Happy 20th Anniversary, "North of 60"!Reminiscences--Part 4 Wayne Grigsby Truman Hoszouski Sharon Fogarty Wayne GrigsbyFrom the acclaimed miniseries "Trudeau" to the intricate drama "Black Harbour" and the haunting movie "Blessed Stranger"--and of course, the legendary "North of 60"--writer/producer Wayne Grigsby has brought us some of the most memorable shows on Canadian television. Strongest memoriesThe strong sense of community on the set. We were out in the woods shooting the series, not a lot of distractions, families often visited, people went fishing, people went for hikes. Because we were in close quarters, because making films is an intense experience, complications often arose among cast, crew, and production staff, but most of it got worked out. Life behind the camera was almost as interesting as what we put in front of the camera. Humorous incidents The day Tina Keeper showed up for the first day of shooting for Season 2--wearing a nose ring. She came straight to the producer's trailer to show it off and got exactly what she was looking for. A look of shock, dismay, and panic on our faces. A Mountie with a nose ring? How are we going to explain this to the network? Once she got the reaction she was looking for, she cackled gleefully and yanked the ring out of her nose. It was a clip-on. She got us good. Lasting impact of Nof60 People still watch it, people still ask for the DVD, people still cite it as influential. It was one of the first TV series (if not the first) where aboriginal characters were in the majority, not the minority. Because it was an ongoing series (as opposed to a one-off movie or TV movie) it solidified the idea that aboriginal actors, themes, and issues had a part to play in mainstream film and television. People cared about and engaged with North of 60 in a way I still find amazing. I met a contractor not so long ago who, when he found I'd been involved with the show, smiled softly and said "North of 60 changed the way I see the aboriginal people of this country." Doesn't get much better than that. Current activities Semi-retired. I stepped back from the business for a while, but some old friends pitched me on a project that I couldn't resist. So I'm back behind the keyboard, writing only, no producing. It's a TV movie called "Still Life," based on the first book in Louise Penny's best-selling Inspector Gamache mysteries. It's in the can and will probably air in the fall of 2013. In the meantime, I'm finishing the script for "Dead Cold," the second in the series. A word to fans A deep and heartfelt thank-you. Believe me, none of us had any idea North of 60 would last 90 episodes and five movies; none of us thought it would still be airing 20 years after it debuted; none of us had a clue that people would still be talking about it in 2013. Only viewers can make something like that happen; so viewers get the credit for keeping it alive. Truman HoszouskiWould you like to live in Lynx River? Truman Hoszouski and Sharon Fogarty do. They have the enviable job of being the onsite maintenance and security personnel for the Nof60 set. Truman has been there since the show began, so he has many stories to tell... Strongest memoriesEarly in the first season, I remember a warm, early fall evening and bumping into a beaming Doug MacLeod bubbling over with enthusiasm, a little village basking in street lighting, and a feeling we were on the cusp of something that would make history! I also recall the devastating flood of June 6, 1995, before the shooting season started, and how crews pulled together to save the set and restore it for a full season of North of Sixty. Lasting impact Careers for cast and crew otherwise may not have happened--and certainly not as they did. There were also many technical innovations, including in-house snow-making systems based on my designs, and portable furnace systems I designed that allowed prep crews and shooting crews to work in shirt-sleeved comfort. (Comfortable cast and crew do better work.) We also got a production location that continues to be used and will be for some time to come. And, certainly for the two of us, a life in a beautiful place and a large circle of interesting friends and acquaintances. Sharon FogartyAlthough she hasn't lived in Lynx River quite as long as Truman, Sharon Fogarty understands the unique opportunity she has had to be in this special place and watch the making of this special show. I was very much on the sidelines and, actually, knew very little of the on-going production, including the movies, although I did have the honor of meeting some of the talented folks involved in all aspects and levels of the North of Sixty production. I am truly grateful to be, quite literally, living in the film business.It has provided me with a unique and sometimes awe-inspiring view of the biz and the people in it. I only wish to add what I think the most important legacy of North of Sixty is. It has provided a voice, a heart, and a vision of what it's like, in part, to be a member of the First Nations of this country in current times in remote towns and villages. North of Sixty not only spoke to the spirit of First Nations peoples, it spoke to the heart of people of any color or culture who are living lives that are a little remote but not isolated. North of Sixty had a hand in that and that's something to be proud of. To me, the legacy is the people who still love it and the people whose lives were, in some way, blessed by it. |
