25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CHARTER OF RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS - DROITS ET LIBERTÉS AU CANADA : LES 25 ANS DE LA CHARTE

The photo of the Original Proclamation is from the Department of Canadian Heritage website. This document was signed by Queen Elizabeth the Second, Jean Chrétien, Attorney General of Canada, André Ouelette, Registar General of Canada and Pierre Elliot Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, on April 17, 1982.

La photo de la Proclamation Originale est tirée du site Web de Patrimoine Canada. Ce document, daté du 17 avril 1982, porte les signatures de la Reine Elizabeth II; de Jean Chrétien, procureur général du Canada; d’André Ouellette, registraire général du Canada et de Pierre Elliot Trudeau, premier ministre.

Opening remarks and welcome to the conference is Professor Gerald L. Gall, Faculty of Law, University of Alberta and Co-Chair of this Conference.
Mot de bienvenue et ouverture de la conférence par le coprésident, le professeur Gerald L. Gall, de la Faculté de droit de l’université de l’Alberta.
Dean Nathalie Des Rosiers, Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa and Co-Chair of the Conference. Seated beside the podium is Professor Bruce Feldthusen, Dean, Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa.
La coprésidente de la conférence et doyenne de la Faculté de droit de l’Université d’Ottawa, Mme Nathalie Des Rosiers. On voit aussi le professeur Bruce Feldthusen, doyen de la Faculté de droit de l’Université d’Ottawa.
The Governor General of Canada Michaëlle Jean. La Gouverneure Générale, Mme Michaëlle Jean.

Mr. David Mitchell, Vice President, University Relations, University of Ottawa.M. David Mitchell, vice-recteur, Relations universitaires, Université d’Ottawa.
Mr. Mark Jolicoeur, Chair of The Board of Governors, University of Ottawa and a Partner in the Law Firm of Borden Ladner Gervais. M. Mark Jolicoeur, président, Bureau des gouverneurs, Université d’Ottawa et associé dans le cabinet d’avocats Borden Ladner Gervais.
Mr. Jean Chrétien, Former Prime Minister of Canada and one of the four signatories on the Original Proclamation when he was the Attorney General of Canada. M. Jean Chrétien, ancien premier ministre du Canada et l’un des quatre signataires de la proclamation de 1982, alors qu’il était procureur général du Canada.

Mrs. Aline Chrétien and Mr. Stéphane Dion, Liberal Leader of Canada. Mme Aline Chrétien et M. Stéphane Dion, leader du Parti libéral du Canada.

On April 16 & 17, 2007 the Association for Canadian Studies and the University of Ottawa held a conference CANADIAN RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS: 25 Years Under The Charter. The conference commemorated the Charter's 25th anniversary and through discussion and work shops, reviewed in an informed fashion the significance of the Charter and the role that it has played in shaping the contemporary Canadian landscape. On the evening of April 16 at Tabaret Hall, a reception and banquet was held with Mr. Jean Chrétien, Former Prime Minister of Canada. After the dinner Mr. Chrétien gave a speech and talked about the workings leading up to bringing the Constitution home so Canada could have their own Charter of Rights and Freedoms. You can view the speech at:
http://www.media.uottawa.ca/mediaroom/discours-speeches/20070416-chretien-video-e.php,
http://www.medias.uottawa.ca/salledesmedias/discours-speeches/20070416-chretien-video-f.php,
http://www.uottawa.ca/, http://www.acs-aec/ca

Les 16 et 17 avril 2007, l’Association d’études canadiennes et l’Université d’Ottawa ont tenu une conférence sous le thème Droits et libertés au Canada : 25 ans après la Charte. La conférence a célébré les 25 ans de la Charte et, par une série de discussions et d’ateliers éclairés, les participants ont revu son importance et son rôle dans le développement de la société canadienne d’aujourd’hui. Le 16 avril, une réception et un banquet ont eu lieu avec, comme invité, M. Jean Chrétien, ancien premier ministre du Canada. M. Chrétien a prononcé un discours et décrit les travaux ayant mené au rapatriement de la constitution canadienne afin de permettre au Canada d’avoir sa propre Charte des droits et libertés. Le discours est accessible aux endroits suivants :http://www.media.uottawa.ca/mediaroom/discours-speeches/20070416-chretien-video-e.php,http://www.medias.uottawa.ca/salledesmedias/discours-speeches/20070416-chretien-video-f.php,http://www.uottawa.ca/, http://www.acs-aec/ca

I would like to take a moment to thank Ginette Marchand and Chantal Laprade for all their help with the Translation of this important moment in Canadian History.

EXCITEMENTS GROWING AT THE GCTC

The new location at the corner of Wellington and Holland starts rising up. This picture from May 12, 2006.

Pictures above from May 17, 2006.

July 25, 2006.

The two pictures above were taken in February 2007.

Guitarist Paul Bordeau plays the music of Lenny Breau during a 2007/2008 season launch segment presenting information about Pierre Brault's new play, 5 O'Clock Bells, a GCTC co-production with Sleeping Dog Theatre. The play sheds biographic and musical light on Lenny Breau, one of Canada's unsung musical heroes.

Janet Yale, Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs at TELUS and GCTC Board Member, and Mark Sutcliffe, Chair of the GCTC Board of Directors at the New Season 2007/2008 Launch at 910 Gladstone.
Artistic Director Lise Ann Johnson talks about the Capital Letters. It's the name of the new 2007/2008 season. To celebrate the opening of the Irving Greenberg Theatre Centre, all the plays are either penned by writers from Ottawa, or feature a connection to our Nation's Capital.
Playwright and former GCTC Artistic Director Arthur Milner interviews The Man From The Capital Director Jennifer Brewin about the 2007/2008 season, and the first play in GCTC's inaugual season at the Irving Greenberg Theatre Centre.

On April 16, the GCTC had a public launch of the new upcoming season and talk about the new Irving Greenberg Theatre Centre which will open this fall at the corner of Wellington and Holland in Ottawa. The new season called Capital Letters is being billed as a love letter to the National Capital region. The new state of the art facility with 265 seat theatre, a studio theatre with flexible seating for 90, a Wine and Desset Bar that will be operated by Thyme & Again and will include a new Catering service. There will also be The Lorraine Fritzy Yale Gallery that will be Ottawa's newest visual arts exhibition space. This was made possible by a generous $75,000 gift to the Making It Greater Capital Campaign by Janet Yale and TELUS. Also announced was the resurrection of Accoutic Waves concert series which will be co-presented with the Ottawa Folk Festival for 5 shows in the upcoming season. http://www.gctc.ca, http://www.ottawafolk.org

VANIER MAPLE SUGAR FESTIVAL

On March 24, Vanier hosted it's annual Maple Sugar Festival. It kicked off with a parade down Montreal Rd. that wound it's way into Richelieu Park. The festival runs from March 23 to April 1. http://www.sugarbushvanier.com

CANADIAN IDOL TRYOUTS IN OTTAWA

Candian Idol host Ben Mulroney.

Jay Perry, a 26 year old drove all the way from Peterborough, Ontario in his best Elton John outfit. He managed to get a blue card which allows him in for the second round of auditions. Canadian Idol and E-Talk Daily host Ben Mulroney was also in town along a large contingent of Canadian Idol people to handle the hundreds of people who showed up.
On March 17 & 18 Canadian Idol came to Ottawa's St. Laurent Shopping Centre to audition new hopefuls for the upcoming season of the CTV show. Some of the contestants drove from miles away to compete in what has become an annual hunt for new talent for the show. Last year's Idol winner Eva Avila came from across the Ottawa River in Gatineau, Quebec. http://www.idol.ctv.ca

MAN OF A THOUSAND SONGS - RON HYNES

Host for the evening was Chopper McKinnon who has his own weekly radio show on CKCU radio called Canandian Spaces.
Charlie Sohmer along with Terry Tufts and Ken Kanwisher opened the show.

Ron with local singer/songwriter Missy Burgess who is working on her second full length CD.
Ron Hynes with CKCU's The Back 40 host Ron Moores.

Producer Caitlin Crockard, Ron Hynes, Fuse Host Alan Neal, Colin McDonald and John-Angus McDonald from The Trews.
On March 16 Ron Hynes, one of Canada's premier singer/songwriters came to town to do a couple of concerts and tape a couple of radio shows. Ron is from Newfoundland and his song Sonny's Dream is a classic and has been recorded by many people including the great Emmylou Harris. His song Atlantic Blue is a tribute to the men who lost their lives in the Ocean Ranger disaster that happened on Valentines's Day in 1982. , http://www.hynesite.org, http://www.nutshellmusic.com/charliesohmer, http://www.back40.ca, http://www.missyburgess.com, http://www.cbc.ca/fuse, http://www.thetrewsmusic.com