The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

10 - The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday September 24, 2008 www.oakvillebeaver.com All it takes is a smile to show you care. Geri Hall makes pitch to Canada's political leaders By David Lea OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF The Smile Cookies are back, and they're happier than ever. This week, buy a special chocolate chunk Smile Cookie for just $1.00 each, and we'll donate entire proceeds to ErinoakKids Centre for Treatment and Development. The federal election is proving to be a goldmine of material for Oakville actress Geri Hall. The This Hour has 22 Minutes comedienne has continued the TV show's tradition of ambushing high profile politicians and so far, her newly-created single female voter character has had close encounters with Prime Minister Stephen Harper, NDP Leader Jack Layton and Liberal Leader Stephane Dion. Her meeting with Harper on Sept. 12 garnered the most publicity when Hall was quickly escorted by security from a Halifax press conference and placed in handcuffs. A graduate of White Oaks Secondary School, Hall has been working for the Canadian news parody for more than a year and saw her single female voter as a golden opportunity for the show during the federal election. "I actually got the idea in my car in Oakville about a week before the show came up. We had been watching the American election coverage and there seemed to be a glamour and a romance attached to their election that is just not the same here," said Hall. "The language of romance is kind of a good satirical tool to poke fun at what is missing from our election, so I came up with the single female voter. This woman wants to fall in love with a leader and she wants this one to be the one because it is going to be at least a fouryear relationship." Hall got a sudden opportunity to use this lovestruck character with Harper's visit to in Halifax, her show's home base. Hall and her TV crew infiltrated a small press conference TONY BOCK / TORONTO STAR NO LAUGHING MATTER: Geri Hall, of This Hour Has 22 Minutes is grabbed by security after she interrupted Stephen Harper's press conference in Halifax. want to have some fun with you. I love you Stephen Harper, well I want to love you," shouted Hall. "Women love a sense of humour, they rate it second above rock-hard abs." Out in the hallway, Hall was placed in handcuffs and grilled by security about who she was and what she was doing. "This was all shocking to me because I'm a quiet that was held after Harper's Oakville girl who spends most official function and it was here of her time weeding her garthat Hall put her character to den when I'm not at work," said Hall. work. "Being in handcuffs was just "I stood up and very meekly and apologetically said, `I'm so completely surreal and shocksorry Mr. Harper, I promise to ing and I just kept saying, be brief, I'm a single female `Really? Really?' because I just voter.' I think I got that much couldn't believe what was hapout of me and immediately pening." Hall remembers being told security hauled me out of that because she did not have there," said Hall. "It was a very quick and identification on her she was stealthy removal of single going to be taken to the police station. female voter from that room." She was also told by the As she was taken away, Hall did her best to continue the spokesperson for the Marriott skit, desperately appealing for Hotel, where the press conference was held, that she and her Harper to reconsider. "Come on guys, come on crew were no longer welcome Stephen. Women love a guy there. See Handcuffs page 12 with a sense of humour. I just © Tim Hortons, 2007 Outwit other teams at being the best to find checkpoints and complete the detours and roadblock challenges first! For More Information Contact: Alison Hardman Volunteer and Fund Development Coordinator The Lung Association 1550 Enterprise Road, Suite 208 Mississauga, ON L4W 4P4 Tel: 905.696.0077 · 1.866.525.5864 E-mail: ahardman@on.lung.ca Provincial Platinum Sponsors Join The Amazing Pace in OAKVILLE! Saturday, October 25, 2008 Event Sponsors Local Sponsors Local Sponsors Register Online Now at www.theamazingpace.ca