Happy 20th Anniversary, "North of 60"!

Lubomir Mykytiuk

As storekeeper Gerry Kisilenko, Lubomir Mykytiuk gave us many dramatic, funny, and poignant moments as he portrayed the ups and downs of being an outsider in the Deh Cho.

It was a wonderful part of my life. I enjoyed simply reading every script (kudos to all the great writers and producers and directors we had). I loved driving to the set every day I was called, with the Rockies in the foreground. I loved being on set, with the Elbow River as a certain pacifier (a quiet walk along the bank helped my acting immeasurably).

I loved the drive home to our hotel, sometimes late into the evening. I loved going out at night with my great friends for dinner and great conversations. I miss my buddies, all of them; we were such a close, loving group. And I am deeply proud of having been allowed to participate.

I'm currently teaching acting at Sheridan College in Toronto.

Julie Stewart

Although best known for her starring role in the gritty detective drama "Cold Squad," Julie Stewart brought that same intensity to her characterization of Rosemary Stewart on "North of 60."

I watched "North of 60" before I had the opportunity to join the cast. It was striking in many ways. The physical beauty was refreshing, as were the many varied characters populating the stories.

I remember distinctly the satisfaction I got from the ambiguous nature of the storytelling. It wasn't black or white, people weren't good or bad...they were both! What a treat!

When I joined the show I was thrilled with the chance to play a woman who was annoying, jarring, but also vulnerable and positive. Say what you want about Rosemary, she was always trying to do things well.

"North of 60" was a pivotal experience for me in another crucial way: it showed me that working on a television show could be an enjoyable experience. I'm a firm believer in the power of teamwork, and the idea that if we're all working together toward the same goal the project is not only more likely to succeed, but it will also be fun. It must be fun.

The cast and crew were fantastic. Most of my scenes were with Robert Bockstael and I loved it. He was generous and supportive and fun as hell. Everyone was--we laughed a lot.

Thanks to the fans--you all have excellent taste.

Peter Lauterman

My strongest single memory is a sad one: it was the week during which we tried to come to terms with the suicide of young Mervin Goodeagle.

We found out about his death Sunday night. "We lost Mervin." That's how Tom Cox said it to me. It was my decision that the should show should not shut down, not even for a minute. So we all went to work Monday morning.

Tom organized the entire cast and crew into a circle. We held hands and prayed. Tom spoke a few words. Then we went to work. Or tried to.

By Wednesday, I was numb with grief and sadness and barely able to function. Most of us were in the same condition. It wasn't just about Mervin now. As Tom put it, we were living in and writing about a world of pain. Laughter, joy, redemption also. But too much pain. And we had gotten accustomed to it. Learned ways to block it out. Mervin's death had brought it all home to us.

So finally, the production ground to a halt. We shut it down and organized a healing ceremony. Barbara Samuels flew in from Toronto. Mervin's drum troupe came to us. We all stood by the river, while the drummers drummed and howled and chanted. They drummed forever. They sounded like howling wolves. I held on to Barbara for dear life. Then Dakota and Andy, our AD, carried a plate of food across the river and buried it.

And then we went back to work, and the healing began.

Gil Cardinal was directing an episode which required using a sacred Totem as a prop, for dramatic purposes. During prep and rehearsals, Gil had warned me that the cast were not happy using the Totem in this way. They wanted the scene rewritten and the Totem removed. Of course, I refused. LOL!

But on the day we were shooting the scene, I was summoned to the General Store. The cast was flat out refusing to shoot the scene. I was furious. I marched from the writer's trailer to the store, fuming and determined to restore order.

About ten paces into my march, the sky darkened, then a strong wind blew up out of nowhere. Still I marched on. Then suddenly, large hailstones began to fall. Golf-sized chunks of ice began to pelt me. It hurt like hell.

I ran for the store, made it inside. Gil and the cast were all waiting quietly, patiently.

We changed the scene.

The lasting impact was the number of good writers and actors who emerged from the show.