Mayor Ann Lawlor's June 2025 Message

HALTON HILLS, ON – The big news on Halton Hills streets is from Acton this month, where Acton was the set and our residents were the cast. And in the fall we’ll be playing to a national television audience!

Camera crews were active in Acton last week as filming occurred for the CBC TV show Still Standing. Now producing its 11th season, the show tells the story of small towns in Canada and how their residents overcame struggles of one kind or another and are “still standing.”

The program features Newfoundland and Labrador actor and comedian Jonny Harris. Jonny interviews local characters and learns their stories.

My office was involved in the research and story development of the show. Show researchers were in touch late last year following a news story about the closing of the Olde Hide House.

The show researcher wanted to know how Acton would fare given the closure, and I responded that it would still be “worth the drive!” Acton would still be a great place to visit, with events ranging from the Leathertown Festival to the Fall Fair, a lively main street, international cuisine and friendly residents with all kinds of passions. I encouraged them to call on some of our townsfolk, and they did!

Familiar faces and spaces who were interviewed included the former mayor, the Turtle Guardians at Fairy Lake, the Acton Agricultural Society for a tractor pull scene at Prospect Park and downtown Acton merchants.

The filming of the local interviews culminated in a stand-up comedy show. This is a regular feature of the program wherein the host, Jonny Harris, performs a stand-up routine for local residents, which highlights their friends and neighbours who were interviewed that week.

And what a great time 400+ Actonites had on May 23 as we squeezed into Acton District School for a comedy show where our residents were the stars! There was lots of laughter as Harris celebrated the spirit that is uniquely Leathertown.

The popular CBC show will air sometime this fall with clips from Jonny’s interviews, local scenes and the stand-up comedy show, including our live audience reaction. I can hardly wait to see our Acton friends and neighbours and hear familiar tales of our town.

For some interesting and heartening stories, check out past episodes of Still Standing on YouTube. You’ll understand why I knew that Acton was a perfect set for this charming Canadian series.