Famous actor, hockey star to speak here

Well-known actor Gordon Tootoosis and former NHL star Gino Odjick will be speaking to youngsters about many youth issues this Friday at the Rainy River First Nations’ gymnasium.
“I think it’s a really good thing for them to come and speak to help educate the youth,” said Harvey Cochrane, who helped organize the visits.
People likely will recognize Tootoosis from the CBC TV series “North of 60,” where he starred as Albert Golo for six seasons.
He also has co-starred alongside celebrities such as Brad Pitt and Sir Anthony Hopkins, and has lent his talents to many well-known films like “Open Season,” “Reindeer Games,” “Alaska,” “Pocahontas,” and “Legends of the Fall.”
Meanwhile, hockey fans may remember Odjick from his pro hockey career which stretched from 1990-2002, including stints with the Vancouver Canucks, N.Y. Islanders, Philadelphia Flyers, and Montreal Canadiens.
Tootoosis was born on the Poundmaker reserve in Saskatchewan and Odjick on an Algonquin native reserve in Quebec. Both have pursued their dreams and become successful at their respective crafts.
“I was a survivor of the residential school system and all the abuse that came with it,” Tootoosis said when recounting some of his life experiences in a telephone interview on Monday.
“Later on, I suffered addictions that I overcame along the way and I just kept plugging away.
“I want to share with the young people that anything is possible if you put your mind to it and are willing to work hard,” he stressed.
Tootoosis said although he’s still committed to television and film as his first priority, when he isn’t working, he doesn’t mind travelling to other communities to share his experiences.
He noted for youths struggling to overcome addictions, he wants them to know that it’s up to them to do it.
“There’s no magic, there’s no medicine,” he said. “One has to work at it.”
Besides acting, Tootoosis also has offered his leadership talents as chief of the Poundmaker band and vice-chief of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations.
He will be speaking at 10 a.m. on Friday, with Odjick following.
“I’m really open to questions,” Tootoosis added. “I do so many productions that sometimes I forget people have questions they want to ask about a certain thing they’ve seen.”
After the talks by Tootoosis and Odjick, there will be door prizes and snacks, as well as time allotted for photos and autographs.
Cochrane said some schools already have confirmed their attendance, but everyone is welcome.
“I think it’s going to be really great,” he stressed.
Both speakers also plan to attend the 36th-annual Manitou Fish Fry at the Kay-Nah-Chi-Wah-Nung Historical Centre, which begins Friday at 4 p.m.