$1:
Oprah visit wows northern B.C. community
Matthew Gauk, CanWest News Service
Published: Saturday, August 04, 2007
VICTORIA — The tiny community of Alert Bay is still bathing in the afterglow of an unexpected visit Friday by the queen of daytime TV, Oprah Winfrey.
Winfrey came to the community of 556 people on Coromorant Island, about 500 kilometres north of Victoria, just before noon on Friday, says ’Namgis First Nation Chief Bill Cranmer.
She arrived on a yacht owned by B.C. billionaire Jim Pattison, who visits the small community in Johnstone Strait about once a year.
On the PerezHilton.com celebrity gossip site, one reader wrote in about the visit: “We don’t get a lot of excitement here, so when I noticed this giant yacht parked at the local dock, I knew it was someone important. Sure enough, the town was buzzing with word that OPRAH WINFREY was here! I couldn’t believe it!”
“People were just so excited to see her,” Cranmer said. “It was like a mob. She signed autographs, posed for pictures.”
Cranmer picked up Winfrey and Pattison in his truck and brought the two back to the U’mista Cultural Centre and the ’Namgis big house, where a potlatch was in progress. Winfrey was given a tour of some native artifacts at the cultural centre before heading up to the potlatch.
“She’s got quite a fan club up here,” Cranmer said.
Andrea Cranmer, co-ordinator of the T’sasala Cultural Group, admires Winfrey and watches her television show because she promotes issues like women’s leadership. She was in the big house with hundreds of others when Winfrey made her entrance.
“I was really shocked and then it was kind of like a dream that she was standing inside our big house,” she Cranmer said. “It was awesome. Some people cried, some people were just hugging her, praising her for being in Alert Bay.”
During the potlatch, it’s customary for women not to speak, she said. But the chief made an exception, and Winfrey, fresh from a whirlwind tour of the cultural centre, told the assembled crowd that they’re fortunate to have their culture intact.
Andrea Cranmer said Winfrey praised the ’Namgis ancestors and the rest of the people for keeping their traditions alive when many African-American traditions had been lost.
Winfrey was given an honorary name in the language of the ’Namgis that roughly translates to “Wise Woman” and she took part in some dancing before walking back to the dock.
“It’s still amazing,” Andrea Cranmer said Saturday. “We’re like, who’s coming next? Bono? Come with Bono next time! Because we all believe in the same things — healthy spirits, being connected — so it’s really cool.”
The Alert Bay rumour mill had it that Winfrey and Pattison’s next stop would be Nimmo Bay, a nearby fishing resort that once played a role in an episode of the TV show Boston Legal.
Alert Bay itself is no stranger to celebrities. John Wayne, Bob Hope and Merv Griffin were all known to visit the village, which they enjoyed because they could have a drink in the pub without being bothered, according Mayor John Rowell. When Rowell heard about Winfrey’s surprise visit, he made his way down to the dock but the TV mogul was long gone.
“It was the topic of conversation last night,” Rowell said.
But not everyone in town was star-struck.
“I knew she was here, but I just don’t give a s—t,” said Alert Bay resident Roy Johnson, when reached by phone. “It was inconsequential.”
Source$1:
The one weekend out of the year that we’re in her hometown of Chicago, and she’s not here!
Sigh.
Oprah Winfrey is in a small town in Canada, and lucky PerezHilton.com reader Zoe got the opportunity to meet her on Friday.
Here’s what she has to share:
“Dear Perez,
Yesterday was probably the biggest thing to happen in the history of the small town I live in… EVER! I was born and raised in Alert Bay BC up here in Canada in a small fishing village (population 1400). We don’t get a lot of excitement here, so when I noticed this giant yacht parked at the local dock, I knew it was someone important. Sure enough, the town was buzzing with word that OPRAH WINFREY was here! I couldn’t believe it! My sister and I were really excited. We heard through local chatter where she was and decided to walk in that direction. Apparently she had already checked out our local cultural centre (half the population here is native). As my sister and I were walking and chatting about how cool that was, I realized that Oprah was in the group of 3 people walking in our direction. It was just her, an older gentleman and another lady. No security or body guards or anything like that. As we were passing her, a car of women stopped and Oprah graciously signed their Oprah magazines and took pictures with them. Word around town is that she was incredibly nice to everyone and signed a lot of autographs and took pictures with lots of people. Anyway, just thought I’d let you know our tiny little island was fortunate to have THE Oprah Winfrey on it for a few hours.”
We’re so jealous.
We love Momma O!
Source
Go Oprah
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