Jonny Harris of 'Still Standing' chats with Jane Stelkia, the oldest member of the Osoyoos Indian Band.
Image Credit: Keith Lacey, Local Journalism Initiative
April 16, 2025 - 11:30 AM
The Osoyoos Indian Band's success story is about to gain national attention as the cast and crew of the popular TV series Still Standing spent several days on the Oliver reserve last week.
Newfoundlander Jonny Harris, host of the Canadian television series — which premiered on CBC in the summer of 2015 — and a production crew attended the 95th birthday celebrations of Jane Stelkia, the band's oldest living resident in Osoyoos.
Still Standing’s tagline, “towns that are against the ropes but are still hanging in there,” reflects the show’s premise: telling the stories of Canadian small towns and how they overcome struggles.
A hybrid comedy and reality series, the program features well-known stand-up comedian and actor Harris as he and his crew travel to small Canadian communities — most of which are struggling financially but are “still standing.” Harris spends time getting to know the residents and their lifestyles.
At the end of each trip, Harris performs a stand-up comedy routine, incorporating anecdotes and jokes inspired by his experiences with the community. Harris performed his standup set Monday evening at the NK' Mip Cultural Centre.
The episode featuring the Osoyoos Indian Band will kick off the 11th season of Still Standing when it premieres in September.
As has become tradition for almost three decades, Stelkia celebrated her birthday by riding a horse, joined by members of her family, friends and supporters from the band.
This year, she rode her horse, Gunner, on a short trip up to the Spirit Ridge Resort, located on band land near Osoyoos. More than two dozen family members and friends joined her on the ride.
Following the ride, Stelkia’s birthday celebration continued at a clubhouse at the Nk’Mip Campground, where she and dozens of family and friends enjoyed her favourite meal: roast beef, mashed potatoes and gravy.
Harris said he was thrilled to be back in the Okanagan Valley, as he and the Still Standing crew previously showcased the community of Okanagan Falls.
“We visited Okanagan Falls a couple of years ago and I just fell in love with the area,” said Harris, who is best known for his role on the hit Canadian series Murdoch Mysteries. “I actually love it here.
“It’s always lovely coming to this special part of British Columbia, especially at this time of year. The crew and I just survived a winter storm in Toronto, so it was amazing to land here and enjoy the spring weather.”
While the upcoming episode will include highlights from Stelkia’s birthday celebration, its main focus will be the band’s remarkable economic success over the past several decades.
“It’s more about telling the OIB story and some of its history,” Harris explained. “There’s been a huge economic turnaround, with many successful, thriving businesses now. It’s great to feature such a strong success story — especially an Indigenous success story — and share what’s happened with the OIB.”
The episode will include an interview with Chief Clarence Louie, who has received national and international recognition for transforming the OIB from a reserve with high unemployment into the most economically successful First Nations community in Canada.
“We had a few words with Chief Louie earlier today,” Harris said. “We also finished an interview with Jane Stelkia and her son Aaron yesterday — they told us all about the cattle ranching and wild horse history.
“Beyond that, we visited SenPokChin Elementary School this morning and talked to the kids and teachers about food sovereignty and language. The kids were super keen — we even had some prickly pear cactus roasted over the fire like marshmallows. It was a lot of fun.”
Hosting a show that has taken him and his crew to hundreds of small communities across Canada over the past decade has been a dream job, Harris added.
“It’s been a remarkable way to see the country,” he said. “I still pinch myself. Still knock on wood. It’s been pretty great.”
To be considered for an episode, a community must submit a proposal to the show’s producers, who then select a subset for inclusion in the series.
Filming occurs during the three hiatuses Harris takes each year from shooting Murdoch Mysteries, in which he plays Constable George Crabtree.
In addition to his television and film work, Harris has performed at the Winnipeg Comedy Festival, Montreal’s Just for Laughs, and the Halifax Comedy Festival. In 2018, he co-hosted the 6th Annual Canadian Screen Awards with Emma Hunter.
Harris, 49, was born in Pouch Cove, Newfoundland.
Louie said he’s honoured that Still Standing chose to tell the story of the band’s success and looks forward to watching the episode when it airs on CBC this fall.
— This story was originally published by the Penticton Herald
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