Born in 1898 in Winnipeg, Osmond Borradaile grew up in Alberta, moving often during his childhood.

Borradaile's speciality was filming natural environments to serve as backdrops and stock footage.

He also behind the camera for the films of Sabu, including Elephant Boy, The Drum, and The Four Feathers, which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Colour Cinematography.

In the late 1940s, Borradaile travelled to Antarctica to file sequences for Scott of the Antarctic, one of the most ambitious film projects for the time period.

In 1957, he was commissioned by the Government of British Columbia to make a documentary film commemorating the province's upcoming centennial.