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MISSION ACCOMPLISHED
Montreal Gazette, Quebec
Oct 1 2006
The Armenian church of canada's anniversary celebration of the
country's independence was a fun-filled success, raising $200,000
for two children's hospitals View Larger Image
Chair Sossi Manoukian (left), Miss Universe Canada 2006 Alice Panikian
and co-chair Marcelle Lavoie Meterissian at a gala organized by the
Armenian Church of Canada.
Photograph by : PHIL CARPENTER, THE GAZETTE
JENNIFER CAMPBELL, Freelance Published: Sunday, October 01, 2006
Mission love: One year ago, dynamic Bishop Bagrat Galstanian, primate
of the Armenian Church of Canada, envisioned a noble "mission of love":
The church would host a gala fundraiser titled Let There Be Light,
Let There Be Life, with a view to commemorating the 15th anniversary
of the independence of the Republic of Armenia while simultaneously
celebrating Canada and generating revenue for sick children.
How'd the love mission work out? Well, why don't you be the judge?
Exhibit Food: Mounds of P.B. Banquet's authentic Armenian appetizers
(including positively perfect Armenian mini-pizzas) flooded the food
front, followed by an impeccable filet mignon feast.
Exhibit Decor: Exquisitely appointed bronze table settings (think
lofty candelabras atop incandescent cloths) dotted the ballroom,
tailored to the Windsor's Old World allure.
Exhibit Entertainment: There was puhlenty of E-stuff, including a luxe
silent auction; captivating video address (from such notables as PM
Stephen Harper and filmmaker Atom Egoyan); emcee-escapism, courtesy
of comic surgeon Sarkis Meterissian and young Charlot Daghlian;
plus non-stop dancing thanks to the Family Affair Orchestra and DJ
Hye Class.
Exhibit VIPs: Ahem, 300-plus were in the house, a la dedicated
chairesses Sossi Manoukian (with John Manoukian) and Marcelle Lavoie
Meterissian (with Sarkis Meterissian); Suzanne Tailleur Tremblay with
mega-mayor Gerald Tremblay; well-spoken special guest (and staggeringly
stunning man magnet) Miss Universe Canada 2006 Alice Panikian; elegant
Maroush and Power Trading power-VP Ara Soukiassian; Armine and Razmig
Margoosian; Nayira and Arman Agopian, charge d'affaires, Embassy of
the Republic of Armenia in Canada; Adrineh and lead sponsor, MJI power
pres Mardig Jorjezian; opposition party leader Noushig Eloyan; city
councillor Mary Deros; dashing Andy Habib with Chanel Canada's Anny
Kazanjian (trendsational in a Chanel sheath and pearltastic vintage
choker); Lise and Daito Group chief Vartan Toroussian; Ardene stores'
toppest Arden Dervishian with glam wife Christine; Liberal leadership
candidate Stephane Dion (sporting a rather smart bow tie); Paula and
Armen Aprikian; and Hera and Ari Demirjian.
Exhibit $$: Close to $200,000 was raised for the Montreal Children's
and Ste. Justine hospitals.
Now if your party verdict isn't positive and you don't think mission
love was a rousing success, I surrender!
Centaur triumvirate triumphs: After having perused the silent-auction
loot and consumed copious amounts of Bon Appetit appetizers, I do
admit to almost giving in to the call of the clicker and making a
pre-performance beeline for the door. But alas my columnist conscience
beckoned. And I'm so glad it did. The informal stage-chat that Centaur
artistic director Gordon McCall conducted with esteemed Canadian
playwrights David Fennario, Vittorio Rossi and Michel Tremblay was at
once informative, fascinating, entertaining and inspiring. Each of the
evening's 3 Voices spontaneously revealed snippets from his respective
life that gave the audience keen insight into what motivates the craft
and makes a world-class playwright tick. For your Sunday enjoyment,
some snippets of snippets: Come hell or high water, Tremblay produces
first drafts in a prolific 11 days; one reason Rossi chose playwriting
over novels is adjectives aren't his thing (Vittorio if you need a few,
I'm your girl); and Fennario elegantly clarified his natural affinity
for dialogue: "I've been listening to bulls--t stories my whole life!"
Not surprisingly, the audience ate it up. The event attracted 200
Centaur VIPs including Nancy and 3 Voices chairperson James Grant;
Viviane and senator Francis Fox; committee and board members Carolyn
Renaud (with Richard), Janet Black (with Hans) and Alison Silcoff
(with Joel); he-who-decorated-the reception-in-the-trendiest-way
designer Mitchell Davey (who, scoop, spent a remarkably parsimonious
$250); Gordon's lovely wife Eloise McCall; Gretchen Evans; Darlene and
Ottawa-based philanthropist Dave Smith (who made one heckuva celebrity
auctioneer); Marika Teakle; Angela Chen and John, founder/owner of the
Montreal Retina Institute; Nina and Tom Harrington; Lilian Vineberg;
UTS Energy executive chairman Dennis Sharp; Claire Chaillez and
SNC-Lavalin executive VP Pierre Duhaime; and David Horlington. Yup,
the 3 Voices were heard (and loved!) helping to generate over $100,000
for one of Montreal's most venerable cultural institutions. Encore!
A terrific TAKE: The recent TAKE fashion extravaganza at the Best
Western Hotel Europa was a lotus of a treat for all 270 present
as co-chairs Shivendra Dwivedi and Geeta Suchak immersed guests in
Bollywood beautiful. Lead sponsors included The Marcelle and Jean
Coutu Foundation, Stikeman Elliott, Scotia Bank and Saputo.
Our exotic journey began with an elaborate cocktail (dipped in Taj
Mahal-chic), where authentic Indian fare was washed down with a medley
of Smirnoff's mango, guava and passion fruit martinis.
Caught thoroughly enjoying their first-class trip2India were
Pradeep with honorary chair Manishi Sagar (Kinderville Group CEO
and Canada's 32nd most powerful woman); Mr. Schwartz's himself,
Hy Diamond; Tatyana Reeve; honorary consul of the Republic of Yemen
Shirish Suchak with beautiful wife Vina; Carolina Richer Lafleche;
Amy Marleau (autumn-awesome in leggings and a tempting trench);
CJAD masters Stuart Nulman and Jill Fitzgerald; Naveen Tambhkoowala;
stylish city counsellor Catherine Sevigny; Binny and Ravi Mehra;
jazzy Jay Gould; Katie and Arun Mehra; Baton Rouge restauratrice
Chris Ann Nakis; Ravi Chhabra; and finance guru Ermes De Domenicis.
Next, patrons moved on to the fashion component of the evening,
choreographed by Suhaila Niazi Khan with makeup by Mindy Shear and
hair by Carte Blanche. (Exemplary emceeing was furnished by event
driving force, CJAD journalistic wonder Eramelinda Boquer). And that's
where the TAKE came in, standing for The Alia Khan Experience - Khan
being one of the globe's most successful Indo/Western designers, who
left us all more than a little awed by her exquisite and remarkably
wearable designs.
All of the above plus close to $20,000 for the Freedom from Poverty
Foundation (established in Montreal by professor T.D. Dwivedi and son
Shivendra) currently working to build a medical and education centre
in Uttar Pradesh, India.
Bollywood beautiful? U bet!
Montreal Gazette, Quebec
Oct 1 2006
The Armenian church of canada's anniversary celebration of the
country's independence was a fun-filled success, raising $200,000
for two children's hospitals View Larger Image
Chair Sossi Manoukian (left), Miss Universe Canada 2006 Alice Panikian
and co-chair Marcelle Lavoie Meterissian at a gala organized by the
Armenian Church of Canada.
Photograph by : PHIL CARPENTER, THE GAZETTE
JENNIFER CAMPBELL, Freelance Published: Sunday, October 01, 2006
Mission love: One year ago, dynamic Bishop Bagrat Galstanian, primate
of the Armenian Church of Canada, envisioned a noble "mission of love":
The church would host a gala fundraiser titled Let There Be Light,
Let There Be Life, with a view to commemorating the 15th anniversary
of the independence of the Republic of Armenia while simultaneously
celebrating Canada and generating revenue for sick children.
How'd the love mission work out? Well, why don't you be the judge?
Exhibit Food: Mounds of P.B. Banquet's authentic Armenian appetizers
(including positively perfect Armenian mini-pizzas) flooded the food
front, followed by an impeccable filet mignon feast.
Exhibit Decor: Exquisitely appointed bronze table settings (think
lofty candelabras atop incandescent cloths) dotted the ballroom,
tailored to the Windsor's Old World allure.
Exhibit Entertainment: There was puhlenty of E-stuff, including a luxe
silent auction; captivating video address (from such notables as PM
Stephen Harper and filmmaker Atom Egoyan); emcee-escapism, courtesy
of comic surgeon Sarkis Meterissian and young Charlot Daghlian;
plus non-stop dancing thanks to the Family Affair Orchestra and DJ
Hye Class.
Exhibit VIPs: Ahem, 300-plus were in the house, a la dedicated
chairesses Sossi Manoukian (with John Manoukian) and Marcelle Lavoie
Meterissian (with Sarkis Meterissian); Suzanne Tailleur Tremblay with
mega-mayor Gerald Tremblay; well-spoken special guest (and staggeringly
stunning man magnet) Miss Universe Canada 2006 Alice Panikian; elegant
Maroush and Power Trading power-VP Ara Soukiassian; Armine and Razmig
Margoosian; Nayira and Arman Agopian, charge d'affaires, Embassy of
the Republic of Armenia in Canada; Adrineh and lead sponsor, MJI power
pres Mardig Jorjezian; opposition party leader Noushig Eloyan; city
councillor Mary Deros; dashing Andy Habib with Chanel Canada's Anny
Kazanjian (trendsational in a Chanel sheath and pearltastic vintage
choker); Lise and Daito Group chief Vartan Toroussian; Ardene stores'
toppest Arden Dervishian with glam wife Christine; Liberal leadership
candidate Stephane Dion (sporting a rather smart bow tie); Paula and
Armen Aprikian; and Hera and Ari Demirjian.
Exhibit $$: Close to $200,000 was raised for the Montreal Children's
and Ste. Justine hospitals.
Now if your party verdict isn't positive and you don't think mission
love was a rousing success, I surrender!
Centaur triumvirate triumphs: After having perused the silent-auction
loot and consumed copious amounts of Bon Appetit appetizers, I do
admit to almost giving in to the call of the clicker and making a
pre-performance beeline for the door. But alas my columnist conscience
beckoned. And I'm so glad it did. The informal stage-chat that Centaur
artistic director Gordon McCall conducted with esteemed Canadian
playwrights David Fennario, Vittorio Rossi and Michel Tremblay was at
once informative, fascinating, entertaining and inspiring. Each of the
evening's 3 Voices spontaneously revealed snippets from his respective
life that gave the audience keen insight into what motivates the craft
and makes a world-class playwright tick. For your Sunday enjoyment,
some snippets of snippets: Come hell or high water, Tremblay produces
first drafts in a prolific 11 days; one reason Rossi chose playwriting
over novels is adjectives aren't his thing (Vittorio if you need a few,
I'm your girl); and Fennario elegantly clarified his natural affinity
for dialogue: "I've been listening to bulls--t stories my whole life!"
Not surprisingly, the audience ate it up. The event attracted 200
Centaur VIPs including Nancy and 3 Voices chairperson James Grant;
Viviane and senator Francis Fox; committee and board members Carolyn
Renaud (with Richard), Janet Black (with Hans) and Alison Silcoff
(with Joel); he-who-decorated-the reception-in-the-trendiest-way
designer Mitchell Davey (who, scoop, spent a remarkably parsimonious
$250); Gordon's lovely wife Eloise McCall; Gretchen Evans; Darlene and
Ottawa-based philanthropist Dave Smith (who made one heckuva celebrity
auctioneer); Marika Teakle; Angela Chen and John, founder/owner of the
Montreal Retina Institute; Nina and Tom Harrington; Lilian Vineberg;
UTS Energy executive chairman Dennis Sharp; Claire Chaillez and
SNC-Lavalin executive VP Pierre Duhaime; and David Horlington. Yup,
the 3 Voices were heard (and loved!) helping to generate over $100,000
for one of Montreal's most venerable cultural institutions. Encore!
A terrific TAKE: The recent TAKE fashion extravaganza at the Best
Western Hotel Europa was a lotus of a treat for all 270 present
as co-chairs Shivendra Dwivedi and Geeta Suchak immersed guests in
Bollywood beautiful. Lead sponsors included The Marcelle and Jean
Coutu Foundation, Stikeman Elliott, Scotia Bank and Saputo.
Our exotic journey began with an elaborate cocktail (dipped in Taj
Mahal-chic), where authentic Indian fare was washed down with a medley
of Smirnoff's mango, guava and passion fruit martinis.
Caught thoroughly enjoying their first-class trip2India were
Pradeep with honorary chair Manishi Sagar (Kinderville Group CEO
and Canada's 32nd most powerful woman); Mr. Schwartz's himself,
Hy Diamond; Tatyana Reeve; honorary consul of the Republic of Yemen
Shirish Suchak with beautiful wife Vina; Carolina Richer Lafleche;
Amy Marleau (autumn-awesome in leggings and a tempting trench);
CJAD masters Stuart Nulman and Jill Fitzgerald; Naveen Tambhkoowala;
stylish city counsellor Catherine Sevigny; Binny and Ravi Mehra;
jazzy Jay Gould; Katie and Arun Mehra; Baton Rouge restauratrice
Chris Ann Nakis; Ravi Chhabra; and finance guru Ermes De Domenicis.
Next, patrons moved on to the fashion component of the evening,
choreographed by Suhaila Niazi Khan with makeup by Mindy Shear and
hair by Carte Blanche. (Exemplary emceeing was furnished by event
driving force, CJAD journalistic wonder Eramelinda Boquer). And that's
where the TAKE came in, standing for The Alia Khan Experience - Khan
being one of the globe's most successful Indo/Western designers, who
left us all more than a little awed by her exquisite and remarkably
wearable designs.
All of the above plus close to $20,000 for the Freedom from Poverty
Foundation (established in Montreal by professor T.D. Dwivedi and son
Shivendra) currently working to build a medical and education centre
in Uttar Pradesh, India.
Bollywood beautiful? U bet!