independent and fearless at the same time. For example, when cheated out of $130 in her sawmill business, she single-handedly took the perpetrator to court and won, eventually using the story of a crooked timber dealer as inspiration when writing her first film, A Race For Ties. Unmarried women were not ordinarily entitled to a free grant, but Mitchell was granted homestead in 1907, although she was permitted only 79 acres, less than half of what men were typically given. She was the first single woman granted homestead in the province of Ontario. Mitchell lived in a bungalow on the property with her mother and sister, who had finally arrived to Canada from England. Mitchell remained spirited and determined in her various interests throughout her life. In her autobiography, she recounts her foray into photography, stating "After I traded an old cook stove for a camera, I became renowned for my photography instead of my dresses." Her interest in film, as well as various other endeavours including writing, assisted her later in her filmmaking. Film career Mitchell moved to Port Arthur, Ontario (now part of Thunder Bay) in 1921, joining her mother and sister, who had moved there the previous year. Again, Mitchell worked various jobs such as teacher and accountant, through which she met Fred Cooper, a local bakery owner. Mitchell's local reputation as a proficient photographer and ardent writer (involved in local newspapers and theatres) made her a perfect partner for the aspiring filmmaker Cooper, and together they co-founded the Port Arthur Amateur Cinema Society (PAACS) in February 1929. The society has the distinction of being the first amateur film group in Canada, and their first film, A Race For Ties, is the first Canadian feature-length film by non-professionals. A Race For Ties (1929) Mitchell put her varied experiences to use, serving as actor, production manager, editor, casting director, and writer for A Race For Ties. As writer, Mitchell was inspired by her own experiences, telling a story of a small sawmill owner competing against a large timber company to win a railway tie contract. In her autobiography, Lady Lumberjack, Mitchell recounts her involvement with the Cinema Society, stating "[A Race For Ties] was based on a timber deal I had myself experienced in the adjacent bush country, but of course making a young girl the heroine. As the author, I was privileged to choose the cast, and,