1 00:00:01,070 --> 00:00:01,760 How much do you love Willow Bunch, well a bunch. 2 00:00:01,932 --> 00:00:03,352 [laughter] 3 00:00:03,486 --> 00:00:05,276 Are you living up to your potential? 4 00:00:05,453 --> 00:00:07,563 I can hardly get my laundry done. 5 00:00:07,697 --> 00:00:12,047 ♪ For his cock mama for his cock papa ♪ 6 00:00:12,184 --> 00:00:14,704 This is like a very ancient version of Twister 7 00:00:14,842 --> 00:00:16,462 Willow Bunch sounds like something you buy for 8 00:00:16,602 --> 00:00:18,642 15 bucks at Home Sense. 9 00:00:20,158 --> 00:00:21,988 When you grow up in small town in Newfoundland; 10 00:00:22,125 --> 00:00:24,605 you see the people have a sense of humour about hard times. 11 00:00:24,783 --> 00:00:26,033 Check Check 12 00:00:26,164 --> 00:00:27,824 I turned that into a career and hit the road. 13 00:00:27,958 --> 00:00:30,098 MC: Mr. Jonny Harris! 14 00:00:30,237 --> 00:00:31,997 Now I'm on a mission; to find the funny in places 15 00:00:32,135 --> 00:00:33,445 you'd least expect it, 16 00:00:33,585 --> 00:00:35,725 Canada's struggling small towns. 17 00:00:35,863 --> 00:00:37,933 Towns that are against the ropes 18 00:00:38,072 --> 00:00:39,662 but hanging in there. 19 00:00:39,798 --> 00:00:42,148 Still laughing in the face of adversity. 20 00:00:42,283 --> 00:00:44,293 Welcome to Willow Bunch, Saskatchewan 21 00:00:49,601 --> 00:00:53,121 Saskatchewan. sure delivers on stunning prairie cliches, 22 00:00:53,260 --> 00:00:55,330 but if you stray South down along the US boarder 23 00:00:55,469 --> 00:00:57,679 you'll find a little town with an unassuming name: 24 00:00:57,816 --> 00:00:59,156 "Willow Bunch" 25 00:00:59,300 --> 00:01:02,170 But trust me, this tiny town has a giant story. 26 00:01:06,342 --> 00:01:07,762 But I had a bit of a hard time getting here. 27 00:01:07,895 --> 00:01:09,375 As soon as I left the trans Canada and I was 28 00:01:09,517 --> 00:01:11,237 coming down - I started to lose my way and I was 29 00:01:11,416 --> 00:01:13,246 asking people how to get here and they're telling 30 00:01:13,418 --> 00:01:17,558 me things like it's between climax and big beaver. 31 00:01:17,698 --> 00:01:19,418 And I was always told that Saskatchewan was 32 00:01:19,562 --> 00:01:20,772 flat and boring. 33 00:01:20,908 --> 00:01:22,288 Not so. 34 00:01:22,427 --> 00:01:25,117 There's this beautiful valley with lush meadows, 35 00:01:25,257 --> 00:01:27,737 and trees and and... You're not trying to keep 36 00:01:27,880 --> 00:01:29,300 that a secret are ya? 37 00:01:29,434 --> 00:01:30,954 [Laughter] 38 00:01:32,609 --> 00:01:35,229 Unfortunately one thing that wasn't a secret, 39 00:01:35,371 --> 00:01:37,721 businesses closed down or up for sale. 40 00:01:37,856 --> 00:01:40,926 Doris O'Reilly at the museum told me all about it. 41 00:01:41,066 --> 00:01:43,276 There are some places for sale like the gas station, 42 00:01:43,448 --> 00:01:44,828 variety store. 43 00:01:44,966 --> 00:01:47,106 Because the decline in population I think 44 00:01:47,279 --> 00:01:49,109 its hard to keep a business going. 45 00:01:49,247 --> 00:01:51,107 So what lead to the decline? 46 00:01:51,214 --> 00:01:53,944 Because there was nothing for the young people. 47 00:01:54,079 --> 00:01:55,809 They didn't want to farm and not everybody 48 00:01:55,943 --> 00:01:56,983 wants to be a farmer. 49 00:01:57,117 --> 00:01:58,597 They moved away. 50 00:01:58,739 --> 00:02:00,359 We've become a retirement community. 51 00:02:00,499 --> 00:02:02,499 Struggling a little but for the most part 52 00:02:02,639 --> 00:02:05,639 happy to be here.. 53 00:02:05,780 --> 00:02:07,920 But this quiet little town, holds some of the 54 00:02:08,058 --> 00:02:09,748 best kept secrets of the old west. 55 00:02:09,888 --> 00:02:11,818 Doris told me that Sitting Bull, 56 00:02:11,959 --> 00:02:13,369 Cheif of the Sioux, 57 00:02:13,512 --> 00:02:16,482 The man who brought down General Custer, sat right here. 58 00:02:16,619 --> 00:02:18,029 No bull. 59 00:02:18,172 --> 00:02:19,382 Why did Sitting Bull come here? 60 00:02:19,518 --> 00:02:22,348 To get away from the American authorities. 61 00:02:22,487 --> 00:02:24,557 After the battle of Little Bighorn... 62 00:02:24,696 --> 00:02:27,216 General Custer's last stand, right? 63 00:02:27,354 --> 00:02:30,324 Chief Sitting Bull came here to seek asylum. 64 00:02:30,460 --> 00:02:33,150 He came to Willow Bunch to meet with it's founder 65 00:02:33,291 --> 00:02:35,431 Jean Louis Legare. 66 00:02:35,569 --> 00:02:37,049 And Legare took him in. 67 00:02:37,226 --> 00:02:38,326 He welcomed him. 68 00:02:38,468 --> 00:02:40,368 That's pretty noble thing of him to do I think. 69 00:02:40,505 --> 00:02:42,085 And he looked after them and fed them and 70 00:02:42,231 --> 00:02:43,721 helped them out. 71 00:02:43,853 --> 00:02:45,103 Could you imagine when he first found out, 72 00:02:45,268 --> 00:02:46,508 one of Sitting Bull's scouts comes up and he's like 73 00:02:46,649 --> 00:02:49,099 oh Chief Sitting Bull is coming here 74 00:02:49,238 --> 00:02:51,548 oh that's great, is there anybody with him? 75 00:02:51,723 --> 00:02:55,113 [Laughter] 76 00:02:55,244 --> 00:02:58,424 400 eh? 77 00:02:58,557 --> 00:03:02,107 Okay I think that's doable sure. 78 00:03:02,251 --> 00:03:05,811 Can you tell me why he's leaving the States? 79 00:03:05,978 --> 00:03:07,458 Oh my. 80 00:03:07,601 --> 00:03:10,261 Oh my. 81 00:03:10,397 --> 00:03:12,537 So General Custer is he? 82 00:03:12,675 --> 00:03:14,325 Oh my. 83 00:03:14,470 --> 00:03:16,200 Oh my. 84 00:03:16,299 --> 00:03:18,339 Do you have any idea how long they'll want to stay here? 85 00:03:18,508 --> 00:03:21,128 [Laughter] 86 00:03:21,270 --> 00:03:23,890 And Jean Louis Legare he was a strong man and if he 87 00:03:24,031 --> 00:03:26,341 said he was going to help someone, he did. 88 00:03:26,516 --> 00:03:29,796 Doris then told me that he billed the Canadian government 89 00:03:29,933 --> 00:03:33,213 Furnishing provisions for 492 Indians. 90 00:03:33,316 --> 00:03:36,556 48,000 dollars for expenses incurred and 91 00:03:36,699 --> 00:03:38,219 losses sustained. 92 00:03:38,321 --> 00:03:40,531 The government of Canada gave him back 2,000 93 00:03:40,668 --> 00:03:42,668 dollars of the 48,000. 94 00:03:42,808 --> 00:03:44,148 What a rip. 95 00:03:44,293 --> 00:03:46,023 In the end the Canadian government sent him a 96 00:03:46,156 --> 00:03:48,326 fraction of what he thought he deserved and 97 00:03:48,469 --> 00:03:50,919 that folks was the birth of Revenue Canada. 98 00:03:51,058 --> 00:03:54,058 [Laughter] 99 00:03:54,234 --> 00:03:56,344 He was a great man he just needed a great accountant. 100 00:03:56,477 --> 00:03:58,337 [Laughter] 101 00:04:00,378 --> 00:04:02,618 I found a town in transition - Willow Bunch 102 00:04:02,794 --> 00:04:05,184 managing retirees is a bit like Legare struggling 103 00:04:05,314 --> 00:04:08,464 with Sitting Bull's clan -- where to put them? 104 00:04:08,593 --> 00:04:10,393 How long will they stay? 105 00:04:10,526 --> 00:04:13,076 Will they make a mess, ya know? 106 00:04:13,218 --> 00:04:15,188 The big draw for people to Willow Bunch now is the 107 00:04:15,324 --> 00:04:18,124 Willow Bunch golf course I can see why it's 108 00:04:18,292 --> 00:04:20,262 absolutely stunning. 109 00:04:20,398 --> 00:04:22,158 We call it a hidden paradise down here in 110 00:04:22,296 --> 00:04:23,676 southern Saskatchewan. 111 00:04:23,815 --> 00:04:26,745 I went to meet with Sharleine Eger 112 00:04:26,887 --> 00:04:28,747 Hi guys! 113 00:04:28,889 --> 00:04:31,269 She introduced me to several people who are there. 114 00:04:31,409 --> 00:04:33,129 They bring their RVs down. 115 00:04:33,273 --> 00:04:34,653 So you guys have been coming here for ten years? 116 00:04:34,791 --> 00:04:36,351 Yeah ten years. 117 00:04:36,483 --> 00:04:38,313 Yes I can see you're really roughing it here 118 00:04:38,485 --> 00:04:40,415 I can't imagine. 119 00:04:40,556 --> 00:04:42,206 I don't know if you can call it camping if 120 00:04:42,351 --> 00:04:45,941 you got a 60 ft RV and satellite TV but. 121 00:04:46,078 --> 00:04:48,288 The only way your sleeping gear is going to get wet 122 00:04:48,391 --> 00:04:49,981 is if the waterbed breaks. 123 00:04:50,117 --> 00:04:51,807 [Laughter] 124 00:04:54,949 --> 00:04:58,159 Jay is the young fella who runs the golf course now. 125 00:04:58,298 --> 00:05:01,578 Jim is the old fella who used to run the golf course. 126 00:05:01,715 --> 00:05:03,915 But he has no respect for his elders. 127 00:05:04,062 --> 00:05:05,752 No. Nope. 128 00:05:05,926 --> 00:05:07,576 He won't go in the bush and look for my golf balls 129 00:05:07,755 --> 00:05:09,235 or anything like that. 130 00:05:09,412 --> 00:05:10,762 I always wondered that must be a little bit weird 131 00:05:10,896 --> 00:05:12,206 for Jason right? 132 00:05:12,346 --> 00:05:13,866 Taking over the job from someone he still shows up 133 00:05:14,003 --> 00:05:16,013 every day to make sure you're doing a good job. 134 00:05:16,143 --> 00:05:17,903 [Laughter] 135 00:05:19,422 --> 00:05:21,462 I come up just about every morning - oh 4:30 - 136 00:05:21,597 --> 00:05:23,077 just to look at the view. 137 00:05:23,253 --> 00:05:24,953 And somewhere down in the town 138 00:05:25,117 --> 00:05:26,597 Jason's down there with one eye open going 139 00:05:26,740 --> 00:05:28,710 he's watching me already, I can feel it. 140 00:05:28,845 --> 00:05:31,045 [Laughter] 141 00:05:34,195 --> 00:05:35,955 How's he doing with it? 142 00:05:36,094 --> 00:05:38,104 If it would have been anyone else I probably 143 00:05:38,234 --> 00:05:39,484 would have shot him. 144 00:05:39,615 --> 00:05:41,615 Oh ya? 145 00:05:41,789 --> 00:05:43,899 Over here is where Sitting Bull camped out. 146 00:05:44,033 --> 00:05:45,973 Do you think he'd be any good at golf? 147 00:05:46,138 --> 00:05:49,728 Hole 7 - that's where Jean Louis Legare and 148 00:05:49,866 --> 00:05:53,556 Chief Sitting Bull had encamped and some people say 149 00:05:53,698 --> 00:05:57,288 on a quiet night you can hear their spirits 150 00:05:57,426 --> 00:05:59,946 discussing whether they should use a pitching 151 00:06:00,083 --> 00:06:02,533 wedge or a nine iron. 152 00:06:02,707 --> 00:06:05,707 [Laughter] 153 00:06:05,882 --> 00:06:07,542 If anything Shar I'm afraid I'm blowing the 154 00:06:07,712 --> 00:06:09,822 secret for the locals of Willow Bunch. 155 00:06:09,955 --> 00:06:11,055 It is our own little paradise but we're 156 00:06:11,198 --> 00:06:12,988 willing to share. 157 00:06:13,131 --> 00:06:15,241 Some Canadians secrets need to stay secret like 158 00:06:15,409 --> 00:06:18,169 the fact that there's clam juice in a caesar, 159 00:06:18,308 --> 00:06:19,658 that never should have got out. 160 00:06:19,793 --> 00:06:21,833 [Laughter] 161 00:06:25,246 --> 00:06:27,726 A bigger surprise the Saskatchewan having hills... 162 00:06:27,870 --> 00:06:29,840 - There's black gold in them there hills! 163 00:06:29,975 --> 00:06:31,355 Black gold. 164 00:06:31,494 --> 00:06:33,774 More than a trillion bottles of oil bigger 165 00:06:33,910 --> 00:06:35,570 than Saudi Arabia. 166 00:06:35,740 --> 00:06:37,260 This place is a gold mine. 167 00:06:41,055 --> 00:06:42,675 Willow Bunch sounds like something you'd buy for 168 00:06:42,816 --> 00:06:45,086 15 bucks at Home Sense right? 169 00:06:45,232 --> 00:06:46,852 You're wife would say to ya, honey we need some shams, 170 00:06:46,992 --> 00:06:49,582 a couple of flounces and willow bunch for the bedroom. 171 00:06:49,719 --> 00:06:51,549 [Laughter] 172 00:06:52,860 --> 00:06:54,620 Sometimes you gotta learn the local legends, 173 00:06:54,759 --> 00:06:57,379 know the larger than life characters to really be 174 00:06:57,520 --> 00:07:00,250 able to size a place up... Waaaaaay up. 175 00:07:00,385 --> 00:07:02,205 And all our ball teams 176 00:07:02,352 --> 00:07:04,492 were the giants or the giant was always a part 177 00:07:04,631 --> 00:07:07,221 of Willow Bunch. 178 00:07:07,357 --> 00:07:09,947 Like I saw the pub that was called the Jolly Giant 179 00:07:10,084 --> 00:07:12,714 Well we call him our Willow Bunch giant. 180 00:07:12,880 --> 00:07:18,440 Edward Beaupre was 8'3 at the age of 22. 181 00:07:18,576 --> 00:07:20,886 I mean this guy we all know Andre the Giant right? 182 00:07:21,061 --> 00:07:23,411 Edouard was a foot taller than him. 183 00:07:23,546 --> 00:07:25,716 Oh my. 184 00:07:25,893 --> 00:07:27,833 Size 22 shoe in the end. 185 00:07:27,964 --> 00:07:30,174 Give him a high five. 186 00:07:30,311 --> 00:07:32,041 It's a good thing he's wearing a top hat because 187 00:07:32,210 --> 00:07:34,210 it helps him look tall. 188 00:07:34,384 --> 00:07:36,214 Nichole not only curates 189 00:07:36,352 --> 00:07:39,362 the exhibit there but she is his great niece. 190 00:07:39,493 --> 00:07:41,393 So she's protecting his family memory with the 191 00:07:41,530 --> 00:07:43,640 passion that only family can allow. 192 00:07:43,773 --> 00:07:45,403 And this is him with? 193 00:07:45,568 --> 00:07:47,048 He's sitting and even when he's sitting he's taller 194 00:07:47,225 --> 00:07:48,735 than his dad. 195 00:07:48,882 --> 00:07:50,232 It would be hard to punish your child if 196 00:07:50,366 --> 00:07:51,916 that were the case. 197 00:07:52,057 --> 00:07:53,267 Edouard go to your room! 198 00:07:53,403 --> 00:07:54,893 No. 199 00:07:55,026 --> 00:07:56,746 Okay carry me up to mine? 200 00:07:56,890 --> 00:07:59,240 [Laughter] 201 00:07:59,375 --> 00:08:00,885 He came from a family of 20. 202 00:08:01,032 --> 00:08:02,172 A family of 20? 203 00:08:02,309 --> 00:08:04,279 There wasn't a lot of money and he felt a 204 00:08:04,414 --> 00:08:05,624 responsibility. 205 00:08:05,761 --> 00:08:07,001 So And being the eldest he wanted to help 206 00:08:07,141 --> 00:08:08,491 out his parents. 207 00:08:08,660 --> 00:08:10,180 He got into the circus. 208 00:08:10,317 --> 00:08:12,317 He ended up working for Barnum and Bailey. 209 00:08:12,492 --> 00:08:13,982 There's not a lot of criteria in hiring the 210 00:08:14,148 --> 00:08:15,908 tallest man right. 211 00:08:16,047 --> 00:08:18,667 You don't need to nail the interview or anything right? 212 00:08:18,843 --> 00:08:20,953 It would just be like Hey Eduard stand next to that guy. 213 00:08:21,086 --> 00:08:25,506 Okay Eduard you're hired - that guy - you're fired. 214 00:08:25,677 --> 00:08:28,127 Unfortunately he died at the early age of 23 but 215 00:08:28,266 --> 00:08:30,156 they said he was still growing at the time. 216 00:08:30,337 --> 00:08:31,677 Wow. 217 00:08:31,821 --> 00:08:33,931 He died at the World's Fair in St. Louis. 218 00:08:34,065 --> 00:08:35,335 There wasn't enough money to bring him back 219 00:08:35,480 --> 00:08:36,960 home for a burial. 220 00:08:37,102 --> 00:08:38,522 His body was abandoned at the morgue. 221 00:08:38,656 --> 00:08:40,306 His body disappeared. 222 00:08:40,450 --> 00:08:42,000 Then some kids found it in an abandoned warehouse, 223 00:08:42,142 --> 00:08:43,522 eventually it ended up on display at the 224 00:08:43,626 --> 00:08:45,526 University of Montreal. 225 00:08:45,663 --> 00:08:47,983 It's like he went on tour after he died which 226 00:08:48,113 --> 00:08:49,673 makes me think of Keith Richards. 227 00:08:49,805 --> 00:08:51,665 [Laughter] 228 00:08:53,049 --> 00:08:54,499 It was my father's dream that he'd get 229 00:08:54,637 --> 00:08:56,047 him back and he did. 230 00:08:56,190 --> 00:08:57,330 For all that sadness there's a bit 231 00:08:57,467 --> 00:08:59,157 of a happy ending now. 232 00:08:59,297 --> 00:09:01,747 He's back in Willow Bunch. 233 00:09:01,886 --> 00:09:04,956 Home and at peace. 234 00:09:05,130 --> 00:09:08,440 He had a proper burial here and now Nichole works 235 00:09:08,582 --> 00:09:11,072 diligently so that we can all remember him the way 236 00:09:11,205 --> 00:09:12,545 we should remember him. 237 00:09:12,655 --> 00:09:15,725 With dignity and literally a great man. 238 00:09:20,490 --> 00:09:22,910 Even newcomers to this town are a colourful bunch. 239 00:09:23,045 --> 00:09:25,495 I went to visit Alan Harmony. 240 00:09:25,634 --> 00:09:27,744 Alan specializes in interpreting dreams. 241 00:09:27,877 --> 00:09:30,567 Which is the kind of thing I don't usually buy into. 242 00:09:30,673 --> 00:09:32,333 Why Willow Bunch? 243 00:09:32,502 --> 00:09:34,502 I was brought here as a result of a series of dreams. 244 00:09:34,677 --> 00:09:37,987 I'm looking around the landscape and going holy Toledo. 245 00:09:38,129 --> 00:09:41,059 I was shown this in the dream. 246 00:09:41,201 --> 00:09:43,651 Alan's written books about how 247 00:09:43,790 --> 00:09:46,620 dreams can predict the future. 248 00:09:46,758 --> 00:09:48,448 Well there's no one else that does what 249 00:09:48,588 --> 00:09:49,828 I do let's put it that way. 250 00:09:49,968 --> 00:09:51,418 Right. 251 00:09:51,556 --> 00:09:52,656 His powers seem to have steered him right 252 00:09:52,833 --> 00:09:54,323 with real estate. 253 00:09:54,455 --> 00:09:56,075 When the town's school fell victim to population decline, 254 00:09:56,216 --> 00:09:58,806 Alan picked up the building for a song. 255 00:09:58,943 --> 00:10:00,673 The town could have bought it for a dollar 256 00:10:00,807 --> 00:10:02,597 and they didn't. 257 00:10:02,740 --> 00:10:04,810 But Alan told me that a lot of great men 258 00:10:04,949 --> 00:10:06,679 throughout history have used their dreams, 259 00:10:06,847 --> 00:10:09,437 things they've seen in their dreams to achieve greatness. 260 00:10:09,574 --> 00:10:11,614 Like Einstein and Edison and Bell and Tesla and 261 00:10:11,749 --> 00:10:13,369 people like that. 262 00:10:13,543 --> 00:10:15,203 And now I understand that if I'm ever going to be a 263 00:10:15,373 --> 00:10:18,623 truly great man I need to do more napping. 264 00:10:18,756 --> 00:10:21,096 [Laughter] 265 00:10:21,241 --> 00:10:23,861 You have to learn to take a look at the plays on 266 00:10:24,002 --> 00:10:25,802 words within the words. 267 00:10:25,935 --> 00:10:28,385 He's explained this to me now, he's got plans to 268 00:10:28,524 --> 00:10:31,774 well he's got plans, he's got plans. 269 00:10:31,907 --> 00:10:34,627 [Laughter] 270 00:10:37,050 --> 00:10:42,540 I saw a cupand it was placed on a book. 271 00:10:42,676 --> 00:10:44,636 What's the analogy there? 272 00:10:44,782 --> 00:10:46,302 I think I know. 273 00:10:46,438 --> 00:10:48,198 Cup, c-u-p. 274 00:10:48,337 --> 00:10:50,127 It means you saw somebody urinate. 275 00:10:50,270 --> 00:10:55,380 No you're close, c up, look up, look up in a book, 276 00:10:55,551 --> 00:10:59,181 oh I get it, bingo. 277 00:10:59,313 --> 00:11:01,453 He told me, he told me that what he's trying to 278 00:11:01,591 --> 00:11:04,461 accomplish is beyond the grasp of most people and 279 00:11:04,629 --> 00:11:07,249 I most humbly concede I am most people. 280 00:11:07,390 --> 00:11:09,840 [Laughter] 281 00:11:17,607 --> 00:11:19,057 With Sitting Bull and Legare, 282 00:11:19,195 --> 00:11:21,025 I've learned this place has an incredible story. 283 00:11:21,163 --> 00:11:22,583 But enough with the history books. 284 00:11:22,716 --> 00:11:25,476 Willow Bunch's deep past is written in stone. 285 00:11:25,615 --> 00:11:27,755 I went to visit the visit the petroglyphs. 286 00:11:27,894 --> 00:11:29,274 History is important. 287 00:11:29,412 --> 00:11:31,482 If you want to know where you're going you need to 288 00:11:31,621 --> 00:11:33,421 know where you've been. 289 00:11:33,554 --> 00:11:35,704 Wes Bloom was showing me the petroglyphs basically 290 00:11:35,833 --> 00:11:38,323 it's ancient First Nation's carvings in the rocks. 291 00:11:38,456 --> 00:11:40,766 This Jonny is a warrior head. 292 00:11:40,907 --> 00:11:42,427 It's fairly menacing looking. 293 00:11:42,598 --> 00:11:47,088 There's human hands, warriors, bison hooves. 294 00:11:47,258 --> 00:11:50,298 328 carvings right here and then we go to 295 00:11:50,433 --> 00:11:53,923 an area that is quite controversial. 296 00:11:54,058 --> 00:11:58,058 So if you can imagine left hand, right hand and here 297 00:11:58,200 --> 00:12:00,340 we have a male genetilia. 298 00:12:00,478 --> 00:12:02,998 This is like a very ancient version of twister. 299 00:12:03,170 --> 00:12:05,450 I'm not going to put my genitalia where it's - 300 00:12:05,586 --> 00:12:07,376 I'm glad to hear that. 301 00:12:07,519 --> 00:12:09,379 So there's the symbol for a great plains grizzly 302 00:12:09,521 --> 00:12:12,561 being held onto by human hands and then a human 303 00:12:12,697 --> 00:12:16,007 phallus pointed at the grizzly. 304 00:12:16,183 --> 00:12:18,503 And mating with this plains grizzly. 305 00:12:18,668 --> 00:12:20,838 That's a bold move. 306 00:12:20,981 --> 00:12:26,021 It was so the shaman could gain the power of the 307 00:12:26,193 --> 00:12:28,063 plains grizzly. 308 00:12:28,195 --> 00:12:30,025 Don't try and get the power of the grizzly you 309 00:12:30,197 --> 00:12:31,717 already have a lot of power and it's clearly 310 00:12:31,854 --> 00:12:33,134 gone to your head. 311 00:12:33,269 --> 00:12:35,549 [Laughter] 312 00:12:35,720 --> 00:12:37,550 And now I also understand why I don't see a whole 313 00:12:37,687 --> 00:12:39,337 lot of grizzlies in here. 314 00:12:39,517 --> 00:12:43,997 [Laughter] 315 00:12:45,626 --> 00:12:47,206 Sure The grizzlies may have stayed away 316 00:12:47,387 --> 00:12:49,037 and I never saw a Sasquatch, 317 00:12:49,216 --> 00:12:52,426 but the area has seen the return of the fransaskois? 318 00:12:52,564 --> 00:12:54,394 319 00:12:54,532 --> 00:12:55,912 ♪ Old Father Joe wants us all to ♪ 320 00:12:56,051 --> 00:12:59,541 ♪ pray for his cocker spaniel who is sick. ♪ 321 00:12:59,709 --> 00:13:03,129 ♪ For his cock mama for his cock. ♪ 322 00:13:03,299 --> 00:13:05,749 ♪ For his cock papa for his cock. ♪ 323 00:13:05,888 --> 00:13:07,228 ♪ For his cocker spaniel who is sick... ♪ 324 00:13:07,372 --> 00:13:09,412 Not all newcomers to Willow Bunch are from 325 00:13:09,547 --> 00:13:11,507 away, some people are actually returning home 326 00:13:11,652 --> 00:13:14,382 like the Campagne family, they're sort of local celebs. 327 00:13:14,517 --> 00:13:16,207 They had a very popular group Hart Rouge. 328 00:13:16,347 --> 00:13:17,797 Great band. 329 00:13:17,935 --> 00:13:19,445 Before the turn of the century this whole region 330 00:13:19,626 --> 00:13:21,386 was called La Hart Rouge. 331 00:13:21,524 --> 00:13:23,494 I mean this is an old French town, 332 00:13:23,664 --> 00:13:25,914 it's one of the oldest towns in Saskatchewan. 333 00:13:26,046 --> 00:13:27,906 Turned out there were tens of 334 00:13:28,048 --> 00:13:29,568 thousands of Fransaskois. 335 00:13:29,705 --> 00:13:32,875 The name for Francophone Saskatchewaners. 336 00:13:33,019 --> 00:13:35,819 Basically our dad who was a farmer all his life but 337 00:13:35,987 --> 00:13:38,987 loved to sing, he thought well I'm going to teach 338 00:13:39,128 --> 00:13:41,168 them French songs and that will sort of help 339 00:13:41,303 --> 00:13:44,273 perpetuate the language and the culture. 340 00:13:44,409 --> 00:13:45,829 It did... 341 00:13:45,963 --> 00:13:48,173 until the French community died out when people 342 00:13:48,344 --> 00:13:50,114 moved on to bigger places. 343 00:13:50,243 --> 00:13:52,693 But a few years ago, the Campagnes came back. 344 00:13:52,832 --> 00:13:55,082 So at 50 years old I decided to come back. 345 00:13:55,213 --> 00:13:58,393 And the land here attracted all of us back. 346 00:13:58,527 --> 00:14:00,557 Solange was the first one to come back and she 347 00:14:00,701 --> 00:14:04,981 started organically growing kamut and flax and 348 00:14:05,120 --> 00:14:06,710 all kinds of other things that children push 349 00:14:06,846 --> 00:14:09,186 to the side of their plate. 350 00:14:09,331 --> 00:14:11,261 You want to learn something in French? 351 00:14:11,402 --> 00:14:14,472 My french is very poor but I'd be willing to try. 352 00:14:15,855 --> 00:14:22,445 353 00:14:23,448 --> 00:14:25,658 My French is rusty, but music is universal 354 00:14:25,795 --> 00:14:27,485 and the sentiment of this love song almost 355 00:14:27,625 --> 00:14:30,555 brought me to tears. 356 00:14:30,697 --> 00:14:32,837 Now they have a huge annual Fransaskois music 357 00:14:32,975 --> 00:14:34,935 festival that draws thousands of people to 358 00:14:35,081 --> 00:14:37,461 celebrate their culture, where it all started, 359 00:14:37,600 --> 00:14:39,670 Willow Bunch. 360 00:14:40,949 --> 00:14:42,299 It's extreme here. 361 00:14:42,467 --> 00:14:44,187 It's always been a dynamically opposed like 362 00:14:44,331 --> 00:14:47,401 the French the English, the cold, the hot. 363 00:14:47,541 --> 00:14:51,371 And the Métis brought in a whole other culture too. 364 00:14:51,511 --> 00:14:53,311 So really they're able to accomplish in a three 365 00:14:53,444 --> 00:14:54,964 minute song, what the Canadian government have 366 00:14:55,135 --> 00:14:56,995 had a hard time doing in 300 years. 367 00:14:57,137 --> 00:14:59,307 [Laughter] 368 00:15:03,626 --> 00:15:06,036 I wondered, how does a town with such varied roots, 369 00:15:06,181 --> 00:15:08,011 somehow keep it all together? 370 00:15:09,632 --> 00:15:11,602 Is it a town of different opinions Willow Bunch? 371 00:15:11,738 --> 00:15:13,598 Yes -How so? 372 00:15:13,740 --> 00:15:15,570 Every small town is. 373 00:15:15,742 --> 00:15:17,472 You know you'll have four different opinions on anything. 374 00:15:17,606 --> 00:15:19,746 So you just don't have one, it's better. 375 00:15:19,884 --> 00:15:22,404 So this bar is sort of like Switzerland. 376 00:15:22,542 --> 00:15:25,682 It's okay everyone is so different I've never met 377 00:15:25,821 --> 00:15:29,411 a person I didn't find something I could like about. 378 00:15:29,549 --> 00:15:31,829 That's what I like about you, Dawn 379 00:15:31,965 --> 00:15:36,245 She chose smaller town life two years ago. 380 00:15:36,383 --> 00:15:39,253 Dawn used to work for an optometrist in Assiniboia 381 00:15:39,421 --> 00:15:42,391 she left that job and her boss didn't see it coming. 382 00:15:42,562 --> 00:15:44,942 [Laughter] 383 00:15:46,635 --> 00:15:48,395 I mean I've never locked the doors to my home. 384 00:15:48,568 --> 00:15:50,018 Is that right? 385 00:15:50,156 --> 00:15:52,016 I've never taken my keys out of my vehicle. 386 00:15:52,158 --> 00:15:54,188 I'm happy with being able to cross the street and 387 00:15:54,332 --> 00:15:56,542 not really pay attention and I think there's 388 00:15:56,679 --> 00:15:59,539 a stop sign in town but I'm not sure. 389 00:15:59,682 --> 00:16:02,692 Dawn - there are several stop signs. 390 00:16:02,823 --> 00:16:04,723 I think maybe a trip back to the 391 00:16:04,860 --> 00:16:08,000 optometrist office is in order. 392 00:16:08,139 --> 00:16:09,729 Folks she says she leaves her keys in her car, 393 00:16:09,865 --> 00:16:11,685 somebody take them. 394 00:16:11,832 --> 00:16:15,422 How can you not want that for life? 395 00:16:15,560 --> 00:16:18,250 If you can make a living here, then, you should. 396 00:16:18,391 --> 00:16:20,191 But there's signs of something much bigger than 397 00:16:20,324 --> 00:16:22,744 retirees and tourists coming to town. 398 00:16:22,878 --> 00:16:24,468 There's talk about oil rigs that are being 399 00:16:24,604 --> 00:16:26,234 drilled in the area and... 400 00:16:26,364 --> 00:16:28,194 So there's change on the horizon? 401 00:16:28,366 --> 00:16:30,086 Yeah just started. 402 00:16:30,230 --> 00:16:31,710 I got a lump in my throat. 403 00:16:31,852 --> 00:16:34,102 We've never had anything like that. 404 00:16:34,234 --> 00:16:36,204 Some people think oh aren't you going to be happy? 405 00:16:36,340 --> 00:16:37,620 No. 406 00:16:37,755 --> 00:16:39,205 It's actually scary. 407 00:16:39,343 --> 00:16:41,033 I like the way it is. 408 00:16:41,207 --> 00:16:42,927 That's the fundamental question for small towns 409 00:16:43,071 --> 00:16:45,381 that are struggling is you want more people, you want 410 00:16:45,521 --> 00:16:48,591 more money, you want more industry but do you? 411 00:16:48,731 --> 00:16:50,871 In a way... 412 00:16:51,044 --> 00:16:52,704 Do you understand what comes with it? 413 00:16:52,839 --> 00:16:55,529 I said well Dawn what do you see in the future of 414 00:16:55,704 --> 00:16:57,404 Willow Bunch? 415 00:16:57,533 --> 00:16:59,053 And she pointed over to the sign and said well 416 00:16:59,225 --> 00:17:00,945 Friday night is rib night. 417 00:17:01,089 --> 00:17:03,679 [Laughter] 418 00:17:03,815 --> 00:17:07,815 Beyond that really is anyone's guess I suppose. 419 00:17:09,649 --> 00:17:12,309 Of course I'm not really saying it right am I? 420 00:17:12,445 --> 00:17:14,475 You guys don't say Willow Bunch, 421 00:17:14,619 --> 00:17:16,479 you say Willowbunch. 422 00:17:16,621 --> 00:17:18,181 Willowbunch. 423 00:17:18,313 --> 00:17:19,593 As in how much you love Willow Bunch? 424 00:17:19,728 --> 00:17:21,488 Well a bunch. 425 00:17:21,626 --> 00:17:23,866 [Laughter] 426 00:17:27,184 --> 00:17:29,224 I wanted to get a better picture of the future of this place, 427 00:17:29,358 --> 00:17:31,258 and I'd heard about another newcomer who could 428 00:17:31,395 --> 00:17:33,465 paint that picture by number. 429 00:17:34,570 --> 00:17:35,570 Pleased to meet you sir. 430 00:17:35,709 --> 00:17:37,329 Nice to meet you, welcome to my home. 431 00:17:37,504 --> 00:17:39,444 Gordon Spowart is a numerologist. 432 00:17:39,575 --> 00:17:42,475 He invited me over for pie. 433 00:17:42,647 --> 00:17:48,337 [Groans and Laughter] 434 00:17:48,515 --> 00:17:52,415 You ain't seen nothing yet. 435 00:17:52,554 --> 00:17:54,424 The numerological institute of Canada. 436 00:17:54,556 --> 00:17:55,586 Mhm. 437 00:17:55,729 --> 00:17:56,699 it's only me. 438 00:17:56,834 --> 00:17:57,874 It's only one person. 439 00:17:58,007 --> 00:17:59,177 really? 440 00:17:59,319 --> 00:18:00,799 So you're number one. 441 00:18:00,941 --> 00:18:03,051 Well That's the good thing about it. 442 00:18:03,185 --> 00:18:05,075 Gordon told me that he could tell me all kinds of 443 00:18:05,256 --> 00:18:10,016 information just from the first vowel of my first name. 444 00:18:10,158 --> 00:18:12,948 I said "O". 445 00:18:13,092 --> 00:18:17,542 [Laughter] 446 00:18:17,682 --> 00:18:19,822 That's is 10, 16, 7. 447 00:18:19,960 --> 00:18:22,480 That is 10, 16, 22. 448 00:18:22,618 --> 00:18:26,688 Every letter in your name signifies a different number 449 00:18:26,829 --> 00:18:30,449 That's 1, 6, 5, 1, 2, 8, 1, 5, 4, 1. 450 00:18:30,592 --> 00:18:32,532 It sounded like an auctioneer going. 451 00:18:32,663 --> 00:18:34,393 36, 37, 10, 1. 452 00:18:34,527 --> 00:18:36,217 9, 2, 8, 1, triple 9, 1. 453 00:18:36,356 --> 00:18:38,216 7 0 9 2 5 0 5 3 3 5, and I said sold! 454 00:18:38,358 --> 00:18:41,328 And I ended up buying his couch. 455 00:18:41,465 --> 00:18:44,185 You have mastery at your fingertips, 456 00:18:44,330 --> 00:18:47,160 are you living up to your potential? 457 00:18:47,298 --> 00:18:50,198 I can hardly get my laundry done. 458 00:18:52,303 --> 00:18:54,313 As for Willow bunch, he told me a simple story of 459 00:18:54,443 --> 00:18:56,513 a farming town's demise by the numbers. 460 00:18:56,652 --> 00:18:59,592 Once upon a time the farms would be a hundred to a 461 00:18:59,724 --> 00:19:01,314 thousand acres. 462 00:19:01,485 --> 00:19:03,895 So there would be 20 farmers, with three, four 463 00:19:04,073 --> 00:19:06,393 kids each, that's eighty people, a hundred people. 464 00:19:06,559 --> 00:19:08,729 Now that's one farm. 465 00:19:08,871 --> 00:19:11,251 But this areas' future is so much bigger. 466 00:19:13,082 --> 00:19:15,292 Well the oil field there's more than a trillion 467 00:19:15,430 --> 00:19:17,880 bottles of oil bigger than Saudi Arabia. 468 00:19:18,053 --> 00:19:19,743 This place is a gold mine. 469 00:19:19,882 --> 00:19:21,572 People are going to be coming here. 470 00:19:23,058 --> 00:19:24,578 How will they handle it? 471 00:19:24,749 --> 00:19:26,749 Well Gordon moved here after 48 years in Toronto 472 00:19:26,924 --> 00:19:29,344 and he says the key to change is to do what 473 00:19:29,478 --> 00:19:31,928 Legare and Sitting Bull did, - make the most of 474 00:19:32,067 --> 00:19:33,717 the space you've got. 475 00:19:35,657 --> 00:19:37,177 And that's one of the reasons why I built a 476 00:19:37,279 --> 00:19:39,179 labyrinth out in the back yard. 477 00:19:39,316 --> 00:19:40,866 And the idea is you meditate on something, 478 00:19:41,007 --> 00:19:43,347 and as you weave your way to the centre of the circle 479 00:19:43,492 --> 00:19:45,432 hopefully you'll have some clarity on the matter 480 00:19:45,563 --> 00:19:48,773 So you're accessing your feminine intuitiveness as 481 00:19:48,946 --> 00:19:51,156 well as your male aggressiveness and it's 482 00:19:51,293 --> 00:19:53,503 balancing it out for you in harmony. 483 00:19:53,640 --> 00:19:54,990 Well it's good for me cause I have both 484 00:19:55,124 --> 00:19:57,374 sets of genitals. 485 00:19:57,506 --> 00:19:59,536 Finally, a labyrinth when you need one. 486 00:19:59,681 --> 00:20:01,371 Because there was still some Stuff about Willow Bunch 487 00:20:01,510 --> 00:20:03,200 I was still trying to sort out. 488 00:20:03,340 --> 00:20:04,930 I couldn't really attach 489 00:20:05,100 --> 00:20:06,790 a singular identity to Willow Bunch, 490 00:20:06,929 --> 00:20:08,449 it's a real hodgepodge right. 491 00:20:08,621 --> 00:20:10,211 At first I was thinking is it a historical 492 00:20:10,347 --> 00:20:12,657 Métis community where Sitting Bull sat? 493 00:20:12,797 --> 00:20:15,277 Or is it a geological wonder? 494 00:20:15,455 --> 00:20:18,455 Is it a home of a famous giant? 495 00:20:18,596 --> 00:20:20,116 A refuge for outlaws? 496 00:20:20,288 --> 00:20:22,048 And then I realized it is, it's all of these things 497 00:20:22,186 --> 00:20:24,146 but a few new bits and bobs as well now. 498 00:20:24,292 --> 00:20:26,982 You know everybody here's a little different and is 499 00:20:27,122 --> 00:20:28,952 a different colourful square on this quirky 500 00:20:29,124 --> 00:20:30,824 quilt of a town. 501 00:20:30,988 --> 00:20:32,538 And from what I'm told of Saskatchewan winters 502 00:20:32,679 --> 00:20:35,479 you're going to need a quilt, you're going to 503 00:20:35,613 --> 00:20:38,483 need a quilt and a tuque and gloves. 504 00:20:40,308 --> 00:20:41,828 Just before I came over to the Jolly Giant for the 505 00:20:41,964 --> 00:20:43,594 show tonight my mom gave me a ring she said oh 506 00:20:43,725 --> 00:20:45,205 you know how's it going in Saskatchewan? 507 00:20:45,347 --> 00:20:46,937 I said mom I stood in the shadow of a giant, 508 00:20:47,073 --> 00:20:48,873 walked circles in a circle, played twister on the 509 00:20:49,006 --> 00:20:50,766 petroglyphs and sang some songs with the 510 00:20:50,904 --> 00:20:52,114 Fransaskois singers. 511 00:20:52,251 --> 00:20:53,701 She said Jonathan what are you talking about? 512 00:20:53,838 --> 00:20:55,318 I said mom I'm talking about Willow Bunch, 513 00:20:55,495 --> 00:20:56,695 Saskatchewan. 514 00:20:56,841 --> 00:20:59,091 Thanks so much everybody, you've been great. 515 00:21:00,673 --> 00:21:04,093 We're all working together as a very small community. 516 00:21:04,228 --> 00:21:07,018 You forget how the rest of the town how much 517 00:21:07,162 --> 00:21:08,922 there is here, how many different people. 518 00:21:09,095 --> 00:21:11,615 So now I think people will get an idea of really how 519 00:21:11,753 --> 00:21:13,103 interesting the town is. 520 00:21:13,237 --> 00:21:15,447 Yeah it's nice to get a little positive reaction 521 00:21:15,584 --> 00:21:18,104 to the area and a lot of the people here. 522 00:21:18,242 --> 00:21:19,422 Good show. 523 00:21:19,554 --> 00:21:20,804 It was funny. 524 00:21:20,934 --> 00:21:22,354 Very proud, very proud. 525 00:21:22,488 --> 00:21:24,768 It was personal so that was nice. 526 00:21:24,938 --> 00:21:28,248 He really learnt something I think so that's good.