Jerry O'Connell loves North Bay
June 22, 2018 9:20 AM   Subscribe

Jerry O'Connell loves North Bay, Ontario... and North Bay seems to love him back. Jerry spent last summer in Ontario's "Gateway to the North" filming the TV series "Carter" and became a local favourite and a city ambassador.

While filming, Jerry belted out the national anthem at an OHL game, sang karaoke at a local pub, wrestled at a charity event and apparently gave rave reviews to local businesses on Yelp.

North Bay is the site of NORAD's Canadian operations centre, once situated 60 storeys underground to withstand a nuclear strike.
posted by sevenyearlurk (27 comments total) 7 users marked this as a favorite
 
Well that post certainly escalated!
posted by Celsius1414 at 9:34 AM on June 22, 2018 [2 favorites]


His Yelp reviews from outside of North Bay, ON, are hilarious. His review of an LA bar notes, "I HAVE SPOTTED CELEBS IN THERE AS WELL."

Unclear if he ordered the Slider Trio at IHOP.
posted by AndrewInDC at 9:44 AM on June 22, 2018 [1 favorite]


Yea another Slider sequel!!!
posted by sammyo at 9:44 AM on June 22, 2018


Jerry O'Connell loves North Bay, Ontario...

Speaking in my expertise as a Northerner, no one truly loves North Bay. It's no Sturgeon Falls. But saying that, I appreciate that O'Connell gave the town some American style boosterism because it needed it. While yes North Bay has the NORAD site, it is sort of famous for being near the little village where the Dionne Quintuplets were born (previously) which is, if you're from my grandmother's generation, a pretty big deal.
posted by Ashwagandha at 9:47 AM on June 22, 2018 [4 favorites]


Oh wow, I for some reason didn't realize (or remember) that My Secret Identity was a Canadian show. Damn, that brings me back.
posted by ODiV at 9:50 AM on June 22, 2018 [1 favorite]


Just a reminder about this great theme song.
posted by uncleozzy at 9:52 AM on June 22, 2018


I'd always just assumed that he was Canadian because he was in My Secret Identity . This is a charming story, but I wonder what he would think if he was there in the winter.
posted by sauril at 9:56 AM on June 22, 2018 [3 favorites]


Ok these Yelp reviews are incredible. He reviewed the Nord Bay airport! Having stayed at the Homewood Suites when I've been in Sudbury I'll agree with him "Are you feeling me? Amazing. Lots of parking. The Lake is RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET. " This is the right way to be a celebrity.
posted by Ashwagandha at 10:02 AM on June 22, 2018 [5 favorites]


North Bay gave us Mike Harris and I don't know that I've ever forgiven them.
posted by Quindar Beep at 10:11 AM on June 22, 2018 [3 favorites]


North Bay gave us Mike Harris

Now, now. North Bay also gave us Troy Hurtubise (previously) and Bryan Lee O'Malley (previously) so that should count for something.
posted by Ashwagandha at 10:25 AM on June 22, 2018


I'd always just assumed that he was Canadian because he was in My Secret Identity.

Ha. Me too, until just now.

His Yelp reviews are fantastic.

He reviewed the Nord Bay airport!

I like that there's one directly below his that's just so, well, of a type:

YYB - Jack Garland Airport is possibly the smallest airport I've ever been to. In case you are wondering, there are no direct flights from Chicago to North Bay.

Well, maybe North Bay doesn't revolve around you and Chicago, lady.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 10:26 AM on June 22, 2018 [4 favorites]


Maybe if Bryan Lee O'Malley fired Doug Ford's rotten carcass into the sun. Maybe.
posted by Quindar Beep at 10:27 AM on June 22, 2018


Well, maybe North Bay doesn't revolve around you and Chicago, lady.

Right. In the North there's 2 kinds of airplanes - the kind that go to Toronto and the kind that go to Sudbury. If you need to go to Thunder Bay, well you're out of luck & you'll have to take the bus.
posted by Ashwagandha at 10:32 AM on June 22, 2018 [4 favorites]


Shit... Reading all this North Bay news I stumbled on this - Troy Hurtubise died in highway collision.

*Sorry a derail but a big deal for North Bay*
posted by Ashwagandha at 10:35 AM on June 22, 2018 [4 favorites]


If you need to go to Thunder Bay, well you're out of luck & you'll have to take the bus.

Judging by her Yelp history, the overnight Greyhound run to Thunder Bay would break her.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 10:36 AM on June 22, 2018 [1 favorite]


North Bay gave us Mike Harris and I don't know that I've ever forgiven them.
My mom grew up in North Bay (I found out about Jerry's boosterism from my aunt's Facebook posts) and Mike Harris is in her high school yearbook.
posted by sevenyearlurk at 10:37 AM on June 22, 2018


Shit... Reading all this North Bay news I stumbled on this - Troy Hurtubise died in highway collision.

Damn.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 10:43 AM on June 22, 2018


I heard a bit of the Q interview when it was on the air last month. I hadn't realized that Jerry O'Connell wasn't Canadian until that point so it was entertaining and informative.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 10:48 AM on June 22, 2018


North Bay is also home to Lynn Johnston, creator of the newspaper comic strip For Better or For Worse. (And my (late) great-uncle, RCAF bomber pilot and flight instructor)
posted by Flashman at 10:54 AM on June 22, 2018 [3 favorites]


Hmmm, typical North Bay taking all the credit as the birthplace of Ringette. How soon they forget about Espanola.
posted by Ashwagandha at 10:59 AM on June 22, 2018 [1 favorite]


Interesting. Brooke Shields was gushing about North Bay a year or two ago.

I was only ever there as a very young child, but my main recollection is of abject boredom and way too many mosquitoes.

P.S. One of my childhood friends was an extra in an episode of My Secret Identity. It was a big deal.
posted by Sys Rq at 11:08 AM on June 22, 2018 [2 favorites]


This is a charming story, but I wonder what he would think if he was there in the winter.

I foresee him rating ice fishing huts on Yelp.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 11:17 AM on June 22, 2018


Brooke Shields was gushing about North Bay a year or two ago.

Looks like North Bay is hopping as filming location as she was there for a Hallmark movie. From the linked article, I wonder if "Kevin Szorbo" enjoyed North Bay when he was in that "biblical drama" (that's directed by the same Roger Christian that worked on Star Wars by the way).
posted by Ashwagandha at 11:21 AM on June 22, 2018


Jerry O'Connell's REAL secret identity was that he was an American. And that he was delightful.

And now that theme song is stuck in my head.
posted by urbanlenny at 11:35 AM on June 22, 2018 [4 favorites]


I have to wonder about that Troy Hurtubise crash. A story from earlier this year quoted him as saying he "might face down a train, holding his Bowie knife and machete...and cross over." Accident?
posted by baseballpajamas at 11:40 AM on June 22, 2018 [1 favorite]


Verno!
posted by runincircles at 2:08 PM on June 22, 2018


Huh. I just finished a month working in North Bay.

That's about all I have to say about North Bay.
posted by saturday_morning at 2:57 PM on June 22, 2018 [2 favorites]


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