Jason Kenney and Kathleen Wynne poked partisan fun while co-hosting the Politics and the Pen literary gala held at the Fairmont Château Laurier on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. Photo by Caroline Phillips
We know at this point we’re not going to spoil anything for you by jumping right to the end to tell you that author John Vaillant won the Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing at last night’s Politics and the Pen.
In a lot of ways, the evening was like a gripping book, one that’s hard to set aside and not to be skipped over. It was filled with juicy bits and laugh-out-loud funny moments.
Vaillant won the $25,000 prize with his bestseller about the Fort McMurray wildfire, “Fire Weather: The Making of a Beast”, published by Knopf Canada.
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The Shaughnessy Cohen Prize recognizes literary nonfiction on a political subject that’s relevant to Canadian readers and that has the potential to shape or influence thinking on Canadian political life. Fire Weather was lauded by the jury for being a “deeply compelling, skillfully crafted story”.
Vaillant accepted his award at the Fairmont Château Laurier in front of a sold-out, 500-person crowd of politicians, authors, journalists, corporate sponsors and diplomats gathered for a literary gala that is, for many, a fixture on the social calendar. The fundraising dinner for the Writers’ Trust of Canada was co-chaired by Elizabeth Gray-Smith, lead strategist at Gray Smith Communications, and Patrick Kennedy, principal at Earnscliffe Strategies.
The event raised $530,000 for the non-profit organization.
“This is the night everybody comes to see everybody,” quipped Marlene Floyd, senior national director of corporate affairs for Microsoft, as she glanced at the familiar faces surrounding her during the cocktail reception. Extroverts had a gloriously uninterrupted 90 minutes to mingle before dinner, which didn’t really slow them down, either.
Distinguished guests included Supreme Court of Canada Chief Justice Richard Wagner, U.S. Ambassador David Cohen and Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, who’s also author of four books. The pin that Paul Wells had in supply.
Journalist Paul Wells, who’s a former Shaughnessy Cohen Prize winner, was seen with a small supply of pins that he was handing out, inspired by the cover of his new book, “Justin Trudeau on the Ropes”.
Politics and the Pen is one of those rare evenings when everyone, whatever their political stripe, comes together for a fun evening that supports and celebrates Canadian writers.
Typically, everyone is coaxed into the ballroom for dinner by a bagpiper, but even that doesn’t really do the trick. Once the chatty crowd finally did make its way to the room, Speaker of the House of Commons Greg Fergus tried a few different techniques to get everyone to listen, including a call to order. As the MP for Hull-Aylmer, he was one of the local politicians in attendance, as was his colleague Mona Fortier (Ottawa-Vanier).
Patrick Kennedy, principal at Earnscliffe Strategies, and Elizabeth-Gray Smith, lead strategist at Gray Smith Communications, co-chaired the Politics and the Pen literary gala that took place at the Fairmont Château Laurier on Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in support of the Writers’ Trust of Canada. Photo by Caroline PhillipsJohn Vaillant, author of Fire Weather: The Making of a Beast, was announced the winner of the Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing at the Politics and the Pen gala in support of the Writers’ Trust of Canada. Photo by Caroline PhillipsFrom left, author Paul Wells and his wife, Lisa Samson, managing principal of StrategyCorp’s Ottawa office, with Rhonda Cohen and U.S. Ambassador David Cohen at the Politics and the Pen literary gala held at the Fairmont Château Laurier on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. Photo by Caroline PhillipsFrom left, Chad Schella, associate vice-president of government relations for CIBC, with Kikelomo Lawal, executive vice-president and chief legal officer at CIBC, at the Politics and the Pen dinner held at the Fairmont Château Laurier on Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in support of Writers’ Trust of Canada. Photo by Caroline PhillipsA lone piper summons guests to dinner at the Politics and the Pen literary gala held at the Fairmont Château Laurier on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. Photo by Caroline PhillipsFrom left, Speaker of the House of Commons Greg Fergus and Supreme Court Chief Justice Richard Wagner (right) with his wife, Quebec Superior Court Justice Catherine Mandeville, at the Politics and the Pen literary gala held at the Fairmont Château Laurier on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. Photo by Caroline PhillipsFrom left, Brook Simpson, manager of economic development at Amazon, and Magda Grace, head of Amazon’s Prime Video for Canada, in conversation with Mark Schaan, senior assistant deputy minister at Innovation, Science and Economic Development, at the Politics and the Pen literary gala held at the Fairmont Château Laurier on Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in support of Writers’ Trust of Canada. Photo by Caroline PhillipsFrom left, Compass Rose principal and public affairs counsellor Jacquie LaRocque alongside CPAC president and CEO Christa Dickenson and Lisa Raitt, a former cabinet minister in the Stephen Harper government and current global investment banking vice-chair at CIBC, at the Politics and the Pen literary gala held at the Fairmont Château Laurier on Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in support of Writers’ Trust of Canada. Photo by Caroline PhillipsFrom left, Nova Scotia Sen. Rodger Cuzner, formerly the MP for Cape Breton, and Jason Kenney, former Alberta premier and federal cabinet minister, at the Politics and the Pen literary gala held at the Fairmont Château Laurier on Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in support of Writers’ Trust of Canada. Photo by Caroline PhillipsPolitics and the Pen co-chairs Elizabeth Gray-Smith and Patrick Kennedy, joined by Heather Bradley, Alex Spence, Hardave Birk, Jim Armour, Dan Mader, Rob Rosenfeld and Maureen Boyd, at the Fairmont Château Laurier on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. Photo by Caroline Phillips
CIBC global investment banking vice-chair Lisa Raitt, a former cabinet minister in the Stephen Harper government, took on the task with former NDP deputy leader Megan Leslie, president and CEO of World Wildlife Fund of Canada, of creating the entertaining video that’s traditionally played for everyone at the start of the dinner.
In their efforts to make the video fresh and interesting and something they could call their own, they sought advice from a seasoned pro, Senator Rodger Cuzner. They also showed some of his best clips from past years featuring Pierre Poilievre, Jean Chrétien, Tom Clark and Andrew Scheer.
As well, the women consulted representatives from top sponsors, such as Imperial Oil’s Brad Corson, CN’s Janet Drysdale and CIBC’s Roman Dubczak. Said Dubczak in the video, keeping a straight face: “Bankers are universally known as hilarious people”. He then made a quick phone call to seek further input, only to find himself stuck in the bank’s automated telephone banking system with an estimated wait time of four hours.
The comical video, sponsored by Rogers, wrapped up with both women excitedly shouting, like a moment out of Saturday Night Live, with a jazzy riff playing: “Live from the Château Laurier, it’s Kathleen Wynne and Jason Kenney!” The crowd cheered enthusiastically in response.Magda Grace, head of Amazon’s Prime Video for Canada, alongside Navdeep Bains, chief corporate affairs officer for Rogers Communications and a former federal cabinet minister in the Justin Trudeau government, and Colette Watson, president at Rogers Sports and Media, at the Politics and the Pen literary gala held at the Fairmont Château Laurier on Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in support of Writers’ Trust of Canada. Photo by Caroline PhillipsSpeaker of the House of Commons Greg Fergus, who’s also the MP for Hull-Aylmer, quiets the crowd for the Politics and the Pen dinner held at the Fairmont Château Laurier on Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in support of Writers’ Trust of Canada. Photo by Caroline PhillipsFrom left, Elizabeth Gray-Smith, co-chair of the Politics and the Pen literary gala, with Ottawa-Vanier Liberal MP Mona Fortier, and gala committee member Maureen Boyd, chair emerita at The Parliamentary Centre, at the Politics and the Pen literary gala held at the Fairmont Château Laurier on Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in support of Writers’ Trust of Canada. Photo by Caroline PhillipsAuthors Brigitte Pellerin and Blaise Ndala in conversation during the cocktail reception at the Politics and the Pen literary gala held at the Fairmont Château Laurier on Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in support of Writers’ Trust of Canada. Photo by Caroline PhillipsFrom left, retired Globe and Mail national affairs columnist Jeffrey Simpson and Jacques Shore, partner at Gowling WLG — both long-time supporters of the Politics and Pen Gala held in support of the Writers’ Trust of Canada — seen arriving to the dinner on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. Photo by Caroline PhillipsFrom left, Elizabeth Roscoe, senior vice-president of public affairs at Rubicon Strategy, alongside long-time Canadian public affairs journalist Hugh Winsor and Marybeth Turner, deputy chief of mission of the U.S. Embassy, at the Politics and the Pen literary gala held at the Fairmont Château Laurier on Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in support of Writers’ Trust of Canada. Photo by Caroline PhillipsFrom left, Minister of Labour and Seniors Seamus O’Regan and his husband, Steve Doussis, at the Politics and the Pen literary gala held at the Fairmont Château Laurier on Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in support of Writers’ Trust of Canada. Photo by Caroline PhillipsAttendees of the Politics and the Pen Gala in support of Writers’ Trust of Canada mingled outdoors on the terrace of the Fairmont Château Laurier during the cocktail reception. Photo by Caroline PhillipsFrom left, Adrian Harewood, an associate professor at Carleton University in the School of Journalism and Communication and a board member with the Writers’ Trust of Canada, alongside Denise Siele, senior advisor with Artful Strategies, and Speaker of the House of Commons Greg Fergus at the Politics and the Pen literary gala held at the Fairmont Château Laurier on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. Photo by Caroline Phillips
The evening was hosted by Jason Kenney, former premier of Alberta and cabinet minister in the Stephen Harper government, and former Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne, a member of Ontario’s legislature for 20 years and Ontario’s first woman and first openly gay premier.
The pair poked fun at each other and themselves, and pilloried a parade of politicos. When they were done, they earned a standing ovation from the audience.
The gala committee included Jim Armour, managing partner at Summa Strategies; Hardave Birk, director of government relations at Rogers; Parliamentary Centre chair emerita Maureen Boyd; Heather Bradley, retired director of communications for the Office of the Speaker of the House of Commons; Loyalist Public Affairs partner Dan Mader; GreenShield president Rob Rosenfeld; and Loyalist Public Affairs senior director Alex Spence.
The remaining four finalists for the Shaughnessy Cohen Prize are each awarded $2,500. They included “Not Here: Why American Democracy Is Eroding and How Canada Can Protect Itself” by Rob Goodman, and “Indictment: The Criminal Justice System on Trial” by Benjamin Perrin.
Also in contention were “Canada: Beyond Grudges, Grievances and Disunity” by Donald J. Savoie, and “The Age of Insecurity: Coming Together as Things Fall Apart” by Astra Taylor.
Jason Kenney and Kathleen Wynne poked partisan fun while co-hosting the Politics and the Pen literary gala held at the Fairmont Château Laurier on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. Photo by Caroline PhillipsFrom left, Elizabeth May, leader of the Green Party, and Velma McColl, principal at Earnscliffe Strategies, at the Politics and the Pen literary gala held at the Fairmont Château Laurier on Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in support of Writers’ Trust of Canada. Photo by Caroline PhillipsFrom left, Writers’ Trust of Canada executive director David Leonard with Benjamin Perrin, author of “Indictment: The Criminal Justice System on Trial” and a finalist for the Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing, at the Politics and the Pen literary gala. Photo by Caroline PhillipsCatherine Clark, president of Catherine Clark Communications, podcast co-host and former board chair with Writers’ Trust of Canada, listens in amusement to co-hosts Jason Kenney and Kathleen Wynne deliver their funny schtick at the Politics and the Pen literary gala held at the Fairmont Château Laurier on Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in support of Writers’ Trust of Canada. Photo by Caroline PhillipsJohn Stackhouse, a senior vice-president with RBC and former editor-in-chief of the Globe and Mail, pops into a photo with the bagpiper, who traditionally plays at the end of the Politics and the Pen cocktail reception as a way of hustling everyone to the ballroom for dinner. Photo by Caroline PhillipsFrom BMO, left to right: regional vice president Omar Abouzaher with his BMO colleagues Paul Lehmann, Sharon Haward-Laird, Layla Darwish-Reis and Mark Agnew at the Politics and the Pen literary gala held at the Fairmont Château Laurier on Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in support of Writers’ Trust of Canada. Photo by Caroline PhillipsAlexandra Bratsafolis, executive director of global public affairs at The Estée Lauder Companies, Bluesky Strategy Group principal and co-founder Susan Smith and Tiara Folkes, manager of Indigenous relations public policy at TC Energy, at the Politics and the Pen literary gala held at the Fairmont Château Laurier on Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in support of Writers’ Trust of Canada. Photo by Caroline PhillipsJune McAlarey, president and CEO at PCI Geomatics was hosted by Jacques Shore, partner at Gowling WLG and long-time attendee of Politics and the Pen, a literary gala held at the Fairmont Château Laurier on Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in support of Writers’ Trust of Canada. Photo by Caroline PhillipsHugh Scott, executive director, strategic alliances, at Innovative Medicines Canada, with Craig Robinson, CEO of Earnscliffe Strategies, soaking up some rays on the terrace of the Fairmont Château Laurier during the cocktail reception for the Politics and the Pen literary gala. Photo by Caroline PhillipsFrom left, Earnscliffe Strategies principal Mary Anne Carter alongside Globe and Mail international affairs reporter Janice Dickson, and Alla Drigola Birk, director of global government affairs and public policy at Sun Life, at Politics and the Pen held at the Fairmont Château Laurier on Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in support of Writers’ Trust of Canada. Photo by Caroline PhillipsOttawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe and his wife, Ginny, attended the Politics and the Pen literary gala held at the Fairmont Château Laurier on Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in support of Writers’ Trust of Canada. Photo by Caroline PhillipsFrom left, Geneviève Dumas, general manager of the Fairmont Château Laurier, with her colleague, event sales manager Erin Loney, at the Politics and the Pen literary gala held at the Fairmont Château Laurier on Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in support of Writers’ Trust of Canada. Photo by Caroline PhillipsFrom left, MP Taleeb Noormohamed, parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Heritage, and MP Adam van Koeverden, parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, and parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Sport and Physical Activity, at the Politics and the Pen literary gala held at the Fairmont Château Laurier on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. Photo by Caroline PhillipsFrom left, Melissa Cotton with her colleagues from CN, including Eric Harvey, Brooke Malinoski and Janet Drysdale, senior vice president and chief stakeholder relations officer, at the Politics and the Pen literary gala held at the Fairmont Château Laurier on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. Photo by Caroline PhillipsFrom left, Eddie Goldenberg, one-time chief of staff to former prime minister Jean Chrétian, with Graham Richardson from CTV News Ottawa at the Politics and the Pen literary gala held at the Fairmont Château Laurier on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. Photo by Caroline PhillipsAdam Goodman, a litigator and co-chair of Dentons’ Competition and Foreign Investment Review group, in conversation on the terrace of the Fairmont Château Laurier during Politics and the Pen. Photo by Caroline PhillipsFrom left, Neil Parmenter, senior vice president and national lead, corporate communications and advisory at Hill & Knowlton, Debbie Gamble, chief strategy and marketing officer at Interac Corp., and Vivek Prabhu, senior vice president and national lead, public affairs at Hill & Knowlton, at the Politics and the Pen literary gala held at the Fairmont Château Laurier on Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in support of Writers’ Trust of Canada. Photo by Caroline PhillipsPolitics and the Pen gala committee member Heather Bradley, left, with long-time friend, author and entrepreneur Janice McDonald, at the literary gala held at the Fairmont Château Laurier on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. Photo by Caroline PhillipsCatherine Clark, president of Catherine Clark Communications, and former Canadian diplomat Colin Robertson, vice president and Fellow at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, and Canadian journalist and Ottawa Citizen columnist Andrew Cohen, at the Politics and the Pen literary gala held at the Fairmont Château Laurier on Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in support of Writers’ Trust of Canada. Photo by Caroline PhillipsWriters Trust of Canada executive director David Leonard, left, with Rob Goodman, author of “Not Here: Why American Democracy Is Eroding and How Canada Can Protect Itself” and a finalist for the Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing, at Politics and the Pen. Photo by Caroline PhillipsJason Kenney and Kathleen Wynne co-hosted the Politics and the Pen literary gallery held at the Fairmont Château Laurier on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. Photo by Caroline Phillips
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