Blackfly

3/28/2026

For us Scots, it’s the dreaded midgie. In North On-Tay-Ry-Oh, it’s the equally pesky black fly that haunts these railwaymen as they tried to survey for a new route through the pristine wilderness of late 1940s Canada. Wade Hemsworth's jolly ditty he wrote at the time, coupled with some engaging and humorous hand-drawn animation, shows us just how pervasive these varmints could be as they infiltrated homes, clothes and even the food of these sturdy workmen. There is a lovely fluidity to the drawing with the undulations of the terrain, the rivers, waterfalls and forestry all given a simple yet vivacious perspective as the lyric warns us of the fate of all at the mercy of the flies. Well worth five minutes but beware: it might have you itching afterwards…