Kerry McCluskey
Northern News Services

Iqaluit (May 13/02) - There are fast-talkers, and then there is Michel "Hoss" Bertrand.

He seems to talk faster than anyone else on the planet and even has the title to prove it.

Champion auctioneer Michel "Hoss" Bertrand wows the crowd at the Nunavut Trade Show Gala in Iqaluit last weekend. - Kerry McCluskey/NNSL photo

And the 1998 All Round World and Canadian Championship Auctioneer may have started what could be many visits to Nunavut when he ran the charity auction at the 2002 Nunavut Trade Show May 4.

Auctioning airline tickets, artwork and a fly-in barbecue for 10 people on Mount Joy -- to name just a few of the goodies up for grabs -- Hoss managed to work the Nunavut business community into a near frenzy as they bid on items.

The big seller of the night? A Nunavut flag signed by the territory's MLAs. While a number of parties tried to get in on the auction by raising their paddles and the price of the flag, the emblem went to a group of folks from Labrador.

They paid a whopping $5,600 for the flag.

"I wasn't surprised by the price, but I was surprised by who bought it and what they did with it," laughed Hoss, from his home in Ottawa last Monday.

In a gesture of good faith and friendship, the group from Labrador presented Iqaluit Mayor John Matthews and Premier Paul Okalik with the flag as a gift for city residents.

But curious minds want to know what tricks Hoss uses to drive up the price of an item. He said it's more about stage presence than fooling people into their purchases.

"You have to have personality and it takes charisma. You have to be an entertainer," said Hoss. "There's a trick to keeping the twang going and I use a lot of filler words between the numbers."

It also takes a keen eye to scan an audience for the more discreet bidders and to know when to close an item.

In the business for nearly 10 years Hoss -- nicknamed for the Bonanza television series -- has it down to a science. He said he was lured into the business when an antique shop he owned was going out of business.

"I hired an auctioneer to come and sell the contents of my store right on the premises. I got $25,000 and he got 25 per cent of that," explained Hoss.

"I said geez, I can't believe he made $25,000 in one day and I've been waiting 10 years."

As for his career in Nunavut, Hoss said he's already been asked to come back for next year's event. "I'd love to come back. I'm excited about it," said Hoss.