A television host with a lot of keys and a bit of good news for Canadian trivia buffs.
If you asked, “Who is Alex Trebek?” you’d know a thing or two about the TV game show Jeopardy!
“I’m loaded with keys right now,” he warned a crowd, after he had been granted the key to the City of Ottawa. “I can come back to this city at any time. Watch out fellow Ontarians, because I’m going to be in your homes.”
The Sudbury native and longtime host of Jeopardy! noted that he had already been given the keys to the College of Bytown – the original name for the University of Ottawa – during his visit to Canada. He used to live in the city and attended the University of Ottawa.
It’s been a busy trip for Trebek: earlier Thursday, he met Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
The two discussed the recent controversy about Canadians no longer being allowed as contestants on the show. Trebek says that will soon change.
READ MORE: Canadians shut out of applying to be on ‘Jeopardy!’
As they begin to shoot the show’s 33rd season in July, Canadians will once again be able to apply. But Canadians will show up sooner than that.
“We have enough Canadians in the pipeline already as contestants and you’ll see them on the program between now and July.”
And he has one volunteer: the prime minister himself.
“In my conversations with the prime minister a little while ago, he mentioned that if Jeopardy! ever conducts a world leader Celebrity Jeopardy tournament, count him in.”
Trebek said he assured Trudeau that this would never happen, because “no other political leader that I can think of would accept our invitation and would go in against him.”
The host also offered his prayers and best wishes to the people of Fort McMurray, “who have suffered such devastating consequences of those raging fires.”
Living in Los Angeles, he has seen brush fires, he said, but never as bad as what’s happening in Alberta.
“I hope the winds die down, I hope the weather changes, and I hope the firefighters get control of that and those people are able to put their lives back together. It’s a great tragedy and I really feel for them.”