Still Standing

Bamfield, B.C is located on the west coast of Vancouver Island. To get there one needs to cross an Inlet by kayak or hydro bike. The population is just over one hundred, which more than doubles in the summer when hikers descend on Bamfield on route to the popular West Coast Trail. Surrounded by the majestic Pacific Coast, this town is naturally the host of the Marine Sciences Research Centre. Jonny fires a cannon, takes a marine safari survives a tsunami drill and discovers why it's called Beautiful British Columbia.

Nestled in the beautiful, perilous Crows' Nest Pass in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, Coleman, Alberta, seems a wee bit fixated on celebrating disasters and rogues of the regions past. Here Jonny explores the perils of explosives, mining and bear patrol. He wrestles a steer and he meets a mortician who also serves as the Crow's Nests Pass Herald newspaper editor.

A magical place, Willow Bunch, Saskatchewan, is filled with quirky characters and a rich history. Jonny discovers that the town that was the former hideout of Chief Sitting Bull is still full of stories and attracts many people with a unique vision of the world. He meets the descendants of Eduard Beaupre, a real life giant and Canada's tallest man, traverses a handmade labyrinth, sings Fransaskois songs with the Campagne family and learns that despite their differences the locals all have a strong love for their community and home.

Who would have thought that Berwick, Nova Scotia would uncover some of Canada's most unconventional innovators? A visit to Berwick includes the birth of an Icelandic baby lamb, an Alpaca Farmer, an Andalusian Horse Trainer and the Gun Doggers. The residents of Berwick prove that if you want the freedom to be different and really live by your own rules “ rural is the way to go. A visit to Berwick, Nova Scotia entails a baby lamb birth, a visit to an Alpaca Farmer, and an Andalusian Horse Trainer who is raising a Pot Belly Pig.

Oil Springs is a small town in Ontario that holds bragging rights as the beginning of North America's commercial oil industry. It's a wonder no one's ever heard of it. Our host, Jonny Harris is going to change that after he meets Oil Springs' small-town oil tycoons who've been drilling for crude for four generations, a hairdresser from Jamaica who's raising a goat named Curry (a nickname that speaks to the goat's future) and a young family raising thirteen sled-racing Huskies.

Lytton is beauty and perfection situated within British Columbia's wild interior. This hidden gem is rarely a destination and more like a thoroughfare for people on their way to someplace else. Jonny discovers that there are many reasons to stop in Lytton, after he braves the treacherous waters on a white water rafting trip, dirt bikes with the Rez Riders and pans for gold in the Thompson River.

Manitou, Manitoba may seem out of the way but the locals are seemingly all champions and experts in their field. This little town boasts a former Olympic champion, saw playing yodeling cowboy and a renowned Opera House. Jonny tries to keep up with the successful locals and treads the boards at the opera house, shoots arrows at an alligator, and plays ball with the girls and discovers that this close knit community is one of a kind.

Does it get any more quintessentially Canadian than Wawa, Ontario? Wawa is situated amid the beautiful and rugged Canadian Shield, the town symbol is the Canadian goose, and visitors to the General Store are welcomed by a taxidermy Moose that stands on the front porch. In Wawa, Jonny meets a delightful cast of characters including a fur-trapper, the town artist and the local news hound, all of whom regale him with what it means to be truly Canadian.

Roaring into the 19th century, Teeswater, Ontario is a town loved by farmers. A once thriving town that now sees many empty storefronts and houses. Jonny meets some locals that have held onto their great sense of humor and fun “ the swamp stompers get together to drink, play music and blow off steam, local farmers square dance on their tractors, and Jonny has the chance to get up close and personal with a goat.

Rowley, Alberta's population of eight don't always see eye-to-eye, but the common goal of ensuring that this little town continues to exist keeps them together. Upon visiting, Jonny discovers his fair share of oddities in Rowley, from an abandoned school that houses a bunch of cabbage patch kids to a haunted Saloon. Seeing as though this is Alberta, Jonny also undergoes a series of manly challenges, including Bull semen extraction and Red Neck racing.

The final stop on the Underground Railroad, Buxton, Ontario is a unique community that is still home to the descendants of many freed slaves. The blink and you miss it town of Buxton is like living history, and Jonny discovers just how much this means to locals as he goes hoeing with a hip hop listening farmer, takes his punishment from and old time school Marm, and gets in the spirit with the men's choir. The south Buxton raceway caters to the towns other passion “ dirt track speed racing. Jonny gets taken for a ride by a 14 year old race car driver.

Back in his home province Jonny heads to the remote community of Fogo Island. Inhabited by Europeans for over 500 years the culture on Fogo is based on self-sufficiency and the economy on fish. Jonny sees how even in the 21st century they're going back to the old ways to move into the future “ he builds a hand made punt with a boat builder, learns the accordion, takes in the history with a local story teller and checks out the high tech toilets at the five star inn.