CELEBRATING 150TH IN STYLE

Bill Brooks hits some great parties

The occasional spot of rain certainly didn’t dampen the attendance-nor enthusiasm-at two sesquicentennial celebrations July 1 held in private homes in tony Mount Royal. Your faithful social scribe had the distinct pleasure of starting the afternoon at the home of McCarthy Tetrault partner, Greg Turnbull, Q.C. and his fabulous wife Shirley.

That tequila shots greeted one at the door was the perfect way to ease into the festivities. Wonderful food, libation, music and more were but a few of the event’s trappings. And who wasn’t in attendance celebrating our 150th anniversary of Confederation would make a much shorter listing as seemingly everyone was there.

It was great to see Ward 8 hopeful and longtime pal, political force Chris Davis and his campaign manager Cynthia Moore with his ‘ handlers’ Chad Hallman and Darian Wrenshall. And Moore’s father, community leader Sherrold — and his wife Pat— had special reason to be out and about this day as it happened to coincide with Sherrold’s 88th birthday.

Others having a marvellous time this day included: artist/ musician Margaret Graham with Anne Scrymgeour; Dentons’ Bill DeJong, Q.C. and his wife Franca; Rod and Jan Wittig; Black Spruce Merchant Capital CEO and managing partner Sonny Mottahed and his wife Katrina Olson-Mottahed; Dentons’ Jon Ryder and his wife, Cenovus’ Kate Ryder; party-hearty boys Agostino Mosca with Pinnacle Equities and Michael Di Paolo with David Anthony Consulting; Mitchell Gourmet Foods founder and author of This Too Shall Prepare Me, LuAn Mitchell; Wong & Associates’ Debra Wong; Mawer Investment Management’s Denise Gladwell; Steve and Jane Snyder; Sandy Pringle; Ludwik Piatkowsky; Euphoria Fitness’ Gloria Mohninger; Western Sky Land Trust’s Ellen Magidson; and Craig Chandler, executive director, The Progressive Group for Independent Business.

Next up, and only a few blocks away, was Michael and Linda Shaikh’s annual Canada Day party.

The community leaders and philanthropists have hosted a celebration July 1 for many years, but this year’s took on special gravitas as scores of colleagues, friends — and a select group of political heavyweights — gathered in the gardens of the Shaikhs’ Mount Royal home to toast all things Canadian.

Probably the most memorable moment at the Shaikh celebration was a rousing chorus of O Canada sung with gusto by the several hundred guests in attendance including: RBC regional president, Alberta and Territories, Jeff Boyd and his wife Michele; YMCA board chair and past-chair of the Calgary Police Commission Howie Shikaze and his wife Sher Skikaze; Alberta Minister of Finance Joe Ceci and his wife Christine; the delightful Peggy Perry of Willow Park Wines & Spirits fame and her equally delightful husband Brien; Arts Commons’ Greg Epton and his partner CGI’s Greg Robertson; Concorde Group president and CEO Victor Choy; and former MP Lee Richardson looking as youthful as ever.

PHOTOS: BILL BROOKS Hosts with the most Michael and Linda Shaikh are pictured at their annual Canada Day celebration. The Shaikhs have been hosting the celebration in their Mount Royal home for many years but this year had special resonance with it being Canada’s 150th...

Enjoying themselves at the Canada Day celebration held in the home of Greg and Shirley Turnbull are, from left, Black Spruce’s Sonny Mottahed and his wife Katrina Olson-Mottahed with Cenovus’ Kate Ryder and Dentons’ Jon Ryder.

Steve and Jane Snyder wave flags to toast Canada’s sesquicentennial at a terrific party held in the home of Greg and Shirley Turnbull.

In attendance at the home of Greg and Shirley Turnbull were, from left, Mawer Investments’ Denise Gladwell, Wong & Associates’ Debra Wong and author and founder of Mitchell Gourmet Foods LuAn Mitchell, who now resides in California.

Senator Dan Hays and his wife Kathy pose for the lens at the Canada Day celebration held in the home of philanthropists Michael and Linda Shaikh.

YMCA board chair and past-chair of the Calgary Police Commission Howie Shikaze and his wife Sher Shikaze were among those in attendance at the event in the Mount Royal gardens of philanthropists Michael and Linda Shaikh.

Sandy Pringle, left. Ludwik Piatkowsky and Euphoria Fitness’ Glorai Mohninger were among the several hundred guests who attended a fabulous Canada Day celebration held in the home of Greg and Shirley Turnbull. The sesquicentennial celebration featured...