Yellowknife (Sep 10/04) - Two things drive Tom Jackson.

One is his work as an entertainer. Jackson, in addition to his career as an actor, most notably on the CBC drama North of 60, is also a singer with a string of albums to his credit.

But the other thing that drives him, and what he calls his "labour of love," are his altruistic efforts.

His schedule from now until Christmas is focused almost exclusively on his Dreamcatcher and Huron Carole tours.

His Huron Carole tour takes place around Christmas, raising money for food banks across Canada. But it's his Dreamcatcher tour that brings him to Yellowknife this weekend.

"I think being an entertainer comes with responsibilities," said Jackson, in his distinctive baritone voice.

"The entertainment business has been a means to an end for me. My work in the community is really where my calling is."

Jackson developed his Dreamcatcher tour seven years ago, following the suicide of fellow North of 60 actor Mervin Good Eagle.

The tour combines workshops for caregivers on mental health, stress, suicide prevention and coping, led by David Masecar, president of the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention, with a concert by Jackson for the community.

Caregivers from communities around the NWT will gather in Yellowknife for the suicide prevention workshops, which will focus not only on how to recognize adults and youth at risk, but on helping caregivers cope with the responsibilities they handle in their communities.

"What we intend to do is not only arm the caregivers with what they need, but also create a safety net so they can protect each other," said Jackson.

Jackson himself said he gets so much from his community work that it more than makes up for any time or energy commitment on his part.

"The gift is in the giving," said Jackson. "The rewards for the kind of work I'm doing are good for the spirit and good for the soul."

Next spring, Jackson will visit a number of NWT communities, though he's not sure where he's going yet. He spent much of the summer performing around Nunavut.

Though Jackson has visited the North many times, he always looks forward to coming back.

Jackson performs Saturday night at 7 p.m. at St. Patrick high school. All proceeds from the concert go to the St. Patrick and Sir John Franklin wellness programs.