The Ottawa Citizen from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada • 26

C6 THE OTTAWA CITIZEN MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2007 CITY Leaders are winners at of 0 CAROLINE PHILUPS AROUND TOWN if vsaf a I if PHOTOS BY WAYNE CUDOINGTON, THE OTTAWA CITIZEN 1 The honorees at the University of Ottawa's Distinguished Canadian Leadership Awards' shared a laugh, left. They are: LEFT: From left, Paul -Desmarais, Adrienne Clarkson and Claire L'Heureux-Dube. Allan Rock received the Meritas Tabaret Award for alumni. ABOVE: Joining Madame Clarkson at the event was friend Maher Arar, who is attending the university. Guests of Kenneth and Christina Loeb at their party to thank supporters of the Ottawa Art Gallery included: TOP LEFT: From left, Harvey Slack, Laurier LaPierre, Donna Shore and Jacques Shore; MIDDLE LEFT: From left, Laureen Assaly; Christina Loeb and Sandra Assaly; BELOW From left, Nan Griffiths and Barbara Gamble; and BELOW: From left, Uta Riccius and Sandy Foote.

4 fU 4n I i -m -i I I PHOTOS BY LOIS SIEGEL, THE OTTAWA CITIZEN 11 111 11 1 iiu 1.1 i i i i al.u uumi. One of the more exciting moments at the University of Ottawa's 2007 Distinguished Canadian Leadership Awards happened early in the night when, as the recipients stood side by side, their collective clout became evident by the pack of photographers furiously clicking away inside the National Gallery. Billionaire Paul Desmarais, former governor general Adrienne Clarkson and retired Supreme Court justice Claire L'Heureux-Dube were this year's honorees. Former Liberal cabinet minister and ambassador to the UN, Allan Rock (now a practising lawyer in, Windsor and Toronto) revived the highest recognition for alumni, the Meritas Tabaret Award. Mr.

Desmarais of Power Corporation of Canada arrived at Tuesday's dinner with his wife, Jacqueline Desmarais, after having earlier attended the university's official opening of a flagship building bearing his name, and to which he contributed $15 million. The businessman was seen cheek-kissing in-law Aline Chretien, whose usual date, still recuperating from heart surgery, did not attend. The Chretiens' daughter, France, is married to the Desmarais' son, Andre Madame Clarkson came with her husband, John Ralston Saul, and their friends, Maher Arar and his wife, Monia Mazigh. Mr. Arar's connections to the university include currently pursuing a PhD in wireless engineering.

Later in the evening, Gilles Patry, whose second and final term as president of the univer-T sity ends in June 2008, received a lengthy standing ovation from the crowd 0450 after be- ing publicly thanked for his hard work by chancellor Huguette Labelle. GALLERY WITHOUT A HOME All framed up and no place to go. So goes the story of the Ottawa Art Gallery's (OAG) collection of contemporary and modern art and its search for a bigger and better building in which to display it all. Kenneth Loeb and his wife, Christina Loeb, who's on the OAG board, threw a party at their ritzy Rockcliffe Park home Tuesday to thank supporters of the non-profit public gallery, featuring pieces borrowed from the OAG and its Firestone Collection. The works of painters like Emily Carr, Paul-Emile Borduas, Jack Shadbolt and A.Y.

Jackson hung alongside the Loebs' own impressive collection of art. The gallery's director, Mela Constantinidi, and board chairman Sandy Foote were there, as were such fellow board members as artist Uta Riccius, Adrian Burns and architect Nan Griffiths, who heads the OAG's building committee to find a new site for the gallery, currently in the cramped Arts Court. Fellow guests included Lau-reen Assaly and her daughter-in-law, Sandra Assaly, painter Barbara Gamble, Harvey Slack and his partner, retired senator Laurier LaPierre, and lawyer Jacques Shore and his wife, Dr. Donna Shore. Also present was Austrian Ambassador Otto Ditz, who's returning for his fifth term as honorary patron of the annual Viennese Winter Ball.

BORSCHTAND BALLET Really, what's a Russian-themed party without vodka? Guests sampled vodka-spiked shrimp, beet borscht and Minis with smoked salmon at a reception co-hosted Tuesday by Swedish Ambassador Ingrid Iremark and arts supporters Christina and Bruce Gillies. Guests gathered inside Jason Duval's chic private gallery (a continuation of his nearby commercial gallery) on Sussex Drive. There, they met Ballet Jorgen Canada's artistic director, Bengt Jorgen, and dancer Sara Mastroianni, who's performing in the dance company's production ofAnastasia, the story of the famous Russian princess. It opens Friday at -Centrepointe Theatre. The Ottawa Symphony Orchestra honoured conductor David Currie at The Masters in Music award ceremony.

Those joining the party included: ABOVE: from left, Liane Cote, Frank Sukhoo, Snookie Lomow, James Jefferson and Mimi Wongwinyuchon; ABOVE RIGHT: Paul Casey and liana Waniuk; RIGHT: Ruby Heap and Gilles Patry, and BELOW: From left, John Gomez, Gerda Hnatyshyn and Mr. Currie. From left, Jennifer Kardash, Irshad the Jewish Federation of Ottawa's CURRIE-ING FAVOUR David Currie gave his baton a break, but the conductor remained centre stage as honoree of the inaugural Masters in Music award ceremony held Thursday at the Chateau Laurier. Nearly 300 people gathered for an evening of heartfelt speeches and tribute concerts dedicated to Mr. Currie for his contributions to the city's classical music scene.

Mr. Currie is music director of the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra (OSO) and a professor with the University of Ottawa's music mlmiiMiiMY 1 JI 71 l' ICWlf 4 Vj MX I I I 4 -J-'tL- tu I 1 I I CHRlb MIKULA. THE OTTAWA CITlZtN Manji and Debbie Weiss pause at Choices event. "I'm very humbled and very touched," Mr. Currie said upon accepting his award.

Honorary chairwoman Gerda Hnatyshyn, OSO president Susan Annis and of president Gilles Patry spoke, as did colleague John Gomez, who recalled his days of sitting at the back of the NAC Orchestra tour bus with Mr. Currie in the spring of 1982, discussing ways to improve orchestral training in Ottawa. "I think David has become a recognized figurehead for quality orchestral concerts and for training opportunities for inspiring young talents," Mr. PHOTOS BY WAYNE CUDDINGTON, THE OTTAWA CITIZEN 1 jJ-a 1 OSAMA'S 'WORST NIGHTMARE Canadian Muslim feminist Irshad Manji has got chutzpah all right. The bestselling author of The Trouble with Islam Today was in town Thursday to speak at the Jewish Federation of Ottawa's Women's Campaign's "Choices" event, held at the Agudath Israel Synagogue.

Ms. Manji, dubbed "Osama bin Laden's Worst Nightmare" by The New York Times, was to talk about a woman's choice to have a voice. "There is an overwhelming question that women are continually asking me: Where do you find the guts to speak iprf, X- PHOTOS BY CHRIS MIKULA, THE OTTAWA CITIZEN i'" 1 I ABOVE: From ieft, .1 5-- DickandJoy irL Hudson were honouredatthe i I j' Quality of Life 7 '-L, i- Awards. 1 a-A 'is' 4 Murray and 0 SVl Marsha Wilson I pB fMbi your mind despite the threats against your life?" said Ms. Manji, who was a Citizen editorialist in the early '90s.

The answer, said Ms. Manji, is that "courage is not the absence of fear; courage is the recognition that some things are more important than fear. For me, far more important than fear is the voice, and exercising the choice to use it." Jennifer Kardash was chairwoman of the event, which saw dinner tables decorated with centrepieces filled with soaps, lotions and other toiletries later donated to homeless shelters. Also on hand were Women's Campaign chairwoman Debbie Weiss and such organizers as Lenora Ze-likovitz, Adrienne Shabsove and Laila Wex. TRUE QUALITY OF LIFE A prominent businesswoman and a behind-the-scenes coijple were honoured for their community work Thursday with Quality of Life awards from the St.

Joe's Women's Centre in Sandy Hill. About 220 guests turned out to fete Hulse, Play-fair McGarry president Sharon McGarry and retired businessman Dick Hudson and his wife, Joy Hudson, a retired psychiatric nurse. Ms. McGarry's community work has included the YM-; YWCA, The Hospice at May Court and Kiwanis Club of By-town. Ms.

Hudson has been volunteering since she was a child, while Mr. Hudson has worked extensively with Prison Fellowship International, a Christian organization that reaches out to prisoners. Present was Marsha Wilson, director of the women's centre, which offers support and services to hjjjge-less or disadvantaged women and their children. TELL US, WHERE'S TELUS? CT. For those still around downtown OttawJ looking for the new TELUS: building, it's at the corner of Bank and Slater streets, not Bank and Sparks streets as was reported here last week.

Carolyn001sympatjco.ca 1 1 1ua -----5- fciiMi iiiiniir 1 (it CHRlb MIKULA, THE OTTAWA CITlZtN From left, Jason Duval, Sara Mastroianni and Christina Gillies enjoyed themselves at the pre-ballet party for Anastasia. Gomez said at the chocolate dessert reception. The ceremony featured performances by such musicians as Andrew Tunis, David Stewart and Mr. Gomez, and of student Paul Casey, whose funky 'do was almost as amusing as his speech. The event, chaired by Snookie Lomow, saw newly promoted Municipal Affairs Minister Jim Watson auction off prizes to raise money for the OSO.

An haute couture gown to be custom-made by designers James Jefferson and Frank Sukhoo was snatched up for $1,500. 9 1 2.