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Still Standing 2015 - Season 11 Episode 4 - Grand Manan, N
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00:00Here we are in Grand Manan, New Brunswick!
00:06The jewel of the Bay of Fundy,
00:08not quite as close to the mainland of New Brunswick
00:11as it is to the mainland of Maine.
00:14But it's kind of remote here, too, out here in the Atlantic.
00:17This island is home to exactly one grocery store,
00:20one gas station, no chain restaurants, no banks.
00:26I heard there was a bank up until a few years ago.
00:28People hoped it would stay, but the bank had 0% interest.
00:34When you grow up in a small town in Newfoundland,
00:37you see the people have a sense of humour about hard times.
00:40I turned that into a career and hit the road.
00:43Mr. Johnny Harris!
00:45Now I'm on a mission to find the funny in the places you least expected.
00:48Canada's struggling small towns.
00:51Towns that are against the ropes but hanging in there.
00:54Still laughing in the face of adversity.
00:57This is Grand Manan, New Brunswick.
00:59Am I alive?
01:03Grand Manan is famous for, well, let's face it, a whole number of things.
01:21But one of those things being, Grand Manan is home to the highest tides in the world.
01:27Because it is in the Bay of Fundy, as the moon pulls the water in here, it has nowhere else to go but up.
01:37The difference between low and high tide here is 40 vertical feet.
01:43That is crazy.
01:45This is the only place in the world where you can go out for a little kayak ride and every now and then you've got to pop your ears.
01:51Nice to meet you.
01:57Hunter, nice to meet you.
02:01Grand Manan is also famous because it was long known as the smoke-carrying capital of the world.
02:07To learn more about the rich history of fishing and smoking here, I did something you'd least expect.
02:15I asked a sturgeon, Ava Sturgeon.
02:21The breeze is coming in off the water and sometimes when it catches in those smoke sheds you can smell that old smell of the smoked herring.
02:30Ava told me the smoked herring industry started here way back in the 1780s and for generations she said there were smoking sheds everywhere.
02:40We had over 600 fishermen, over 300 of the smoke sheds all around Grand Manan.
02:48And massive amounts of smoked herring was shipped out of here to places all over the world.
02:53There was so many fish around here.
02:55As they come out of the fish wares, do you know what a fish ware is?
02:59I do, yeah.
03:00You do?
03:01Yeah.
03:02A fish ware is...
03:05You can still see the wares all over the island.
03:08You see the posts standing out in the water and she said at the beginning of the herring season a net would be wound around those poles.
03:16They hit that inner line and it directs them out into the fish trap and they can't figure out how to get back out.
03:23They're not really trapped but it's like they can't figure out how to get, I mean these fish, they're about to leave their school to get smoked up in the shed.
03:32What can you expect?
03:35But Ava said then the boats would go out, they'd net up all this herring from the weirs.
03:39Then we'd get the call to come to work and as a kid at 10 years old that was fun.
03:44The smoking process would begin with stringers.
03:47She was a stringer, that was her job when she was a kid.
03:50That's an old smoked herring stringing table right there.
03:55Oh really?
03:56I haven't seen one in years.
03:58We would have stood here, you would slide the fish down the stick until it touched your thumb.
04:04And if they were touching they wouldn't smoke right.
04:06Right.
04:07So they had to have that distance of the thumb.
04:09So you got all these herrings sort of hanging on the stick by the head.
04:12Your stick is full, you turn around and you put that stick on the horse behind you.
04:16And they'd all get put in rows on a cart, they called it a horse.
04:20I wondered if you twisted the stick, would all the herring sort of sway back up?
04:25You could put a little soccer ball in there.
04:29It would look like a big foosball table almost.
04:32Like a thousand players.
04:35She said, Johnny it's not really like a foosball table.
04:38I said, well it's not really like a horse.
04:43The sticks would get carted off to the smoking shed.
04:47So the guys climb up to the very peak and put the first fish in.
04:51There'd be several little fires there to create smoke and guys would be climbed up in these at various levels.
04:56Can you imagine being the person to go to the top of that and stand and then to get the herring sticks to set them up right and then go down a layer and do that all day long?
05:07No, I can't imagine.
05:08And of course if you were on one of the lower levels, all day you're just getting herring drippings.
05:14You'd be covered in fish oil by the end of the day.
05:17It must have been next to impossible to wash it all off.
05:20Although when you did, beautiful hair.
05:24Beautiful.
05:25They say, Grand Manan didn't know a split end for a hundred years.
05:31I mean, all of these sheds had fires going in them and the smoke coming out through the rafters.
05:36It brings back so many memories.
05:38We don't smoke here anymore.
05:39And I wish we did because it's a part of our heritage that we have lost.
05:46But I suppose like everywhere, you know, times change and sometimes the younger generation isn't as keen to carry on the tradition.
05:55You know, nowadays on Grand Manan, kids don't smoke herring.
05:59They vape peach mango.
06:09There are some traditional ways of life that continue here on the island.
06:15They say there's never a dull moment in Grand Manan, but many a Dulse moment.
06:21I talked with the owners of Green Sea Harvest, Wayne and Jordan Green.
06:30First of all, what is Dulse?
06:34It's superfood.
06:35A superfood?
06:36That's the bottom line.
06:38Dulse is a nutrient dense seaweed.
06:41It's the best quality in the world.
06:43Puts hair in your chest too.
06:46The Dulse of Dark Harbor is the Dolce and Gabbana of Dulse and Grand Manana.
06:53There are several reasons as to why Dark Harbor is the perfect place for Dulse.
06:58Look over there, them high cliffs.
07:00Yeah.
07:01It shades it from the sun so it doesn't sunburn.
07:04Okay.
07:05The other factor is the tides.
07:07Wayne said the deep tides provides nutrient dense water for the Dulse to grow in.
07:12It keeps the Dulse covered under 30 feet of water for half the day and then exposed to pick and then covered back up.
07:18Wayne said his family is a Dulsing family.
07:22It's a family tradition.
07:24His parents and his siblings would spend summers down in Dark Harbor picking and drying Dulse.
07:30And I guess my mom said that I used to pick in a little plum basket.
07:35And when I had it full, I guess I was rich, she said.
07:37How old were you when you started picking?
07:39Conceived on the rocks here, probably.
07:42Not only did he grow up picking Dulse, he said he was conceived right there on the seawall.
07:50It saved me having to ask.
07:52And I can kind of see why it's such a beautiful location.
07:57I mean, the scenic vista, the wild salt sea spray, it's all kind of erotic.
08:02So the tide's going out right now. Get ready to go Daltzen.
08:10So then we went to pick some Dulse.
08:12And the first thing involved, you got to winch your boat up onto the top of the seawall.
08:17And then with muscle and gravity, you bring it down over the other side.
08:21This is when you don't need a gym membership.
08:25There she goes.
08:26Gonna be real slippery here.
08:28And from there, you go off to your favorite picking spot.
08:31But you got to be fast on borrowed time, right?
08:34You can only harvest Dulse ten days a month, closest to the full moon.
08:38And you only have a two-hour window twice a day before the tide comes back in and all the plants are under water.
08:44You can't see the seaweed for the sea.
08:48And this is Dulse, right?
08:49No, that's kelp.
08:51That's kelp.
08:52And meanwhile, every five minutes, I'm like going up to Jordan with a piece of seaweed.
08:56Is that Dulse or Nori?
08:59That's Nori.
09:00Hey, that's a nice handful of Dulse right there.
09:02Okay, okay.
09:03I see, I see.
09:04So beautiful there.
09:05The sun was starting to go down over the sea.
09:07This huge weir right there in the harbor.
09:10But you can't get distracted.
09:11Time is money.
09:12Every basket you fill, that's like 80 bucks in your pocket.
09:16It's not long before you're into too much other stuff, though.
09:19And I said, how long does it take you to fill a basket?
09:23And Jordan said, well, you or me?
09:29Me?
09:30How long does it take me?
09:31You'll be here all night.
09:32The tide will cover it first.
09:33Although joke's on him because you only got two hours even if you don't fill up the basket.
09:37And I already knew I didn't need to work my butt off making 80 bucks that night.
09:42That's what I'm doing tonight.
09:46Shake, shake, shake.
09:47That's it.
09:48Ah!
09:49Good job!
09:50That goes in the boat?
09:51That goes in the boat?
09:52That goes in the boat?
09:53Once you've harvested the dulse, you've got to spread it out over the rocks to dry.
09:59And that's also where they have a shed where they sell the dulse.
10:02They said people, locals, will eat a bag of dulse, like a bag of potato chips.
10:10Now, when I tried it, I found it very salty.
10:13I'm just not a big seaweed guy.
10:14Listen, if I had to pick between dulse and nori, I'd pick dulse every time.
10:19And I'd rather pick it than eat it.
10:24Dulse is fascinating.
10:26It's part scientific and botanical.
10:29And in another way, it ebbs and flows with the rhythm of the sea and the moon.
10:34And it's almost astrological.
10:36In fact, you'll be amazed.
10:38When I got back that night, I looked up my horoscope.
10:44You're not going to believe this.
10:46This month, your sign is in a tidal moon.
10:51Beware risky business opportunities.
10:54However, it is an excellent time to get someone pregnant on the seawall.
10:59Oh, my goodness.
11:11What a good boy.
11:12Good luck with the painting.
11:16There's a little more spice on the island these days.
11:23Thanks to one of the newer residents.
11:25He's the hardest working man on dry land in Grand Manang.
11:29Owner of Vicky's Convenience, Raj Reddy Gujuri.
11:37Raj Reddy told me he moved to Grand Manang three years ago
11:40to take over Vicky's convenience store.
11:43He said it's been a bit of an adjustment.
11:45We have to get into the store at 4, make the coffee,
11:48breakfast sandwiches, everything ready,
11:50and 4.30, the door's open.
11:52Apparently, Vicky's is the only place open early enough
11:55for fishermen to get their breakfast.
11:57And people here on Grand Manang are not shy.
12:00Yeah, sometimes, you know, I overslept,
12:05and they come and knock my door.
12:07Really?
12:08Yes.
12:09He's got fishermen knocking on his door
12:11to get him out of bed.
12:15I don't mind because they need their food
12:17because they are going out in the water for long days.
12:20Yeah.
12:21That time Raj Reddy was just Raj, not quite ready.
12:26Here on the island, you know, the people are so friendly
12:29and they welcomed me with a warm heart.
12:31I got a lot of friends.
12:33But also Raj is passionate about Indian food
12:36and he's trying to introduce this more and more to the locals.
12:39The people who love the spices, they love it.
12:41The people who don't, they don't at all.
12:43Right.
12:44And he told me he's been making Indian food sub sandwiches.
12:49Indian chicken sub.
12:50Oh, amazing.
12:51Yeah.
12:52Here we go.
12:53I prefer subs because it's very easy for the fishermen.
12:55Right.
12:56If I give a rice bowl and the plate and something,
12:58it's too much messy and they don't have so much time on the boat.
13:01Now, you might think an Indian sub boarding a Canadian fishing vessel,
13:06that could be a big incident.
13:08That's something the Coast Guard has to respond.
13:10But in this case, it's no big deal.
13:13The Coast Guard is like,
13:14well, what kind of boat should we send after an Indian sub?
13:17Oh, sub sandwich?
13:20Oh, frigate.
13:25But it's not just food either.
13:27Raj is helping bring some of the cultural traditions of home to this island.
13:31This spring, his friend Risha said to him,
13:35we should celebrate Holy Festival here on Grand Manan this year.
13:40That's holy with an I, not a Y, short for Holika.
13:43They did it at one of the local churches.
13:45Oh, Holy Festival, it is called the Festival of Colors.
13:48Okay.
13:49Only rule is pick the color, throw it somebody.
13:53I was amazed that the locals would be so keen for a foreign cultural tradition.
13:57They're all dying to find out about it.
14:02We went over to a field nearby where I met some of his friends and Risha,
14:07who told me what the throwing of the colors was all about.
14:11These colors symbolizes love.
14:14And even your enemies can be your friends.
14:17And you let go and have fun.
14:20Okay.
14:21Yeah.
14:22Close your mouth.
14:24Now, why do you hurl it at each other?
14:26I don't entirely, a lot of it went over my head.
14:35A lot of it went in my hair.
14:37Is it nice to Johnny, okay?
14:39No, Risha.
14:40It's Johnny.
14:41Risha.
14:42Good morning.
14:43I got a lot of it in my mouth.
14:45I definitely ate a lot of colored powder that day.
14:48You know what?
14:49It tasted fine.
14:50The powder was very fine.
14:51In fact, it's so fine that some people would throw it through the air
14:55and it would make this cool kind of colored cloud effect.
14:58And other people, it seemed like more out of vengeance.
15:03Please close your mouth.
15:08Everybody, we all gonna have one picture.
15:10So you're gonna take one?
15:11Yeah, please take it.
15:12And the whole thing reminded me, not to gush, but what a cool country we live in,
15:16that I could come to a remote island off the coast of New Brunswick
15:20and learn about smoked herring and seaweed superfood and Hindu culture
15:26all in the same place.
15:28Hallelujah!
15:30And if I had to rank the things that I ate learning all this,
15:33it would probably be Indian sob, dulse,
15:37or no, Indian sob, colored powder, dulse.
15:41If you're looking across this great country for a Canada Day tradition
15:58that is on one side wholesome and warm, but at the same time chilling and greasy,
16:04I found just the thing in Grand Banan.
16:09I went down to Seal Cove.
16:11I had a chat with Chris and Tiffany Ingalls.
16:13The highlight of every Canada Day celebration on Grand Banan
16:19is the annual greasy pole ride. Tiffany explained how it works to me.
16:26The goal is to ride the barrel to the end of that pole and grab the flag.
16:32And if you grab the flag, you get a $20 bill.
16:35Now, after driving around Grand Banan, I said to Tiffany,
16:38does it have to be that Canadian flag?
16:42Because if it was any Canadian flag,
16:44I got a retirement plan here on Grand Banan.
16:47Lots of Canadian flags around.
16:53And this competition, it's hard. Tiffany said,
16:55maybe five people every summer will actually manage to grab the flag
17:00out of over a hundred people trying.
17:03And Chris is the reigning champion.
17:06Make it count.
17:07I've got it 17 times.
17:12That's pretty impressive.
17:14Now, knowing I was going to give it a try,
17:16my main concern, when I first got down to Seal Cove,
17:20I saw them setting up the pole,
17:22but before I really understood the tides in this area,
17:25it looks like a 15-foot drop under the rocks.
17:29That's crazy.
17:32But then the tide came in,
17:34and, of course, it filled up Seal Cove Crick, it's called.
17:37Don't let the word crick fool you.
17:39It is the cold North Atlantic.
17:41And it all kicked off, and first the kids went out.
17:46Some of the younger kids, under 12, they'll get a push from the adults.
17:57And actually, a few of them got it this year.
17:59But then it was time for the adults to go.
18:10And eventually I went up to take my turn.
18:16I went up to the barrel.
18:18Everybody cheered.
18:22Took a couple deep breaths.
18:24I took my shirt off.
18:25Everybody cheered again.
18:29This might be a war, but it feels like a lot of peer pressure.
18:34But then I was like, I felt the barrel, and it's super slippery.
18:41Like, just like it tits.
18:42And I was like, why does the pole need to be greased?
18:44Is this not hard enough?
18:45And I got in position, and I launched myself out.
18:50And I'm not about to upstage these kids.
18:58Let it be about the kids.
19:00Let it be about the kids.
19:02I just sorta, I took a dive.
19:05I took a dive.
19:08When I hit that water, it's so cold,
19:12my heart rate jumped higher than my gonads.
19:17Which is saying something.
19:18They didn't drop until the next day.
19:22Anyway, they're doing much better now, thanks.
19:24I know you were wondering.
19:25Thanks for your concern.
19:26They're doing just grand manads.
19:42There's a strategy, I'm told,
19:44when it comes to the greasy pole.
19:46When you take the barrel for a long and slippery ride,
19:49and whether you grab the flag or no,
19:52you land in water mighty cold.
19:54But still better than if you tried it at low tide.
19:59The smoking sheds still stand along the edges of the land.
20:03And the weirs still stand in water, as you know.
20:07As the sun begins to rise, you can hear the fishermen cry,
20:10wakey, wakey, eggs and bakey, Raj, let's go.
20:13A beauty here hits harder than the wind does on Dark Harbor.
20:23Of Grand Manan, here's one thing I believe.
20:26It pulls your heart strings tight,
20:28and it pulls with all the might
20:30of the full moon pulling tides upon the sea.
20:33Thanks for coming out, everybody.
20:35Have a great.
20:36Thanks so much.
20:37We had a pleasure.
20:38Thank you again.
20:42Yeah, he was a good picker, quick and down low.
20:45He's hired, everybody.
20:46Hired.
20:47I don't know how long my back would last.
20:48No?
20:49When I was telling him,
20:50Johnny, please shut your mouth.
20:52Yeah!
20:53That's the only time I can say that.
20:55Happy Holy!
20:57He understood what was the concept of holy,
21:00so I really appreciated that.
21:02He's a seagull going over, guys.
21:04I guess we need to put him back in the water, eh?
21:07Yeah.
21:08Whoa!
21:13What would you like, my lover?
21:21When's he coming back?
21:23Because we'd love to have him back.
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