Could this N.W.T. man be Canada's Smartest Person?
Norn, who's originally from Fort Resolution, hopes to be a role model for youth in smaller communities
Could Steve Norn be Canada's Smartest Person?
That's something the Yellowknife resident will attempt to find out starting Sunday evening, as he competes on the third season of the popular CBC show.
Norn, a 40-year-old insurance broker originally from Fort Resolution, will be the first participant ever on the show from the Northwest Territories — an opportunity that he's not taking lightly.
"I want to let the people know out there that we're not all doom and gloom in our small communities," he said. "There's really good people out there, there's all this talent.
"If this is my 15 minutes of fame, so be it. I want to make the most of it, to spread a message out there, to try to be a trailbreaker for our youth."
Norn will be one of 30 contestants on this season of Canada's Smartest Person, which tests contestants on a variety of different quizzes and puzzles. Though he "didn't want to give too much away" before the premiere, he told CBC that he was playing for charity and that the format did feature some significant changes from seasons past.
Norn said he was pushed to apply for the show by his two oldest daughters, who often caught him screaming at his television while watching game shows like Jeopardy!
"It's one thing to sit there, you scream at contestants at the show: 'how did you miss that?'" he said, with a laugh. "And my oldest daughter said: 'why don't you just apply?'
"They were looking for applicants this year, and I put my name in. There's a series of gauntlets you have to get through to get on the show, and it was pretty surreal once I made it."
'I can still hear my great-grandmother'
Norn was raised by his great-grandparents in Fort Resolution, whom he credits much of his success in life.
"A lot of what my great-grandparents told me, I carried along with me," he said. "I can still hear my great-grandmother scolding me, and scolding me in Chipewyan," he said, with a chuckle.
He says he always "caught on to things really quickly," playing chess at age four and reading encyclopedias as a child.
And now that he's on a national television show, Norn says that he's hoping his fame will encourage youth to challenge themselves.
"To all the young people listening: don't be afraid to put yourself out there," he said. "Get out there and take risks, and you never know."
Canada's Smartest Person airs on Sundays at 8 p.m. Eastern on CBC television. Season three premiers November 13.
With files from Lawrence Nayally