Modern Don Giovanni gets Mixed Reaction

When the Canadian Opera Company (COC) introduced a modern staging of Strauss’ Salome in 1996, directed by Atom Egoyan, the reviews were positive but cautious. Staged the following year in Vancouver, it was called “effective”, “tastefully erotic” and “a bold, modern look at the ancient tale.” Three years later the COC mounted La Traviata in a similar way. It was called “controversial” and the costumes likened to “Eurotrash.” But the production sold out in two separate runs, and very quickly. The audience had spoken.

The ensuing trend of modernizing old classics – Egoyan and fellow famous directors François Girard and Tim Albery mounted a stark, contemporary Ring Cycle in 2006, and in 2008 Hip Hopera (a blend of DJ turntables and memorable arias) was introduced – has provoked reaction both good and bad. Egoyan’s Die Walkure received both a standing ovation and loud, persistent boo-ing when it opened in Toronto.

“There are people who take tremendous pride in their ability to publicly disclaim something,” Egoyan said at the time, “I just couldn't help but boo back. It was just fun.”

The staging of Calgary Opera’s Don Giovanni then, which premiered last week as the final production in their 2009/2010 season, was not without precedent in this country or around the world. The minimalist, modern sets were inspired by CEO Bob McPhee’s recent viewing of European operas, which depicted costumes, context and sets as contemporary as the 1940s.

And while there wasn’t any boo-ing on opening night, there was no standing ovation either.

A Place of His Own: Chef Michael Noble

Driving along a near-empty street bordering downtown Calgary, I pass a strip mall, a gas station, a series of lonely fast food joints, the windowless brick face of a recreation centre and the vast, dirty parking lot of a Tim Hortons.

Yet another strip mall appears on the left hand side of the road, beyond four empty lanes of freeway and a massive parking lot, and I see it: the sports pub Kayne’s on 17th Avenue S.W.. This is where Michael Noble — celebrity chef, mentor, man-about-town, Iron Chef contestant in Japan and Bocuse d’Or competitor — has asked to be interviewed.

BC Get-Aways: Saturna's Charms

Just off the coast of British Columbia, flanked by pods of travelling Orcas and smacked with fat purple starfish is Saturna Island. A peaceful hide-away, Saturna is one giant, rolling mountain that affords tremendous views of the Pacific Ocean (where, it’s true, Killer Whales are often sighted), lush forested valleys and four vineyards. The perfect weekend there begins with a three hour ferry ride from Vancouver through the Southern Gulf Islands ($15.70 per adult plus $58.30 per car, or $2 per bike). Sailing through thin fog, you’ll spot otters, sea lions and perhaps a whale or two. Mounds of thick forests emerge from the haze, and the taste of salt air on your lips will stir the initial cravings: salmon, oysters, fresh berries, wine. You’ll find it all on Saturna. Upon arrival, stop at Saturna Cafe for supplies and a gourmet picnic prepared by head chef, and German ex-pat, Hubertus Surm. Drop your bags at the Breezy Bay Bed & Breakfast ($95 a night with private beach), hop in a kayak and head to Thomson Park, where you’ll find fresh oysters just laying around on the beach ready to be thrown on a campfire. Finish your day with a sampling of Pinot Noir from nearby Falonridge Vineyard, so named for the rare Peregrine Falcons that circle above.

Published in National Post, May 1 2010

CBC Radio: Good Enough to Marry

Listen to my piece about a new book called Marry Him: The Case for Settling for Mr. Good Enough on CBC Radio's The Homestretch

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN

Elton: Behind the Scenes of the Ballet

Jean Grand-Maitre presents a complex, toe-tapping portrayal
of the legendary Sir Elton John

Half a dozen couples stand, stiff and silent as mannequins, on the hardwood floors of a large dance studio. They seem to be embracing; their faces close to each other as if whispering a secret.

The room is hushed as rollicking gin-house piano music fills the air. There is a clap, and a sharp voice begins to count, yelling: “One! Two! Three!” in time with the music’s beat. With each shout and clap, the dancers move swiftly into a tightly controlled pose of classical ballet: one woman is lifted high above her partner, another’s leg is resting above a shoulder, and another is angled away from her mate, tango-esque. The process is repeated; every clap of hands and shout reveals a new pose.

It is, purposefully, a tableau reminiscent of the opening scene in Bob Fosse’s Cabaret: mechanical and slightly disjointed, yet performed with the stunning agility and grace of highly trained dancers. There is something both beautiful and tragic in this sequence, like watching over and over the moment a carefree child is struck frozen by fear. And then, bizarrely, there is a man on roller-skates weaving his way between the partners. The music is almost deafening; familiar but new as well. Behind him struts a sinister, bowler-capped fellow, clicking his heels like a hedonistic jazzman. It is a captivating scene.

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Published in Avenue Magazine (Calgary & Edmonton editions) April 2010

Re-designing Disaster: Calgary Unites for Haiti

In Calgary last month, tens of thousands of dollars were raised for the earthquake shattered country. A concert at Jack Singer Concert Hall on March 10 raised $40,000 alone, for the Le Foyer de Filles Chretiennes Orphanage. It was a joint effort between Calgary and the City of Windsor. Local bands The Dudes, Woodpigeon, and The Polyjesters, played alongside the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, DJ Rob Faust, and Curiously Canadian Improv Theatre among others. CBC’s David Gray hosted the event.

At the city’s third PechaKucha night, themed “rebuild”, guests gathered at the Glenbow Museum to share ideas and inspirations. The event raised over $3,000 (donated to Architecture for Humanity) and connected via live satellite technology a group in Tokyo hosting a similar event. PechaKucha is a style of event invented in Japan by architects who wanted to share their ideas and portfolios in a timely fashion. At any given gathering, a speaker will present twenty slides, or photographs, and talk about each one for twenty seconds. That gives each presenter exactly 6.6 minutes to get their ideas across.

PechaKucha Rebuild attracted a diverse group of speakers. Catherine Hamel, a professor of architecture in the environmental design faculty at the University of Calgary, delivered a moving and poetic narrative which slide gracefully over the heart wrenching photos of her partner, Lawrence Eisler.

Jim Avery, vice-president of Sprung Structures, talked about his company’s innovative response to emergency shelter needs. His family-run business opened in 1887 as a manufacturer of chuck wagon covers, tepees and other Western-style coverings. Today, Sprung Structures provides unique and easy engineered structures which can be erected within hours and withstand the elements. Avery showed pictures of the structures at work in Cuba, New Orleans, and right here in Calgary.

Anila Umar, a youth counsellor and diversity trainer, talked about refugees who rebuild their lives in Canada; Olivier Mills of CAWST – the Centre for Affordable Water Sanitation and Technology – spoke about the relationship between organizations like his own and local, indigenous associations on the ground. He also pointed to women in any given community as the breadwinners and leaders.

Johann Kyser, a masters student in the faculty of environmental design at U of C, spoke about the power of sustainable design to transform and rebuild communities, beyond the physical infrastructure, and pointed to the parallels between the resiliency of a design and that a community. His focus was on socio-economic change, and creative, holistic approaches to it. His was the final presentation of the night. His last words were, “As we’ve seen by tonight’s presenters, even in the most dire of circumstances, human creativity and passion prevail”

Published in National Post on March 20, 2010

So You're Engaged: First Reactions

It was like being inside a pinball machine. Text messages, e-mails, and phone calls flashed and rang noisily all around me. Dozens of hands reached out to pinch my arm; dry, anonymous lips kissed my cheeks frantically, and there was a lot of joyful, incoherent yelling. It was mere hours since I had arrived home for Christmas, engaged, and the whole city of Vancouver seemed to be on high alert. I was jet-lagged and confused, but happy.

Why were all these people so excited for me to get married? Had they lost hope? How did they all know I was engaged? Did my parents tell the media? Who told my new fiancé he was getting a canoe as a dowry? What was I thinking, flying straight out of vacation and into one of my father’s giant holiday parties?

It began in Jamaica with a rush, post-proposal, of my future life as a future wife flashing before me. When I had calmed down, having examined the ethical diamond ring and my boyfriend’s super-hero posture carefully, I suddenly saw our future first home filled with our future freckled kids, our future careers, conflicts, Christmases, retirement, and travels around the world like a super quick slide show. This was our life. Then just as suddenly my vision narrowed and I saw a frantic work-out scheme, a desperate bid to quit smoking, a stunning couture wedding gown (ok, my imagination was running), a huge celebration, and an exotic but affordable honeymoon. This will be our wedding.

What I did not see, what I could not imagine, was anyone outside of my beau and I. But there they were, waiting. And that, it seems, is our engagement.

When you announce your intention to get married, it does funny things to people. Some are overjoyed, inappropriately thrilled by your decision to be locked in, while others are blasé. Everyone has advice, and the wedding is prime topic for dissection. “When is the wedding?” I was asked repeatedly the day after I became engaged; as if the event had been all planned out except for the leading man. Someone told me to order wedding cake “by the pound,” which I’m sure isn’t the way you do it. One person suggested, since we’re getting married in Toronto but hail from different parts of the country, that we have multiple weddings. Yes! A wedding tour! Let’s take this show on the road! Anything seems possible when you agree to get married.

Then there are the friends and family members you love, and who love you beyond reason. They have championed you as a couple, and supported your individual efforts. They are a warm cocoon between the couple and the world outside. And you need those people, because outside that cocoon is the real world, just waiting to freak you out with divorce statistics, mortgage rates, and speech requests. And orbiting around all of you are a flurry of trade shows, magazines, planners, cake-makers, banquet halls, DJs, and other honest retailers who simply want to share in your joy by selling you stuff – expensive stuff that must be colour coordinated.

Becoming engaged had a strange effect on us as well. Emotionally, I was on a roller-coaster ride for a solid month. A missing ingredient in my favourite salad was enough to bring tears. I quit smoking, joined a gym, and began scrapbooking favourite pictures from the wedding magazines I now buy at the grocery store every week. Scrapbooking! For my partner, babies have become an obsession. He watches National Geographic documentaries about baby muscox and baby panthers, and wonders what will happen to Brad and Angelina’s kids if they split. None of this is normal.

My soon-to-be mister proposed on a balmy night in Jamaica. In the darkness we could see thousands of stars above us, and the white fringe of waves as they lapped at our feet. A very brief, tiny moment before he uttered the words, I knew what was coming. My breath caught in my throat, and after saying “Yes!” my mind rushed into a stunned, wordless state of surreal euphoria. Nothing existed in that moment except for us, and this massive – perhaps insane – commitment we had just made.

It felt like skydiving: when you can’t remember the parachute, or the months of preparation, or the other people who have done this so many times before you, because the sheer fact that you jumped has stolen all other senses.

So, you’re engaged. Things will happen quickly, and it will feel like getting married is the most important, sensitive, and expensive duty you’ll ever have.

My advice to you, dear engaged one, is to remember that breathless moment when you first proposed or accepted; hold on to it, feel it, and put it somewhere very safe. There will be times when you need silence, calm, joy, or reminding of why you ever entered this world of hurt willingly. That’s when you can go back to that moment. Let your mind circle around how you felt, what you said (if anything), and remember what it was like to have nothing in your head except the sound of your heart. That moment is the first thing you’ve created for your future wedded selves. Marriage is a hopeful step, but engagement is the big leap.

Congratulations!

Published in The National Post, January 30 2010

Up next: Eeeek! Wedding dress week! Do they fit and flatter? Will it look tacky in photos ten years from now? Is it really worth the price of a down-payment or a trip to Europe? Was inviting three people to watch me self-consciously try on expensive clothes a bad idea? Does the new Holt Renfrew store in Calgary have a magnetic force around it?

Vero Bistro hosts Vine and Dine

While thousands gathered to cheer the arrival of an Olympic Torch in Calgary last Monday, a more intimate crowd was applauding the efforts of Chef Jenny Chan.

To them, her accomplishment was no less heroic than a gold-medal winner. That night, she and younger brother Frankie Chan prepared and plated a six course meal for almost 50 people; the full capacity of her small, upscale restaurant in Kensington.

Her partner, Mike Berg, is the restaurant’s manager and one of its few servers. He and co-workers were also given big praise, having slid deftly between tables, dropping gorgeous food with polished flare.

It was a ‘Vine and Dine’ event, meaning Linda Garson, an expert in wines, paired each course with a little known wine. She explained the history of each vineyard and grape, and why the choice was perfect for each dish.

A lobster bisque was first on the menu, complete with generous portions of lobster claws and a dash of Pernod. The matching wine came from Australia: Xanadu Next of Kin Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon.

The fresh crispness of it set the salty, cream soup in perfect balance. The following courses included a Dungeness crab cake with scallops and shrimp and exquisite hand-rolled sweet potato gnocchi drizzled with a sage brown butter and balsamic reduction; its sweet earthiness was paired perfectly with smoky bits of wild boar bacon, sweet candied almonds, and sharp gorgonzola cheese.

In a rare display of bias, Garson, who is set to visit winemakers in Italy, Chile and Argentina this season, announced her favorite wine that night: Chanson Pouilly Fuisse.

“This is delicate wine making,” she said of the Burgundy-region wine, “Chardonnay doesn’t have to be bright yellow, wheaty and steeped in oak … it can be like this, the perfect blend of acidity and sweetness. There is a subtle taste of oak, but not over-powering or artificial. This is how Chardonnay was meant to be.”

The same might be said of Vero Bistro. Confident, bold and complex flavours are matched by a comfortable, unpretentious setting. There are capable servers, a more-than-full bar, some of the freshest oysters in town, and a lively neighbourhood into which guests tumble after a long night of good food. Some Vine and Dine regulars said it was the best setting they’d experienced. It was, commented one patron, as if you had gone home for a special occasion dinner and your mother had been trained at Le Cordon Bleu.

Among the guests were Don Campbell, band leader for Estelle dance orchestra, Andy MacDonald, the new manager for Rouge Restaurant, and Johann Kyser, project manager for Alberta’s 2011 Solar Decathlon project.

Published in National Post on January 23, 2010

High Performance Rodeo Round-Up

Month-long festival of performing arts kicks off in Calgary

The High Performance Rodeo is a four week festival of music, theatre and dance. It is a place where emerging artists may showcase their work, and established shows find an eager audience. Here, you can see what good art is supposed to be - provocative, entertaining, and insightful - and, sometimes, art that is just the opposite.

The festival opened with a celebration of the highly unusual. Calgary’s Epcor Centre became the scene of a musical-circus-burlesque midway. Indie bands played while artists and art-lovers alike mingled. Cocktails were served in a velvet-draped lounge. While an “H1N1 Kissing Booth”, pornographic puppet show, and glass-walker kept the masses entertained on the midway, multiple shows were taking place around the city.

The most highly anticipated was Tubular Bells, a collaboration between Alberta Ballet, Honens Piano Competition, and the Bergmann Piano Duo. Choreographed by acclaimed local dancer Yukichi Hattori, the piece is set to an adaptation of a 1970’s rock-instrumental album. It was performed live by four internationally renowned pianists, on stage with the ballet company. It has been over a year since the show was performed here.

According to Michael Green, the festival’s curator, the mix of emerging and expected performances continues to grow the audience. “There is a demographic that will rush out and see anything that’s new,” he says, “And then there are those who look for something that’s established; that audience, in Calgary, is ripe, ready, and raring to go.”

“The High Performance Rodeo audience is the most sophisticated in Canada,” Green says, “There hasn’t been another festival - like this one, running for so long - anywhere else in the world. This audience is used to seeing very inter-disciplinary, challenging work. The kind of stuff you don’t see everyday is the mainstay of this festival.”

The hot tickets for next week include performances from Vancouver, Mongolia, and Calgary’s urban under-belly.

Electric Company Theatre from Vancouver is bringing Jean-Paul Sartre’s No Exit to stage beginning January 27. The show blends live theatre with live film, shot behind-the-scenes and shown on giant screens on-stage. An interactive tour of this mysterious set is included with a ticket.

Tono, a cross-cultural dance show which features live throat-singing, will start January 28. The show features performers from Canada, Mongolia and China. It will be a part of the Cultural Olympiad in Vancouver this winter.

Perhaps most important and unusual is This is My City, a sub-festival of performances based on a year-long project by the City of Calgary to engage homeless citizens in artistic expression. There are short plays based on the personal stories of homeless Calgarians; there is a concert by The Drop-In-Centre Singers and the Found Sound Orchestra; there is a unique exhibition of artwork by the homeless; there is a musical performance by the Land’s End Chamber Ensemble of Marcel Bergmann’s latest composition, written specifically for this event; and finally, there is an open, free symposium led by The Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada, and her husband, Jean-Daniel Lafond, on the power of art to promote social justice. The ‘Art Matters’ and ‘This is My City’ Symposiums take place all day at the Glenbow Museum on January 24, 2010.

Published in National Post, January 16 2010

Choklat Snobs Keep it Simple

Holiday Hootenany Preceeds New Year's Indulgence

There are only two places in Canada that make their own chocolate, according to Brad Churchill, and one of them is in Calgary. It’s called Choklat, and every Monday the public is invited behind the counter of Churchill’s shop to see just how the magic happens.

Last week, a small crowd gathered at 7:00 pm for the ‘Choklat snobbery tour’ in Inglewood. They were greeted by a warm cup of rich drinking chocolate, piled with whipped cream, and sweet smells wafting through the room. In less than thirty minutes Churchill gave a run-down of chocolate’s history; from cocoa as currency in the 15th century to the thick, spicy hot chocolate made by Spanish explorers in the next, to the innovations by a British Quaker named Mr. Cadbury, an Italian traveler named Mr. Ghirardelli, and two Swiss men called Henri Nestlé and Rudolphe Lindt which slowly formed what we now know as common, edible chocolate.

“For hundreds of years the art of making chocolate has been surrounded by this mystique, this air of mystery,” Churchill told his little group, “I’m breaking that wide open.”

A self-proclaimed “red-neck from Alberta,” Churchill has tried to purge his practice of the pretention often found in other confection stores. There is no elaborate packaging here, just the simple foil wrapping with smart turquoise lettering. Even the shop’s name - Choklat - is to this end; “I figured I would spell it phonetically and just be clear about what people are getting,” he explains, “It’s just that - real and simple.”

The tour includes an education on cocoa beans and their suppliers, and then a walk-through of how the chocolate is made. Churchill has managed to nurture relationships with small growers in Venezuela and has the distinct advantage of a family member in the freight business. This means his shop has access to rare, hand-sorted, good quality beans. He roasts them, separates the shell from interior (called “nibs”) and refines them with sticky fresh vanilla beans, cocoa butter
and sugar. The result is five pure and distinct chocolates from five unique cocoa bean types.

They are sampled alone, relative to a Lindt bar, and finally paired with desert wines, champagne, and sherry. One combination, a particularly well-aged sherry with the slight dried-fruit notes in the dark Cayuga cocoa, has been known to make some guests weep.

While Choklat and its decadent behind-the-scenes tour have gained in popularity, Churchill is already looking at the next step. He wants a larger space to begin with, one with a seating area where patrons can relax while indulging in a brownie or cup of hot chocolate. A Willie Wonka style chocolate waterfall and river has also crossed his mind.

A good introduction to the New Year, Choklat’s ‘snobbery tour’ followed on the heels of several holiday parties in Calgary. The Canadian Energy Pipeline Association (CEPA) had its fête at Centini’s Restaurant, where several Alderman were spotted including Druh Farrell who was asked by the M.C. if she wanted to start her bid for the mayor’s seat immediately. Lorraine Royer of Global Public Affairs, US Consul-General Laura Lochman, and Enbridge executive Art Meyer were also present. The Lougheed House hosted its annual design and décor
event. This year featured rooms decorated by Janet Farnham, Kevin Gray, and Charlene Threatful. Among the guests was Joe Lougheed, a lawyer with Fraser Milner Casgrain and son of former premier Peter Lougheed. He was taking guests through his great-grandmother’s old bedroom and explaining how she might have lived.

Published in National Post on January 9 2010

An International Christmas Feast in Calgary

Vine and Dine Gives Perfect Holiday Pairings

Christmas came early in Calgary, as over one hundred excited guests gathered on the 35th floor of International Hotel and Suites to celebrate the holidays with fine wines and food from around the world. Vine and Dine, the popular food and wine club hosted by Linda Garson, organized the event.

The menu featured six small courses, each paired with wines from a different country. First there was Portuguese bacalhau da consoada - poached cod with egg and cabbage - matched by Casal Garcia Vinho Verde. Vinho vedre literally translates to ‘green wine’ and speaks to the youthfulness of this blend, which is bottled without aging and meant to be drunk right off the shelf. The wine comes from the north of Portugal. It is fresh and slightly bubbly, a perfect balance to smoky, earthy flavoured food. Then a taste of Chilean sea bass arrived, with a sample of Botalcura Chardonnay/Viognier. The highlights of the meal were yet to come, though, in the form of a succulent braised wild boar belly from Italy and French-style smoked duck breast with toasted pistachio nuts. Those were paired with Masi Campofiorin and Coudoulet de Beaucastel, both full-bodied reds. Typical Canadian holiday fare was provided in the form of turkey with gravy and stuffing, paired perfectly with Gray Monk 50 Red from the Okanagan Valley.

Although she had not tasted any of the dishes prior to the event, Garson was pleased with the pairings. The menu was created especially for the occasion, in partnership with the multi-cultural talent of the hotel’s kitchen staff.

“None of these are available on the typical menu,” explained Carrie Larose of International Hotels, “We wanted to show that the hotel can really provide whatever you want for catering or functions. We also want to provide food that is not typically found in Calgary - or hard to find - and cater to that niche.”

Guests ranged from regular Vine and Dine attendees, like Heidi Wiebe and Wendy Walters, to pure vino-philes like importer Jocelyn Morgan, to culinary adventurers like Ann and Jim Murphy, who are set to travel through Southeast Asia with local food critic John Gilchrist next month. Their trip is organized through the University of Calgary, where Gilchrist teaches, and will include a two-day workshop on ‘Food and Culture’ at the campus before a two week trek through Thailand and Cambodia.

A large and jovial group of sixty-five patrons dominated one side of the room. They were managers of Boston Pizza franchises, enjoying a company Christmas party in high style. Dennis and Betty Bailey, owners of several Boston Pizza restaurants in the Calgary area, were among them.

After each course, there was a draw for two prizes: a bottle of one of the wines sampled, and a gift bag including chocolates and other treats. The majority of the randomly awarded prizes went to the Boston Pizza crowd. After dinner, the tables of the ballroom were cleared to allow dancing late into the evening.

Published in National Post on December 12 2009

Canadian Council of Aboriginal Business in Calgary

The Canadian Council of Aboriginal Business [CCAB] was in Calgary last week for their annual gala dinner. It has been twenty-five years since the organization was founded. Earlier this year, an anniversary party was held in Toronto, where John Ralston Saul was the keynote speakerand Rick Mercer delivered a pre-taped welcome address.

In Calgary, the celebration focused on economic development and the success of private-public partnerships. “Alberta is a dynamic place to be, and to learn about sustainable partnerships,” says Clint Davis, president of the CCAB. “This province is an economic driver for the country, and you’re also talking about a strong First Nations community, politically.”

Held at The Westin Hotel, guests mingled around hors d’œuvres and an open bar before sitting down for a full four course meal. Salad and soup were served before a turkey and lobster duo, which was finished with a seared berry desert. The food was paired with excellent selections of wine from Nk’Mip Cellars, Canada’s first Aboriginal owned and operated winery. It is found deep in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia.

While networking was high on the agenda, the gala was also the launch pad for the CCAB mentorship program. The initiative partnersAboriginal entrepreneurs with experienced leaders in Canadianbusiness. Applications will be accepted as of January for partnerships in Ontario, British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Alberta.

“It’s a fascinating time in Canada as it pertains to the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal business relationship in this country,” says Davis.

He points to the increasing number of young, urban, educated Aboriginals in Canada as a timely remedy to labour shortages. Davis adds that other factors in the growth of Aboriginal influence include a “groundswell of support for corporate social responsibility” which further connects Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal business communities, roughly five million dollars in investment capital from settlement claims, a panache for entrepreneurial activity, and the legal ‘duty to consult’ before developing on traditional Native land.

While yet another First Nations community in British Columbia - the Gitxsan of Hazeltown - considers giving up their rights under The Indian Act, Davis says change continues to come quickly. “There’s no doubt that The Indian Act in and of itself is a barrier to economic development,” he says, “[Relinquishing it] certainly has an impact on how government and business works together. But I think it’s a very good thing. It builds capacity within the community, and it opens up more opportunity to attract investors."

Those who attended the Calgary gala included: Treaty 8 Grand Chief Arthur Noskey of Loon River First Nation, Woodland Cree Chief Joseph Whitehead, director of education for the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation Dr. Noella Steinhauer, Jess McConnell of
ConocoPhillips, Maria MacAulay of Enbridge, Vicki Reid of EnCana, and Bonnie Veness of Suncor.

Published in National Post on December 5 2009

Rosenberg Talks Risk at Teatro

David Rosenberg was the guest of honour at the latest Salon Speaker Series event in Calgary.

The theme for this season is Risk and the Global Economy. It’s a topic with which Rosenberg, who left Bank of America-Merrill Lynch in New York to join the Canadian firm Gluskin Sheif earlier this year, is intimately familiar.

After a champagne reception and impressive three-course meal at the posh Teatro Restaurant, guests settled in for the main event. Salon speakers are requested to make opening comments, unscripted, for approximately 30 - 40 minutes before taking questions from the audience. The generous portions of lamb with caramelized root vegetables had barely been cleared, the mouth-watering array of sweets hardly explored, when Rosenberg launched into his monologue.

Dubbed the ‘double dip guy’ by at least one guest (because of his two-pronged recovery forecast), Rosenberg prompted a rush of murmurs with his opening: “You have to make your bets against the consensus,” he proclaimed, “The consensus gets it wrong about eighty percent of the time. But maybe this year is one of those times the consensus actually gets it right … right now the consensus is on some sort of v-shaped recovery.”

He was quick to win over his audience and declare his intentions.

“I am a financial market economist,” he said, “I’m a Wall Street guy and I’m a Bay Street guy. I’m here to talk about how to take the economics…what it means for your investments, and how to stay out of trouble. It’s about how much risk you want to take on, in order to get your return.”

True to the evening’s theme, Rosenberg’s talk centered on risky endeavors. First there was the Obama-Bernake analysis. Calling the United States economy a “fiscal train wreck,” he predicted that the sanctioning of a low dollar would boost their economy, promote exports, and protect balance payments. Then there was full-blown derision for the equities market, which he claimed “as a culture is dead”.

A director of Gluskin Sheif and regular Salon Series patron, Wilf Gobert, agrees on both counts.

“What he’s saying is that people are so focused on equities as the only investment,” Gobert said, “But the reality is that there are a lot of different investments available, including gold and bonds. And the attractiveness of alternative investment has grown, as a means of diversification in asset risk.”

Unsurprised by much of what Rosenberg had to say, Gobert says the economist “can be bullish at times,” citing his optimistic perspective on commodities (and therefore commodity equities) but agrees with his assessment of the American dollar.

“He’s bearish on currency because it’s the only major policy lever left in US government to try to stimulate their economy,” Gobert said.

And what does this mean for Canada, and more to the point, Alberta?

“Like all exporters in Canada, a low US dollar hurts the oil patch,” explains Randy Pettipas, president of Global Public Affairs and a regular guest of the Salon Series, “Your expenses are in Canadian dollars and your revenues in US dollars. It's worth noting though, that historically as the US dollar weakens the price of oil rises providing some compensation.”

Other guests at the function included D’Arcy Levesque of Enbridge, John Cordeau, Q.C. of Bennett Jones LLP, Dave MacInnis of Chevron Canada Ltd, Mark Kryzan of Shaunessy Investment Counsel, Jim Palmer of Burnet, Duckworth & Palmer LLP, Wouter Raemdonck of Total E&P Canada Ltd, David Bercuson of the University of Calgary, and Nicholas Kohler, Calgary Bureau Chief for MacLean’s Magazine. Rudyard Griffiths, co-founder of the series, skipped the event to be with his wife and new-born baby in Toronto.

Published in National Post, November 28 2009
Photo by Adrian Shellard.

Calgary Spies with the Geminis .... A Film Studio?

The 24th Annual Gemini Awards for Excellence in Canadian Television brought top industry talent to Calgary last week for a series of meetings, galas, and a glittering award ceremony, broadcast across the country. Held in a different city each year, this is the first time The Geminis have come to Calgary.

On-screen talent Brent Butt of Corner Gas, Arlene Dickinson of Dragon’s Den, Erin Karpluk of Being Erica, and Tom Jackson, most famous for North of Sixty, mingled with the behind-the-scenes folk who make it all happen, like local acting instructor Karen Ryan, Calgary film commissioner Luke Azevedo, Vancouver producer Ed Hatton, and Tom Cox, executive producer of SEVEN24 Films. While out-of-towners were kept entertained, local industry got a huge boost from their provincial ministry.

It’s taken almost three decades of planning, bargaining, lobbying and hoping, but a permanent, full-service film studio and post-production centre seems to finally be on the horizon in Calgary. During last week’s haze of Gemini Award parties, Alberta Minister of Culture and Community Spirit Lindsay Blackett unveiled an “agreement in principle” with the owners of Canada Olympic Park to buy a piece of their land and build a 75,000-square-foot facility there. The agreement comes less than two weeks after plans for a Canadian Sports Hall of Fame on the same site were announced. The province has promised $10 million to the Hall of Fame, and indicated partial funding support for the estimated $26 million studio development. At another function, Blackett also revealed $800,000 in new provincial grants for creative projects.

“For us it’s amazing”, says Azevedo, “It’s more than just sound studios: there is potential for sustainability, there are plans in place to allow us to link with post-secondary, to help create a training grounds, to help us become the diverse economy that we always talk about. Although we’re in a downturn economy, this is one of those things that will help us recover on a global scale. In my opinion, without a sound stage it’s also very difficult to grow our industry to where we want it to go. And since 80% of the work is done in the Southern quadrant of the province, we do need to facilitate that. This property will allow us a quick transition and a quick build.”

The Glenbow Museum, Westin Hotel, and Teatro Restaurant were all venues for hot ticket parties last week. After the funding announcements were made at the museum, insiders mingled, munched and mused across the street at the Women in Film and Television Alberta (WIFTA) party. Guests dined on scallop ceviche, fresh oysters, seared duck breast, and pork belly appetizers while a seemingly impromptu drum circle and live jazz provided entertainment.

Marni Fullerton, the recently elected president of WIFTA, says the timing was perfect for both a party and the new grants announcement. “We wanted to sort of ‘present’ Alberta, as the rest of the industry from across Canada descended,” she says, “[The funding announcements] are a really positive sign that Alberta is serious about long term development and sustainability in film and television in this province, and I applaud Lindsay Blackett for taking that initiative.”

Big winners at the next evening’s gala award ceremony included The Rick Mercer Report for best comedy, Flashpoint for best drama and best direction, and The Dragon’s Den for best reality series.

Published in National Post November 21, 2009
Photo by Adrian Shellard

Saskatoon: A new heart for the old west?

Canada West Foundation, a forty-year old think tank headquartered in Calgary, has opened a new office in what their senior economist has called “the top-performing province in the country” - Saskatchewan.

At a dinner in Saskatoon’s Delta Bessborough hotel, Premier Brad Wall and local mayor Dean Atchinson were joined by high profile guests from the Western provinces including former Attorney General for British Columbia Geoff Plant, former Saskatchewan Minister of Finance Janice MacKinnon, former Manitoba MLA and current president of the Business Council of Manitoba James Carr, former Alberta MLA and current chairman of The Western Financial Group Jim Dinning, Member of Parliament for Blackstrap Lynne Yelich, and Cameco Corporation’s Gary Merasty.

Calgary-based PetroBakken (a PetroBank company) was a lead sponsor of the event. Two weeks ago, in the small town of Kerrobert Saskatchewan, the company unveiled a homegrown technology called “Toe-to-Heel-Air-Injection” or THAI, designed to recover heavy oil in an efficient and sustainable way. The province’s Premier and Minister of Energy were on hand for the project’s announcement, which they claim will make major strides in extracting the estimated twenty billion barrels of heavy oil under the province, while preserving other valuable resources like water and natural gas.

Saskatoon berry wine was poured while Jim Gray, outgoing chair of Canada West Foundation, provided the opening remarks. “Think of the great assets of this province,” he said, “We have energy, food, and water. Then think inside of that triangle: We have technology, we have innovation, we have the people, and we have the quality of life. That’s your future, in Saskatchewan. It’s a marvelous future, and well deserved.”

The premier was introduced by CEO of Petrobank Energy John D. Wright. Guests from Alberta - already fearful of a shrinking competitive advantage at home - squirmed in their seats as Wright praised the “excellent leadership” and economic strength of Saskatchewan.

“I want to share with you that Petrobakken, and our parent company PetroBank, see Saskatchewan as the province for investment in Canada,” Wright said, “From the communities in which we work to the halls of the legislature; we’ve been welcomed with open arms. There couldn’t be a better place to do business in our experience. We will invest all that we can into this province.”

Wall picked up the praise, even adding fuel to the fire with a slide show depicting the Calgary Stampeders taking hits from the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Slogans like “You don’t stand a chance” over pictures of the football teams appeared on a large screen. Taking a more serious tone, the premier talked at length about the disparity between economic power in Western Canada and political power centralized in the East. Calling upon the National Energy Program, the musings of John A. MacDonald, and the notion of ‘easy money in the oil patch’, Wall framed his comments with “the disconnect; the lack of understanding between fellow citizens in the same country.”

“Some would say you’re not paranoid if they really are out to get you,” Wall said.

Charged with provoking debate and testing “national policies against regional aspirations,” Canada West Foundation certainly had good fodder for its opening in Saskatchewan. The premier went on to talk about the limits on a cap-and-trade scheme in the province - “We know we have to pay our share,” he said, adding the money must be re-invested in environmental technology in order to be “on in Saskatchewan” - and the growing alliances between the Prairie provinces in Canada and those in The United States.

Jack Vicq, former associate dean for University of Saskatchewan, will head up the new office in Saskatoon.

Published in National Post, November 14, 2009

The Posties: Long, Involved Process by Steve Murray

Published in National Post, October 24 2009
Read "The Posties" By Clicking Here

Fashion and Feng Shui in Calgary

Holt Renfrew, a mecca of labels and luxury in Canada for 170 years (Yes, 170 years! In 1837 it was created as a hat shop in Quebec before becoming the Queen’s “furrier” in 1886 and finally Holt, Renfrew & Co. in 1900), has replaced its store in Calgary with one three times bigger. Among the boutiques newly available in the 151,000 square foot space are Tiffany & Co, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, and Hermes, which hosted its own launch a few days after the mother-ship’s opening.

Media tastemakers from across the country flocked to the city for a celebration of beauty and branding at the new Hermes store, just inside the 4th Street entrance to Holt Renfrew. Champagne circulated while Guillaume de Seynes, executive vice president of Hermes and Jennifer Carter, president of Hermes Canada, delighted in sharing stories of the brand’s history.

In keeping with the evening’s theme of “The Great Escape”, guests were shuttled in a limousine or by stylish cruiser bicycles to The Opera Room in Teatro Restaurant for an intimate dinner. There, Bastien Bicharzon, just weeks after his move from Paris to Calgary, was introduced as the new store’s manager. Guests enjoyed a four-course meal including lobster, beef tenderloin, a selection of fine cheeses, and seared wild strawberries with lemon thyme sorbet.

A sweetly sophisticated Vineland Estate Vidal Ice Wine was circulating just as the affair became a kind of high fashion hoe down, with Hello! Canada Magazine editor Ciara Hunt and Avenue Magazine editor Kathe Lemon standing on the dinner table to reach classic Hermes scarves hanging off the giant globe lamps above.

A round of fluorescent green shooters were ordered and passed around. Meanwhile, Tanya Kim of entertainment news show eTalk Daily, Christopher Sherman of Fashion Television, and Hunt plied local writers for information on the best locale for line-dancing and other things cow-town. Nathalie Atkinson, style editor for The National Post, Karen Ashbee of FASHION, Malwina Gudowska of VitaminDaily.com, Shelley Youngblodt of Swerve Magazine, and Bill Brooks were also in attendance. At the end of the night, each guest was gifted with a souvenir Hermes bicycle helmet and a piece of gold-embossed porcelain bearing the iconic jumping horse of its Cheval d’Orient collection.

Earlier this season, style in the home was the focus of another event, this time spanning four days. The Calgary Home and Interior Design Show took place at the BMO Centre in Stampede Park. High profile presenters included Bryan Baeumler, host of popular television show Disaster DYI, Alykhan Velji, a Calgary-based designer soon to be launching a new signature line of rugs and home furnishings, and Mag Ruffman.

For those unconvinced by scarves and showrooms, a new book about how to build a healthy, happy home was released this month at a small yet bustling function in Okotoks. Alberta author Dawn Hankins teaches Feng Shui at Mount Royal University in Calgary. Her new book, The Forces Behind Feng Shui: A Companion to Energizing Your Life, gives pragmatic advice for those seeking a positive, peaceful and prosperous environment. Among the tips are: add a touch of red into your décor to boost your financial abundance and enthusiasm for life; de-clutter your front door and make sure it is well lit to invite positive energy; and make sure the foot of your bed is not facing the bedroom door for a good night’s sleep and a feeling of security.

Published in National Post on October 17, 2009

Movie Madness for Mavericks: CIFF at Ten

The parties were a little more modest, and a little less crowded than last year. There were more directors than cast members (read: celebrities) present, which is a good thing according to executive director Jacqueline Dupuis. The Calgary International Film Festival (CIFF) is about the filmmakers, she says, unlike Toronto’s marketing blitz and Vancouver’s mass-appeal programming. Every speech, interview, media piece, or private conversation alluded to the festival’s financial status.

Yet these signs of the economic times hardly prevented success on CIFF’s ten year anniversary, but rather narrowed the focus to what was most important: a record number of submissions, over a dozen well programmed series of truly international films, industry panels on the future of film, and a $25,000 cash award to a ‘Maverick’ filmmaker. And there were still plenty of free drinks to go around.

The opening and closing galas were held in the same location: a large section of downtown’s Eau Claire Market, which was sectioned off with billowy white curtains, flanked by a stage at one end and the white canvas FASHION / American Express / CIFF photo-op backdrop at the other.

The opening film was Crackie, a Newfoundland tragi-comedy starring Mary Walsh and Meghan Greeley, who was in attendance with director Sherry White. White and Greeley participated in a post-screening question/answer session, moderated by local reporter Nirmala Naidoo.

Then came the Rock n’ Roll Red Carpet Party, which followed John Chester’s new documentary about photographer Robert Knight, whose expert eye and relaxed demeanor has earned him privileged access to some of the greatest rock performers of our time, from Mick Jagger to Robert Plant. The party took place at the Barley Mill, across from Eau Claire Cinemas, with both Knight and Chester in attendance.

Toronto’s Ryan Noth, Geoff Morrison, Luke Bryant and Sarah Lazarovic were in town to premiere two movies - NPP: Gros Morne and No Heart Feelings. The documentary-cum-art-project called National Parks Project: Gros Morne is a city-specific experience which combines stunning footage of our national parks (in this case Newfoundland’s Gros Morne) on the big screen with a line-up of local musicians who perform a live soundtrack to the images. No Heart Feelings, a very funny film about a group of twenty-somethings in the big city, held its after-party at the Uptown Theatre’s Marquee Room, where cast member Steve Murray (also of The National Post) was in attendance. Director Lazarovic was the first ‘visiting creative’ to earn a free hotel stay at the newly renovated Nuvo Suites, which along with Calgary Arts Development is offering one complimentary stay per month for artists visiting Calgary.

Damien Chazelle, jazz drummer and Harvard grad, was one of the ten emerging filmmakers to earn the title Maverick. His beautiful black-and-white musical film Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench was celebrated with live jazz and a hopping after-party at Beat Niq Social Club. Chazelle also participated in an industry panel on “the art of filmmaking.”

At the closing gala last week, Chris Chong Chan Fui was awarded the coveted Mavericks prize for innovation and excellence in filmmaking, for his film Karaoke. Theatre actress and director Karen Hines took home the award for Best in Alberta short film for her work on A Tax on Pochsy. Among those mixing and mingling at the party were David Lee Miller, director of My Suicide, Juliet Garcias, director of Be Good, Ian Day, Tyler Fraser and Scott Townend of the locally-made short film Greenwash Gang, Spencer Estabrooks, director of the Western zombie flick Dead Walkers, Geraldine Byrne of WADE Canada, and Dr. Terry Rock, president of Calgary Arts Development.

Published in National Post October 10, 2009

Saints and Scoundrels on Wall Street

The Salon Speakers Series has opened its 2nd season in Calgary’s Teatro restaurant with author and New York Times business writer Joe Nocera. The theme this year is Risk and the Global Economy.

Some things at the Salon Series don’t change: the outstanding quality of a three-course meal at Teatro, for example, or the introductory remarks from a local business icon (in this case Jim Palmer, founder of Burnet, Duckworth & Palmer LLP), or the name-dropping within thirty seconds of the speaker’s remarks (last session we heard Bill Kristol’s scathing review of Al Gore’s company; this time we heard about Mr. Nocera’s casual visits to T. Boone Picken’s living room). On the other hand, some regular guests (it is an invite-only affair) have noticed some marked differences. In his introduction, Mr. Palmer, whose firm is also a title sponsor, pointed to the rather conservative nature of last year’s speakers and implored that the audience “be okay with some thinkers that are slightly to the left.”

Nocera’s gift, as a speaker and a writer, is story-telling. Energetic and knowledgeable, he spoke about the tension, the vacuum and the free-fall on Wall Street and in the White House after the collapse of mortgage lenders Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac. He described scouring for information, trying to figure out what would happen next. “They had no idea,” he said, “As the debate over Freddie and Fannie was going on, that AIG was just a few days away, then Lehman Brothers, Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch … it’s like all five heads of the family, in mafia terms, falling like a deck of cards.” Then he took questions.

In his book, Good Guys & Bad Guys, Nocera unravels the narrative of big business from the early ‘80s until today, giving the reader an up-close-and-personal look at how major deals close, companies grow or falter, and ultimately how a few personalities have dramatically shaped the American fortune. The book is compelling and accessible, deftly turning high finance into a good story. His descriptions of Wall Street in the mid-1980s (a chapter called “GaGa Years” is particularly good: “The scent of the market is powerful here, intoxicating,” he writes, “All around me I can see the blandishments of money, the seduction of wealth, the lure of financial security.”) are riveting. Oh, the heady climb before the fall.

For such a prolific insider, it’s a surprise that his writing didn’t offer forewarning of last year’s economic tumble, but boy can he explain it well today. And his prediction for the future? “People want to know if this will happen again,” he said, “And the answer is yes. It is inevitable that as people forget the downside of risk, they risk again, and ultimately fall into national - in this case international - insanity.”

While the question and answer period focused mainly on domestic economic recovery plans, Nocera did have a few awe-inspired comments for China (“It’s impossible not to be dazzled by China’s economic rise.”) who along with India and Brazil was given increased sway over the activities of the IMF only days prior and which, not incidentally, owns a significant portion of American debt.

Guests received a signed copy of Nocera’s book courtesy of Enbridge; other sponsors included Bennett Jones, Vendemmia International Wines, Global Public Affairs, and The National Post.

Published in National Post October 3, 2009
Photos by Adrian Shellard

Calgary International Film Festival

A daily blog
following the films, parties, and general antics of this year's CIFF for The National Post

Published on The Ampersand, September 25 - October 4