PHOTO GALLERY: Big Cheeses Gather in Ottawa
By Mitchel Raphael - Tuesday, February 5, 2013 - 0 Comments
MPs helped packed the ballroom of the Fairmont Château Laurier for a reception put…
MPs helped packed the ballroom of the Fairmont Château Laurier for a reception put on by the Dairy Farmers of Canada.
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- Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development Diane Finley.
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- NDP MP Yvon Godin.
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- Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development John Duncan.
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- Liberal Senator Jim Munson.
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- NDP MP Jean Crowder.
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- NDP MP John Rafferty.
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- Tory MP John Williamson (note the boots).
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- Liberal MP Frank Valeriote.
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- Government House Leader Peter Van Loan.
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- Tory MP Michael Chong.
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- Big cheeses: Liberal Sen. David Smith (left) and Government House Leader Peter Van Loan.
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Mitchel Raphael on the $3,000 bottle of Moët
By Mitchel Raphael - Sunday, June 3, 2012 at 7:31 AM - 0 Comments
Capital Diary gathers stories of a storied hotel during its 100th birthday bash.
- Don Newman/Mitchel Raphael
Celebrating service with a smile (and a wink)
Queen Elizabeth II dined in their ballroom. Nelson Mandela and the Rolling Stones stayed in their rooms. This is just a small fraction of the rich history of the Fairmont Château Laurier which held a big bash Thursday to mark its 100th anniversary.
Maxime Bernier, minister of state for small business and tourism, and other guests signed a giant bottle of Moët champagne worth $3,000 as they entered.
Justice Minister Rob Nicholson stopped to admire a man wearing a vintage uniform of the North West Mounted Police from the late 1800s. People in a variety of other period costumes walked around the room as part of the entertainment. Immigration Minister Jason Kenney noted that his grandfather Mart Kenney, a legend in the big band era, played at the hotel several times.
Retired CBC host Don Newman joked, “I laid the cornerstone. I wanted to be the first one to get laid at the Château Laurier.”
Toronto Conservative Sen. Don Meredith, who stays at the Château when he is Ottawa, complimented the hotel’s general manager Claude Sauvé on the hotel’s impeccable service.
