An empty, dilapidated old building, previously locked up and littered with trash, was turned into a stunning party palace for the third annual Ottawa Riverkeeper Gala, held Wednesday night on the Ottawa River’s Albert Island.

The former industrial site, which is to eventually become a vibrant and sustainable urban waterfront community, saw 350 guests soak in scenic views while surrounded by great music, food, drinks and decor. Evan Solomon, host of CBC TV’s Power & Politics, was back to head the organizing committee as it pulled off another sell-out event.

It was the first time such a party has ever been held on the property. The last two galas involved cruising the river by boat but, with stowaways not an option, there just wasn’t room for more guests. “We had to get an island. So, we did,” Solomon quipped.

More than $170,000 was raised for the citizen-based action group that protects and promotes the ecological health and diversity of the Ottawa River and its tributaries. On hand were the organization’s Riverkeeper and executive director, Meredith Brown, and board chair, Geoff Green.

Kevin Vickers, Canada’s new ambassador to Ireland, was recognized for his support of the Riverkeeper organization. The former sergeant-at-arms has been a national hero since he killed the lone gunman who stormed Parliament Hill last Oct. 22.

“I’m very honoured and extremely humbled to be here this evening,” Vickers told listeners before sharing, with such sincerity and affection, his personal connection to rivers, particularly to the Ottawa River and to New Brunswick’s Miramichi, where he used to fish for trout as a young boy.

Rivers personify human life, said Vickers. The shallow and timid streams at the headwaters eventually develop depth, strength and confidence. Some routes turn into dead ends. Others bring unexpected turbulence, said Vickers in analogizing the events of Oct. 22 that hit him like a set of rapids. He spoke of his need to return home, to his river, for a visit following those life-changing events.

“Rivers to me are spiritual places with spiritual powers,” said Vickers. “They heal. They give us solace, reconciliation. And, if you let them, they will speak to you.”

Also feeling a bond to the Miramichi was New Brunswick native Gary Zed from returning presenting sponsor EY. Other VIPs included such prominent Algonquin First Nation members as Elder Peter Decontie and Claudette Commanda, and the well-known Westeinde clan. Brothers Jeff and Jonathan Westeinde are partners at Windmill Development. It has a visionary plan to turn the old Domtar lands on the Ottawa River into retail, residential, commercial and green space.

The very engaging Andy Maize and Josh Finlayson from the Canadian band The Skydiggers played for the crowd. They were joined on stage by such musically gifted guests as Riverkeeper board member Kathleen Edwards and NDP MP Andrew Cash.

The gala also honoured former RBC chief executive Gord Nixon for the bank’s RBC Blue Water Project, a 10-year global charitable program dedicated to protecting fresh water.

Later, Susan St. Amand, head of Sirius Financial Services, won the return airfare WestJet tickets for two, to Ireland. She’ll be hosted for lunch by Vickers while she’s there.

carolyn001@sympatico.ca

Hundreds of partygoers were seen stepping out, not on their spouses but from their regular lives, to attend the 5th annual Stepping Out! gala held Thursday at Lago Bar/Grill/View to help less-advantaged women improve their lives.

The evening brought in more than $40,000 for Dress for Success Ottawa, a non-profit organization that helps women get the support, career development tools and attire they need to land a job.

The organization’s positive vibe on the community was felt by all during the VIP reception, when two former clients spoke about their experiences with Dress for Success. In the past four years, the group has helped more than 1,000 women.

Christine Bourgeois described her devastation after suddenly losing her job last year. For the first time since she had started earning money, beginning as a 12-year-old babysitter, she was unemployed.

“I felt as if everything I had built and everything I had known was gone,” said Bourgeois. “All my hard work. All my efforts. How was I going to tell my family that was so proud of me that I was no longer working?”

The young woman has since landed on her feet but credits the Dress for Success programs and workshops with giving her the necessary tools and positive attitude to get another job.

The roomful of sponsors and supporters also heard how new Canadian Fatima Hmimou got back to work through the help of Dress and Success and its boutique that outfits women with its gently used clothing.

“I cherish my experience with Dress for Success and I will always remember the wonderful ladies, because they made my first work experience in Canada very exciting and very easy,” said Hmimou. “You feel like you’re coming to visit friends, with their big, beautiful smiles.”
Present were the organization’s new executive director, Katherine Clarke-Nolan, and volunteer board (some members were away at the United Way gala to collect a big award the group was getting.)

Also seen were co-founder Marlene Floyd, director of operations for Liberal leader Justin Trudeau, and all-around good sport Matt Hendricks from Sprott Asset Management. He was back to help judge the competition of fabulous footwear held later that evening.

carolyn001@sympatico.ca

After spending so many years touching the lives of others, an extraordinary group of Canadian artists got to be on the receiving end for a change at this year’s Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards Gala, held Saturday at the National Arts Centre.

“Obviously, it’s a huge honour,” world-famous singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan told Around Town after making her red carpet arrival with her handsome beau, former NHL star Geoff Courtnall, on her arm, and her shiny new medallion around her neck. “I never sought out to get accolades like this. I mean, I make my art, I make my music because I need to and this is beautiful validation for me as an artist.”

Singer-songwriter and laureate Sarah McLachlan and her boyfriend, former NHL star Geoff Courtnall, arrive to the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards Gala held at the National Arts Centre on Saturday, May 30, 2015.

McLachlan was honoured with a lifetime achievement award alongside fellow laureates: Oscar-nominated filmmaker Atom Egoyan (The Sweet Hereafter, The Captive), actress and director Diana Leblanc, composer and conductor Walter Boudreau (sporting his legendary bright red sneakers), and actor R.H. Thomson, who, like a true advocate, lauded the organizers for their efforts to celebrate artists in this country.

Michael M. Koerner, after whom The Royal Conservatory of Music’s Koerner Hall is named, landed the Ramon John Hnatyshyn Award for Voluntarism in the Performing Arts.

This year’s NAC Award for exceptional achievement over the past year went to filmmaker Jean-Marc Vallée. He’s been on a Hollywood hot streak with Dallas Buyers Club (2013), Wild (2014) and his upcoming Demolition.

From left, laureates Michael M. Koerner, Atom Egoyan, Jean-Marc Vallée during the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards Gala tribute show, held at the National Arts Centre on Saturday, May 30,2015.

The laureates sat front and centre in the mezzanine balcony during the gala show as friends and colleagues sang their praises. The artists reacted with blushing smiles and the occasional tear or two. Later, Gov. Gen. David Johnston, who sat alongside the honourees, took to the stage to remind everyone how artists entertain and enlighten us.

“They’ve given us so much. It’s only fitting that we give them our deepest thanks in return,” he said, his words followed by appreciative applause from the 2,000-plus audience.

Actor Colm Feore was the returning host of the show. Also back were the enjoyable short tribute films produced by the National Film Board. The line-up of talent included Ottawa-native mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta, actor Eric Peterson and the Montreal indie folk rock band Half Moon Run. The NAC Orchestra performed Boudreau’s sardonic Asylum Waltz with pianist Alain Lefèvre and Boudreau as conductor.

Actor Colm Feore was back to host the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards Gala held at the National Arts Centre on Saturday, May 30, 2015.

To top it off, Juno Award-winner Serena Ryder owned the stage during her very well-received performance of McLachlan’s I Will Remember You, with the orchestra, followed by her own upbeat hit, What I Wouldn’t Do, to close the show.

Singer-songwriter Serena Ryder sang I Will Remember You as a tribute to laureate Sarah McLachlan at the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards Gala held at the National Arts Centre on Saturday, May 30, 2015.

It wasn’t the first time a female laureate has promoted a younger female artist during a GGPAA gala. In 1996, the year that saw legendary singer Joni Mitchell honoured, she specifically selected McLachlan to sing Blue. McLachlan nailed it.

carolyn001@sympatico.ca

Hot-blooded hematologist Dr. Carol Gonsalves brought the house down at the inaugural Dancing with the Docs gala, held Saturday at the Shaw Centre.

The hockey mom of three and her dance partner, Veycheslav (Slavik) Tudorovsky, from the Arthur Murray Dance Studio, beat out eight other fleet-footed physicians to scoop up the highly sought-after Medicine Ball Award. They also earned themselves a standing ovation from the enthusiastic black-tie crowd of 600 with their high-energy cha-cha/hustle combo.

“People went crazy,” Tracy Serafini, a communications and public relations officer with the Department of Medicine, told Around Town. “The judges were on their feet.”

Serafini co-chaired the benefit with Dr. Anne McCarthy, an infectious disease physician. McCarthy also danced in the competition, wowing the crowd with a move most of us remember from our childhood: the cartwheel.

Also strutting on stage, under the bright lights, were Drs. Kayvan Amjadi, Rob Beanlands, Alison Dugan, Ruchi Murthy, José Pereira, Phil Wells and Michael Schlossmacher, with their respective professional dance partners.

Amjadi may not have gone home toting the giant disco ball trophy but he did win most online votes, at $20 a pop, during the lead-up to the competition.

Ottawa celebrity Stuntman Stu was the evening’s host and live auctioneer while fun-loving figure skater Liz Manley helped judge the competition with well-known lawyer Lawrence Greenspon, Jamie McCracken, chair of The Ottawa Hospital board, and Simon Cowell-esque professional dance judge Carlos Lourenco from the Oakville Arthur Murray studio.

Ottawa Business Interiors stepped up as a major sponsor while Sizzle with Decor and Ottawa Flowers added a glittering dose of razzle dazzle to the night.

Proceeds raised from the gala are helping to create, through The Ottawa Hospital Foundation, a research chair position in Advanced Stem Cell Therapy at The Ottawa Hospital. The chair will be a senior clinician-researcher who will play a key role in leading clinical trials for innovative transplant-based therapies for treatments in areas such as cancer, muscular dystophy and spinal cord injuries.

carolyn001@sympatico.ca

Hold onto your lederhosen, the Viennese Opera Ball is returning to Ottawa.

The exciting announcement was made Tuesday at a reception hosted by Austrian Ambassador Arno Riedel and his wife, Loretta Loria-Riedel. It look place in Rockcliffe Park at their official residence, where their backyard was more than large enough to accommodate 120 or so guests.

The Viennese ball, an annual celebration of Austrian culture, first came onto the scene in the late 1990s. It quickly won Ottawa’s black-tie crowd over with its charming combination of live orchestra music, fresh-faced youth showing off their fancy waltz moves, and breathtaking views from the National Gallery of Canada’s Great Hall.

So, it wasn’t around this year, but don’t hang up those dance shoes just yet. The Viennese ball is scheduled to take place Feb. 20, 2016, long-time organizing committee member Grant McDonald told the crowd at the party, which was blessed with sunny skies and pleasant temperatures.

The committee is partnering with Music & Beyond and the Thirteen Strings chamber music orchestra to make it happen.

“We’re all committed to seeing the Viennese ball remain as one of Ottawa’s, and I think Canada’s, most glamorous social and cultural events,” said McDonald, managing partner at KPMG.

Present for the announcement were Julian Armour, artistic and executive director of the Music & Beyond classical music festival and a professional cellist, and its board chair, Ottawa lawyer Chris Spiteri. From Thirteen Strings were its long-time board chair, Rob MacDonald, a law partner at Gowlings, and artistic director and maestro Kevin Mallon, who led the orchestra in a short concert performance. Thirteen Strings is going to perform at the upcoming Viennese ball.

Attendees also included such volunteer organizers as Liza Mrak from sponsor Mark Motors, Melissa Krulick from the Fred Astaire Dance Studio and Birgitte Alting-Mees, who organizes the young dancers, known as debutantes and cavaliers. They’re typically students from local high schools and private schools.

carolyn001@sympatico.ca

Zara Ansar wants to bring street style back to Ottawa’s streets — by freeing cyclists from the constraints of spandex. Since 2011, she has run a blog called Ottawa Vélo Vogue, documenting in photographs the colourful intersection between the cycling lifestyle and the world of fashion.

On Saturday, the blog will host the third edition of its bike fashion show, a fundraiser for the RightBike program. The Citizen’s Adam Feibel spoke with Ansar and her fellow event organizer Dawson Hamilton about how the city can see more style amid its spokes.

Q: What do you think of Ottawa as a cycling city?

Ansar: We have a lot of cycling paths, which is nice, but I think we need more to connect the rest of the city. I’m using my friend as an example, who lives in Barrhaven, and he doesn’t have enough bike paths to get him to work — he’ll have to ride along Woodroffe, and it’s too close to cars. There needs to be more segregated bike lanes. But other than that, a lot of people bike in Ottawa.

Q: What about Ottawa as a fashionable city?

Ansar: Well, I’m starting to see a lot more fashionable people in the city. I think it’s also helping that we have new shops opening up and new stuff coming in, and people aren’t as shy to wear certain things. Ottawa’s still pretty conservative, but it’s changing.

Q: How long have you noticed that change?

Ansar: Probably in the last few years. I mean, that’s kind of why I started the blog. I noticed a surge.

Q: So what can encourage people to ride a bike and be fashionable at the same time?

Ansar: It’s about dressing for your destination. I’d like to see more people wear their work clothes to wear to work on their bikes. What I’ve noticed is a lot of people think they need special clothes to wear, or they have to come into work and change because they smell bad or they need to shower. But people in Europe bike in their regular clothing all the time. It’s not a big deal over there. Everyone dresses well. It’s weird here — we’re too car-centric in North America.

Q: What’s the message of this bike fashion event?

Hamilton: It’s about showing off that you can wear what you want, and it’s all about getting more people onto bikes. It’s going to be a good time, and we’ll show off lots of garments, whether they’re vintage, new, sexy or functional. It’s about giving people the idea that you can hop on a bike wearing anything.

Ansar: I think the younger generation seems to be adopting that more, because a lot of us can’t afford cars, and biking is a great option: it’s healthy, you stay in shape, you’re helping the environment. I think there needs to be more education about it. But I think a lot of people are just afraid, because they think they need all this special equipment. You don’t need to give up style while riding your bike.

So do you think if people feel like they can be stylish, more of them will start biking?

Ansar: It’s not just promoting fashion and biking, but about wearing regular clothes and feeling confident in what you’re wearing, and not having to wear Lycra and these very sporty garments — to encourage everyday cycling, and getting on a bike as much as possible. It’s showing that you can look good, wear the clothes you want, and dress for your destination, and if it can increase cycling, I think that’s the main goal — to get people on bikes and get cyclists together.

OTTAWA VÉLO VOGUE BIKE FASHION SHOW

WHAT: Outfits from 30 local and international boutiques paired with a myriad of bicycles from shops around town. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door. The event is open to anyone 19 or older.

WHERE: Maker Space North, 250 City Centre, Bay 216

WHEN: Saturday, June 6, at 8 p.m.

afeibel@ottawacitizen.com

Twitter.com/adamfeibel

An important religious figure dropped into Little Italy on Thursday, but there was no need for the Popemobile.
It was Rabbi Reuven Bulka. He made a special appearance at LiveWorkPlay’s 20th anniversary dinner at St. Anthony’s Banquet Hall to present the board chair of the charitable organization with a surprise United Way Community Builder Award. The pun-loving rabbi couldn’t resist pointing out that the award was tailor-made for Cecelia Taylor.
The teary-eyed Taylor, upon accepting her award, gave a special shout-out to a pair of friends with developmental disabilities from her hometown of Antigonish, NS.
LiveWorkPlay is a community-based organization that helps people with intellectual disabilities with housing, employment and social-recreational life and plays an advocacy role in removing barriers to community inclusion. It was founded in 1995 by the husband and wife team of Keenan Wellar and Julie Kingstone.
“Wow, what a ride,” Wellar told Around Town of the organization’s 20-year history. “It’s definitely been a roller coaster.”
Wellar’s work with the developmentally challenged began by accident, really. Back when he was a university student, he applied (and was hired) to be a facilitator, thinking he’d be working with at-risk youth. It turned out, the clients had intellectual disabilities.
Wellar realized he had no prior contact with people with disabilities, and found himself bothered by this. “For 21 years of my life in this community, for some reason, I had never met a person with Down syndrome. I had never met a person with autism. I had never met a person with cerebral palsy.
“I went all through a school system that segregated those people somewhere else. I didn’t see them and they didn’t see me.”
After holding down some regular jobs, Wellar made the decision to abandon a conventional career path to go grassroots. It was a bold move. He and Kingstone relied on temporary grants and funding to run their new organization. Its first office was at the Bronson Centre building.
Today, the LiveWorkPlay headquarters are at Riverside Drive and Bank Street. It’s been able to grow its few-person staff to 15. It supports some 100 disabled people but wants to expand that number.
The history of LiveWorkPlay was shared throughout the evening by hard-working host Derick Fage from Rogers TV. He, too, was caught of guard, and left deeply touched, with a surprise award from LiveWorkPlay in recognition of his support.
Fage was one of a long list of volunteers, organizations, families and partners to be honoured that night, along with such businesses as TD Bank, Dow Honda and The Parliament Cleaning Group.
The dinner also featured keynote speaker Al Condeluci, an advocate for the disabled. The Pittsburgh, PA resident gave a passionate and lively talk to the crowd about building inclusive relationships, complete with a pop culture reference to The Friendship Algorithm from The Big Bang Theory sitcom.

Carolyn001@sympatico.ca

Rabbi Reuven Bulka prepares to present a surprise United Way Community Builder Award at the LiveWorkPlay dinner, held at St. Anthony’s Banquet Hall on Thursday, June 4, 2015, to the totally unaware Cecelia Taylor.

Rabbi Reuven Bulka prepares to present a surprise United Way Community Builder Award at the LiveWorkPlay dinner, held at St. Anthony’s Banquet Hall on Thursday, June 4, 2015, to Cecelia Taylor, seen reacting to the realization that she’s the surprise recipient.

Rabbi Reuven Bulka presents a surprise United Way Community Builder Award at the LiveWorkPlay dinner to the organization’s board chair, Cecelia Taylor, at St. Anthony’s Banquet Hall on Thursday, June 4, 2015.

Derick Fage, host and producer of daytime Ottawa on Rogers TV, emceed LiveWorkPlay’s 20th anniversary dinner, held at St. Anthony’s Banquet Hall on Thursday, June 4, 2015.

Derick Fage, host and producer of daytime Ottawa on Rogers TV, gave an emotional acceptance speech after receiving a surprise award at the LiveWorkPlay’s 20th anniversary dinner, held at St. Anthony’s Banquet Hall on Thursday, June 4, 2015.

Elaine Murphy with her twins, Ian and Warren, and husband, Jack, were among the families recognized at the 20th anniversary dinner held Thursday, June 4, 2015, at St. Anthony’s Banquet Hall for LiveWorkPlay, a non-profit organization that helps the community welcome people with intellectual disabilities.

From left, Kelly Mertl, director of community initiatives at United Way, Dress for Success manager Kate Sherwood and executive director Katherine Nolan-Clarke, and United Way Ottawa president and CEO Michael Allen attended the 20th anniversary dinner for LiveWorkPlay held at St. Anthony’s Banquet Hall on Thursday, June 4, 2015.

Betty Harris with her daughter, Jennifer, were among the families recognized at the 20th anniversary dinner held Thursday, June 4, 2015, at St. Anthony’s Banquet Hall for LiveWorkPlay, a non-profit organization that helps the community welcome people with intellectual disabilities.

From left, Dow Honda owner Jeff Mierins and his partner, Tara-Leigh Cancino Brouillette, with LiveWorkPlay manager Jen Bosworth and her boyfriend, Dow Honda general manager and LWP board member Andy Bearss, at the 20th anniversary dinner for the non-profit organization that helps the community welcome people with intellectual disabilities.

Peter Keay, performing his Spiderman web-spinning gesture, and his dad, David Keay, were among the families recognized at the 20th anniversary dinner held Thursday, June 4, 2015, at St. Anthony’s Banquet Hall for LiveWorkPlay, a non-profit organization that helps the community to welcome people with intellectual disabilities.

Former LiveWorkPlay board members Wendy Mitchell, a director with the Conference Board of Canada, and lawyer Mitchell Leitman from Low Murchison Radnoff, attended the 20th anniversary dinner for the non-profit organization, held at St. Anthony’s Banquet Hall on Thursday, June 4, 2015.

From left, Daniel Harris as town crier and piper Fraser Maher opened the ceremonies at LiveWorkPlay’s 20th anniversary dinner held at St. Anthony’s Banquet Hall on Thursday, June 4, 2015.

Patricia McBride with her son, Ryan, and husband, Michael, were among the families recognized at the 20th anniversary dinner held Thursday, June 4, 2015, at St. Anthony’s Banquet Hall for LiveWorkPlay, a non-profit organization that helps the community welcome people with intellectual disabilities.

The sometimes shocking and always entertaining Sukhoo Sukhoo Fashion Show brought its usual glamour, glitter and guys — in stilettos — to the annual garden party for Cornerstone Housing for Women, held Sunday afternoon in Rockcliffe Park at the official residence of Irish Ambassador Ray Bassett and his wife, Patricia.

For the past 10 years, popular Ottawa couturier Frank Sukhoo has been showcasing his creative custom-made designs at the benefit.

Larger-than-life MC Joseph Cull, dressed as the red-wigged Colleen Mary Margaret Margaret Mary Colleen, made a grand entrance as the tune Do Ya Think I’m Sexy? was playing on bagpipes.

The fashion show opened with dancer Maxime Nadeau prancing out to classic ragtime music wearing high high heals, tight short shorts and a bright pink flowing skirt cape. Later, dancer Christine Couture brought her sleek and contemporary moves to the runway. The pair returned at the end to close the show on a festive note.

The fashions featured a mix of professional models, Sukhoo clients and well-known Ottawa faces sashaying down the runway to upbeat disco songs.

It was the second year the Bassetts have opened up their property to hundreds of supporters of Cornerstone, a community organization that helps homeless women by providing emergency shelter and supportive housing. Piper Bethany Bisaillion honoured the diplomat by playing When Irish Eyes Are Smiling.

Bassett was his usual gracious self, explaining away his generosity as: “We get a lot more out of it than we give.”

On hand was Sue Garvey, executive director of Cornerstone, which helps about 400 women each year. The organization recently saw a major reduction in its funding and turned to its support community for help. The response has helped Cornerstone reach $90,000 of its $100,000 fundraising target, Garvey told the crowd appreciatively.

Among the attendees were Ottawa’s Anglican bishop, John Chapman, and his wife, Catherine, Ottawa Centre NDP MP Paul Dewar, who helped escort models to the runway, and Ottawa At Home magazine editor Mary Taggart. She emceed the garden party, which enjoyed perfect weather.

Supporters also included Sheila Whyte from Thyme & Again Catering and Rebecca McKeen from McKeen Metro Glebe. The models had their hair swept into stylish updos by Scissors salon after their faces were made runway-ready by makeup artists from Dior. It also set up a booth to enhance guests’ natural beauty while Chapeaux de Madeleine was back with a display of head-turning hats.

carolyn001@sympatico.ca

It happened so quickly, and with such emphatic support. In a heartbeat, we might even say, $380,000 was raised for the University of Ottawa Heart Institute at this year’s sold-out Gold Plate Dinner, held Tuesday at the Hellenic Meeting and Reception Centre.

Driving the generosity was a business crowd of 575, along with philanthropist Peter Foustanellas from title sponsor Argos Carpets and Flooring and Olympia Homes.

This year’s event was particularly memorable, marking the final dinner for its chair of 30 years, Steve Ramphos, co-founder and president of District Realty. Gold Plate has raised almost $2 million for the community over the years, with the main beneficiaries being the Heart Institute and Hellenic Community of Ottawa.

Ramphos spoke fondly of the Heart Institute as the world-class facility that holds a special place in his heart. He also took a few minutes to thank those people who’ve been so involved with the dinner.

“I will always cherish the last 30 years of Gold Plate, especially the special relationships I have developed with everyone in this room,” Ramphos said on stage. “Thank you, thank you, thank you for your continued support and your love.”

Morning show radio host and Ottawa Senators PA announcer “Stuntman Stu” Schwartz is famous in this town for auctioning off vacations, hockey tickets and dinner packages during charity galas. Not this time. Instead, he led Ottawa’s first-ever “un-auction.”  He asked the crowd — made up of some of the region’s biggest Heart Institute supporters — to donate $5,000 to the newly created Steve Ramphos Fund at the cardiovascular centre.

Hands shot up in the air and the number climbed to $100,000. But, there was an added twist: all the donations were matched by Foustanellas.  (He’s currently hospitalized but got a special pass from doctors to attend the fundraiser.)

Within five minutes, the total hit a quarter of a million and was at $380,000 by next morning. An additional $250,00 was raised for the Hellenic Community’s religious and cultural programs. The dinner ended up netting (yes, netting!) $630,000.

Among those to attend from the Heart Institute were its president and CEO, Dr. Thierry Mesana; chief of cardiac surgery Dr. Marc Ruel; and beloved founder Dr. Wilbert Keon, who was pleased to tell the crowd he recently turned 80 and passed his driver’s licence renewal exam. There were also many Heart Institute board members, including chair Lawrence Soloway and foundation chair Paul LaBarge.

On hand from the Hellenic community were its president, Nicholas Lafkas, and spiritual leader, Fr. Alex Michalopulos, who referred to the Ramphos and Foustanellas families as “the real foundation of this community”.

A highlight of the Gold Plate dinners is the elimination draw that sees 20 contestants vie for $30,000. The players can share the pot of money, provided it’s a unanimous decision. Or, they can watch their group dwindle in number as their names get randomly pulled from a lottery drum by Dean Karakasis. If there’s a sole winner, he or she can choose a new Mercedes.

This year, the contest stopped after the last two contestants, Francesco Porcari, a V-P with SerCo Construction, and Joseph Giannetti, a manager with Preston Hardware, called it quits. The young men split the winnings but donated $10,000 back.

The party continued late into the evening under the giant party tent, where drinks, dessert and live jazz music awaited.

carolyn001@sympatico.ca

Once again, Ringside for Youth packed a punch on the party circuit. It drew a crowd of nearly 1,400 to the Shaw Centre on Thursday for an exhilarating night of fighting and philanthropy in support of an organization, the Boys and Girls Club of Ottawa, that provides valuable opportunities to kids and youth.

U.S. boxing legend Roy Jones Jr. and hockey hero Daniel Alfredsson, former captain of the Ottawa Senators, were out to support the cause. So were popular Sens players Chris Phillips and Chris Neil, event founder Steve Gallant from CIBC Wood Gundy and Ringside committee chair Jeff O’Reilly, general manager of D’Arcy McGee’s Irish Pub.

Retired heavyweight Gerry Cooney and Los Angeles-based actor and comic Angelo Tsarouchas, formerly of Ottawa, were also back in Ringside’s corner.

CLV Group chief executive Mike McGahan stepped into the ring with his siblings, Dave and Sue, and colleagues Oz Drewniak, Mike McCann and Dave Nevins for a ceremonial cheque presentation of $1.5 million – the largest single donation in the history of the Boys and Girls Club of Ottawa. On hand was the organization’s board chair, Graham Macmillan.

“I feel pretty passionate about the Boys and Girls Club,” McGahan told Around Town. “It’s a great organization. They do such good things for a lot of kids who just don’t have the same chances.”

The donation by CLV Group and the McGahan Family Trust is part of the $3 million raised last year for a major restoration of the BGC clubhouse in Vanier. The building is being named after the McGahans’ late father, Don McGahan, a long-time school principal at North Dundas District High in Chesterville. BGC is also naming its headquarters in Britannia after the late Ron Kolbus, a former city councillor and close friend of Mike McGahan’s.

The evening of bright lights, loud music and good times saw young amateur boxers from Ottawa’s Beaver Boxing Club take swings at their opponents in the boxing ring, set up in the middle of the venue.

Jones was given star treatment as he swaggered toward the ring, past pom-pom-shaking cheerleaders to the tune of his rap song Can’t Be Touched (yes, he’s also a rapper). The audience listened as he shared stories from his career with TSN’s Rod Smith.

Jones, 46, also praised the BGC for the structure and guidance it gives kids who lack parents or are raised by single parents. As well, he encouraged youth to learn about God and to stay resilient and hard-working.

“Sometimes life starts out very difficult,” said Jones. “I promise you, if you just have faith and keep strong, it’s going to get better. You have to go through the tough times to get to the good times. Nothing good in life comes easy.”

Ringside for Youth has raised $2.7 million to date. It started in 1994 as a small fundraiser with heavyweight great George Chuvalo as special guest. It’s continued each year to honour world-famous boxers and use its proceeds to help thousands of more kids access the BGC leadership-building programs and activities.

This year, musical guests included the Ottawa-based band MonkeyJunk and the Juno Award-winning KellyLee Evans. She clinched the title of singing champ with her powerful performance of the American and Canadian national anthems.

carolyn001@sympatico.ca

Still on a high from meeting U2 frontman Bono that day, 19-year-old Olivia Zed’s hot streak continued as she helped host a benefit that raised big bucks for a new female-empowerment initiative with a catchy name, Bootcamp for Brains.

Zed co-chaired Monday night’s event with Jayne Watson, CEO of the National Arts Centre Foundation, at The Waverley restaurant and bar on Elgin Street.

The evening raised nearly $100,000 and attracted more than 100 supporters and sponsors. The gavel-toting auctioneer, Ryan Watson, sold off such desirable items as a luxury suite to the upcoming, so very sold-out Taylor Swift concert, a Koyman Galleries painting by Ottawa artist Philip Craig and VIP tickets to a Blue Jays game.

Bootcamp for Brains is a unique skills-building program that’s bringing 100 girls, ages 15 to 17, from across Canada to Ottawa next July to build future leaders. The two weeks of intense training will take place at Ashbury College, a prestigious private school in Rockcliffe Park, and will provide full or partial scholarships to half the participants.

The initiative is being launched by G(irls)20, a Canadian-based globally active charity started in 2010 by founder and CEO Farah Mohamed (she formerly worked on The Hill for senior politicians, such as former Liberal cabinet minister Anne McLellan.)

The room heard how the global social enterprise has been lobbying the G20 to get more women in the labor force in order to increase global growth and reduce poverty and inequality. As well, its cultivating a new generation of female leaders through its summit meetings with delegates from around the world.

It was the Mexico City summit in 2012 that first ignited the spark in Zed. She was there as a 16-year-old volunteer. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree — she’s the daughter of Lisa Zed and Gary Zed, a big wheel in town who shares his time and money with countless charitable causes.

“I got to witness first-hand the impact the program had on the young women who went through it,” Zed, who is bright and articulate, told Around Town. “I think I was just so inspired by how passionate they were about the cause.”
For example, she said, one delegate from Indonesia returned home to create a mobile library, using an old school bus, in order to visit rural slums to teach children how to read.

The Ashbury College graduate is now a third-year student at McGill University, studying international development. She’s working this summer for G(irls)20, primarily doing research and communications work.

Hours earlier, Zed was rubbing shoulders with Bono, in Ottawa to meet with our country’s political leaders. The celebrity humanitarian activist also participated in a round table discussion at the NAC with heads of Canada’s international development organizations. Zed got in on that meeting, as the representative for G(irls)20, and had the honour of sitting next to one of the biggest names in rock music – not that he behaved as such.

“It didn’t really feel like there was a megastar in the room,” said Zed. “He was such a smart and engaging person. You could just tell that he cared about the issues.”

Carolyn001@sympatico.ca

Generous supporters of two entirely different causes — helping cancer survivors and boosting the performing arts – came together Wednesday for a very special evening that raised $200,000 for the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation and National Arts Centre Foundation.

The Up Close and Unplugged benefit was founded by former Newbridge senior executive Peter Charbonneau, who sits on both the NAC Foundation audit committee and the cancer foundation’s Cancer Champions Cabinet. He was back to co-chair the successful event, now in its 11th year, with fellow cancer survivor Stephen Greenberg, president of Osgoode Properties.

Event co-chair Peter Charbonneau, far right, and his wife Joan, far left, crammed into the enclosed photo booth with family members for a group shot at the Up Close and Unplugged dinner and concert, held at the National Arts Centre on Wednesday, June 17, 2015, to raise funds for the NAC and Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation.

From left, event co-chair Stephen Greenberg, president of Osgoode Properties, with BMO district vice president Janet Peddigrew, Wayne MacKinnon of Libertas tobacco treatment and event co-chair Peter Charbonneau, in the suggested 1920s attire, at the Up Close and Unplugged dinner and concert held at the National Arts Centre on Wednesday, June 17, 2015, in support of the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation and NAC Foundation.

Some 161 attendees gathered for a cocktail reception on the NAC’s scenic and elegantly decorated rooftop terrace, followed by a gourmet dinner with wine and then a private concert with Montreal jazz sensation Nikki Yanofsky.

From left, Roxanne Anderson and Janet McKeage were among the 161 guests to dine on the rooftop terrace of the National Arts Centre on Wednesday, June 17, 2015, as part of the Up Close and Unplugged benefit for the NAC and Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation, featuring musical guest Nikki Yanofsky.

Attendees got into the jazzy spirit of the 1920s-themed evening by wearing two-tone Oxford shoes, fedoras, flapper dresses and sequined headwear. Charbonneau resembled an old-fashioned newspaper boy with his bow tie, checkered vest and adorable flat cap while Dr. Bella Mehta best captured the retro glam look with her vintage updo.

From left, Harvey Slack with Peter Bennett, Bev Anderson and Dan Greenberg, owner of Ferguslea Properties Ltd., at the Up Close and Unplugged dinner and concert, held at the National Arts Centre on Wednesday, June 17, 2015 in support of the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation and the NAC.

Dr. Hartley Stern, head of the Canadian Medical Protective Association, with the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation’s president and CEO, Linda Eagen, at the Up Close and Unplugged dinner and concert for the foundation and the National Arts Centre Foundation, held at the NAC on Wednesday, June 17, 2015.

For sure, the $1,250-a-ticket event, even with a $1,000 tax receipt, is not for the strapped-for-cash crowd. But, as Charbonneau explained, many of the Up Close and Unplugged supporters are used to making charitable donations to causes they care about (some amounts have been known to top seven and eight figures).

From left, Amanda Nicolini with Louise Malhotra, co-founder of the Malhotra Family Foundation, attended the Up Close and Unplugged fundraiser for the National Arts Centre Foundation and Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation, held at the NAC on Wednesday, June 17, 2015.

Steve Spooner, chief financial officer for Mitel, with his wife, Donna, at the Up Close and Unplugged dinner and concert benefit for the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation and the National Arts Centre, held Wednesday, June 17, 2015, at the NAC.

Here’s another shot of Steve Spooner with his wife, Donna, with a focus on their spiffy footwear to go with the suggested 1920s dress code for the Up Close and Unplugged dinner and concert held at the National Arts Centre on Wednesday, June 17, 2015, in support of the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation and the NAC.

Among those in the crowd were well-known philanthropist and Sens fan Dan Greenberg, Dr. Hartley Stern, Malhotra Family Foundation co-founder Louise Malhotra, Mitel chief financial officer Steve Spooner, Trinity Development Foundation manager Mariette MacIsaac, Jeff York, CEO of the Farm Boy fresh food chain, and Michael Mrak from Mark Motors.

Also spotted were Peter Herrndorf, president and CEO of the NAC, along with the chief executive of its foundation, Jayne Watson, and Linda Eagen, president and CEO of the cancer foundation.

David Martin and Lynda Palombo, guests of Arnon Corporation, attended the Up Close and Unplugged dinner and concert held at the National Arts Centre on Wednesday, June 17, 2015, in support of the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation and NAC.

Jeffrey York, CEO of the Farm Boy stores, with his wife, Joanne, in their 1920s attire for the Up Close and Unplugged dinner and concert, held at the National Arts Centre on Wednesday, June 17, 2015, to raise funds for the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation and NAC.

From left, University of Ottawa Heart Institute president and CEO Dr. Thierry Mesana and his wife, Marie-Christine, were guests of BMO Wealth Management vice president Robert Fallenbuchl, with his wife, Dagmara, at the Up Close and Unplugged dinner and concert for the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation and National Arts Centre Foundation, held at the NAC on Wednesday, June 17, 2015.

From left, Dominique Charbonneau and Kristina Boyce adhered to the suggested dress code with their 1920s-styled attire at the Up Close and Unplugged benefit for the National Arts Centre Foundation and Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation, held at the NAC on Wednesday, June 17, 2015.

Fred Seller, a founding partner of BrazeauSeller LLP and member of the Cancer Champions Cabinet, and his wife, Stacey, looked sharp in their 1920s attire for the Up Close and Unplugged benefit held Wednesday, June 17, 2015, at the NAC for the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation and National Arts Centre.

Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation board vice-chair Gregory Sanders, a tax lawyer with Perley-Robertson, Hill & McDougall, and his wife, Tani, attended the Up Close and Unplugged dinner and concert at the National Arts Centre on Wednesday, June 17, 2017, in support of the cancer foundation and the NAC.

From left, Mariette MacIsaac, manager of the Trinity Development Foundation, with her good friend Jennifer Conley at the Up Close and Unplugged dinner and concert for the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation and National Arts Centre, held at the NAC on Wednesday, June 17, 2015.

Jayne Watson, CEO of the National Arts Centre Foundation, with her husband, Peter Froislie, at the Up Close and Unplugged dinner and concert held for the NAC and Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation on Wednesday, June 17, 2015.

From left, Peter Herrndorf, president and CEO of the National Arts Centre, with Peter Charbonneau, co-chair and founder of the Up Close and Unplugged dinner and concert for the NAC Foundation and the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation, held at the NAC on Wednesday, June 17, 2015.

Canadian jazz-pop singer Nikki Yanofsky was the musical guest at this year’s Up Close and Unplugged benefit for the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation and National Arts Centre Foundation, held at the NAC on Wednesday, June 17, 2015. (Vanessa Dewson)

Canadian jazz-pop singer Nikki Yanofsky was the musical guest at this year’s Up Close and Unplugged benefit for the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation and National Arts Centre Foundation, held at the NAC on Wednesday, June 17, 2015. (Vanessa Dewson)

Alex Charbonneau and his fiancee, Kathryn Chalklin, attended the Up Close and Unplugged fundraiser held Wednesday, June 17, 2015, at the NAC for the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation and the National Arts Centre.

Carolyn001@sympatico.ca

RBC Bluesfest is taking a page from Coachella’s successful street-style playbook with the hiring of a fashion director, style crew and designers and the creation of a limited-edition line of hoodies and tees.

Hoping to tap into the lucrative festival fashion market, Mark Monahan, executive director of Bluesfest, which runs July 8-19, has appointed well-known fashion writer Julie Beun to oversee a style team, who will file photos and video of what performers and fans are wearing on social media and at ottawacitizenstyle.com. Follow the antics backstage on Instagram at #FollowMeBackstage.

The RBC Bluesfest House of Fashion tent in the VIP area’s Big Chill will offer guests makeup and hair touch-ups, perfume samples and glitter tattoos. A mobile fashion truck on the main site at LeBreton Flats will sell the clothing collection designed by Stacey Bafi-Yeboa of Kania Couture and Arfie Lalani. The collection, priced from $30, is available at ticket outlets in the Rideau Centre, Bayshore Shopping Centre and at Kania Boutique, 145 York St.

A mobile fashion truck at Bluesfest will sell an array of fashions designed by Stacey Bafi-Yeboa and Arfie Lalani.

Men’s Bluesfest T-shirts.

All T-shirts and tanks are $30.

Women’s Bluesfest tank tops are $30 each.

Anyone who’s had their bathroom renovated knows how painful it can be, involving weeks or months of inconvenience, not to mention construction noise and debris.

Bath Planet of Ottawa is committed to turning bathroom remodels into a positive experience. The recently opened dealership is part of a successful North American franchise that prides itself on delivering stylish, high-quality, low-maintenance bathroom installations in just one day.

Not surprisingly, the one-day turnaround is a huge draw for customers, said Pascal Dupuis, owner of the Ottawa dealership on Cyrville Road. “People get to enjoy their new bathrooms much sooner and don’t have to deal with tradespeople going in and out of their homes all the time. They also appreciate that our products are elegant, durable and provide the look of ceramic tile and granite without the grouting, mess or maintenance.”

Bath Planet customers benefit from an exclusive line of acrylic tub, shower and wall systems, along with accessories from high-end suppliers such as Moen Canada and Fleurco, all available in a variety of colours, patterns, sizes and styles. Accessibility and aging-in-place bathroom systems are a specialty. These include walk-in tubs, step-thru inserts, grab bars, barrier-free shower bases, and tub-to-shower conversions, all designed to support independent living.

In addition, Bath Planet’s products feature long-lasting, easy-care surfaces. “They’re made of non-porous acrylic which discourages mould and mildew, and they won’t peel, crack, chip or fade,” Dupuis said. “Just wipe away residue with warm water and soap, and you’re done.”

All Bath Planet products carry the prestigious Good Housekeeping Seal, as well as a two-year limited warranty from the Good Housekeeping Research Institute, and Bath Planet’s lifetime warranty that customers can pass on to a new owner if they sell their home within two years of an installation.

Although jobs vary in complexity, remodels can be completed in a day unless they involve cabinetry or flooring, said Dupuis. That day may run as late as 8 p.m., but of the 2,500 bathroom remodels he has supervised, that’s only happened twice.

He stressed that the remodels never sacrifice quality for speed. Workmanship is thorough and problem areas aren’t ignored. For example, all bath tubs are replaced rather than relined, Dupuis explained. “This gives us a chance to check the condition of the plumbing underneath. By the same token, before installing a wall surround, we take out part of the existing wall to see if there’s mould or any other damage that needs to be fixed first.” Materials are custom-cut and fitted on-site.

Costs for a Bath Planet remodel depend on the scope of the work, but typically range from under $4,000 for installation of a basic white tub and wall surround to $9,500 for a walk-in bath.

To learn more about how Bath Planet of Ottawa can help you transform your bathroom in a day, or to set up an in-home consultation, call 613-869-6398 or visit www.bathplanet.com/ottawa.

This story was produced by the Ottawa Citizen’s advertising department on behalf of the Bath Planet for commercial purposes. The Citizen’s editorial department had no involvement in the creation of this content.

There’s no place like home at this time of year. Ottawa Senators defenceman Cody Ceci thinks so, too.

Ottawa’s Cody Ceci, 21, a defenceman with the Senators, enjoys exercising at the gym, wakeboarding and relaxing at home and at his cottage in Quebec during the summer.

With so much to see and do in the capital, Ceci took advantage of his downtime by touring popular local landmarks in a 2016 Audi RS7 from Mark Motors of Ottawa.

Cody Ceci enjoys a spin in a silver 2016 Audi RS7 from Mark Motors of Ottawa, 295 West Hunt Club.

The Rideau Canal locks by the Chateau Laurier and Bytown Museum is one of Ottawa’s most scenic spots.

Ottawa Senators Cody Ceci, 21, of Ottawa strikes a fashionable pose by the Rideau Canal locks and the Bytown Museum.

Ottawa Senators defenceman Cody Ceci, 21, enjoys touring some of the capital’s beautiful landmarks in a silver 2016 Audi RS7 from Mark Motors of Ottawa, 295 West Hunt Club.

Ottawa Senators defenceman Cody Ceci, 21, enjoys touring some of the capital’s beautiful landmarks in a silver 2016 Audi RS7 from Mark Motors of Ottawa, 295 West Hunt Club.

Ottawa Senators defenceman Cody Ceci, 21, enjoys touring some of the capital’s beautiful landmarks in a silver 2016 Audi RS7 from Mark Motors of Ottawa, 295 West Hunt Club.

Ottawa Senators defenceman Cody Ceci, 21, enjoys touring some of the capital’s beautiful landmarks in a silver 2016 Audi RS7 from Mark Motors of Ottawa, 295 West Hunt Club.

Ottawa Senators defenceman Cody Ceci, 21, enjoys touring some of the capital’s beautiful landmarks in a silver 2016 Audi RS7 from Mark Motors of Ottawa, 295 West Hunt Club.

Ottawa Senators defenceman Cody Ceci, 21, enjoys touring some of the capital’s beautiful landmarks in a silver 2016 Audi RS7 from Mark Motors of Ottawa, 295 West Hunt Club.

Cody Ceci, 21, strikes a fashionable pose by the Rideau Canal locks.

Ottawa Senators Cody Ceci, 21, of Ottawa strikes a fashionable pose by the Rideau Canal locks.

Ottawa Senators Cody Ceci, 21, of Ottawa strikes a fashionable pose by the Rideau Canal locks.

Cody Ceci of the Ottawa Senators enjoys a timeout along the Rideau Canal locks by the Chateau Laurier and Bytown Museum.

Cody Ceci of the Ottawa Senators enjoys a timeout along the Rideau Canal locks by the Chateau Laurier and Bytown Museum.

Ottawa Senators defenceman Cody Ceci, 21, enjoys touring some of the capital’s beautiful landmarks in a silver 2016 Audi RS7 from Mark Motors of Ottawa, 295 West Hunt Club.

Ottawa Senators defenceman Cody Ceci, 21, enjoys touring some of the capital’s beautiful landmarks in a silver 2016 Audi RS7 from Mark Motors of Ottawa, 295 West Hunt Club.

Ottawa Senators defenceman Cody Ceci, 21, enjoys touring some of the capital’s beautiful landmarks in a silver 2016 Audi RS7 from Mark Motors of Ottawa, 295 West Hunt Club.

Ottawa Senators defenceman Cody Ceci, 21, enjoys touring some of the capital’s beautiful landmarks in a silver 2016 Audi RS7 from Mark Motors of Ottawa, 295 West Hunt Club.

Ottawa Senators defenceman Cody Ceci, 21, enjoys touring some of the capital’s beautiful landmarks in a silver 2016 Audi RS7 from Mark Motors of Ottawa, 295 West Hunt Club.

Cody Ceci of the Ottawa Senators enjoys a timeout along the Rideau Canal locks by the Chateau Laurier and Bytown Museum.

There is nothing wrong with grilled burgers, but how about flavouring an alligator fillet with a wild game rub or barbecuing s’mores? The world’s your grilling oyster thanks to a bevy of accessories on the market. Here are some sure-fire accessories for Father’s Day.

It’s all in the rub

Texas-based SuckleBusters recently broke into the Canadian barbecue market with four meat rubs starting at $8.99. Clucker Dust with chipotle peppers gives chicken and other meats a medium-hot jolt and a sweet, smoky tinge. Sweet and savoury, Wild Thang Game Rub suits wild game, including “fish snakes and gators” and domestic meats. Also available: super-hot Baayum Rub with habanero powder and SPG Rub with salt, pepper and garlic. Romantic Fireplaces & BBQs, Orléans, 5929 Jeanne D’Arc Blvd. romanticfireplaces.com

Campfire-style fun at home

Bring s’mores, the gooey campfire favourite made of Graham crackers, melted chocolate and roasted marshmallow, to your backyard with the S’mores Roasting Rack for BBQs, $19.99 at Canadian Tire. canadiantire.ca

It’s a wrap

Wood wraps from Canadian Tire ($6.99 for a package of six) add wood flavour to lighter fare like seafood, cheese, fruits and vegetables. Made of untreated western red cedar, the thin wraps can be used for grilling, steaming and baking, making them a year-round treat. canadiantire.ca

Timing is everything

Chill with a beverage of your choice while your barbecue does its thing. When the meat is ready, Acu-Rite’s digital thermometer fires off an alert to a wireless pager, and you spring into action. The pager is backlit for evening barbecues and has a range of 30 metres. Find it for $49.99 at Capital Appliance & BBQ,12 Grenfell Cres., bbqing.com

Chic salt slab

Pink Himalayan salt blocks, carved from sea salt deposits near the famous mountain range, are preheated for 30 minutes in the barbecue or oven to impart natural seasoning and tenderness to food cooked on them. Their density means good heat distribution whether you’re cooking meat, fish or even eggs. Priced from $87 at The Fireplace Center and Patio Shop, 1722 Carling Ave. fireplacecenter.com

By Erica Wark

 The hot heat is here and to celebrate we’ve compiled our fave outdoor-festival staples, which are inspired by style-savvy celebs that are rocking this season’s boho-chic vibe.

From fringe to crochet, minis to maxis and just about everything in between, it’s time to channel your inner flower power with the help of these flirty fashions.

1. Hudson’s Bay Topshop suede patch crochet vest, $90

2. BCBGMAXAZRIA Susie lace insert tiered babydoll dress, $335

3. Winners printed dress with crochet cuffs, $16.99

4.Holt Renfrew, Citizens of Humanity denim, $315

5.Winners embossed leather cut-out bootie, $199.99

6.Banana Republic grosgrain-trim Panama hat, $62

7.Hudson’s Bay Topshop new big felt floppy hat, $52

8.Holt Renfrew Bob Sdrunk sunglasses, $325

9.Browns Shoes GLADIATOR sandals B2, $298

10.Hudson’s Bay Topshop paisley print maxi dress, $60

11.Holt Renfrew Edie Parker clutch, $1,495

12.Aldo Fringe sandal, $65

13.Holt Renfrew Lulu Frost necklace, $440

14.Michael Kors Christy Medium fringed messenger, $398

Photo of actress Kate Bosworth at Coachella courtesy of Getty Images

Verdugo Ultra Skinny – Alexandria, $250, available at http://www.paige.com

VINCE CAMUTO ‘Trumen’ fringe heel, $175.

TOPSHOP embroidered tassel dress, $65, at Hudson’s Bay.

OLD NAVY fringe cross body bag, $29.94.

Kendall Jenner, right, attends the 2015 Coachella Music and Arts Festival on April 11, in Indio, California.

Design Lab Lord & Taylor Faux Suede Fringe Jacket, exclusively at Hudson’s Bay, $98.

H&M 4-band cuff, $14.99.

H&M black boho mini dress, $99.

In my family, Aunt Doll was the rockstar. She escaped small-town New Brunswick, became a hairdresser in Montreal, and then joined Clairol in New York City, testing new hair-dye products before they hit the market. At the time, Clairol’s ad slogan was, “Only her hairdresser knows for sure.” Aunt Doll absolutely knew for sure.

I was crazy about her. She was the reason my family was driving to New York in the summer of 1967 for our first real vacation. The plan was to spend a few days in the city and then take her to Montreal with us for Expo 67. It was all Aunt Doll’s idea, and I could hardly believe it was happening.

I was 17 that July and not getting along with my father for the usual adolescent reasons and more. My father loathed my longish hair and threatened to cut it as I slept. I believed he might try it some night. For my dad, the finer points of parenting did not include showing affection to his children. He died 10 years later and, every Father’s Day, I’m reminded that I never got him a card, not once, and never said that I loved him.

I didn’t know it then, but our New York vacation would bring me closer to him.

After a few days of sightseeing, Aunt Doll took us shopping. My mother bought several things for my little sister, and with Aunt Doll’s prodding, a few things for herself. When we got back to her Brooklyn apartment, my father ordered us to leave the shopping bags in the car. He was big on pointless pronouncements like that.

I ignored him. I took the albums I had bought — the Doors’ first LP, with the long version of Light My Fire, and Otis Redding’s Dictionary of Soul among them — up to the apartment.

As I watched the Mets on TV that evening, my parents were sitting on the balcony gabbing with Aunt Doll. Then I heard my dad jump to his feet with a curse. Our car was disappearing around the corner.

It was a plain 1963 Dodge sedan with a slant-six engine. Not worth stealing, really, but the shopping bags spread across the backseat must have been irresistible to the car thief.

After a quick call to the cops, my father decided to go to the police station a few blocks away to file a report. To my surprise, he told me to come along. My aunt lived in Flatbush, a then-deteriorating Brooklyn neighbourhood with a rising crime rate.

When we got outside, I noticed my father had an open jackknife in his hand. The street was deserted.

After a bored desk sergeant took the details at the police station, it was close to midnight. The walk back to the apartment seemed to take twice as long but we never saw a soul.

My aunt made plane reservations to get us back to Moncton, and as we headed to the airport the next day my father couldn’t resist telling the cab driver what had happened.

“God’s my sacred judge,” the cabbie said with a sunny smile, “maybe you people shouldn’t be flyin’ today.” Mom and I laughed.

None of us had been on a plane before. A jet airliner took us to Boston, where we were catching a connecting flight to Bangor, Maine. Relatives from Edmunston, N.B., would meet us there. The plan was for us to take the train from Edmunston back to Moncton. The dream of visiting Expo disappeared with our car.

The Bangor-bound plane was no fancy jet. It had two propeller-driven engines and looked like a Second World War relic. As we waited to board, my dad saw a mechanic working on one of the engines, its cowl removed. When I looked around a few minutes later, he’d vanished.

“Gone to the bar,” my Mom said. He came back pale and fidgety.

Then I figured out what was wrong — he was scared to fly. To my secret delight, Dad white-knuckled it all the way to Bangor. I’d never seen him frightened before.

If my father blamed himself for the car theft, he never said so. We never talked about our midnight stroll on the mean streets of Brooklyn, but by taking me with him he showed he didn’t think I was a kid any more.

Our trip to New York City forced me to look at my father in a far different way. I saw a man who loved his kids but had trouble demonstrating it. And he could never admit that he was wrong.

We got along better after that summer, but my dad never got on a plane again.

The great big escape in Ottawa

The Ottawa area has always been blessed with beautiful scenery, but only recently have we been able to get takeout food that’s as elevated as the vistas. Savour the sunny days ahead by ordering a chef-made meal and spreading out your picnic in one of these spectacular settings.

1. Spread Delivers, Canadian Museum of History

The place: The limestone outcrop known as Parliament Hill has been an important landmark since First Nations people canoed the mighty Ottawa. The loveliest view is from across the river, on the lawns that roll down to the water from the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau. Spread your blanket on the grass or pick a picnic table, then sit or lie back to enjoy panoramic view of bridges, buildings and natural beauty.

Scenery doesn’t get much better than this. Ottawa’s MJ Naim Brown enjoys a picnic on the grounds of the Canadian Museum of History.

Whether big or small, social or romantic, picnics are the ultimate getaway on a summer’s day. MJ Naim Brown toasts the season in style on the grounds of the Canadian Museum of History.

Ottawa’s Spread Delivers will deliver lunch by bicycle right to your picnic blanket. Visit their website at spreaddelivers.com.

Whether big or small, social or romantic, picnics are the ultimate getaway on a summer’s day. MJ Naim Brown toasts the season in style on the grounds of the Canadian Museum of History.

In addition to great eats, don’t forget sun essentials such as a hat, sunglasses and a good book.

The picnic: It seems too good to be true, but the year-old Spread Delivers picnic company will deliver your gourmet lunch right to your blanket – by bicycle.

“I got the idea last summer when a customer asked if we could deliver lunch to his date on the Pretoria Bridge,” says company owner Julie Harrison, a chef who ran a similar lunch delivery business in Toronto (minus the bikes). “It’s actually easier to deliver to an outdoor spot than an office building.”

It seems too good to be true, but chef Julie Harrison of Spread Delivers picnic company will deliver your gourmet lunch right to your blanket – by bicycle.

Spread Delivers picnic company’s Moroccan Spiced Chickpeas with Tomato Cucumber Salsa

The menu: Spread Delivers offers eight types of sandwiches – from Egg Salad with Tarragon & Crispy Shallots ($7) to a multi-layered stacked muffuletta with several types of salamis and antipasti ($9) – as well as sensational salads, chips and housemade dip, sweet treats such as brownies and butter tarts, and two types of soft drinks. What more could anyone want?

Eight different sandwiches, sensational salads, chips and housemade dip, and sweet treats such as butter tarts and Mexican chocolate cinnamon brownies are available from Spread Delivers

The details: Order by 5 p.m. the evening before your picnic (call anytime Monday to Friday). Harrison has prepared picnics for as few as two and as many as 35 people. Delivery fees range from $2 to $15 – it’s a $5 for delivery to the museum lawn. You can get to the picnic site from all directions by bike path; if you drive, it’s $2.50 per half hour to park underground at the museum.

Contact: spreaddelivers.com or 613-860-3636

2. ’Wiches Cauldron, Pinhey’s Point

Monique Haugen and Craig Beaudry of the popular Stittsville food truck ’Wiches Cauldron serve delicious soup, salads and sandwiches.

Popular Stittsville food truck ’Wiches Cauldron serve delicious soup, salads and sandwiches.

Monique Haugen and Craig Beaudry of the popular Stittsville food truck ’Wiches Cauldron serve delicious soup, salads and sandwiches.

Monique Haugen and Craig Beaudry of the popular Stittsville food truck ’Wiches Cauldron serve delicious soup, salads and sandwiches.

Monique Haugen and Craig Beaudry of the popular Stittsville food truck ’Wiches Cauldron serve delicious soup, salads and sandwiches.

The place: There is arguably no prettier place on all 1,271 kilometres of the Ottawa River than Pinhey’s Point, with its 200-year-old stone manor house, green hillside and secluded harbour. Unless you live in Stittsville or points west, this outing will take you out of your way, but the pastoral setting 40 minutes west of downtown, and the cut-above soups and sandwiches you’ll pick up first, are well worth it.

The ‘Wiches Cauldron offers a regular menu as well as daily specials,which are posted on their Facebook page. Desserts include crème brûlée, below.

The picnic: The two-year-old ’Wiches Cauldron food truck in Stittsville regularly runs out of its famous crème brûlée and Trucker sandwiches before its official opening hours – 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays – are over. Arrive early to get the best selection of

goodies made by Craig Beaudry and Monique Haugen, both Algonquin College culinary grads who worked for four years at Westboro’s Village Café.

The menu: The regular menu includes three sandwiches on Kaiser rolls and a vegetarian wrap, but the soups, desserts and special sandwich change daily. “Our feature sandwich now is the one with house-made porchetta ($8.25),” says Beaudry. “We’re topping it with mozzarella, lemon-dill yogurt sauce, mixed greens, tomatoes and caramelized onions.” The truck, which often has lineups before it opens, is too busy to take phone orders, but you can plan your choices by checking its Facebook page.

The details: Soups and sandwiches come in handy to-go boxes. Find the ‘Wiches Cauldron at 1195 Carp Rd. From there, it’s about a 25-minute drive to Pinhey’s Point: head 10 kilometres north on Carp Road to a right onto March Road. After 6.7 kilometres, turn left onto Dunrobin Road, and then make an immediate right onto Riddell Drive. It curves northwest onto Sixth Line Road, which takes you to the estate, where parking is free.

The historic Pinhey Estate, a short 25-minute drive from the ‘Wiches Cauldron’s food truck in Stittsville, is a great place to picnic.

Contact: wichescauldron.ca (click on the Facebook link there) or 613-355-8080.

3. OCCO Kitchen, Petrie Island

Play in the sand and relax at Petrie Island, a perfect picnic spot in Orléans. Before you go, visit Mark Steele, below, owner of OCCO (Orléans Catering Company) Kitchen for tasty takeout.

The place: Just 20 minutes east of downtown Ottawa, Petrie Island is a natural wonderland with sandy beaches, walking trails, 130 bird species, sunbathing turtles, plenty of picnic tables and refreshing river breezes. You can join the crowd for a game of beach volleyball, or get away from it all and examine nearly 30 types of rare plant species.

The picnic: The tiny, primarily takeout, OCCO (Orléans Catering Company) Kitchen opened in March and has been hopping busy ever since – with delicious reason. Chef Mark Steele – formerly of such hotels as the Château Laurier, the Delta and the Marriott and still an instructor at Algonquin College – turns out fast food the slow way, with homemade buns on the burgers, even house-made pickles and ketchup.

The menu: From the Garlic Herb Fries ($3.50) to the caesar salad topped with candied bacon ($5), Steele adds tasty touches to the classics. “I’d say the most popular items are the Crispy Fish Tacos ($4.50 each), with local Bicycle Craft beer in the batter, and the Hamre Burger ($12), which is named after customer Steve Hamre,” says Steele. “The burger is made with triple-A ground chuck and has candied bacon and smoked cheddar on top, and we put candied bacon in the dough for the buns.”

Some of OCCO’s most popular items (clockwise from top left) are the LOCCO burger, crispy fish taco, steak salad and heirloom salad.

The details: OCCO Kitchen is at 3018 St. Joseph Blvd., in a plaza south of Place d’Orléans; order ahead (seven days a week) to avoid a wait. From there, it’s five kilometres to Petrie Island: head west on St. Joseph for three kilometres to Trim Road; turn left and head north onto the island. Parking on Petrie costs $2 for five hours.

Contact: occokitchen.com or 613-424-7700

By Loukia Zigoumis

Ever since my mother gave me a copy of Judy Blume’s Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, I’ve had a book on the go.

I’m such an avid reader that I signed up for a book challenge — to read 50 books in 2015. Here are my summer picks.

The Girl On The Train, Paula Hawkins

This is hands down my No. 1 pick for summer. It’s suspenseful, a real page-turner and the characters are connected in ways you’d never imagine. The main character, Rachel, is searching for meaning in her life while trying to piece together clues that will help her solve a murder that has taken place.

The Vacationers, Emma Straub

With a title like this how could you not pick it up? The story revolves around a family on a two-week vacation to Mallorca with friends, and the struggles they face with one another. Dark secrets, marriage woes, childhood rivalries and the dynamic of the parent-child relationship are dealt with in a beautiful way.

Big Little Lies, Liane Moriarty

This juicy read revolves around the lives of three women and takes you behind closed doors and schoolyard scandals. There’s Madeline, a passionate mother who is dealing with her oldest daughter choosing her ex-husband over her. Celeste, a gorgeous mother of twin boys, who holds a dark secret beneath her beautiful exterior. Both women befriend Jane, a young single mother, who has doubts and concerns about her son.

Lost & Found, Brooke Davis

This heartfelt debut novel by an Australian author is a real departure from other books I’ve read. It’s from the perspective of three very different people: Millie Bird, a seven-year-old girl who is abandoned in the lingerie department of a store; Agatha Pantha, an 82-year-old woman who has not left her home since she became a widow seven years ago; and Karl, an 87-year-old man still mourning the death of his wife. The three embark on a journey of self-discovery that is funny, sad and uplifting.

Go Set A Watchman, Harper Lee
There is much fanfare about this novel, which comes out July 14. First submitted to a publisher in the mid-1950s, Harper Lee was encouraged to rewrite it. Instead, she put her manuscript aside and wrote To Kill A Mockingbird, which earned her a Pulitzer Prize. Go Set A Watchman follows an adult Scout Finch, who returns to her hometown of Maycomb, Alabama, from New York City to visit her father, Atticus. Scout is keen to come to terms with events 20 years in the past, during the Civil Rights era that rocked America. I’m re-reading To Kill A Mockingbird and am reminded of its brilliance.

The Alchemist, Paolo Coelho

First published in 1988, this book about finding one’s destiny has sold more than 65 million copies and is one of the best-selling books of all times. I connected with the story immediately and the deeper meaning of the book has stayed with me for years. The story revolves around a young shepherd named Santiago who journeys to Egypt after having dreams of finding treasure there. A quote that resonates with me is: “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”

Lifestyle blogger Loukia Zigoumis, who is also known as @MrsLoulou, can be found at loulousviews.com.