This short was a promotional film made in conjunction with the release of the MGM epic NORTHWEST PASSAGE. Often in the 1930s and 40s, MGM made such films to hype an upcoming release and it was less a film trailer and more a behind the scenes look at how the film was made. In this case, the film centered on the difficulty and logistics involved in doing a location shoot. The massive efforts needed to move all the equipment and build all the sets was rather interesting to fill buffs and historians, though I doubt if the casual viewer will find this film all that interesting. Oddly, for this type of film, there were very, very few shots of the actors involved (other than two of Spencer Tracy) and you'd have no idea that Robert Young or any other actors were involved.
My advice is see NORTHWEST PASSAGE--it's a great film. Then, if you'd like, see NORTHWARD, HO--then, perhaps, you'll find it a little more interesting and can appreciate the efforts that went into the feature-length film.