Catherine Barr – Events, Celebrities & Entertainment News

Tag: Olympic

  • Olympic 2010 Memories at XL Summit Leadership Party

    It’s been a time of Olympic celebrations as Sochi 2014 celebrates the best in winter sports and achievement. Hard to believe that it was only four short years ago that Vancouver was in the world spotlight showing off our city and its people. Reliving the moments was all part of the theme at the recent XL Leadership Summit opening night reception event. Sponsored by the TwentyTen Group, the night was filled with the who’s who of Vancouver 2010 as everyone remembered the good times and laughed at the fun. The evening also marked the anniversary of the 2010 Opening Ceremonies as John Furlong took to the stage to share some rare behind-the-scenes stories. There was also a special announcement in store as TwentyTen Group founder Andrea Shaw took to the stage to say that the Olympic flame would be lit that night, and every other night, that Canadians won gold in Sochi. Go Canada!

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    01 – TwentyTen Group founder and managing partner Andrea Shaw and VANOC CEO John Furlong take to the stage to welcome guests and share great Olympic stories with the audience.

    02 – Canadian astronaut Cmdr Chris Hadfield is among the VIPs and holds the distinction of being the first Canadian to walk in space. He also made history by taking some of the first twitter photos ever posted from space.

    03 – They’re both tough, gutsy Canadian champions. Olympic bronze medallists Christine Sinclair (soccer) and Greg Edgelow (wrestling) share in our Canadian pride.

    04 – Swimmer Mark Tewksbury is a gold, silver and bronze medallist and a member of the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame. How great to meet him in person.

    05 – Laughing and swapping stories with these gentlemen is an honour. Thanks to 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games executive director and former Whistler CAO Jim Godfrey and former VANOC chairman Rusty Goepel.

    06 – Acting as the evening’s MC, and decked out in Olympic colours, TwentyTen Group’s chief operating partner Bill Cooper takes to the mic.

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    By Catherine Barr – February 12, 2014

    Also as seen in print in the North Shore Outlook Newspaper on Feb 20, 2014

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  • Vancouver Int’l Dance Festival Gala, Lee Aaron, Pamela Anderson, Honeymoon Suite

    This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Vancouver International Dance Festival. On until March 21, the festival includes performances by some of the city’s best dance groups at various locations around town. Part of the Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad, the opening night gala featured live auction items, performances and more. Get more information at . Also, check out the party action backstage with a few extra celebrity events herein.

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    01 – It’s always great to see North Shore singer Lee Aaron perform her many hits. Now a mom, she rocked out with music hall-of-famer Red Robinson back stage before her show at his namesake theatre/casino last week.

    02 – The last of the Olympic party famous faces to hit town was BC born model/actress Pamela Anderson. Seen here with fashion stylist Richie Rich, left, and Dom Perignon’s Roberto Garcia, this flashy fashion show won’t soon be forgotten.

    03 – VIDF producer Barbara Bourget, left, executive director Jay Hirabayashi and publicist Crystal Kwon celebrate at the opening night gala.

    04 – North Vancouver’s Margot Gram, left, and Kokoro lead dancer Kristine Richmond check out the auction items at the VIDF gala.

    05 – Look for dancers Jennifer McKiinley, left, and Carolyn Chan throughout week at the Vancouver International Dance Festival.

    06 – With talent to spare, Ellen Luchkow, left, Molly McDermott and Ziyian Kwan can dance the night away at the VIDF gala.

    07 – A little backstage interview last week with the 80’s rock band Honeymoon Suite helped transport me way back to my early teen years. Are they over already?

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    By Catherine Barr, March 12, 2010

    As published in print by the North Shore Outlook newspaper on March 18, 2010

  • Cat Barr on Global TV with Sophie Lui

    I had so much fun with Sophie Lui on Global TV last Saturday (Feb 20, 2010).

    With all the Olympic celeb and parties in town, we got a chance to talk live on the air from Robson Square about all the excitement around town.

    I even got a chance to show off a few pictures too of celebrities like Cindy Crawford, Sir Richard Branson, gold medal athletes Shawn Johnson and Kristi Yamaguchi and HSH Prince Albert of Monaco.

    Here’s hoping we’ll be able to do it again!!!

    Big thanks Sophie, you are a blast!

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  • Olympic Ice Dancing Fashions and Faux Pas

    There’s no throws, triple flips, double axels or, for that matter, falling down on your butt – but, when it comes to Olympic ice dancing there is still plenty of drama, especially in the fashion department.

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    WEIRDEST OUTFITS EVER

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    Russian bronze medal winners Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin may have skated to a third place win on the podium, but their outfits were so distracting that it was hard to focus on their dance instead of their duds. Based on the film “The Double Life of Veronique”, these costumes are clearly a case of schizophrenic kleenex meets Jack the Ripper. And really Oksana, could there be a worse place to put a picture of a face? From far away it just looks obscene.

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    WORST DRESSED

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    Yes, they’ve done it again folks. Russia’s Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin based their original dance program on an Australian aboriginal theme, much to the dismay of the aboriginals. Maxim’s outfit was much more “tanned” in colour before being ordered to “tone it down” for Olympic reasons. My advice – get a new costume designer, quickly – your skating is too good for these kind of gimmicks.

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    MOST FUN WITHOUT SEQUINS

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    Howdy partner! British figure skating team Sinead and John Kerr went for a country and western-style routine that actually had some sparkle without having the sparkle, if you know what I mean. Still, if you think that Brits are all tea and crumpets, these outfits will surely change your mind. And yes, I think that’s an actual belly button you see and not that weird flesh-coloured figure skating fabric.

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    MOST FLAMBOYANT

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    She was as flashy as her costume and he was equally commanding in his black flame suit. Russia’s Jana Khokhlova and Sergei Novitski didn’t skate a perfect program but their outfits helped them steal the show. Part bird, part circus performer, Jana literally flew around his head, twisting and twirling as much as the purple, yellow and red swirls of chiffon flying out behind her. Wonder if I could borrow that for the next red carpet?

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    BEST THEMED COSTUME

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    You just have to love Americans Meryl Davis and Charlie White. These silver medallists are a class act all the way from their performances on the ice, to their off ice friendship with Canadians Moir and Virtue, to their fabulous themed costumes. Borrowing on themes of a sari for their original dance, Meryl’s outfit was stunning in every way and didn’t look contrived in any way. Stunning and exciting!

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    BEST OVERALL

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    Yes, all of Canada is in love with them now and forever, and I admit that here I am biased. But how can you not love Canada’s gold medal winners Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir in this Spanish inspired black, red and white combo. Elegant, simple yet fiery enough to boost their original dance into first place. I half expected Catherine Zeta-Jones and Antonio Banderas as Zorro to appear. One last thought Tessa, please stay a brunette. It completes you!

    – Catherine Barr – Feb 22, 2010 –

  • Olympic Parties Week 2

    The Olympic parties continue with even more famous faces coming out to play.

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    01 – Mogul skier Jenn Heil, seen here at a Birks reception party, gets Canada on the map first with a silver medal up at West Vancouver’s Cypress Mountain.

    02 – Supermodel Cindy Crawford, seen here with Stephen Urquhart, President of OMEGA, left, and BC Premier Gordon Campbell, plays to the crowd at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver reception.

    03 – First gold medal on Canadian soil nets mogul skier Alex Bilodeau a big gold covered maple leaf trophy from medal metals resource company Teck. The private reception included VIP gold medal guest athletes Simon Whitfield and Nancy Greene.

    04 – One of Adam Moffat’s main jobs is to make sure all medal winners get their Molson Canadian “champagne” magnum full of the super suds. Fun!

    05 – North Vancouver MP Andrew Saxton is among the lucky guests who get to hold a gold medal at the VIP Teck medal reception. Teck supplies all the gold, silver and bronze for the Olympic medals.

    06 – The North Shore’s own Pino Posteraro, chef of Yaletown’s Cioppino’s, cooks up a storm for a very exclusive private dinner with Virgin Group billionaire Sir Richard Branson.

    07 – West Vancouver and Washington Marine Group’s own Kyle Washington and wife Janelle dine with both Sir Richard Branson and HSH Prince Albert of Monaco at a private dinner at Cioppino’s.

    08 – Mike Twining, left, and Chris Hall are hitting gold with the opening of their new Sin Bin location right next to the athletes village where they get to serve Olympic athletes, coaches and actresses like Sandra Oh.

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    – By Catherine Barr, Feb 21, 2010

    – As seen in print in the North Shore Outlook newspaper on Feb 25, 2010

  • Olympic Event at Park Royal and more

    Can you feel it? It’s in the air and it’s spreading. And with less than 30 days to go, it seems like everybody has suddenly come down with a big case of Olympic fever. Everyone’s getting into the act – from real estate to restaurants to politicians. We’re sprucing up and getting ready to welcome the world. So buckle in, because judging from my email and twitter feeds, we’re in for one heck of a good time. Be sure and stay tuned . . .

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    01 – West Vancouver restaurateur Clay Fuller cuddles up to 80s chart-topper-turned-jazz-diva Lee Aaron at the relaunch of his Town Hall restaurant on Alberni (formerly Saltlik).

    02 – Building for the future, the men behind the Parks on Third project in North Van are betting on the boom. From left: Mike Parker, Builder – Ed Ballard, Somerset Homes – Barry Chillibeck, Engineer – Matthew T. Hansen, Architect

    03 – West Vancouver MP John Weston and former Olympic ski champ Senator Nancy Greene Raine came out to talk to the locals at a special town hall meeting this week at Park Royal Shopping Centre.

    04 – Bowen Island student Francesca Brind-Boronkay, seen here with Canadian Olympic Committee member and dad Peter Boronkay, is the artist behind one of the West Vancouver Olympic pins now being sought out by collectors.

    05 – Helping get the town hall Olympic meeting underway are Park Royal marketing director Nancy Small, left and constituency assistant Vivienne Bromley.

    06 – Sharing the spirit of competition at the town hall meeting are Andrea Holmes, left, former Crazy Canuck skier Steve Podborski and Annamay Pierse.

    07 – Transforming the corner of 18th and Marine into something of a luxury legacy are the Parkview Place team of Lynda Proc, left, developers Johann and Linda Berger, and Ray Proc.

    – Catherine Barr
    – Published in print in the North Shore Outlook newspaper on Jan 14, 2010

  • VANOC apologizes to Vancouver Symphony for Discord

    Vancouver’s Olympic Organizing Committee (VANOC) has issued a clarifying statement designed to quieten the chorus of public dissent that appears to be growing around Bramwell Tovey and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra’s (VSO) apparent ceremonial snub.

    The apology was issued in a press release on Saturday Dec 19, 2009 after the public had learned that VANOC had asked both Tovey and the VSO to record performance music for the Opening Ceremonies. This music would then be performed by stand-in musicians conducted by a stand-in conductor live for the cameras.

    The statement reads, “VANOC apologizes to the VSO for putting the orchestra in an untenable position regarding the Opening Ceremonies.”

    “VANOC regrets that the complex technical requirements of the Opening Ceremonies have put the VSO in a difficult position and both parties wish to move forward in the spirit of preparing for the great Games ahead.”

    John Furlong, VANOC CEO, echoes the sentiment by saying, “Bramwell Tovey and the VSO have been with us throughout this remarkable journey, . . . and it has never been our intent to put them, or any of our partners in a compromised position.”

    “We know that the VSO will be a celebrated partner in what promises to be an unforgettable experience.”

    Tovey and the VSO, who won the 2008 GRAMMY Award for “Best Instrumental Soloist(s) with Orchestra”, received an outflowing of support from the public who applauded his refusal to play along.

    Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter showed even more support and echoed the sentiment. Many referenced the incident at the Beijing 2006 opening ceremonies where it was discovered that 9-year old Lin Miaoke had lip-synched her song because she was deemed to be “prettier” than the original singer.

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    Beijing 2006 Lip-synch girl

    Looks aside, it looks as though these two parties have chosen to support each other and will now work towards promoting the games in perfect harmony. There is no word yet on what changed between the two parties or why Tovey wasn’t being considered as the conductor in the first place.

    Some members of the VSO will be taking part in the Opening Ceremony and the VSO’s recorded renditions of the national anthems of all participating nations will be played at all the medal ceremonies.

    By Cat Barr

    Here is the press release issued in its entirety below:

    Vancouver 2010/VSO clarify ceremonies participation; Highlight VSO’s important contribution to 2010 games

    VANCOUVER, Dec. 19 /CNW/ – The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (VSO) will play a prominent role at the 2010 Winter Games and will showcase its musicians’ talent to the world both through the Cultural Olympiad, and the playing of over 90 national anthems. VANOC regrets that the complex technical requirements of the Opening Ceremonies have put the VSO in a difficult position and both parties wish to move forward in the spirit of preparing for the great Games ahead.

    Hundreds of musicians – many of whom are also members of the VSO – have joined with other musicians and artists from across Canada and around the world to contribute to the rich, diverse sound of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, some of which has been and is currently being recorded, and will also be played live. VANOC apologizes to the VSO for putting the orchestra in an untenable position regarding the Opening Ceremonies.

    Under the direction of conductor Bramwell Tovey, the GRAMMY and Juno award winning Vancouver Symphony Orchestra will be showcased as part of the Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad and – perhaps the greatest honor – has recorded the renditions of the national anthems of all participating nations to be played at the Games, including at Team Welcome Ceremonies in the Athlete Villages and medal presentation ceremonies both in the sport venues and at Victory Ceremonies at BC Place and Whistler Celebration Plaza.

    “The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra is proud to be an integral part of the 2010 Games and wish every success to VANOC,” said Tovey. “The VSO is making a significant contribution to the musical memories of the Games and our collaboration with VANOC is one of the most important in the orchestra’s long and distinguished history.”

    “Bramwell Tovey and the VSO have been with us throughout this remarkable journey, from the bid phase on through, and it has never been our intent to put them, or any of our partners in a compromised position,” said John Furlong, VANOC CEO. “Whether through the Ceremonies, or the VSO recording of the anthems or the concerts of the Cultural Olympiad, the Games offer the opportunity for collaboration and a true showcase of the VSO members, who may perform or be heard individually on occasion or as a whole. We know that the VSO will be a celebrated partner in what promises to be an unforgettable experience.”

    The Opening Ceremony takes place on February 12 and the Closing Ceremony takes place on February 28th. The VSO performs throughout the Cultural Olympiad 2010, including two feature performances of Mahler Symphony No. 8: Symphony of a Thousand January 30th and February 1st 2010.

  • Night at the Aquarium and Goldfish Bikinis

    A look back at last month proves that summer really did arrive in grand style. Lots of local patio parties, a chic bikini fashion show and a grand gala at the Vancouver Aquarium were all on the schedule and gave us lots to talk about.

    01 – The boys of Crave Beachside in West Van welcome VIP guests to the restaurant’s new patio during their summer party. From left: manager Brooke Parker, sous chef Mike Earland, executive chef Mook and Andrew Chalmers.

    02 – Goldfish (and Joe Fortes) owner Bud Kanke and wife Dotty celebrated with local celebs at the restaurant’s Summer Splash party and fashion show.

    03 – Anna Kosturova swimwear models were the toast of the town at the Goldfish Summer Splash fundraiser.

    04 – West Vancouver’s Deanna Palkowski, left, and swimwear fashion designer Anna Kosturova get things organized for the fashion show at Goldfish Summer Splash.

    05 – Handi restaurant manager Amar Amroke, right, welcomes Ashok Das, Consul General of India, and his wife Dr. Erika Das to their West Vancouver summer patio celebration.

    06 – C Restaurant’s executive chef Robert Clark plays with a stuffed baby beluga in honour of the birth of the real deal at the Night at the Aquarium gala.

    07 – Dr. John Nightingale, President of the Vancouver Aquarium, shows off some Olympic paraphernalia during the Night at the Aquarium gala fundraiser.

    08 – Oceanwise Sushi anyone? West Vancouver’s Zen Sushi chef Alex Kamizako, left, along with Karen and Nobu Ochi, serve up delicious sample plates at the Night at the Aquarium.

    Published in the North Shore Outlook on July 2, 2009

  • Olympic Inniskillian Wines Already Winners

    It’s no secret that I am a big B.C. wine fan. In fact, I try to order it as much as possible when I dine out to help support what I believe to be a truly underrated and undiscovered product. And even though B.C’s reputation as a wine growing region is still relatively unknown to the world – I have a funny feeling that is about to change. (more…)