President's Message
2008-2009 Season Highlights
It’s been an outstanding 2008-09 season at the Canadian Club of Toronto.
We promised our members an exciting year of intelligent and creative programming, and that’s what we delivered. Our in-person and television audiences enjoyed hearing from a stellar line-up of political leaders, business leaders, thought leaders, civic leaders and arts leaders. Here are some of the highlights of our season.
Political Leaders at the Canadian Club
The Canadian Club was the podium of record for political leaders of all stripes and from many jurisdictions.
During the Federal Election in the Fall of 2008, we hosted Prime Minister Stephen Harper and then-Liberal Leader Stephane Dion.
We welcomed Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty to our podium when he released his budget and Ontario Finance Minister Dwight Duncan when he delivered his Fall Economic Statement, and then his 2009 Budget.
We hosted Michael Ignatieff when he was newly appointed as federal leader of the Liberal Party and Foreign Affairs Critic Bob Rae. Minister of National Defence and the Atlantic Gateway Peter MacKay helped us pay tribute to the Men and Women of the Canadian Armed Forces when we honoured our Canadians of the Year.
Premier Dalton McGuinty speak to the Canadian Club when he delivered an important message about the future of the Ontario economy. We also hosted Ontario Energy and Infrastructure Renewal Minister George Smitherman, Health Minister David Caplan and Economic Development Minister Michael Bryant. We also heard from Quebec Minister of International Affairs, Aboriginal Affairs and Francophones, Benoit Pelletier.
In an exciting new collaboration with The Belinda Stronach Foundation, the Canadian Club presented the Rt. Hon. Tony Blair, former Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, who discussed globalization, the economy and his Faith Foundation.
We co-hosted with Equal Voice our fourth annual Women in Public Life Luncheon, where the speaker and winner of the EVE Award was former Canadian Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Kim Campbell.
Together with the Empire Club, the Canadian Club hosted F.W. De Klerk, former President of South Africa and Chairman of the Global Leadership Foundation, who spoke about the challenges of growth facing the third world. This spring also saw us host four provincial PC leadership contenders: Tim Hudak, Frank Klees, Christine Elliott and Randy Hillier.
One of the crowning events of our season was an international first – two former U.S. Presidents, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, sharing a stage and engaged in a moderated conversation with TD Bank Chairman Frank McKenna. As a partner of this extraordinary event, The Canadian Club of Toronto was able to offer our members privileged access and preferred pricing for this remarkable experience.
Economic and Business Leaders
We started the New Year with our 34th annual Financial Post Outlook Luncheon, where we heard from Scotiabank’s Warren Jestin and the Post’s Diane Francis, Terence Corcoran and John Ivison about the state of the economy.
Just before the inauguration of President Obama in January, we were fortunate to have as our guest speaker the Canadian Ambassador to the US and former Finance Minister, the Hon. Michael Wilson.
We were joined early in the New Year by Robert Kelly, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The BankofNew York Mellon, who gave us new insights into the meltdown of global financial markets.
Jeffrey Immelt, the storiedChairman and CEO of General Electric, one of the world’s oldest and most successful companies, addressed the Canadian Club on the timely subject of how companies are coping with the global economic storm.
Closer to home, we heard an optimistic message about the province’s business and economic climate from Ontario Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Len Crispino.
Susan Wolburgh Jenah, the President and CEO of the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC), offered a timely and thoughtful address to the Canadian Club about the role of regulators in keeping our investment and financial systems sound.
Thought Leaders
The Principal and Vice-Chancellor of McGill University, Dr. Heather Munroe-Blum, delivered a stirring speech about how universities, government and industry need to pull together to secure Canada’s leadership in a global knowledge economy.
Dr. Chad Gaffield, President of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), made a compelling case for how non-scientific research can benefit businesses and translate into tangible, everyday benefits for society.
We also heard from Dr. Arnold Noyek, founder of the Canada International Scientific Exchange Program (CISEPO), who outlined how this enterprise was promoting remarkable cooperation in the Middle East through health initiatives.
Program Partners
We partnered with leading national and international organizations to bring new people, perspectives and formats to our stage.
Together with The Learning Partnership on Take Our Kids to Work Day, we presented celebrity chef Jamie Kennedy, MTV Host Dan Levy and Lululemon’s Natalie Westlake, alongwith moderator Merella Fernandez from CityNews.
With the Council of Ontario Universities, we featured a Chancellors Panel – David Dodge representing Queen’s University, Hon. David Peterson for University of Toronto and John Thompson for the University of Western Ontario.
In partnership with the Toronto City Summit Alliance and the Maytree Foundation, we hosted the partner launch of DiverseCity, the Greater Toronto Leadership Project, presented by David Pecaut, Ratna Omidvar and the Toronto International Film Festival’s Cameron Bailey.
We worked with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health to present Dr. David Goldbloom and Dr. Kwame McKenzie, who addressed the myths and truths surrounding mental illness in a conversation with columnist Margaret Wente of the Globe and Mail. We also worked with the Children’s Mental Health Association to present Margaret Trudeau in conversation with broadcaster Valerie Pringle during Children’s Mental Health Week.
Authors, Arts Leaders and Headliners
We continued and expanded our Book Launch Series this year. We hosted former Prime Minister Paul Martin when he launched his political memoirs, technology guru Don Tapscott who spoke about his book Growing up Digital: The Rise of the Net Generation, and Rudyard Griffiths, Dominion Institute co-founder and author of a provocative new book exploring what it means to be a Canadian.
This was also a banner year for the arts, and buildings dedicated to showcasing the arts took centre stage. In the Fall, the Director and CEO of the Art Gallery of Ontario Matthew Teitelbaum addressed the Canadian and Empire Clubs to offer a preview of the Frank Gehry transformation of this great cultural institution.
Later in the season, we welcomed to our podium the Director and CEO of the Toronto International Film Festival, Piers Handling, who told us about the new TIFF home under construction, the Bell Lightbox. Piers was then joined by Canadian film talents Deepa Mehta, Jennifer Baichwal, and Don McKellar in a panel discussion moderated by MacLean’s film critic Brian Johnson.
CFL Commissioner Mark Cohon also joined us at the Canadian Club this season to talk about why having a Canadian football league matters in a lively exchange with TSN sportscaster and Off the Record host Michael Landsberg.
Celebrating our Canadians of the Year
We ended the season with our annual Canadian of the Year Award, which this year was a moving and memorable tribute to the Men and Women of Our Canadian Armed Forces. To help us recognize the service and sacrifices of our soldiers, the Hon. Peter MacKay was joined at the podium by General Rick Hillier, Vice-Admiral Denis Rouleau and Don Cherry. Receiving the award on behalf of the Canadian Forces was Bombardier Donald Pigeon.
These were some of the highlights of one of the most successful seasons the Canadian Club of Toronto has enjoyed in our 112 year history. We owe that success to many people -- our speakers, our directors, our sponsors, our volunteers, our members and, of course, our dedicated staff. Thank you to everyone for supporting and contributing to a great Canadian tradition – the Canadian Club of Toronto. It has been an honour and a pleasure to work with you all.
I am pleased to extend a warm welcome to incoming President of the Canadian Club, John Capobianco. Best wishes for a spectacular 113th season.
Regards,
Helen Burstyn
President 2008-2009
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