The fun flies at the FurBall
By Caroline Phillips, Ottawa Citizen
March 28, 2011

There was one less celebrity for the cameraclicking faux paparazzi to shoot on the red carpet at the Ottawa Humane Society’s Hollywood glamour-themed FurBall, held Saturday at the National Gallery. With an election called that morning, honorary chairwoman Laureen Harper had to miss the gala to instead hit the road with her campaigning prime minister husband.

“We’re disappointed but we understand,” OHS executive director Bruce Roney said of Harper’s absence, while also pointing out that it was Harper who came up with the idea for this year’s theme. “She doesn’t just lend her name; she gets involved.”

Harper’s “other half” on the gala circuit, John Baird, was there to support the cause. He didn’t look the least bit tired from gladhanding all day in his federal riding of Ottawa West-Nepean. “I was out of the house at eight o’clock this morning,” Baird said.

The 290 guests also included Margaret Trudeau, who, being the busy gal that she is, was to host the Bows for Butterflies musical benefit for youth mental health the next day.

Heading up the FurBall committee was philanthropic planner Peter Nicholson of WCPD. Also sighted were OHS building campaign manager Anna Silverman and the general contractor for the new facility, Sean Lundy, as well as Austrian Ambassador Werner Brandstetter and his wife, Leonie.

Dunn’s owners Stan and Ina Devine’s glitzy moment on the red carpet elicited shouts of “I love your smoked meat!”from the spoof photographers while Jack Silverstein was out enjoying his temporary retirement, having just stepped down as campaign executive director for the Jewish Federation of Ottawa and president of the Ottawa Jewish Community Foundation.

Emcee Sandy Sharkey looked extra posh in her designer Antoine & Taillefer loaner gown. She recruited her 93.9 BOB FM cohost, Stuntman Stu, to run the live auction. Stu and his family are pet owners, don’t you know. “We have a goldfish,” his wife, Connie Bernardi, playfully volunteered.

OPERATIC HAPPENINGS

Tom Charlton took some ribbing for wearing his kilt to Saturday’s opening night of Opera Lyra’s Lucia di Lammermoor at the National Arts Centre. He donned Highland attire in honour of the opera’s Scottish setting.
“If we had a ballet would you wear a tutu?” Birdie Lubert teased him at the after-party held in the Fountain Room. Charlton replied that he would, if it upped attendance.

Charlton is acting general director for Opera Lyra, having replaced Elizabeth Howarth. She has taken a reduced role with Opera Lyra while her husband, Dave Howarth, battles brain cancer.
At the party, artistic director and maestro Tyrone Paterson introduced the stars of the Lucia di Lammermoor production, including Canadian tenor Marc Hervieux, who performs Edgardo, and Russian-born soprano Lyubov Petrova, who sings the role of Lucia.

At the party, Chilean Ambassador Roberto Ibarra and Argentina’s ambassador, Arturo Bothamley, enjoyed a nice chat with Petrova, who’s next opera-singing gig is in Buenos Aires. “I’ve started to take tango lessons,” she enthusiastically told Bothamley.

Guests included Viennese Opera Ball chairman Jim Hall, who told Around Town he plans to continue building on the success of this past winter’s Viennese ball. Also seen were developer Bill Teron and his wife, Jean; Opera Lyra treasurer Christina Cameron with her journalist husband Hugh Winsor; director Ute Davis; and board chairman Malcolm McCulloch and his wife, Lisa Hunt.

FIGHTING FOR THE CURE

The night was still young when Around Town dropped into the Fight for the Cure gala fundraiser for the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation, held at the Hampton Inn on Saturday.

The evening was presented by the Heart & Crown Irish Pubs, which handed over a $20,000 cheque to the OR-CF later in the night. On hand were the gala’s hosts, 10Count CEO Rob Imbeault, Final Round Boxing’s Matt Whitteker and head coach Eric Belanger, who had only positive things to say about the event’s whitecollar boxers. Eight businessmen had traded their suits and ties in for boxing shorts and gloves to duke it out in the ring for charity in front of a crowd of 650. “They worked really hard,” said Belanger.

This year’s white-collar boxing event matched Michael Shore of Metcalfe Realty against Darren Fleming of CresaPartners; past CEO of the Year Kevin Dee of Eagle Professional Resources against Tony Carmanico of Coradix Technology Consulting; Brian Brady of S.I. Systems against Mark McLean of Veritaaq; and Randy Woods of Non-Linear Creations against Walter Robinson of government relations and public affairs firm Tactix.

Robinson said he was planning to hang up his gloves after Saturday. He’s fought in the ring for all four galas. “Something has come down,” he told Around Town. “My wife’s foot.”

MAPLESOFT’S MANY FRIENDS

Who knew fighting cancer could be so delish? On Thursday, supporters of the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation came together at the Urban Element in Hintonburg for the launch of a new campaign to raise $2 million for the foundation’s Maplesoft Centre.

Sixty or so guests were served hors d’oeuvres prepared with anti-cancer ingredients. They also witnessed a live cooking demonstration by chef Candice Butler on how to make maple-cured salmon gravlax.
“This is outstanding,” Groupe Soleil partner Steven Baker said after biting into a mini veggie quinoa burger. Nearby, his Survivorship Task Force campaign co-chair, Don Smith, who recently retired as longtime CEO of Mitel, happily munched on a chocolate chip bean cookie.

Baker and Smith are big believers in the ORCF’s innovative new wellness centre, which will house programs for cancer patients and their loved ones, free of cost and without referrals, when it opens this fall. So far, $300,000 has been raised, including a $75,000 grant for programming, addressed at the launch by Ontario Trillium Foundation rep Frank Dyson.

On hand were ORCF president and CEO Linda Eagen and board chairman Peter Linkletter, a director general with National Defence. The room heard from guest speaker Jennifer Miriguay, a breast cancer survivor and mother of two.

Also seen were Maplesoft CEO Jody Campeau; Urban Element co-owner Carley Schelck, breezing through her third-trimester of pregnancy; and MPP Yasir Naqvi, who rivals Mayor Jim Watson for his party-hopping stamina.