Warm Norm shows off Northern New Brunswick

A new tourism campaign for Northern New Brunswick has come up with a character that captures the spirit of the area. He's Warm Norm.

Tourist campaign creates character based on friendly folk of the North Shore

CBC News Posted: Feb 19, 2016 7:45 PM EST | Last Updated: February 20, 2016

Warm Norm, the star of a new tourism promotion for Northern New Brunswick. (CBC)

They say the nicest people in the country can be found in Atlantic Canada, but a new promotional video for Northern New Brunswick asserts that people there are the warmest, too.

Their spokesperson is a bearded lumberjack, travelling the country in his RV, ready to sing the praises of the area to anyone who will listen.

MeetWarm Norm:"Folks always say we're a warm bunch of people up here, even in winter!"

Meredith Caissie of Tourism Bathurst says Warm Norm shows the genuine, laid-back, warm nature of the area. (CBC)

The Northern New Brunswick tourism alliance is hoping to capitalize on that reputation with its newest promotional video.

"You're coming to a very laid-back, warm, genuine part of our country and I think with the Warm Norm video, it really just invites you in," said Meredith Caissie, of Tourism Bathurst. "This is who we are, come be a part. We're really welcoming and we just wanna share and let you live as a local."

Norm is the brainchild of Buoy Marketing of Halifax, and the Northern Odyssey group: Tourism departments for Edmundston, Campbellton, Bathurst, the Acadian Peninsula, and Miramichi.

Off to Ottawa

Norm is travelling to the Ottawa RV show to take over a local bar, and invite Upper Canadians back home.

The Warm Norm video is being used to attract tourists to Northern New Brunswick. (CBC)

"I'm gonna fix it up like my RV, only bigger!" he said. "It'll help us get into the mood for RV'ing in Northern New Brunswick!"

For the real-life Warm Norm, Beresford-born actor Nathan Dimitroff, the gig is pretty easy.

"It's actually pretty close," he explained. "It wasn't a tough actor's work to get into Warm Norm."

He also doesn't need much convincing to boast about his hometown.

"It smells good. The air is way better, doesn't smell like cement, there's not a lot of dust," Dimitroff enthused. "It's the trees, it's the water, it's like you're almost downtown and you get on your bike and you can go to the beach."

He can even attest to the friendliness and welcoming spirit.

Warm Norm is already a local celebrity. (CBC)

Dimitroff just moved from Moncton to Caraquet, and already, he's getting the celebrity treatment, the local barista capturing his mug in a mug of latt.

That's about as warm as you can get.

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