Still Standing

Skidegate, BC is home to the Haida Nation, who sacrificed its economic prosperity for the preservation of its culture and land. In other words, the exact opposite story of how Vegas was built. Despite the hardships, the Haida people are harnessing that warrior spirit to fight for its survival and a sustainable future for generations to come.

Vanastra, ON was once a top secret military base responsible for training the original RADAR technicians that would eventually end World War II. But now its buildings are crumbling, and the residents are shouting from the rooftops (or rather what's left of them) that they are open for business. Ideally this time the word gets out so the town can be put back on the radar where it belongs.

The beautiful harbour community of Georgetown, PEI works hard to keep itself looking ship-shape despite their poor financial state. Like a college student that spends all their loan money on nice clothes. There is hope that a wave of tourism is on the horizon, and Georgetown plans to be ready when its proverbial, and literal, ships come in!

Fort Coulonge QC was once a thriving logging town whose famous white pine helped build great cities like Chicago and New York, and whose way of life helped inspire great fashion like with Hipsters. Today the town is on the ropes. But an entrepreneurial woman who discovered her roots is going out on a limb to lead the community in making it grow strong once more.

To outsiders, the mountain pine beetle sounds like is a harmless, fresh-smelling insect. But to residents of Telkwa, BC they are the destructive little stinkers that decimated the town's once prominent logging industry. Though the forests have less bark, the people have plenty of bite and continue to "get ‘er done" in the face of adversity.

While the surrounding areas flourish from the Ottawa Valley tech boom, Eganville ON has been left behind to struggle with empty storefronts, a dwindling population, and passing motorists who see little reason to stop. Since spike strips aren't "tourist-friendly", the town is hoping its majestic white water river will float peoples' boats enough to get them out of their cars.

Successful "rail" and "hotel" businesses don't just represent part of a solid Monopoly game strategy. For the people of McAdam NB, they represent a time when the town's glorious buildings were the talk of the eastern seaboard. Now the floundering community is looking to the historic railway to get them back on track.

The people of Inuvik, which was once a hub of the Northwest Territories, are hopeful that the highway will put their town on the road to recovery.

When companies, canneries and the young left Mabou, Novascotia, the town rose above to create a unique cultural experience.

Once known as the cattle capital of Canada, the town of Maple Creek is returning to its western town glory after a series of tragedies.