Still Standing (2015) s01e12 Episode Script

1
He flipped the car over 7 times.
He though to himself
"Man, I gotta get my
daughter into this"
[Laughing].
Chris, you're not the
stereotypical farmer
Most people see
me and they think
I'm growing weed or something.
[Laughing].
Buxton, Ontario is the
happy ending to the most
shameful era of
American history.
[Applause].
When you grow up
in a small town in
Newfoundland, you see
that people have a
sense of humour
about hard times.
Check, check.
I turned that into a
career, and hit the road.
Mr. John Harris!
Now I'm on a mission to
find the funny
in the places you
least expect it -
Canada's struggling small towns.
Towns that are
against the ropes,
but hanging in there,
and still laughing
in the face of adversity.
Welcome to Buxton Ontario!
[Sings]"I'm travellin'
on to clear blue heaven"
Buxton Ontario,
it's a place unlike any
I've ever visited.
It's not a - a
community that was built
upon an industry, it
was built upon an ideal.
The slaves, 150 years ago,
who risked everything
to make it to Canada.
Who risked their lives,
risked unspeakable
punishments, and they
could only hope and pray
that it would prove to
be a better place for
their children, and their
children's children.
And the amazing
thing is - It worked.
[Applause].
Just this side of the
U.S. border,
we have Buxton Ontario,
land of the true North,
strong and free.
Keyword free, but
don't forget North.
A Canadian winter is a bit of
a kick in the nuts, right?
[Laughing].
Then suddenly you got
a-a - a former slave in
Ontario in January
lookin' at the snow for
the first time.
He's thinkin' "My God,
all that cotton,
and what I really need
is some wool".
[Laughing].
Oh, thank you for laughing
at that joke - [Laughing].
This is not the easiest
gig for a comedian,
right - [Laughing].
Who's gonna go to Buxton
and talk to the people
about the - the
sensitive issues of
history and slavery
and their ancestry.
Oh I know, send the
pasty Newfoundlander
with the weird hair
- [Laughing].
He commands respect
- [Laughing].
I knew the best way to get
the story on Buxton would
be to go talk to
the Prince family.
How's it goin' guys?
Good! How are you?
Hop on in here.
Now I should specify which
Princes I guess,
because Buxton has more
Princes than Disneyland, but -
[Laughing].
Hey, small town,
lots of relatives.
Alright, Jonny.
In fact, I decided to
share a funny thing
that came up in my
research material.
Everyone in North Buxton
seems related somehow,
but not in a creepy way.
[Laughing and Applause]
Like many Buxtonians,
they're direct descendants
from slaves who came
here for freedom,
and built a community.
So how is
Buxton doing these days?
Well, it certainly a
village that's um - changing.
A lot of the older
people who spent their
lives here have passed
on, and not much business
for the young people
to stay around.
Growing up here was
- it was activity just
about daily because we
had two stores.
We - there was a post
office, a mill,
gas station, a garage, you
know, so it was a -
a happenin' place.
Now more happened
than happenin',
I found a formerly bustling town
turned monument to the past.
Between the - the museum
and the church,
that's the nucleus now.
Brian is a historical writer,
Shannon curates the museum,
they know their stuff.
The Reverend William
King who was a -
an abolitionist, came here,
and he founded on an
ideal opportunity
for land ownership,
access to education, and a
protection from racism.
So when people come, we
encourage them to ring the bell.
Turn the wheel!
[Bell rings].
Brian and Shannon showed
me the Liberty Bell.
If you were out in the
field, and you heard that
bell ringing, you knew
that someone,
or a family had arrived
here in freedom.
Everybody would gather, the
whole community would gather,
and band together,
and help this person build
their new home.
It's said that they
could build one in a day.
Yeah - yeah.
Well I - I guess it might
have got tiring after a while,
you know, you
have a long hard day in
the field, you sit
down, kick your feet up
with a cup of tea, you
hear the liberty bell ring
[Bell rings]
it's like,
"Great, somebody found
their freedom, I better
find my tool kit - okay".
[Laughing].
We're deeply rooted here.
We're farmers, so that
keeps us tied to the land.
And my most precious
farm, my great,
great grandfather,
who was a slave, had bought
when he, um, grew up,
um - here in Canada.
So I-if you ran from your
master in Alabama,
and arrived here in Buxton
to - and became a -
a - a freed slave, a farmer,
this is the kind of place
that you'd be living in?
Yes [laughs] it is.
Do you wanna stick
your head inside?
Yeah.
I'm sort of overwhelmed by
- by an emotion that
I had trouble
defining to myself,
and then I realized,
it's pure envy.
4 bedrooms!
[Laughing].
I live downtown Toronto,
2 storey, 4 bedroom.
If this was in Toronto,
this would cost
you over a million
[Laughing].
And this is the museum,
and then that's the school.
And this is the school here.
Yes.
It's the only school left
in Canada that was
built by former slaves.
It was the first time
blacks could be educated,
and they took it very seriously.
Alright, students will not
speak unless spoken to.
They still bring in kids
like me today to
educate them about just
how seriously.
And there will be no
giggling, whispering,
or squirming in your desk.
I got to do a mock class,
uh, Shannon gets all done
up as a 1910 school
teacher, she gets the
whole outfit, - Miss
Kelly - Yes Mr. Enis.
Now, you wish to speak.
Miss Kelly, I can't
find how to switch it on.
[Laughing]
She marches me up
to the blackboard in
front of the class, and she -
she draws a circle
on the chalk board.
On your toes, please.
Nose in circle.
Wh-what if
Nose in circle, thank you.
But she draws it so high,
I was on up on my tippy-toes -
[Laughing].
Eyes forward.
And I'm up here with my
nose in the thing thinking
hang on, now who else has had
their nose on this blackboard?
[Laughing].
Which back in 1910
would've been a -
a valid concern, you
know, you're -
you're standing there thinkin'
"The last kid who had
his snot box on this
chalkboard might've
had Spanish fever" [Laughing].
Seems to me that the
- the - the story of
Buxton's history is in
good hands.
You guys seem like a
pretty good team to me.
You guys go together like
Ebony and well I guess Ebony
[Laughing].
What I've noticed in
Buxton since I got here is
a tradition of - of
passing the torch to
the next generation.
I went to visit Brad
and Jeremy Eagan at uh,
Bradonna Woodworking.
Uh, we make parts for
other cabinet jobs.
We do butcher block
tops, we make mouldings,
bar brackets, corbels,
pillars, anything
fancy on a kitchen.
Bradonna, Brad named it
for himself and his wifes
uh, Brad and Onna,
uh, [Laughing].no Donna,
Brad and Donna, Brad and Donna.
The last, what, three
months we've had the best
months ever three
months in a row.
Uh, in fact, they
are the largest employer
in all of North Buxton.
They are the only
employer in - [Laughing].
So the fun section
of the building
is the old train station.
1870, yes.
The original train station
from the road tracks, yeah.
Business is goin' so good
for these guys, they had
to buy the church next
to their building.
They were gonna tear it
down, because they though
it was not structurally
safe anymore
Yeah.
But it - it's a
good, solid building.
Uh - I guess the town
would've been grateful
that you guys
took over the place,
so it was it gonna be
torn down, or-?
There are a couple people
that don't like to
see a church used for
anything but a church.
But I figure, you know,
Jesus doesn't mind to see
some fellow carpenters
come in there,
I think it's [Laughing].-
the hardest thing
I think is - is - you're
in there with all that
heavy lumbar, is that if
you dropped it on your foot,
you'd have to run out
before you could curse, right?
[Laughing].
You're, like,
"Ow - Holy hell!"
Jeremy, you grew up here.
Yes.
Well, growing up, there
was a lot of kids my age
and I was, like,
the only white kid.
To me, didn't make a
difference whatsoever.
I didn't even realize
what racism really was
until I got to high school.
But what's even more
interesting is that he
didn't even really
notice - he didn't -
all those times gettin'
picked last for basketball
[Laughing].
Bradonna's business is
restoring Buxton's past,
and creating incredible
opportunities
for people like Jeremy.
I think I needed to
actually get out and do
other things and have
other jobs since this was,
like, the only place
I worked at for ma-
majority of my life just
realizing that I
can't tell my boss to
eff-off anywhere
else, so - Yeah.
Might as well come
back here and do it.
Uh, Jeremy wants to get his
name in there now too, right?
He wants to call it "Jeb-"
[Laughing].
Jebredeneremy!"
[Laughing].
The next generation of
farmers are keeping
Buxton going,
but if you go visit one,
watch your step.
You're steppin'
on my beans, dog.
Hey, come on man [Laughing].
Watch your steps,
man, this is my money
right here - see [Laughing].
So I went to talk to
this guy, uh, Brian and
Shannon's son, Chris,
the Prince of Princes.
[Applause].
So, usually there's not even
this many weeds in a field,
but I decided
this year to try to farm
without having to
spray this area.
When you think about
a farmer, you don't
typically think about
a young black guy.
Chris, you're not the
stereotypical farmer.
No, no, no no, most people
see me, and they don't
think I'd farm actual
soy beans, you know,
they think I'm growin' weed
or somethin' in the fields.
[Laughing].
It's terrible.
You don't grow any weed, do you?
[Laughing].
We'll talk after-
we'll talk about it after
What's the
hardest part of farming
now in Southern Ontario?
The hardest part is the
gamble, you know,
you gotta sell at the
right time, or you're
losin' out on thousands
and thousands of dollars,
so - We were
gonna get some weeds out
in his, uh, soybean field.
It's a little easier
if you got a hoe,
and I got hoes.
I got a broke hoe,
I got a good hoe,
I got hoes, so I'll
get you a hoe.
Aren't you married?
[Laughing].
He said "I'll
go get us some hoes",
he got all kinds of hoes.
[Laughing].
I don't even know
what to do with a hoe.
I'll show you, man, that's
what I'm here for -
I got you.
No, he was very nice -
he gave me the nice hoe!
I had the nice hoe.
Oh, I just wanna give my
hoe 80 dollars
and have a good cry.
[Laughing].
City folks.
He's an impressive guy.
This guy's a full-time farmer -
leader of the youth group -
Yeah.
Father of 5 - And a half
- And a half,
you got another one on the way.
On layaway.
Okay, so he's also a big
reason there is a youth group.
[Laughing].
So do you like comin'
in the tractor?
The young boys, they love
the farm, they love,
you know, the - the
tractors and stuff right now.
But just as his parents
sort of passed the torch
to him, he's a-a
farmer and a historian,
he's hopin' to pass
it on to his kids.
That's what I'm doin',
payin' it forward,
these guys'll be - uh,
the next generation of farmers.
He's only 3 years old, so
it's still, like,
sort of wait and see
stage, right?
Like if I'd made a career
out of what I enjoyed
doing when I was 3
years old, I'd be eating
snot for a living
is what I'd be doing
[Laughing].
But me and Chris
were talkin' about how
how sort of
racial lines in Buxton
have dissolved over
the years, and he said
"Man, there are no
races, there's just us".
[Applause].
Uh, Chris had a - I've
mentioned that people in
North Buxton a-are related
Chris had an excellent
story - can I tell this one?
Yeah, come on.
I've met some cousins I
had never seen before,
and ended up tryin' to get
this girl's phone number.
Basically, he hit on her,
and found out after
that she was his
cousin [Laughing].
I said "After what?"
[Laughing].
Across Canada, during the
- the Civil war,
there were 8, uh,
communities designated
specifically for black
slaves to come -
and start over, and four of
them in Ontario, and
and - and Buxton is
the only one left.
It's a living memorial
to the underground
railroad, and the people
who came here to farm and
start a new life, and
that's really what -
what George has done,
cause he came here,
and started a new life.
A place this size would've
cost me at least a
million dollars in Toronto.
Yeah.
He didn't have to
face the perils of the
underground railroad -
as far as I know,
he just went to
the truck I think.
[Laughing].
But George's dream - he
wanted to grow vegetables
and have some rows of
fruit trees, and sell that
produce on the side of
the road to the locals.
It doesn't feel soft.
No.
The only thing is, his
soil isn't good, and
and to get it going,
he needs mulch.
How much mulch would -
would you need to cover this?
Um
I figure about 3 tonnes.
We've all been at that
place in our lives, right?
[Laughing].
Where the only thing
standing between
you and your dreams is
3 tonnes of mulch.
[Laughing].
On top of the mulch
deficit, George has a few
things to take care
of around the house.
Like the house.
The house is, uh,
collapsing gradually.
Uh, I'm hoping I can
build it at a slightly
faster rate than
it's falling down.
The thing is, no matter
how much trouble George
has had getting hi-his
farm off the ground,
or in the ground, I guess,
at least Buxton is a
place where he can try -
people will let him
make a go of it.
We bought the place, and
we hadn't even moved in.
People here had come and
introduced themselves.
Everyone was very happy
to meet us, very happy to
tell us about the people
who had lived here
before, uh - this house is
kickin' my ass every day.
But, it's the best
place I've ever lived.
George, if you wanna
be smart about it,
just tomorrow, you go
ring the liberty bell,
and get everybody to come
- [Laughing].
[Bell ringing].
Come build a new house.
[Cheering and applause].
There's a whole other
meaning of the word race,
that's been important to
this town for almost 40 years.
And everybody told
me if I wanna see the
action in Buxton now,
I'd have to go to
South Buxton Raceway.
[Cheering].
It's amazing.
Local sponsors and
volunteers keep it rolling.
Generations here have
grown up watching
local heroes put the
pedal to the metal.
Just go around that
big mud onto the track.
And former racer, Kirk Hooker,
stays in Buxton just to
be a part of it all.
It means something to me,
this is home, you know,
I'm a - we're racers,
this what we do on
Saturday nights, you know,
this is where we come.
You can get 2000 people
in here, rockin' the place,
it's pretty amazing,
like, you know,
it brought tears to my eyes.
[racing announcement]
They've got racing in the blood,
and they said that that would
happen to me, and all the
cars [whooshing sound]
fly by, and then you
get a dirt shower.
[Laughing].
So, like, I don't know if
I have racing in my blood,
but I had racing in
my hair, and my butt crack.
[Laughing].
So I went to talk to
Tiffany and Jim Ellis.
[Car engine revs].
Just checkin' the brake fluid.
So I have breaks.
Jim drove, but he said
he - he had a harrowing
accident at one point,
he flipped the car
over 7 times, and as
the car was flying
through the air, doing the
maybe 5th or 6th flip,
he thought to himself
"Man, I gotta get my
daughter into this"
[Laughing].
She was probably about 10
years old, and she started
helpin' me out in the
car, and last year I had a
heart attack, so - So I just
been drivin' by myself.
During the race Tiffany
had some, uh,
mechanical issues.
She started to overheat,
and she came off.
Mike, give me a
half inch wrench.
Right away, uh, Jim and
- and Mike jumped in,
and they started
fixing the problem.
Her radiator fan broke and -
and shredded the radiator.
What?
Don't even worry about
the shroud,
Mike, we'll just
leave it the way it is.
And then they were
changin' a tire,
but the generator for
the air gun didn't work,
so some guys from
the other team, they came
over with their generator
and fired it up.
I'm not worried about
that, I'm worried
about turning on the water pump.
And then even
across the way, the -
the guy that she's in direct
competition with, they are
tied for points, he
came over to help them out.
I thought, you know, if
she went to him, and said
"Hey, do you have
a radiator fan?"
he'd be like "Yeah I got
a radiator fan,
here you go"
[Laughing].
"I got two of
'em if you want!"
[Laughing].
But when the race
started, Tiffany didn't.
I thought they'd be heartbroken.
Then suddenly they're laughin',
clappin' each other on the back.
I was blown away, I
couldn't believe it.
[Applause].
And Jim said to me any
night she comes off the
track safely, he's proud of her.
So, it was -
[Applause].
But it - it was kind of a
weird moment, 'cause there
was Tiffany, who didn't
get to finish her
race, there's Jim, who's
now got a broken down
race car, and I'm
the only one cryin'.
[Laughing].
I'm glad I had a cry though,
I had to get somethin' out.
The dirt in my
eyeballs - [Laughing].
[Choir sings church hymn].
Kleeda Morris, everybody.
She's 90 years old,
and she's lived in
Buxton her entire life.
Kleeda helps keep the
culture of community
together by running
the men's choir.
I heard the plan was to,
um, get all churches,
all races - kind of a
multi-cultural - Yeah.
Choir.
And these guys, I've met
'em, there's a great bunch
of guys, they're -
they're from mid 50s right
up to late 80s, and
sometimes they fill in for
the Rolling Stones, right?
[Laughing].
For the Rolling
Stones sometimes.
'Cause everybody
likes to have a sing.
Oh, they do!
[Sings] "Every time I feel
the spirit" -
Spirituals, it was actually
quite rousing - I got a bit -
I got a little - I got a
little bit of
the spirit in me, okay?
[Laughing].
[Sings] "Every time I
feel the spirit"-
It's the spirit of Buxton.
Slaves risked everything
to make it here,
and it worked.
You see it at the annual
homecoming weekend,
when thousands of people,
ancestors of the slaves
who settled here,
come from all over the
world to celebrate
the Buxton spirit,
and pass the torch.
Buxton Ontario is the
happy ending to the most
shameful era of
American History.
[Applause].
It was built upon a principal
- the right to education,
the right to land ownership,
and the right to accidentally
date your cousin.
[Laughing].
Before I came over for the
show tonight, uh,
my mom called me for the
first time since
I got here, and she said
"Uh, Jonathon,
how's it goin' in Buxton?"
I said "Mom, it's great.
I rang the liberty bell,
hung out with some Hookers,
got strapped by a school marm,
kissed a dirty hoe,
and sang for my salvation".
She said "Jonathon,
what are you talking about"
I said "Mom, I'm talkin'
about Buxton Ontario"
thanks so much everybody!
[Cheering and Applause]
It was great for
the whole community.
Yeah, it was, it really was.
I'm pretty proud to be,
uh, from [unclear] to say
that I belong to North
Buxton I don't even
know what the big deal is,
Jonny, she wasn't even my
second cousin, she was,
like, third, fourth,
cousin, I mean, like,
way down the line.
It was fantastic.
I just had to give my
dad a hug [Laughing].
Makin' fun of me?
[Laughing].
It was - it was all good.
I liked it all.
I liked everything.
I'm drivin' Miss Daisy.
[Laughing].
It was awesome -
Awesome - Amazing!
Enjoyed it muchly.
Thanks John.
[Laughing].