This essay is the first in a series of articles by the author on some unwritten aspects of the history of video art. It contains initial observations about curation, validation and the cycles of interest that have affected the stability and growth of video as a particular phenomenon in Canadian art. In addition, interviews with artists Colin Campbell, Lisa Steele, Rodney Werden, John Watt, Kim Tomczak and Peggy Gale are included as part of the text.