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Walker's show wins International Emmy

Article Origin

Author

Stephen LaRose, Sage Writer, Toronto

Volume

6

Issue

3

Year

2001

Page 9

Ever wonder whether Febreeze works?

What exactly makes up Cheeze Whiz?

And Blossom breast enhancers ... should we even ask?

Somebody has to find out about these things. Connie Walker does just that. And that's what helped the television show she co-hosts win two major awards recently.

For the past two years the Okanese First Nation member and Balcarres High School graduate has been the co-host of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's consumer affairs show for youth, Street Cents.

In October, the show won a Gemini award for the best children's and youth program for a show done last season, Walker's first season as co-host.

Last month, the show won an International Emmy award for the best children's and young people's television show that was broadcast on television outside the United States.

In an interview from her office in Toronto, Walker says she's more than pleased that the show has won those awards.

"It's a real thrill," said Walker.

"I haven't seen the trophies yet," she added. "I'll get to see them the next time I go to Halifax (where much of the show is shot and put together)."

The award-winning show, filmed last year, featured Walker on several segments. The long-running consumer affairs show has as its goal to make its viewers -mostly children and teens -into more knowledgeable consumers.

Walker's parts of the show included whether the new product Febreeze was actually a deodorant for cloth, as its makers billed, the purpose of breast enhancers for teenage girls, and what, nutritionally, makes up processed cheese spread.

"Actually, it's cheese," Walker joked.

For this season, Walker is based in Toronto and works with two producers on segments for Street Cents. The segments are then shipped to Halifax and inserted into the Street Cents program.

Segments of the show are filmed about a month ahead of the broadcast date.

The show, which is in its 12th season on CBC Television, runs Friday afternoons. It's rebroadcast on weekends on CBC Newsworld.