Nomoto - A BC Tragedy
  • Dale Nichols
    Producer
  • Dale Nichols
    Composer
    When Hope Breaks Through
  • Tomoaki Fujimura
    Key Cast
  • Morgan Brewster
    Key Cast
  • Sherry Yano
    Narrator
  • Tavi Parusel
    Editor
    Subterranean
  • Cliff Hokanson
    Director of Photography
    Safarzade
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    27 minutes 3 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 15, 2025
  • Country of Origin:
    Canada
  • Country of Filming:
    Canada
  • Language:
    English, Japanese
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital, RED
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Black & White and Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival
    Vancouver
    Canada
    November 12, 2025
    World Premiere
  • Salt Spring Film Festival
    Ganges
    Canada
    February 28, 2026
    Audience Favourite Short Film
Director Biography - Chad Townsend

Chad Townsend is an experienced visual storyteller, researcher and project manager. He is passionate about corrective / untold human stories throughout history and respectfully shares these often-overlooked narratives. Chad transitioned into documentary filmmaking mid-career, studying at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity and later producing a short film that premiered at their Mountain Film Festival. Through connections developed originally through his care of an old building, he gained mutual respect of the Japanese Canadian community.
He then found further film success directing the Internment impact awareness documentary Nomoto - a BC Tragedy. The film was selected for numerous film festivals and Community events, and is now streaming on Knowledge Network.

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