Perfect party host Peter Nicholson announces Philanthropy Award winners

It’s natural to feel a little nervous when invited to someone’s beautiful home, concerned you might accidentally spill a drink, drop some food, or — the horror — clog the toilet. But, Ottawa business leader Peter Nicholson and his wife Anabel Bane were so quick to put everyone's mind at ease during a reception the couple hosted Wednesday night for the Ottawa chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP). “It’s a lot easier to open up your house when you have six children,” Nicholson explained good-naturedly to the roughly 140 guests that filled the backyard and main floor of their Manor Park home, where children were seen jumping on an enclosed trampoline, not far from the ping pong table, badminton net and play structures. “It doesn’t matter what you guys do to this home, it’s already been done to it before," said Nicholson, who, as part of The Ottawa Hospital Foundation's campaign cabinet for the Campaign to Create Tomorrow, sported his special pin to demonstrate his support. 

  As the founder and president of Ottawa-based WCPD (Wealth Creation Preservation Donation) and WCPD Foundation, Nicholson works closely with philanthropists across Canada to help them divert their tax dollars to charities of their choice.  His company has also been the long-time presenting sponsor of the Ottawa Philanthropy Awards, or The Phils, as they’re colloquially known. The evening, which is hosted by AFP Ottawa, celebrates individuals, businesses and community groups that help local charities through the donation of their time, leadership skills and/or money. The awards dinner will be celebrating its 30th anniversary this year when it takes place Wednesday, Nov. 6 in the Trillium Ballroom of the Shaw Centre. Organizers have decided to shake things up by replacing the formal sit-down dinner with a program that's more relaxed and conducive to mixing and mingling. It’s also encouraging former award recipients to attend, and lowering ticket prices to make the evening more accessible and inclusive (Nicholson will be covering the cost of a whack of tickets for past recipients who could not otherwise afford to come). This year's celebration is being organized by a volunteer committee chaired by Derek deLouché, senior development officer at Carleton University. Sponsors also include Blakely, BMR, Brazeau Seller, Accora Village, Global Philanthropic, KPMG, McGill-Buckley, OBJ, RBC, TAAG, United Way East Ontario, Welch LLP and Rogers TV. That the awards have been around for three decades deserves special recognition, said AFP Ottawa board president Jeff Todd, who’s also vice president of marketing and communications for WCPD. “I think it’s really important to honour the last 30 years, because how can we move forward and get better if we don’t understand where we came from?” In the fundraising world, The Phils are often compared to the Oscars, except there are no top-secret envelopes; award recipients are announced in advance. In fact, this year’s winners were announced at the reception by Nicholson. Ottawa tax lawyer Paul LaBarge, a founding partner of LaBarge Weinstein, has been named Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser for his exceptional leadership during his 15-year tenure at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute (UOHI). He served as both the board chair of the UOHI Foundation and of the UOHI. LaBarge was involved with the hospital’s $100-million capital campaign. He helped to secure substantial gifts and key support that led to establishing the Michael Pitfield Chair in Cardiac Surgery and the Joyce Family Foundation Cardiac Nursing Bursary Program. In the philanthropy world, you’d have to be living in the Grinch's mountaintop cave to never have heard of the Taggart and Parkes clan or their non-profit, family-run foundation. It’s been named Outstanding Individual Philanthropist for its support of the Shepherds of Good Hope (SGH) Foundation, along with The Ottawa Hospital Foundation, BGC Ottawa, Christie Lake Kids and Ottawa Riverkeeper, to name just a few. The family’s donations include a $1-million gift to the new 48-unit supportive housing residence that the Shepherds of Good Hope is building at 216 Murray St. Additionally, Chris and Mary Taggart took key leadership roles by agreeing to co-chair the capital campaign. That the family proudly agreed to have its name added to the SGH’s shelter building on King Edward underscores their dedication to the cause, even in the face of potential stigma associated with supporting services for those experiencing homelessness, mental health challenges, trauma and addictions, the SGH Foundation noted in its nomination form. “Their public support not only reflects their unwavering commitment but also inspires others to contribute and take a stand in support of vulnerable members of our community.”

Real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield Ottawa will be getting the Outstanding Small Business Philanthropist Award for its long-time support of Bruyère Foundation through their annual charity golf classic. Many business leaders from the firm have also served on the foundation’s board over the years. Cushman & Wakefield Ottawa vice president Scott Brooker is the foundation’s current board chair. Gabriel Pizza, run by its president George Hanna, has been selected as Outstanding Corporate Philanthropist for its contributions to numerous charities, events and fundraising initiatives. It’s been a generous donor of The Ottawa Hospital, most recently pledging $500,000 to the Campaign to Create Tomorrow in support of the new campus the hospital is building on Carling Avenue, with the goal of reshaping healthcare and further supporting groundbreaking research.

  The Ottawa Senators Goodwill Ambassadors, which is a community-based volunteer organization, has been announced as this year’s winner of Outstanding Philanthropic Group. Senators Community Foundation president Jacqueline Belsito, who co-chaired The Phils in 2022 and 2023, will be on the receiving end this year. She's been selected as Outstanding Professional Fundraiser. Sam Laprade from Rogers TV’s An Hour to Give had to miss the event last year because she was busy getting her Order of Ottawa medal. That she’s able to return this time around to emcee, on the 30th anniversary of the awards, is something she’s been looking forward to all year. “To be there is really special for me,” she told OBJ.social. Veteran professional fundraiser John Bouza showed the crowd the framed program from the first awards event hosted by the Ottawa Fundraising Executives, before AFP was established. It had been a modest event attended by a few dozen people – nowhere near the 400 to 500 expected for this year's awards celebration  

The reception included a live performance by a trio from the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra. It also featured an open bar and a generous buffet of Asian and Filipino dishes that family members had spent a couple of days preparing. A temporary curtain was hung inside the home and, behind it, volunteers were hard at work in the kitchen, preparing the food. “If you enjoy it, peel away that curtain and say, ‘Thank you, it’s delicious’," suggested Nicholson, before adding with a charming smile: "If you don’t like it, just keep that to yourselves.” Ticket sales to the 30th anniversary of the Ottawa Philanthropy Awards are expected to open soon.