Possum Lake
Encyclopedia
Possum Lake is a fictional town
in Northwestern Ontario
, Canada
which is the setting for The Red Green Show
. Although Dalton Humphrey, portrayed by actor Bob Bainborough
, refers to the "county
of Possum Lake" when he introduces Harold Green (Patrick McKenna
) as the new Public Relations person when McKenna returned to the show (episode 211, "New Job in Town"), most episodes call Possum Lake a "town". Red Green once ran for the position of mayor
of Possum Lake (episode 169, "The Mayor Race"), a position usually associated with municipal rather than county government (there are also no counties in Northern Ontario).
Possum Lake is named after the adjoining lake
, which is very polluted and full of discarded motors and car parts. As pointed out in many episodes of the show, it barely qualifies as a lake. In episode 107, "X Marks The Spot", the lake appears as vaguely 'possum shaped in an aerial photo, which implies the source for its name.
Possum Lodge, home base for the Red Green Show, has dock facilities on the lake, although viewers never see lake and the lodge at the same time. The lake does appear in episodes that include marina operator Glen Brackston (episode 23, "Canoe Jousting" and many others) and bush pilot Buzz Sherwood near his floatplane
"Beauty" tied up to a dock on the lake (episode 70, "The Possum Olympics", for example). Several episodes also have segments featuring water taxi
captain Hap Shaughnessy on Possum Lake.
The nearby town of Port Asbestos, mentioned in many episodes but never seen by viewers, has more people than Possum Lake, and more and larger retail businesses. Some Possum Lake residents view Port Asbestos as a rival, especially for tourist dollars.
In episode 297, "Rain Man", Red Green accidentally vaporized the entire lake after misfiring a cannon he had built to seed the clouds
and create rainfall. He did, however, touch off a huge thunderstorm in Port Asbestos, ending the region's drought
. The lake suffers other mishaps such as getting covered with a pink foam (episode 44, "The Sudsy Lake") and carbonation from high-tension power lines (episode 77, "The Hydrogen Project") or becoming magnetized from everybody's car batteries (episode 52, "Magnetic Lake").
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in Northwestern Ontario
Northwestern Ontario
Northwestern Ontario is the region within the Canadian province of Ontario which lies north and west of Lake Superior, and west of Hudson Bay and James Bay. It includes most of subarctic Ontario. Its western boundary is the Canadian province of Manitoba, which disputed Ontario's claim to the...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
which is the setting for The Red Green Show
The Red Green Show
The Red Green Show is a Canadian television comedy that aired on various channels in Canada, with its ultimate home at CBC Television, and on Public Broadcasting Service stations in the United States, from 1991 until the series finale April 7, 2006 on CBC...
. Although Dalton Humphrey, portrayed by actor Bob Bainborough
Bob Bainborough
Bob Bainborough is a Canadian actor. He is known for playing the role of Dalton Humphrey in the Canadian comedy series The Red Green Show, and appearances on History Bites...
, refers to the "county
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
of Possum Lake" when he introduces Harold Green (Patrick McKenna
Patrick McKenna
Patrick McKenna born May 8, 1960 in Sylvania, Saskatchewan is a Canadian comedic and actor. He is best known for playing Harold Green on the television series The Red Green Show, Marty Stephens on Traders, and the Trudeau miniseries. McKenna is a member of Toronto's The Second City comedy troupe...
) as the new Public Relations person when McKenna returned to the show (episode 211, "New Job in Town"), most episodes call Possum Lake a "town". Red Green once ran for the position of mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Possum Lake (episode 169, "The Mayor Race"), a position usually associated with municipal rather than county government (there are also no counties in Northern Ontario).
Possum Lake is named after the adjoining lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
, which is very polluted and full of discarded motors and car parts. As pointed out in many episodes of the show, it barely qualifies as a lake. In episode 107, "X Marks The Spot", the lake appears as vaguely 'possum shaped in an aerial photo, which implies the source for its name.
Possum Lodge, home base for the Red Green Show, has dock facilities on the lake, although viewers never see lake and the lodge at the same time. The lake does appear in episodes that include marina operator Glen Brackston (episode 23, "Canoe Jousting" and many others) and bush pilot Buzz Sherwood near his floatplane
Floatplane
A floatplane is a type of seaplane, with slender pontoons mounted under the fuselage; only the floats of a floatplane normally come into contact with water, with the fuselage remaining above water...
"Beauty" tied up to a dock on the lake (episode 70, "The Possum Olympics", for example). Several episodes also have segments featuring water taxi
Water taxi
A water taxi or water bus, also known as a commuter boat, is a watercraft used to provide public transport, usually but not always in an urban environment. Service may be scheduled with multiple stops, operating in a similar manner to a bus, or on demand to many locations, operating in a similar...
captain Hap Shaughnessy on Possum Lake.
The nearby town of Port Asbestos, mentioned in many episodes but never seen by viewers, has more people than Possum Lake, and more and larger retail businesses. Some Possum Lake residents view Port Asbestos as a rival, especially for tourist dollars.
In episode 297, "Rain Man", Red Green accidentally vaporized the entire lake after misfiring a cannon he had built to seed the clouds
Cloud seeding
Cloud seeding, a form of intentional weather modification, is the attempt to change the amount or type of precipitation that falls from clouds, by dispersing substances into the air that serve as cloud condensation or ice nuclei, which alter the microphysical processes within the cloud...
and create rainfall. He did, however, touch off a huge thunderstorm in Port Asbestos, ending the region's drought
Drought
A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...
. The lake suffers other mishaps such as getting covered with a pink foam (episode 44, "The Sudsy Lake") and carbonation from high-tension power lines (episode 77, "The Hydrogen Project") or becoming magnetized from everybody's car batteries (episode 52, "Magnetic Lake").