Steel Toes & Stilettos makes remarkable return in support of Habitat for Humanity Greater Ottawa

Solomon Friedman brought the house down as host of the 17th Annual Steel Toes & Stilettos Gala held Saturday for a cause that’s all about doing quite the opposite, building new houses of the affordable kind.

The Ottawa criminal defence lawyer gave a priceless performance as emcee and charity auctioneer for Habitat for Humanity Greater Ottawa’s signature gala. It saw a crowd of 330 supporters gather at the Shaw Centre for an exceptionally fun night of dinner and dancing.

The evening raised  $173,982 for the non-profit organization and its mission to put more roofs over the heads of hard-working, low-income families struggling to get ahead.

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“Each and every one of you here tonight in this room is helping families find strength, stability and self-reliance through affordable home ownership and, for that, I give you my thanks,” the organization’s CEO, Mushtaq Kazani, told his audience of sponsors, donors and volunteers in the Trillium Ballroom. Attendees included leaders in the construction and real estate industry, as well as professional services.

Shawna Blanchard, Habitat’s director of development, told OBJ.social how thrilled they were to celebrate in person after running the gala virtually during the pandemic. “It’s such a nice reminder of what we’re doing and why we’re doing it.”

Laurin General Contractor, which also has offices in Toronto and Calgary, was back for its eighth year as top sponsor. Owner Dennis Laurin and his wife, Andrea, told OBJ.social how much they respect the core values of Habitat for Humanity, particularly its focus on hard work, community outreach and families. “We love what it represents,” Laurin told OBJ.social.

Laurin again matched up to $5,000 in donations. The goal was easily achieved, prompting Friedman to work the room and, within a couple of minutes, get another $3,000 in pledges to be matched by him and his law partner, Fady Mansour.

A rock and roll-themed painting completed by artist Eric Waugh during the dinner service was later auctioned off. Laurin and Claude Thivierge from Capital Taxi each offered $5,000 on the agreement Waugh whip up a second painting, at a time to be determined.

Also unique to the live auction was the “Flight to Remember” package for two that included a one-hour scenic flight with Friedman, who’s also a licensed pilot, followed by dinner at Atelier and a stay at the Andaz Ottawa ByWard Market. It sold for $1,300 to the winning bidder, who may have had second thoughts after Friedman comically cast doubt about his flying skills: “If everything goes well, the winners of that flight will be here next year to tell you all about it.”

The audience heard how Habitat for Humanity GO has built nearly 100 homes since 1993. Board chair Scott Stevenson, a retired assistant deputy minister, shared the board’s belief that everyone needs a place to call home, and spoke about its motivation and drive to scale up and build the next 100 homes even sooner.

Eight more Habitat families gained home ownership this past summer with the completion of Titus Landing, an eight-unit stacked townhome on the former Canadian Forces Rockcliffe Airbase.

Habitat GO has just broken ground on a new project in Kemptville, in partnership with Habitat for Humanity Thousand Islands. The energy-efficient development of 15 stacked homes is slated to be completed in 2024. Twelve of the units will be three or four bedrooms. The remaining three will be barrier-free/accessible units. It’s being constructed with a focus on using locally manufactured products.

Adrian Schut, director of construction for Habitat for Humanity GO, expects hundreds of volunteers in total to work on the Kemptville build. He also told OBJ.social how much he enjoys the positive energy and enthusiasm that the volunteers bring.  “It makes the job site a more interesting place, a much more diverse worksite.”

eQ Homes and Regional Group are major development sponsors of the build. Josh Kardish, senior vice president of eQ homes, told OBJ.social how much his staff love getting involved. The group builds are so popular that they draw names to decide who gets to go, he said. “It’s such a meaningful day.”

Highlights of the night included hearing how Habitat homeowner Makhtar Tall, together with his wife Seynabour and their three kids, have built a better life for themselves since moving into their home in nearby Perth in 2017. The couple moved to Canada from Senegal some 15 years ago.

The father recalled how he used to struggle to afford their two-bedroom apartment in a neighbourhood that wasn’t safe for his kids to play outside. He had no extra money, despite his job in retail management. “It was a very stressful situation,” said Tall. “I was spending so much money on rent (that) there was no opportunity to save for my children.”

Then, he learned about Habitat for Humanity. “At first, I thought this was too good to be true but I decided to take a leap of faith and apply for the home ownership program.”

Anyone can apply to become a Habitat homeowner but must be in need of housing, able to make affordable mortgage payments and be willing to actively partner with their Habitat organization, including a commitment to complete 500 volunteer hours.

Tall recalled the excitement as they moved into their four-bedroom home five years ago. “For me, I felt a great deal of relief. I was able to stop worrying,” he said while choking back the emotion that occasionally overwhelmed him at the podium.

Seynabour has since become a personal support worker and is taking further courses. Tall is studying business management in his own effort to further himself. As for his kids, he spoke with such pride about how well they’re doing in school and the community.

He also talked about his home as a safe and welcoming place. “When my children are older, no matter where they go, I want them to know that they can always come back to this home,” said Tall, who received a long and heartfelt standing ovation from the room.

The gala’s theme reflected the organization’s Global Village volunteer program to build new homes around the world. There were live performances reflecting South Asian, Indigenous and Asian cultures interspersed throughout dinner.

caroline@obj.ca