Here we are in wakefield, quebec
[cheering & applause]
Wakefield is an intersection of two languages,
Two highways, a river and a railway.
But while the gatineau river runs on, your railway lies...
Locomotion-less.
[laughing]
They used to run logs out of this area on the train.
But by the time the logging industry declined in the 80s,
That train had left the station.
So, you guys put a very unique spin on what a lot of towns
Had to do in the wake of lost industry,
You decided to retrain.
[laughing]
Literally!
You guys brought over a beautiful old
19th century steam train.
It would come up from hull through chelsea and it would
Stop here in this gorgeous little artsy town surrounded by
The natural beauty of the gatineau hills.
If people had to pick their favorite train stop,
Wakefield would win by a landslide.
Unfortunately, there was a landslide.
[laughing]
Torrential rains caused the tracks to wash out.
There was a lot of damage.
The reality of the situation was, well,
Let's just say reality bites. Or maybe reality chews,
Or in your case, reality choo-choos.
[laughing]
I don't mean to make light there.
I can't imagine how gutting it was.
I get frustrated when I lose my train of thought.
[laughing]
When you grow up in a small town in newfoundland,
You see the people have a sense of humor about hard times.
Check, check.
I turned that into a career and hit the road.
Mister jonny harris!
Now I'm on a mission to find the funny in the places
You'd least expect it,
Canada struggling small towns.
Towns that are against the ropes, but hanging in there.
Still laughing in the face of adversity.
This is wakefield, quebec.
♪
[cheering & applause]
The steam train is far from wakefield's only tourism draw.
You know, just one of your several attractions here,
The gendron bridge, a picturesque,
Covered bridge that is every bit as beautiful
As it is flammable.
[laughs]
In the mid-80s, someone pushed a car out
Onto that bridge and lit it on fire.
However, fortunately, the bridge was rebuilt.
It looks better than ever.
I understand that locals affectionately refer to it
As the "kissing bridge”.
Although that bridge has at least two bases.
Is it just for kissing?
[laughing & applauding]
♪
I went and I had a chat with the owner of
La confiserie candy shop.
This store, it lost 40% of its business overnight
When the train stopped running.
He was heartbroken.
But he still has a lot of love for wakefield.
Maybe as a chocolatier that makes him bittersweet,
Marc fournier.
[cheering & applause]
Marc told me about this idea to buy this
Beautiful old steam engine.
The 909 locomotive was brought in from sweden actually,
As a tourist attraction for the village
The only thing with bringing the train over from sweden is
You know you, got to put it together yourself with
An allen key and some dodgy instructions.
[laughing]
They spell caboose with a "u" and an umlaut, it's...
[laughing]
It was basically like the main attraction in the village.
You see this big 93-ton locomotive just
Running along the tracks here.
And the steam, you know, the whole thing going,
It would just create a...
A spectacle, a nice spectacle.
Marc had told me about the turntable which is still there.
The train turned around at the turntable,
Which is a manually operated turntable,
The only one in canada.
So, you had two or three people start to push the locomotive.
- It would spin around. - That's unbelievable.
We were 100 feet from the turntable itself.
Marc's place, it's right across the street from
Where they would turn the train around.
Like to have a candy shop. That's the sweet spot.
[laughing]
And business was booming.
He said the train brought in something like
$10 million annually to this community.
A regular full train would be about 504 people.
They'd stay for a two hour stay in the village.
Give them a chance to go visit the shops,
Eat at the restaurants, take in the attractions.
On the weekends, he said it was twice as many.
The train will come up once in the day and once in the evening.
A little bit less shopping in the evening.
It wasn't here as long, just as long as it took to turn around.
I think about 20 minutes.
We would just rush to the store when we heard the whistle.
Open the shop for about 20 minutes.
And, I mean, we'd make as much as we made all day on that day.
That's pretty good for your night shift, 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, I'm up here busting my ass for like almost an hour.
[laughing]
June 23rd, 2011,
We had a record rainfall within 24 hours.
That rain took everything away.
The repair bill was so astronomically high that
People started talking about the idea of converting like
The rails to trails idea, right?
So, that you'd make the route accessible for
Hikers and bikers and whatnot.
Ultimately, what happened then was the
Town just down the line, chelsea,
They committed to that idea and pulled their rails up.
We saw it coming.
I mean, this was an ongoing thing.
And we knew the tracks would be removed and
That was kind of...
It was a bummer.
It became very quiet in the village.
And once they did that...
They sort of took the decision out of your hands.
I don't want to make it sound like they railroaded you but...
[laughing]
That's a terrible way of putting it.
Maybe they un-railroaded you. I'm not sure.
[laughing]
I've seen a lot of cyclists come in,
Hardcore cyclists too.
All the gear, you know, in the spandex suits.
I know some of the locals joke around,
Call them the spandex tourists.
[laughing]
You know maybe they don't do as much shopping
As the train tourists.
I guess that's partly 'cause they can't take stuff
With them, you know. It's like...
Well, that's one trouble with spandex shorts, you know,
You got no room for your junk. Or for your stuff.
For your, you know, for...
Your goods, you know.
[cheering & applauding]
I found out that you guys have a 100% independently
Owned and operated newspaper.
And to get the inside scoop,
I got some classified information from
Its editor and owner, nikki mantell.
[cheering & applauding]
The full name of the paper is the lowdown: To hull and back.
- It's a pun. - To hull and back?
Yeah, "to hell and back”.
Hull to the south, low to the north.
Oh, okay, okay.
It's a geographical reference and pun all at once.
I thought that was pretty clever.
So, it's from low down to hull and back.
And "low down” also meaning news.
When she explained that to me, I was like,
Is she funnier than me?
[laughing]
That's a triple entendre. Very rare, very rare.
My dad was a newsman from like way back.
He had had to get a new job because the ottawa journal
Folded, so he just one day decided that's it,
I'm just gonna start my own newspaper.
Her father started the lowdown back in 1973,
When the ottawa journal folded.
She said a lot of smaller newspapers folded.
I said, "nikki, all newspapers folded.
That's how they would fit them in the mailboxes”.
I was rattled about the triple entendre.
[laughing]
Most the time, we have lots of great news stories.
Sometimes we have really slow news days.
Any news agency, you know,
Suffers from a slow news day every now and then.
But for a paper that's servicing small communities,
That's the case even more so.
That goes way back, I can remember...
You know, sometimes my dad would put me on the front page.
One year, it's just me and four photos,
The entire front page.
Walking through a puddle when I was two.
We've, we've had some moments where we've had to
Like find a front-page photo at the last minute.
She said, sometimes she's got to, you know,
Infuse a little spice, a little gravitas into
A story that might not totally warrant it, right.
Like she told me about a flashy headline she wrote one time.
It said, "what is this thing?
And why are the people of wakefield talking about it?”
And then there was a picture of your town's new speed bump.
[laughing]
I mean, it was a speed bump,
But like it was causing big controversy.
And so, eventually, somebody took a backhoe and
Ripped it out 'cause they didn't like it.
So, it was news.
That's a special edition of the lowdown.
They call it the slowdown.
[laughing]
This area is so rich in characters and people
Doing interesting things.
It's so much fun covering this community.
Nikki also talked to me about, you know,
The fact that wakefield is much more than just a tourist town.
She said it's an eclectic mix here.
You know, there's bohemian business owners and
Nature lovers and arts festivals.
We are rich in artists and creativity.
We have the writers' festival that brings in big authors.
We have the black sheep inn,
A music venue of incredible renown.
She told me about the black sheep,
Which began as a tavern for loggers in the 1920s and has
Become one of the coolest underground music venues in
The country featuring a who's who of talent,
The likes of feist and blue rodeo, and kathleen edwards.
I think james taylor should come and play here,
Between your bridge and the rail wash outs.
You've seen fire and you've seen rain.
[laughing]
[applauding]
I met a father and son in wakefield who have made
Their water way in the world with amazing results.
Owners of eco-odyssey michel leclair and
Olivier rocheleau-leclair.
[cheering & applauding]
Michel worked as a conservation officer
In gatineau park for 40 years.
He learned about the local wildlife,
In particular, beavers.
It was my job, working with beaver.
I mean, resolving problem with beaver.
He was featured on an episode of the nature of things
Titled, the beaver whisperers.
I don't know if they can air a show like that at 9pm on cbc.
[laughing]
Michel had a plot of land that wasn't much good for farming.
But what he did have was a vision.
And I always have a— some idea about maze and I like maze.
So, I said, I want to try it.
Michel was fascinated not only with beavers, but with mazes.
And a lot of people, I've met a lot of people who believe that
Mazes, that there's something very spiritual about them,
Meditative about them, you know,
You can really lose yourself in them.
[laughing]
Locals and tourists alike agree now eco-odysee is crazy cool.
But while they were building it,
I think some people just thought they were crazy.
[laughing]
But at the beginning, when you look at it,
What a crazy thing to take a shovel and dig trench
Like that in the middle of the field.
I mean, myself, I will say the same thing. He's crazy.
But the crowning moment of this momentous project
Was about to come.
Once the maze was all dug out properly,
They went to the nearby stream, and they just built in on the
Sides of the stream, so that the water became focused.
And in that part, the water begins to run a bit faster,
And it begins to make noise, and that attracts the beavers.
They came and they built the dam,
And the water began to back up.
And suddenly, this crazy maze of trenches fills up the
Perfect amount with water.
All olivier and michel had to do is sit back and
Leave it to beavers.
[laughing]
Are you relying on the beavers to dam a
Certain area to flood it?
Yeah.
Is that a gamble, a risk?
No, no, it's forty years of experience.
He knew what they would do. He understands their behavior.
And now, you have eco-odysee,
A six-kilometer water maze with over 60 intersections.
We are promoting, like...
Very unique experience.
You live and see the beaver habitat.
They opened in 2008 and the following year,
They won a canadian tourism award for best new business.
And they are pulling in big numbers.
Last year, eco-odysee brought in 35,000 visitors.
And all of this because michel is, much like a beaver,
Determined and industrious.
He didn't need a voice in the cornfield going,
"if you build it, they will come”. Right?
He knew, if I build it, they will come, damn it.
They will come dam it.
[laughing]
[applauding]
♪
If you are feeling famished and you find you have fine dining
And wine on your mind, look no further than a cozy restaurant.
The food is a mix of indigenous and french and
So is the owner, wapokunie riel-lachapelle.
[cheering & applauding]
Her father was a hunter, and he was the one who
Taught her about traditional indigenous foods.
My dad never stopped going hunting and I remember
Growing up here in wakefield,
And I would like go to school with either like a...
Like partridge sandwich or my dad would make pate,
So hare pate, like, on bannock.
Being metis, she felt different.
She recalls being embarrassed at school opening her lunchbox
And she'd have something like hare pate on bannock, right.
And all the other kids had fruit roll ups.
[laughing]
I remember just being like, I want to eat this sandwich and
I love it, but people are gonna make fun of me.
And my name is wapokunie, and my dad has a braid.
[laughing]
She said it's hard to fade into the background
When your dad is indigenous and has a braid.
Although I would say not as bad as if your dad
Is not indigenous and has a braid.
[laughing]
I see your dad has a braid. Is he indigenous?
No, he's into, he's into the grateful dead.
[laughing]
I love cooking and I love food.
And there's just so many different variants of things
That you can do.
Her menu puts a very creative twist on traditional, okay.
Like she does a grilled cheese sandwich.
This is the fanciest grilled cheese sandwich
I've ever laid eyes on.
I thought I did a pretty good grilled cheese sandwich.
I consider myself a bit of a grilled cheese man, okay.
Her grilled cheese sandwich, it is made on wild blueberry
Bannock with aged cheddar cheese, pulled duck,
Crispy kale, and onions sautéed in white wine and maple syrup.
- This is delicious. - Thank you.
I felt like a bit of an idiot, do you know what I mean?
I was like, oh, right, yeah, that sounds pretty good.
So what, so no kraft single? Hm...
Yeah, I guess you could try that, sure.
There's a lot of high-end dishes on the menu,
But she also tries to create meals that aren't gonna break
The bank, especially if people want to bring their family.
So she tries to have a kid's menu.
I have like a, like an elk sausage hot dog
On the kid's menu.
She was telling me she had wild elk hot dogs,
Which sounded pretty wild to me.
I can't imagine eating a hot dog and
Knowing where the meat comes from.
[laughing]
[cheering & applauding]
♪
If you are looking for an adrenaline rush in wakefield,
I know a guy who can "steers" you in the right direction.
By the way that direction is towards the center of the earth.
[laughing]
Executive director at great canadian bungee, nick steers.
[cheering & applauding]
Thrill seekers, adrenaline junkies come to this place.
Nick said when he grew up here he was one of them.
I was terrorizing this community in wakefield by
Jumping off of cliffs and jumping off of bridges.
Your typical teenage overconfident
Testosterone-filled young man that was looking for the
Biggest and baddest thing to do.
He went up to great canadian bungee.
And he did his first jump.
And he said he was hooked...
Into a harness, thank god.
[laughing]
But he said he loved it. And he started working there.
[screaming]
It's like the story of starting in a company at the ground up,
Like it doesn't go any lower.
I was at water level, you know.
You start at the ground level, or they call it the water level.
You know, you're fishing people out of the water
After their jump.
And he became a jump-master at the age of 18,
The lowest legal age you can have that position.
And you know, those guys, they're working hard up there.
They're working farming hours.
What happens on a busy day in the summer is there's
Bodies flinging through the air at 5:30, 6am.
And we will go all the way through till sunset.
Our cycle time is five minutes, which is about
170 jumps through the day.
While that is happening,
The zip line is going with its own crew.
So, it literally is a fun factory.
You know, it's not only fun, it's a feeder for other
Businesses in the community.
People come from far and wide.
And after they've done their zip line or their bungee jump,
There's a good chance to head into town and have
A bite to eat or do some shopping.
'cause let's face it, pretty good chance
You lost your lunch and messed your pants.
[laughing]
I figured I would try the zip line.
Get up on the scale now.
Before I went up, you gotta weigh in.
There's a young woman mary there who's helping me.
They weigh you and they write your weight on your hand.
Get to the top and jeremy and ian are there,
And they're strapping me into this thing.
They're going through this checklist of stuff.
It reminded me of like top gun when they're getting
Ready to launch tom cruise's f14.
These two guys are talking to each other.
They're like "okay, trolley on the cable. Check.
All buckles tight. And auto lock squeeze check.
Good. Check. Tension feels good.
Repeat. Tension feels good."
[laughing]
Oh, jesus murphy!
And then boom, you're off.
Whoa! Woo!
Really does feel like a fighter jet.
You're flying over this quarry at an insane speed.
And you're looking around, you can see for miles.
And then there's the white rock, turquoise water.
It's every bit as beautiful as it is terrifying.
[laughing]
It really does feel like a fighter jet because
You hit the brake.
Woo! Oh mercy!
[laughing]
And it is sudden deceleration. It's like when the fighter jets
Land on the carrier and they hook that toe hooky thing.
Amazing!
And then they start to lower you down.
And that's the least cool part.
It's sort of hard to find your feet.
You're sort of dangling all fours and it's like somebody
Laying a cat down, do you know what I mean? Like...
[laughing]
You sort of go from maverick to mittens right at the end, but...
[laughing]
♪
You know, when the train stopped coming to wakefield
There was a lot of questions.
I feel like a lot of people have already found some answers.
You can go to eco-odysee to paddle past beavers or
The black sheep to see a band.
Or rip right over a rock quarry with your heart in your throat
And your weight on your hand.
Grab the lowdown to see what's up in town.
It only costs a loonie.
And then you can get your fill of duck poutine,
Down the street with wapokunie.
Canoes, kayaks, skiing and skating.
Yeah, it's too bad the train has passed.
But while you may not hear the whistle anymore,
Wakefield is still a blast.
Thanks for coming out, everybody. You've been great.
We've had a wonderful time here. Thank you!
[cheering & applauding]
Headline tomorrow:
"jonny harris brings the community together."
We just need you to fill out this waiver first.
Before I do this, should I "have my affairs in order"?
No, I promise you.
I honestly haven't lived like that on for really long time
And I think that all the villagers really appreciated it.
Please sign below.
Should I put like, "all my best, jonny harris,”
Or maybe just jonny?
Yeah, just sign, yeah.
I've never felt so much like an f-14 tomcat.
[laughing]
It was nice for the community to get together and
Blow off some steam.
♪