BidZ.COM


 Features

 Front Page
 News Desk
 News Briefs
 News Summaries
 Columnists
 Sports
 Editorial
 Arctic arts
 Readers comment
 Find a job
 Tenders
 Classifieds
 Subscriptions
 Market reports
 Handy Links
 Best of Bush
 Visitors guides
 Obituaries
 Feature Issues
 Advertising
 Contacts
 Today's weather
 Leave a message


SSISearch NNSL
 www.SSIMIcro.com

NNSL Photo/Graphic


SSIMicro

NNSL Logo.

Home page text size buttonsbigger textsmall text Text size Email this articleE-mail this page

Oprah talks to Grise Fiord

Gabriel Zarate
Northern News Services
Published Monday, May 18, 2009

AUSUITTUQ/GRISE FIORD - Canada's most Northern community may soon be brought into the living rooms of people all over the world.

The Oprah Winfrey Show recorded a short interview from Grise Fiord over the Internet as part of its new "Where the Skype Are You" segment. Skype software allows people to make telephone and video calls over the Internet.

"It's interesting because she shows the diversity of cultures in different places around the world," said Laisa Watsko, one of three residents who spoke on camera. "In this case she talked about our culture and our climate."

Watsko, Neevee Kakkee and Janice Anderson spoke directly to Oprah herself, who asked questions about life in such a distant place. She asked mainly about the cost of living such as the prices of food, beer, soft drinks and clothes, and how many stores there were in town to buy such things in the tiny community.

Oprah was also curious about the weather and the snow, asking how cold it was in degrees Fahrenheit.

Jimmie Qaapik, the community's economic development officer, did the electronic set up for the show, connecting web-cam and laptop outside so Oprah's show could have the Arctic scenery as a background behind Watsko, Kakkee and Anderson.

Watsko said Grise Fiord joined other far-away places such as European and American cities, an Antarctic research station and even a submarine as web-cam correspondents on the show.

"I watch the show and I like the locations where they were showing them," Watsko said.

By all accounts, most of the actual talking during the interview with Oprah was by Anderson, who declined to speak to News/North. As the community's senior administrative officer, Anderson said she does not speak to the media.

As of press time there was no word on the air date for the Grise Fiord segment. A representative of The Oprah Winfrey Show said she would not comment until such a date was confirmed.