Categories: Capital Diary

Politics and the Pen plus the Cabinet Ministers hairdresser

The Writers’ Trust of Canada handed out their annual $25,000 Shaughnessy Cohen Prize honouring…

by Mitchel Raphael on Thursday, March 12, 2009 9:31pm - 50 Comments

The Writers’ Trust of Canada handed out their annual $25,000 Shaughnessy Cohen Prize honouring political writing excellence to James Orbinski for An Imperfect Offering: Humanitarian Action in the Twenty-first Century at the annual Politics and the Pen gala dinner in the Fairmont Château Laurier ballroom. Politics and the Pen is one of Ottawa’s A-list events and brings out top politicians, including Natural Resources Minister Lisa Raitt and Transport Minister John Baird.

2bairdraitt11

A full press! Adam Chambers, aide to Jim Flaherty, with Lynn Meahan (left), press secretary to Labour Minister Rona Ambrose, and Jasmine MacDonnell, press secretary to Natural Resources Minister Lisa Raitt.

2adamjasllynn1

Laureen Harper with former Conservative MP Monte Solberg and designer Justina McCaffrey.

2laureenmonte

Mrs. Harper and Brent Butt of Corner Gas.

2laureenbrent

Mrs. Harper with Maclean’s columnist Paul Wells.

2laureenwells1

Michael Ignatieff and Liberal Senator Joyce Fairbairn.

2iggyfairbairn

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty (left) and political strategist Jaime Watt of Navigator Limited.

2flahertywatt1

Winnipeg Conservative MP Steven Fletcher with Linda McIntosh, the author of his biography What Do You Do If You Don’t Die?

2fletcherlinda

Shaughnessy Cohen Prize winner James Orbinski.

2orbinski3

Immigration Minister Jason Kenney and Croation Ambassador Vesela Mrđen Korać.

2kenneyvesela

Alberta and Quebec unite! Tory MPs Ted Menzies (left) and Maxime Bernier.

2maximemenzies3

Menzies with Newfoundland Liberal MP Scott Simms.

2simmsmenzies1

Menzies and Harvey Slack of The Canadiana Fund.

2slackted

Toronto Liberal MP Gerard Kennedy.

2gerardkenendy1

Labour Minister Rona Ambrose.

2ronaambrose1

(Left to right) Paul Sparkes, Executive Vice-President, Corporate Affairs CTVglobemedia, Liberal Whip Rodger Cuzner, Greg MacEachern of Summa Strategies and Global National’s Kevin Newman.

2sparkesnewman2

Transport Minister John Baird and his hairdresser Stefania Capovilla.

Immigration Minister Jason Kenney also goes to Capovilla for the perfect cut.

2stefaniakenney

Conservative House leader Jay Hill and his wife Leah Murray.

2jayleah

Heritage Minister James Moore and Susan Smith of Bluesky Strategies.

2mooresmith1

Vancouver Liberal MP Hedy Fry.

2hedyfry

NDP leader Jack Layton and his wife Toronto NDP MP Olivia Chow.

2laytonchow

Brampton, Ont., Liberal MP Ruby Dhalla.

2rubydhalla1

Tory Senate leader Marjory LeBreton.

2marjory2

Toronto Liberal MP Martha Hall Findlay.

2marthahallfindlay2

Jill Fairbrother, Igantieff’s Director of Communications.

2jill

Iggy staffer Mark Sakamoto.

2marksakamoto

Deirdra McCracken, the glam Director of Communications to Heritage Minister James Moore, looking very Jennifer Aniston.

2deirdra

Meahan with TVO’s Steve Paikin of The Agenda.

2lynnpaikin2

Paikin and Paul Wells.

2wellspaikin2

David Wilkins, the recent former U.S. ambassador to Canada.

2wilkins

James Kusie from the PMO and Stephanie Schramm Kusie from Tory MP Peter Kent’s office.

2kusie1

Writer Patricia Pearson.

2patriciapearson2

Zach Churchill, National Director of the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations.

2zachchurchill

The meal included grilled jumbo sea scallop napped with morel mushroom vinaigrette.

2politicspenfood1

And roasted shallot and tomato glazed Manitoba bison fillet.

2politicspenfood2

The dessert.

2dessert

More by Mitchel Raphael

Dot

One Quebec MP made me think of Rusty Staub.
Not an MP

Monte is not an MP anymore…

madeyoulook

FORMER, adj.: Previous, as in “former Conservative MP Monte Solberg”

madeyoulook

Immigration Minister Jason Kenney also goes to Capovilla for the perfect cut.
Perfect cut, indeed…
(Stares)
(Stares)
(Stares)
(Blinks, rapid head-shake)
(Face reddens a bit)
Oh, you meant his hair!

http://www.jamiesonrothwell.com jsrothwell

I thought he looked like Randy from the Trailer Park Boys in a tux. But he always looks like Randy to me

Karen

What in the world is a hairdresser doing at a reception to the Chateau Laurier? Talk about going from slums/working class to living the good life?

Dot

Ouch. Someone’s perm must have fallen out just before the h.s. prom.

Karen

Alas I did not attend high school in the 1980′s, I’m not that old.
But honestly, I hope this hairdresser isn’t on the government’s payroll.

Dot

Her “John Baird” cut was based upon this model:
-
http://www.geocities.com/ktelqueen/puff1.jpg
-
(ask your parents)

Karen

Ha, well that is a hard style to pull off. Personally I like John Baird’s haircut. Much better than other politicians showcased in these pictures.

Critical Reasoning

I got the impression that John Baird had asked his hairdresser on a date, although perhaps she was just being coy when she told Mitchel she was a hairdresser.

Angela K

But why would John Baird ask her out?

Critical Reasoning

Perhaps he was entranced by her beauty.

Angela K

I don’t think he would be.
Critical Reasoning

She has a lovely name, too. “Stefania Capovilla”.
Angela K

I rest my case, not pointing out the obvious fact.
cam

hahaha, well done.
Critical Reasoning

Her facebook informs us that she’s a fan of politicians:
-Stephen Harper
-Justin Trudeau
-Bob Rae

http://www.facebook.com/people/Stefania-Capovilla/847705200
Angela K

She looks like a golddigger.

John D

Working class = slums?
Geo

The gay guys always bring the prettiest girls to parties.

Karen

What I want to know is who is dating who in these pictures? Where’s Laureen’s special friend?

Dot

Apparently, Jason Kenney was “dating” the fifth and eighth rows from the bottom in the last photo.

Karen

My turn to say Ouch.

Critical Reasoning

Kenney looks like he’s one of those dark five o’clock shadow types. I bet he could grow one heck of a beard.
Dot

Don’t blame me. The hairdresser said so in between the cut and blow dry.
hosertohoosier

Paul Wells looks like he is trying to hold back laughter in his picture with Mrs. Harper.

Critical Reasoning

It looks like Steve Paikin and Paul Wells were talking about something interesting.

madeyoulook

“How much did you say she charges for a wash and a cut?”
Dot

“Ever seen that Seinfeld episode where Kramer takes George to the Pinstripe Ball ?”
-
“Yeah. What an entrance!”
Paul Wells

I think that’s a do-over shot because we were talking about something interesting and were caught a bit off-guard when Mitchel took his first pic. He moves fast, does Mitchel.

http://carnewsandviews.com jwl

I thought maybe you were chiding Paikin for calling you a cynic a few months ago. :)

Terren

Mrs. Harper smiles so much maybe she can lend a smile to her husband.
Angela K

I love the Chateau Laurier.
seaandthemountains

when did galas become acceptable again???
http://deleted Sandi

Geez – Rona Ambrose wears a lot of makeup. What is David Wilkins doing here? His tenure is over – go home.
http://carnewsandviews.com jwl

Wells and Brent Butt should feature in separated at birth special. And why do some people have medals, and not others.

Mitchel Raphael

Medals are given to politicians and writers to identify them.

http://carnewsandviews.com jwl

Thanks Mitchel.
Paul Wells

We used to get silver medals for the authors and gold for the politicians, but now everyone gets silver medals. It’s like a meeting of the Canadian Olympic team, except dumpier.
Lord Kitchener’s Own

Why are some politicians not wearing medals then? Are they just too cool for school, or are they trying to blend in and pretend not to be politicians?

Lord Kitchener’s Own

Allow me to reiterate jwl’s question. What’s with the medals, and what do the signify?

Some Cabinet ministers have them, some don’t. Some Liberals have them, and some don’t. Some of the media types have them, and some don’t.

What gives?
http://womancomputerinteraction.wordpress.com truemuse

You know who I’d like to be? I’d like to be the writer that gets this award by telling the same tale — from within. I wonder how many smiles on the faces if the award-winner, the book, casts that room of characters in the context of their true actions.

I wonder if a book that describes how the Ontario Government steals court ordered child maintenance payments to pay for social credit payments (welfare) for adults. How to describe a government that says: ‘your child gets this amount, so YOU get nothing’. How? Would it be a good read? Let me write “The Greed Read” from my perspective and earn the centre stage at that party one day.
http://www.amsubc.ca Blake Frederick

I sincerely hope that none of my students’ CASA fees went towards Mr. Churchill attending this event.

Blake Frederick
AMS President

JT

I sincerely hope that none of my AMS fees went towards Mr. Frederick making that asinine comment.

http://www.amsubc.ca Blake Frederick

They didn’t.

Toby

I can’t believe he has the nerve to go to an event and talk to politicians

JT

Don’t worry, the CFS were there too, but for some reason when you take photos of them they are invisible, sort of like vampires

bronwyn

Oh my goodness! Justina McCaffrey’s Byward Market shop always has such beautiful dresses in the window.
Lorenzo Demoralle

Who is James Kusie?????