EXPO SURPRISE NORTH SHORE WEEKENDER Friday, October 3, 1986 Page 15 North Shore couple wins Northern trip For Bert and Marlene Fry, a visit to Expo’s Northwest Territories pavilion in Au- gust was only the tip of the iceberg — the North Vancou- ver couple were awarded a BY LOUISE LEGER free trip to the territories af- ter they were established as the one millionth visitors. “It was really quite a sur- prise.” said Bert Fry, an electrical engineer with B.C. Hydro. “It took a few min- utes to recognize the signifi- cance of winning.” After their status of one millionth visitors was estab- lished, the Frys were es- corted to the pavilion’s Gov- ernor’s Lounge for a pre- sentation ceremony of gifts and prizes. Pavilion Com-_ f{ missioner George Braden presented the couple with a video tape of the Northwest - Territories (NWT) pavilion movie, a photo book about the north, a Hudson’s Bay blanket and an ‘explore the Arctic Package Tour’ to Yel- lowknife and Coppermine. The Frys flew to Edmon- ton and then on to Yel- lowknife with their 13-year- old son, Eric, two days later. “It is really an impres- sive city.” Bert said of Yel- lowknife, which has a popu- lation of 11,000. “I was sur- prised to see all the high rises there are and our ho- tel (THe Explorer) was first- rate.” to the. museum and a visit to a goldmine. After three nights in the city, the couple was flown 600 miles north to Coppermine where they BERT and Marlene Fry, one millionth visitors to Northwest Ter- ritories pavillion. (photo submitted) Marlene, an English as a second language instructor at Capilano College, said she was impressed by Great Slave Lake and its water- front. In Yellowknife, highlights for the Frys included a trip “perience.” stayed with an Inuit family.. “It was really quite an ex- Marlene stated. “The people there are so friendly. It is considered an insult if you knock on a door — everyone just walks on in — it’s really very sociable.” she said, adding that most of the homes were wooden cab- ins while some were tents. The Frys both admitted they found the weather a lit- tle chilly. “It was minus one (celcius) the day we arrived, “Bert said, “and when we were boating I was shiver- ing!” According to the Frys, the people of NWT take pride in accepting the cold. “In Yel- lowknife the people walk to work most days. It is only when it gets lower than 60 below that they notice the cold. They take a real pride - in accepting and they don’t | let it beat them.” said Bert. Marlene said the highlight of the trip of her son, Eric, was riding a three- wheeled, all-terrain vehicle. “Every- one up there drives one and for him it was a real thrill.” For Bert, flying from Yel- ‘lowknife to Coppermine is something he will not soon forget. “It was really quite spectacular. There are so many lakes and you can see the edge of the tree line.” he said, adding that Copper- mine is 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle. Jake Ootes, a public re- lations agent for the NWT pavilion and editor of North- west Explorer magazine, said he believes the NWT has a lot of potential as a tourist centre. “Tourism is presently the largest indus- try there (after mining), and its potential is dra- matic. There are some beau- tiful attractions especially for those who enjoy the out- doors, and now the difficul- ties of accessibility are dis- appearing. There are regu- lar flights to the communi- ties and there are accom- modations for tourists.” he said. Bert agrees: “It is really a worthwhile experience to see the north. This was a fantastic opportunity for us and I think for anyone who enjoys fishing and the out- doors it would be tremen- dous and I think most peo- ple would find they would be more comfortable than they expect.” Susan Cairnes, a public relations agent said she is pleased by the success of the NWT pavilion at Expo this summer. “We expect to have 1,500,000 visitors by the time the fair closes.” she stated. “That says a lot when you consider the Northwest Territories have a population of 52,000. That is a lot of visitors. When we reached the million mark, it was quite a milestone.”