The Best Episodes of Still Standing

New Brunswick’s Campobello Island is Canadian more by chance than by geography. The only year round and direct access to the mainland is a bridge to the US, which makes for a unique Canadian/American cultural blend and many challenges.

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Like many rural communities in Canada, Gravelbourg is facing an uphill economic battle that has led to outmigration, and along with it a significant decline in French culture. But in recent years, more than 16 different nationalities have settled in the town including German, Korean, African, Lao, and Spanish people, and it’s this growing international population in Gravelbourg that is helping maintain the local economy and keeping the town on the map.

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Botwood has been working to revive industry and lure former residents back home ever since the closure of a nearby mill shut down their busy port.

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For years, Bristol had a reputation as a vacation destination, boasting a growing cottage community, a number of hotels and a legendary dancehall scene. But changing tastes and a shifting economy brought about by the disappearance of its logging and mining industries have left Bristol looking to get its mojo back. Now, a new group of entrepreneurs is using the land in new and interesting ways in order to make Bristol a destination once more!

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When the bottom fell out of the Southwestern Ontario’s tobacco industry, Vittoria’s farmers were forced to reinvent themselves and farm new crops in order to survive.

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When a highway bypass connecting Newfoundland’s Great Northern Peninsula to the rest of the province was paved, Woody Point became a dead end with a grounded ferry. Since then, they’ve reinvented themselves as a world-class destination.

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The economy of Rankin Inlet has seen its ups and downs but the struggles that come with living in this remote and unforgiving landscape remain constant.

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Tucked away in Northern Ontario is a slice of…southern Italy. A century ago, immigrants from Siderno, Italy left for a better life in Schreiber. And though the town’s big three employers, the mines, mills, and railway have since declined, the descendants of these founding famiglias are still there; their Mom-and-Pop shops, strong family ties, and unique southern-Italian heritage are a big part of what’s keeping this unique but struggling community alive.

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In May 2017, the Polar Bear Capital of the World unexpectedly became a fly-in community. A year of skyrocketing costs and unemployment are taking their toll but the community continues to hang on by its Northern grit, ingenuity and community spirit.

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If all goes well, Canadians will soon be able to drive from Fortune, NL to a little-known corner of France. With that will come a boost in tourism and employment opportunities - a welcome change from a decade of decline.

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Middleton — halfway between Halifax and Yarmouth — was a busy hub known for its two railway lines. But when the trains left and the exports stopped, Middleton found itself in the middle of nowhere.

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After the closure of all three of its major lumber mills, Lumby lost not only hundreds of jobs and local businesses, but also its sense of identity. Now the town is emerging, hopeful with a diverse economy that includes arts, culture, and a 40-acre grow-op that’s hoping to make pot for pets.

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The infamous Alberta flood of June 2013 left parts of the Siksika Nation reserve under 10 feet of water and a third of its population homeless. It’s been five and a half years and they are is still dealing with the effects of the disaster, but they hope the end is in sight. Until then, Siksikaquans are using creativity, guidance from their knowledge and good news they can celebrate.

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Locals like to say that ‘all roads lead to Hope’. It’s a place to gas up and a place to ‘go,’ but locals want it to be known that the town is more than just a place to pee — it’s a place to be.

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For 50 years, this tiny town was an air force base where thousands of pilots learned to fly; when the base closed, Southport transformed into a new kind of community.

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Every year, hundreds of thousands of people come to Calabogie to have a good time on the ski slopes, raceway, winding roads, and golf courses. But those who call Calabogie home year-round, have gone without a backbone industry since its days as a resource town in the 60’s. That means if you want to stay after you play, it’s the rule of C - Cobble together a series of jobs, create a new business, or commute.

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Without any industry or formal government, ‘making it’ in Bear River requires a sense of enterprise, a communal spirit, and a touch of the outlaw.

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Lillooet, BC’s forestry-based economy is heading downhill - permanently. But its rugged residents are committed to fighting the fight in order to find a way to stay in beautiful Lillooet.

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When oil and gas was struck elsewhere, Turner Valley, AB, was left with not much more than abandoned wells and an out-of-date processing plant. But, from the ashes, a fresh new crop of entrepreneurs is emerging and redefining this former boom-town.

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The largest Métis community in North America, St. Laurent has struggled with a flood and rural decline. But after much rebuilding, the spotlight is finally shining on this town in a whole new way.

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Harrison Hot Springs is famous for its namesake resort and healing waters. Tourists flock to town from May to September but, come the winter months, there’s no one but locals and a few business owners to tough it out. The town is doubling down on creating a year-round economy (outside of the resort) and hopes that their other claim to fame, the elusive Sasquatch, will be the ticket.

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East Preston, NS is one of Canada’s oldest indigenous black communities, with a history that begins more than a hundred years before Canada itself. Stigma and stereoytypes have lead to waves of encroachment from neighbouring suburbs that literally threatens to wipe this community’s story off the map. In response, East Prestonians are doubling down on education, community support and empowerment of both young and old, ensuring that their community and its history will thrive.

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Canadians might know Nipigon as the home of the ill-fated $106 million dollar bridge that closed shortly after its opening and stalled traffic on the Trans Canada Highway for weeks. But Nipigon’s image had already taken a beating after its plywood mill, the economic hub of the town, burned to the ground ten years ago. Today, the former mill town says it has “a natural edge" and it’s trumpeting the world-class hiking, climbing, and fishing it has to offer.

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Harbour Grace has been the homeport of pirates, the launch pad of Amelia Earhart and one of the most prosperous towns in NL (2nd only to St John’s). But now, after a string of bad luck, Harbour Grace is a shadow of what it once was. The town is littered with impressive, yet crumbling monuments to its past greatness, landmarks that are now being recognized as the key to the town’s economic future.

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The future is uncertain for environmentally sensitive Pelee Island, ON, but those who call the island home are committed to ensuring that their unique jewel is around for generations to come.

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