OTTAWA, September 22,
2009 – The
event of the year in the Ottawa/Gatineau region will be held October
17 at the Canada Government Conference Centre.
Amanda
Forsyth, principal cellist for the National Arts Centre Orchestra is serving as Honorary Chair for the first annual For the Love
of the Bloom gala, which will spotlight the Canadian Academy
of Floral
Art (CAFA) and promises to put on a true show for the senses.
While savouring a gourmet meal prepared by Bytown
Caterers, the
more than 600 guests will be able to judge the creative genius
of master
floral designers from across the country who have contributed
designs to the more than twenty-five dresses, all made
of flowers,
featured
in the accompanying fashion show. Proceeds from the event, presented
by BMO - Harris Private Banking, will help fund breast cancer
research through the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation and the
Quebec Breast
Cancer Foundation. "I am extremely
honoured to act as patron for this gala," notes
Amanda Forsyth, "a highly original showcase for the talents
of various Canadian artists which, at the same time, will raise awareness
of women's health issues and offer support to individuals affected
by the disease and to the Canadian scientific community working in
their interests. In the past decade, extremely encouraging statistics
show that the five-year survival rate for breast cancer survivors
in Canada is 87 per cent. Our support for the Foundations will help
this movement of hope and progress bloom."
“BMO Harris
Private Banking is proud to present this unique fundraising event that
will help raise awareness of a disease that affects so
many Canadians, and support the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation
and the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation,” said Gord Graves,
Vice-President and Managing Director for BMO Harris Private Banking,
Eastern and Northern Ontario. “We are also committed to playing
an important role in this gala's long term goal of raising $1 million
for the benefit of the foundations.”
Joel-Marc
Frappier, President of the CAFA, explains that
the fashion show highlighting the fund-raiser will consist of twenty-five
dresses
designed to reflect the twelve months of the year, as well as the provinces
and territories of Canada. "There are also a few surprises in store," adds
Mr. Frappier, himself a certified master floral designer, "like
dresses adorned with vegetables and even chocolate alongside the flowers".
Sketches of the dresses and other details of the gala are available on
the event's website, fortheloveofthebloom.ca.
The musical director for the event is François Dubé,
and the dance band Sway Orchestra will fill the dance floor until late
in
the evening. Gatineau songstresses France Maisonneuve, Manon Charlebois
and Samantha Beaulne Nevers will also perform pieces selected - naturally
- for their floral themes. More surprises in store here.
The official national launch of Dolce & Gabbana new fragrance ROSE
THE ONE will take place at the Gala.
Tickets are $250 per person or $2,250 per table of 10, and can be
purchased by phone at 819 568 1809 or by email at fortheloveofthebloom@yahoo.ca. Floral dresses on show at the Maison de la culture de Gatineau
The haute floral couture dresses featured in the fashion show will be
on show for the general public at the Maison de la culture de Gatineau
between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on the day after the gala. "Visitors
to the exhibit will be asked to make a contribution to the breast cancer
foundations. It's a perfect opportunity for them to appreciate the
remarkable designs of these unique dresses," added Mr. Frappier.
This gala has been made possible through the generous contributions
of numerous sponsors, including BMO Harris Private Banking,
l'Université du
Québec en Outaouais, Dolce & Gabbana, Smashbox Cosmetics,
Fairmont Château Laurier, Minto Suite Hotel Bytown Caterers, Le
Droit, Rock Détente, Jefferson Sukhoo, Winward, Fidélice,
Nexus PR, Breaktrough Ideas, Pick Ontario, Copius Printing, la Maison
de la culture de Gatineau, The Bay, Oasis Floral Products and Highland
Evergreen Supply Inc, Jefferson Sukhoo Recherché Concept Coiffure,
Hofland, Mex Y Can, Videogram, Designing Trendz inc. A little-known treasure in the national capital
Situated near the effluence of Ottawa's Rideau Canal - across the street
from the Château Laurier and a stone's throw from Parliament
Hill's East Block - the Government Conference Centre is a key historic
element among the buildings immediately surrounding the National War
Memorial in Ottawa.
The building, originally a railway station, became the Conference
Centre in 1969, under the direction of the late Right Honourable
Prime Minister
Pierre Elliot Trudeau, who wanted a site reserved specifically for
government-hosted events. In this capacity, the Centre has
served as a welcome spot for
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, His Royal Highness Prince Charles and
the late Princess Diana, His Holiness the late Pope John Paul II, and
Commonwealth and international heads of state. As well, it has been
a meeting spot for international discussions on topics ranging
from land
mines and human rights to the world economy. In 1981, it served as
the international press centre for the G8 Summit in Canada
and was also the
site of Prime Minister Trudeau's Federal-Provincial Constitutional
conferences which led to the repatriation of the Canadian
Constitution in 1982.
For the first 55 years of its existence, the building was the
Grand Trunk Railway's Union Station. Inspired by Roman and
beaux-arts concepts
and
designed in 1908 by Montreal architects Ross and MacFarlane, it opened
its doors in 1912 - and it's been a hub of bustling activity ever
since.
Feeding directly into Ottawa's downtown core and linked by an
underground tunnel to the Château Laurier, Union Station was the city's first
point of entry for railway passengers of all walks of life - including
immigrants, war veterans, national political figures and such international
dignitaries as Japan's Crown Prince Akihito, Britain's Sir Winston Churchill,
and China's Madame Chiang Kai Shek.
When the railway shut down in 1966, the action did not subside.
The following year the building entered the Government of Canada's
real
estate portfolio
and became "Centennial Centre" - featuring public exhibitions
celebrating Canada's 100th birthday throughout 1967. Two years later
it would become the Government Conference Centre we know today. Participants
attending the For the Love of the Bloom gala will have an opportunity
during the evening to visit this unique but little-known venue in the
nation's capital.
About BMO Harris Private Banking
BMO Harris Private Banking serves the needs of high net worth
clients and their families and helps them deal with a wide
range of complex
financial issues, providing comprehensive wealth management
expertise. The bank's
team of professionals is comprised of leading specialists in
a variety of disciplines including banking, investment management,
estate,
trust and various family office services such as philanthropic
and business
succession planning. BMO Harris Private Banking is part of
BMO Financial Group's Private Client Group. The Private Client
Group
provides integrated
wealth management services in Canada and the United States
and had total assets under management and administration of $230
billion
as at July
31, 2009.
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