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The Northmen Way: Documentary features story behind the Orangeville Northmen

April 25, 2024   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

From a small town beginning to being voted the #1 Lacrosse Town in the World, Orangeville is known worldwide thanks to lacrosse and the Orangeville Northmen have gained a legendary reputation in the sporting world.

With a thriving minor program and three Junior level teams, the Northmen organization has produced players who went on to have successful collegiate and professional careers in lacrosse as players and coaches around North America.

A film now in the works is documenting the Northmen story.

Titled, The Northmen Way, the film takes an inside look at the Northmen organization.

This documentary is three years in the making and will celebrate the sport and the history of the Northmen.

With exclusive interviews with lacrosse greats, rare game footage, and an inside look at today’s Northmen, the film explores the town’s success in this sport.

The main theme of the film is the drive behind supporting a local sports group and what makes it possible. There is a focus on volunteerism, the importance of local sponsorship, and former players giving back to the organization.

Film producers, Jacob and Zach Thompson, are trained filmmakers as well as former Northmen players. They came up with the idea of making a short film about the Northmen, but once they delved into it, they realized there was enough history and potential in the story for a feature-length film.

The brothers have previous experience working on television and film productions.

“We started our own company so we could make stuff we wanted to make, rather than working on other people’s projects,” Jacob explained. “We’re both lacrosse players born and raised in Orangeville. We started chatting with Bruce Codd [coach of Junior A Northmen] and Nick Rose [professional lacrosse player] of the Northmen organization.”

The Northmen have gained a worldwide reputation as an organization.

“It’s a small town and the way the Northmen have been competing, it’s a phenomenon in some ways,” Zach said. “The documentary has been trying to uncover why that is and why its such a success.”

They contribute much of the success of the Northmen to the support they receive from the community. This includes sponsors, fans, and coaches who have played at a high level of the sport and return to coach young players and teach them the nuances of the game.

“We’ll show the whole 45 year history with a focus on the early years when it just started,” Zach explained. “And the things that crop up with every generation. There’s community support, giving back, and the coaching. The kind of coaching and level of coaching we have here is amazing.”

The film is now moving into the final phase of production.

Jacob and Zach have not announced a definite date of release because filmmaking is not an exact science, but they are hoping to have a premier sometime in the fall.

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