Canadian Women of Courage

When Winnie Mandela was denied an entrance visa to Canada recently, it made international headlines. For a small group of artists and social activists in Toronto, however, it was a very personal disappointment. On June 6, Mandela and her daughter, Zindzi Mandela-Hlongwane, were the guests of honour at a private dinner celebrating "the spirit of women with passion, courage and influence," along with noted Canadian journalist, author, and rabble-rouser Irshad Manji, in Toronto. The dinner also marked the opening of an opera entitled The Passion of Winnie, composed by Bongani Ndodana-Breen and performed as part of the recent Luminato festival. It was hosted by Women's Post and Finer Foods Limited.

Despite her absence, or perhaps in some measure because of it, the dinner party was an extremely intimate affair. Actor and activist LeVar Burton took her place, as he had done the previous night when addressing the premiere audience of the opera. During the dinner, roughly 25 guests were captivated while both Burton and Manji spoke eloquently on the subject of courage, both political and private. A beautiful piece from Bongani's opera was performed by its leading lady, who charmingly interrupted herself mid-song to describe the scene.The evening was in large part about voice.

Chef Ray Bear flew in directly from Halifax with Clearwater lobster for the event. At the pre-dinner cocktail reception, under the dying sunlight on a private terrace in Rosedale, the discussion centered on a woman and a country half a world away, but in abstract terms only. Courage, they said, does not recognize justice – only injustice, wherever it may be.

Another kind of courage was celebrated recently as well. The White Ribbon Campaign is hailed as the "largest effort in the world of men working to end men's violence against women." The annual fundraising concert drew a healthy number of Canadian alt-rock and folksy talent to the stage of The Phoenix Club. In a bizarre turn-around, host Jian Ghomeshi looked better than he sounded, as he stumbled and rambled through some very poignant sentiments. Performers including Ron Sexsmith, Jim Bryson, Jill Barber, and Melanie Doane sang tunes by Neil Young. The hip venue and clever promotional material, along with an extremely dedicated set of volunteers, helped to raise awareness and money for a very worthy cause. Strangely though, the VIP room was empty. Sometimes the most important of causes can also be the least glamorous.

Published in the Women's Post, June 22 2007

2007 Heart Beat Ball & East Coast Music Awards

Stephen Lewis was speaking to the heart in Toronto last week. On February 16, Lewis, who is the UN's Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS, delivered the keynote speech at the Heart Beat Ball, a fundraiser for the Women's Cardiovascular Health Initiative [WCHI]. The event was held at the posh Four Seasons Hotel and distinguished Toronto Member of Parliament Dr. Carolyn Bennett served as the honourary chairwoman for the event. Guests wore red in celebration of the heart, and brought attention to the need for better research into women's health.

Foreign Affairs Minister Peter McKay was taken to task in Halifax on February 18 at the gala award ceremony for the East Coast Music Awards [ECMA]. It seemed that McKay forgot where he was and, even worse, where he came from, as he thanked the people of Toronto - no, Ottawa - oh, Halifax - and presented an award at the ceremony and over a live national broadcast. Comedian Mary Walsh followed the appearance and wasted no words as she lashed out against the Nova Scotian, to the thunderous applause of the audience. Winners at this year's ECMAs included Measha Brueggergosman for classical recording of the year, and Jill Barber for female solo recording of the year and recording of the year. The awards marked the end of a five-day industry conference, and also launched a trade mission south of the border to explore new markets for Canadian music.
Published in The Women's Post, March 9 2007

2007 Genie Awards, Canadian Songwriter’s Hall of Fame

Canadian talent swept over Toronto in a flurry of awards and posh receptions last week.

The Canadian Songwriter’s Hall of Fame [CSHF] paid tribute to legend Joni Mitchell when she was honoured at the 4th Annual CSHF Gala on Jan. 28 Performances by James Taylor, Jim Cuddy, Chaka Khan and Measha Brueggergosman (among others) were impressive and inspired, even to an audience made up mostly of other musicians. Yet among the glittering starlets and copious cocktails there was one subject on everyone’s lips with reverence and awe: the music of Joni Mitchell and Jean-Pierre Ferland. Some of the songs honoured were Woodstock and Both Sides Now, both by Mitchell, and Je Reviens Chez Nous by Ferland. Local music junkie and CBC hipster Jian Ghomeshi was among the guests at the pre-award reception.

The Genie Awards were held at The Carlu on Tuesday, Feb. 13 to celebrate the best in Canadian film. Actors Roy Dupuis and Patrick Huard were the centre of attention at the gala party, attracting many with their charming smiles and newly-won accessories. Dupuis, who played hockey legend Maurice Richard in the movie The Rocket won the Genie for leading actor; just one of the nine awards given to that film.

Meanwhile, the other handsome Quebecois star and funnyman Patrick Huard celebrated as his film Bon Cop, Bad Cop took home the prize for best
motion picture. It was truly a French-Canadian evening as Robert Favreau and Gil Courtemanche were honored for best screenplay adaptation; a version of the haunting and heart wrenching novel by Courtemanche, A Sunday at the Pool in Kigali, a work that has also been awarded several literary prizes, including the Governor General’s Literary Award. The Danish Poet, which has also been nominated for an academy award in the USA, was honored with the Genie for best animated short. Creator Torill Kove, another Montreal native, is no stranger to this sort of attention; her previous animated film was also nominated for an Oscar and Genie.

Published in The Women's Post, February 27, 2007

Operanation and the Mayor's Art Awards

I have indulged in a steady diet of canapés and cocktails since beginning this column, but not before this week have I enjoyed those vices in such excellent company and remarkable settings.

Our journey begins on Friday October 13 with Operanation, a fundraiser for the Canadian Opera Company. Held in the marvelous new Four Seasons Centre for Performing Arts, designed by Jack Diamond and associates, we were treated to private performances throughout the evening, a free-flowing bar, and an opera themed selection of snacks positioned brilliantly throughout the three levels of the massive space.

In honour of La Boheme we nibbled on melt-in-your-mouth brie among a selection of other delectable cheeses and pastries. Tosca brought us biscotti, Illy espresso and a selection of sorbets. The Ring Cycle tempted us with bratwurst, sauerkraut, pickles and rich mustard. The best tuna sashimi I have ever tasted, and Lychee martinis, were offered by Madame Butterfly.
A silent auction was also in play, with items ranging from Maurice Vellekoop’s new book, A Nut at the Opera, to donations from New Balance, Flirty Girl Fitness, PASH Jewellery Design, and many others.

The event was aimed at the hip and rich; part of an exciting new campaign to attract young professionals to the opera. The effort is called 'Opera for a New Age', and includes $20 tickets to each performance which are reserved for those under 30. However, Operanation also drew in the more mature set; those who seemed to appreciate the music over the martinis, and who were as engaging as they were truly interesting. The fundraising effort, coordinated by Tami Shapiro, Melissa Than, and a committee of dedicated young opera-lovers, has begun well. The first performance of the season, Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutte, is sold out, and the glass walls of the Four Seasons – literally glowing from within - reached their capacity that night. In sum, the COC hosted a very well-staged event.

Mayor David Miller and the Toronto Arts Coalition Foundation [TACF] honored artists of all kinds during an exclusive awards luncheon at the Fairmount Royal York Hotel on Thursday, Oct. 5. The TACF supports artists by providing them with appreciation, visibility, and material resources, subsidizing existing arts council support through private and corporate investors. Master of ceremonies Jian Ghomeshi of CBC kept everyone entertained, while prizes ranging in value from $10,000 to valuable works of art were handed out. Albert Schultz won the William Kilbourn Award for the Celebration of Toronto's Cultural Life, and Sun Life Financial was nominated for the Toronto Business for the Arts Award. The young and multitalented Peter Chin was awarded the Muriel Sherrin Award for International Achievement in Music and Dance, one of the most prestigious awards of the afternoon.

Published in The Women's Post, October 20 2006