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Shania still soul searching

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: ‘I love the lakes, I love the nature,’ Twain says while reflecting on life in Northern Ontario

By Kate McLaren, The Daily Press

In giving advice to her hometown crowd, Shania Twain encourages her Timmins fans to "keep it real" and take refuge during blackfly season.

In an exclusive phone interview with The Daily Press Tuesday afternoon, the superstar talked about everything from her new book, to her recent soul-searching trip back home and the things she yearns for in Northern Ontario.

"I miss the smells of the North," she said. "I love those smells, the smell of winter, the hot summer smell on the spruce trees.

"I love the lakes, I love the nature."

Twain, who recently returned to the spotlight with a docu-series on the Oprah Winfrey Network and a new book entitled From This Moment On, said for her, a perfect day in Timmins may include a walk downtown or a dip in a nearby swimming hole.

"If I were in Timmins today, I might go for a walk, maybe go for ice cream, or get in a car and drive to a lake."

In her new book, the singer is extremely candid, discussing her childhood in Timmins, the family violence and trying times she endured, her fast rise to fame, and even the breakdown of her marriage to manager Mutt Lange after infidelity with a confidante and close friend.

She said what started out as a journey to document her life for her son Eja, 9, ultimately became a way to help others who might be experiencing similar hardships.

"It was hard for me," Twain said. "It's not like me to talk about my private life, but I felt compelled to document it as a truthful, comprehensive explanation for my child.

"If iI ever leave this world prematurely, I wanted him to at least have that."

The purpose of putting her story out to the public, she said, was to remind people to stay positive.

"The back of the book says it all. When life goes without a hitch, where's the challenge? That's an optimistic attitude, and the message is to stay optimistic no matter what.

"I know that sounds almost empty if you're someone desperate, so I know if you want to reach people, you better give testimony as to why you understand, and why you're saying what you're saying."

As part of her journey, Twain revisited Timmins in November 2010 while filming the series Why Not? With Shania Twain.

She said her personal and compassionate approach helped her face many challenges when examining her past.

"(My sister) Carrie and I went to the Bannerman house, and that was interesting.

"The people who live there now had a difficult time understanding why I wanted to see it, they felt vulnerable and they didn't want to compromise their privacy, but the reason they accepted is because I was able to explain that I'm just like them.

"I lived in that house, and it's part of my life like it's part of their life, and the appreciated that."

Getting to know people on a personal, human level gave her more desire to share her story, she said.

"I'm just a person, like everyone else, using a celebrity platform to explain myself and my story. For me, that personal side makes it so much more valuable for me, to use the fame and talk about something that is personally so meaningful."

Twain described the response received from her book as "overwhelmingly human."

"I've seen the vulnerability in people, and showed them mine, and that's something that can be lacking between an entertainer and a fan, or an entertainer and the public.

"People are emotional about the music, but they don't really know me, so this helps to break down the barriers between Shania the entertainer and Eileen the person."

She admitted isolating herself from the celebrity world has been essential in staying true to her Northern, down-to-earth roots.

"Staying in touch with Eileen the person has been very natural to me, and I think a lot of that is because I don't integrate much in the entertainment world, I keep to myself.

"Or maybe I just never really lost myself."

During Tuesday's interview, Twain was also open about the fact she's no longer comfortable singing in front of people.

"If I had to do it today, no, I could not do it.

"It's going to be a process, it's going to be physically quite painful. It's something you have to unravel, with rehabilitating the posture in your neck and back, and rebuilding the muscles around the larynx, and then there's the mental aspect of building up my confidence to where it should be.

"Maybe when I do get my voice back, I'll want that stage again, but right now it's much more genuine than just entertainment. It's not about fame.

"Right now, I'm still on the journey."

http://www.timminspress.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3117649