Category Archives: London

Jun 28 2013

Gala Dinner at Canada House

PRESS RELEASE

VIPs come together at Canada House to celebrate UK - Canada Relationship ahead of the 8th annual Canada Day London

30TH JUNE 2013 London, UK: High profile British and Canadian business executives and dignitaries come together to celebrate a very special relationship between the United Kingdom and Canada over an exclusive gala dinner hosted by Canada Day International at Canada House in Trafalgar Square.

While the excitement builds for the 8th annual Canada Day London in Trafalgar Square on July 1st, Canadian culture is shining brightly in London.

“As Marc Carney prepares to take over the top job at the Bank of England, Michael Buble fans anxiously await his impressive 10 sold out performances at the 02 Arena, and rising Canadian tennis stars make inroads at Wimbledon, London will be celebrating Canada like never before” says Chad Molleken, Executive Director for Canada Day International.

As part of the celebrations, Canada Day International is thrilled to have teamed up with Canada’s culinary champion Marc St. Jacques to host an exclusive VIP dinner on the evening of June 30th. Senior executives from UK and Canadian firms such as BlackBerry, Nexen, British Airways, BLG, CAE, Canadian Tourism Commission, CBC, Deloitte, Guoman Hotels, Molson Coors, Royal Bank of Canada, Rainmaker Global Business Development and TD Bank alongside other executives and dignitaries will be discussing current business and political affairs over an exclusive three course dinner prepared by maestro St. Jacques. The architecturally stunning Canada House of the High Commission of Canada in London will provide a perfect setting for this important evening.

With a sumptuous menu, Toronto based St. Jacques will introduce diners to his own unique taste of Canadian flavours and impress them with the nation’s culinary capabilities. Executive chef at Toronto’s Auberge du Pommier and winner of the Canadian Gold Medal Plates Championship this year, St. Jacques and his team came up with an inventive menu for the event on the eve of Canada Day. “It’s going to be a challenge, but it’s a great honour, as well,” says St. Jacques.

The delicious menu will start with a range of canapés selected at the O’Canapé media event attended by food press and critics in Toronto earlier this month and will include elk sausage with blueberry mustard, guafrette with whipped potato salad, domestic caviar and dill and devilled quails egg with foie gras mousse. As an appetizer, St. Jacques and his team will serve up a coleslaw concoction of chilled lobster, salted cabbage, marinated vegetables, celery seed aioli, pickled mustard seed and beer battered lobster mitts. St. Jacques has reinvented the traditional Steak on the BBQ with his entrée of grilled ribeye, oxtail stuffed tomato, charred zucchini and corn pudding with traditional fruit cocktail and Canadian butter tart to follow.

The dinner is being kindly sponsored by: Auberge du Pommier, BLG, Canada High Commission to United Kingdom, Canada United Kingdom Chamber of Commerce City Financial, Deloitte, Ontario Canada, Rainmaker Global Business Development and U’luvka Vodka.

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For more information, please contact Stephanie Wollams stephanie@katchthis.com or 020 7630 7340 / 07771 898 171

-END-

Jun 28 2013

Canadian High Commission to offer UK Students Free Educational Events This Summer

Canada Day International is pleased to announce that the Canadian High Commission has invited some of the top Canadian educational institutions including; Royal Roads University, University of Calgary, University of Toronto, Humber Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning, York University, Brock University, Ivey Business School, McGill University, Memorial University, University of New Brunswick, Cape Breton University and Dalhousie University to take part in the four day event coinciding with Canada Day in London. Targeted at informing undergraduates about educational opportunities in Canada, visitors will learn about the study options available to them through informative seminars and networking receptions during the course of the four day event.

Canada is internationally recognised for a competency-based teaching approach that prepares students to be productive in the workplace immediately after graduation. Canadian Universities are knowledge hubs connecting business, government and universities with commercial firms that help deliver on discovery. Imagine studying in Canada, visualize the vibrant cities, beautiful spaces and welcoming multi-cultural communities, in a country that provides exceptional standards of living, safety and healthcare. Canada has the highest percentage of individuals 25-64 year-olds (51%) achieving at least college or university education, among OECD member countries. According to the OECD, Canada invests the third-highest amount per tertiary student among OECD countries every year. Canadian Universities welcome students from around the world each year, with approximately 7.5 percent of students at Canada’s postsecondary education institutions being international students.

The events kick off on June 27th and will be held at Canada House on Trafalgar Square and admission is free. The events run as follows:

On June 27th, university and guidance counsellors and career advisors from UK schools are invited to a full-day event on undergraduate opportunities for their students in Canada.

On June 28th, the High Commission will host a half-day seminar and networking reception for UK university career advisors and students interested in post-graduate opportunities in Canada.

On July 1st The High Commission is hosting a Study in Canada pavilion on Trafalgar Square. Later in the afternoon, there will be a seminar and networking reception for domestic and international students in the UK interested in pursuing an MBA degree in Canada.

Please email LDN.education@international.gc.ca for further information and to register your interest.

 

 

 

Jun 27 2013

Final Program Released

Canada Day London Schedule

July 1, 2013

 

10:30AM Canada Day Opens – Ribbon Cutting

10:30AM Ceremonial Drop of the puck

10:30AM Hockey Games 1 – 4

10:30AM Community and partner activations open

10:30AM Pancake Breakfast – Taste of Canada opens

11:00AM Bars and Taste of Canada Food Stalls Open

11:30AM Meet the Mounties – Canadian High Commission Tent

12:15PM Northern Cree Performance - Main Stage

12:30PM Old Man Luedecke - Main Stage

12:30PM Meet the Mounties – Nexen Tent

1:00PM Ben Caplan - Main Stage

1:30PM USS - Main Stage

1:45PM Hockey Matches 5 – 8

3:30PM Meet the Mounties – Hockey Arena

3:45PM lululemon Yoga Class

4:40PM Hockey: Bronze Final

5:10PM Hockey: Gold and Silver Final matches

6:00PM Trafalgar Cup Presentation - Main Stage

6:10PM Live message to Ottawa - Main Stage

6:15PM Canada On Stage Concert begins - Main Stage

6:15PM Northern Cree Performance

6:30PM Arkells

7:00PM Cirque Alfonse - Timber!

7:15PM Jann Arden

8:00PM The Sheepdogs

9:00PM The Tragically Hip

9:45PM Bars and Food Stations close

10:15PM Closing Remarks and National Anthem O Canada

 

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Jun 26 2013

Cirque Alfonse to join Canada Day London

From the remote forests of Québec, three generations of the family circus troupe, Cirque
Alfonse, travel to London to present the UK premiere of Timber!

The UK premiere of a joyous, log-balancing, wood-chucking, axe-juggling spectacular from Quebec’s very own Cirque Alfonse. Blending circus with theatre, dance, and live traditional music , Timber! takes the audience on a wild ride of gravity-defying acrobatics and thrilling tricks with metal saws, axes and logs. Come and see a special preview of Timber! by Cirque Alfonse at Canada Day London on July 1st at 7PM on Main Stage bringing the Canadian outdoors into the theatre and stay tuned for a special discount to see the full show between July 10th - July 31st at Southbank Centre - Part of Festival of Neighbourhood exclusively for Canada Day International.

Like Cirque Alfonse on Facebook and follow Southbank Centre on Twitter for the latest news and offers.

VIDEO: Timber!

Cirque Alfonse is made up of three generations of one Québecois family – 66-year-old
Grandfather and amateur clown Alain Carabinier, his two children, Antoine, 32, and Julie, 29, who
are a trained circus acrobat and a trained dancer respectively, Julie’s partner Jonathan, 32, a
trained circus acrobat who has performed in Cirque Du Soleil’s Love, and their 2-year-old son,
Arthur. The family are supported by live musicians, two of whom are friends of the family who grew up in villages nearby. Cirque Alfonse are the latest in a long line of circus greats to emerge from
Quebec – joining Cirque du Soleil, Cirque Eloize and les 7 doigts de la main on the world
stage. Members of Cirque Alfonse have worked with all of these world-renowned companies

The company hail from an area rich in roots music, call-and-response singing, fiddle and banjo
playing and traditional dance. The show is steeped in the folklore, traditions and aesthetic of
Québec’s lumberjack, logging and farming heritage. Music is at the heart of the show – with
traditional songs mixed with new numbers composed by violinist David Simard and David
Boulanger, of hit Québecois folk band La Bottine Souriante. The action is set in a lumber-camp,
where there is merriment and mischief on an outhouse and the company juggle and chop
vegetables at high speed for the family stew pot. Beards, muscles, checked lumberjack shirts and
long-johns abound, and staying true to their roots, the axes, saws and knives used in the show are
genuine and sharpened and the cast don’t wear steel toe-capped boots or any protection other
than gloves. Taking authenticity to new heights, when Cirque Alfonse rehearse in their unheated
Québecois barn, they saw wood as a warm-up to their rehearsals.

https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whatson/timber-74074

Jun 20 2013

Yoga, Yoga, Yoga

A little taste of something grown in Vancouver right in the heart of London! Bring your own or borrow one of our mats and enjoy a moment of physical activity and reflection on Canada Day.

There’s no better way to share the best of Canadian culture, business and health in the heart of central London than with one of Canada’s favourite activities. Join lululemon athletica this year for an extra special yoga session from 3:45pm-4:45pm, led by one of their amazing yoga ambassadors, Mercedes Ngoh.

Born in Ottawa, Canada, Mercedes has spent most of her life studying creative movement and its use as a form of self-expression and spiritual exploration.

Having studied various forms of yoga the primary style she now teaches is Vinyasa Flow. Most of her studies have been in California where she has completed many different certifications under many wonderful teachers. Mercedes’ latest teacher training intensive was with Prana Flow Yoga creator Shiva Rea.

Mercedes is now an E-RYT through Yoga Alliance, and conducts a 200hr Vinyasa Flow Yoga Teacher Training at her health retreat in Devon called Yeotown, a haven for greater health and wellbeing.

lululemon athletica is a yoga-inspired athletic apparel company that was founded in Kitsilano, Vancouver BC. Our mission is creating components for people to live long, healthy and fun lives.

We’ll see you on the mat, eh?

 

 

Jun 20 2013

Canada Day London Press Breakfast at Thistle Marble Arch

 

Huge thanks to Thistle Marble Arch who hosted our incredible Canada Day London press breakfast yesterday at their beautiful hotel.

They served a delicious spread to attendees including poached eggs and ham, pancakes with bacon and maple syrup, brioche and croissants and a mouth-watering selection of fruit.

 


Members of the press met with our Canada Day London team and asked questions about the big day, which is just under two weeks away!

 


Everything about the Thistle Marble Arch hotel says ‘style’. From its classic Art Deco design to its location close to exclusive Bond Street and overlooking Oxford Street, this Central London hotel is the perfect place to stay and explore the capital.

 

Canada Day London press breakfast 6

Thanks to everyone who came down to learn more about Canada Day London!

Jun 13 2013

Canadian chef Marc St. Jacques for Canada Day London!


We’re thrilled to have incredible Canadian chef Marc St. Jacques working with us for Canada Day London this year! He will be creating our sponsors dinner for Canada Day London and also assisting with the menu for Ollie Templeton’s Vieux Quebec pop-up in Trafalgar Square.

Born in Belgium and raised in Montréal and Toronto, St. Jacques grew up on French-Canadian staples such as tourtière, cretons and sugar pie. His culinary approach and food philosophy are definitively attributable to the countless summers he spent cooking and baking with his grandparents at their farm in Milton, where the ingredients they used came straight from their own land.

Currently Executive Chef at the prestigious Auberge du Pommier in Toronto, the 36 year old says “At Auberge, we’re big believers in making beautiful food that’s yummy. To me there’s a difference… delicious is ‘wow, this tastes really good.’ Yummy makes you wanna lick your fingers. It’s one of the first things that disappears in fine dining.” Prior to his appointment as Executive Chef of Auberge du Pommier, he spent four years as an Executive Chef for the Michael Mina Group, having worked most recently at Michael Mina at Bellagio Las Vegas and earning a Michelin star.

Marc St. Jacques and his team recently took home the top honours at the prestigious Gold Medal Plates Canadian Culinary Championships in Kelowna, British Columbia. Chef Marc and his culinary team prepped and plated hundreds of dishes over the course of the competition. They achieved the highest score from a panel of esteemed food writers, critics and industry professionals and took home the gold medal, defeating renowned chefs from nine other cities across Canada and making him the first Toronto chef to do so!

We can’t wait to be working alongside Marc St. Jacques for Canada Day London and get to sample his delicious food!

Jun 10 2013

Join luluemon athletica for yoga at Canada Day London!

 

Yoga 1

 

A little taste of something grown in Vancouver right in the heart of London! Bring your own or borrow one of our mats and enjoy a moment of physical activity and reflection on Canada Day.

There’s no better way to share the best of Canadian culture, business and health in the heart of central London than with one of Canada’s favourite activities. Join lululemon athletica this year for an extra special yoga session from 3:45pm-4:45pm, led by one of their amazing yoga ambassadors, Mercedes Ngoh.

Yoga 2

 

Born in Ottawa, Canada, Mercedes has spent most of her life studying creative movement and its use as a form of self-expression and spiritual exploration.

Having studied various forms of yoga the primary style she now teaches is Vinyasa Flow. Most of her studies have been in California where she has completed many different certifications under many wonderful teachers. Mercedes’ latest teacher training intensive was with Prana Flow Yoga creator Shiva Rea.

Mercedes is now an E-RYT through Yoga Alliance, and conducts a 200hr Vinyasa Flow Yoga Teacher Training at her health retreat in Devon called Yeotown, a haven for greater health and wellbeing.

lululemon athletica is a yoga-inspired athletic apparel company that was founded in Kitsilano, Vancouver BC. Their mission is creating components for people to live long, healthy and fun lives.

We’ll see you on the mat, eh?

Jun 7 2013

BlackBerry and Canada Day International!

 

blackberry blog post 1

Canada Day sponsor and fellow Canadian BlackBerry has recently announced that they are making their Messenger (BBM) real-time messaging service available on Apple’s iPhone, iPad and Google’s Android platforms from this summer. The great news is that with this new innovative technology you can keep up to date with all things Canada Day on your Blackberry or smart device wherever you are.

blackberry blog post 2

Blackberry are a presenting sponsor at both Canada Day New York and Canada Day London and we’ll be hosting some Blackberry competitions on our social media featuring their amazing new Z10 very shortly so watch this space! Don’t forget to follow Canada Day London on Facebook and Twitter and Canada Day New York on Facebook and Twitter to stay in the loop.

We can’t wait to toast their success at our Canada Day events in both New York and London this summer!

Jun 2 2013

Canadian artist Timothy Wilson Hoey to showcase his latest collection at Canada Day London this summer!

O-CANADA PLANTE

We’re bringing Timothy Wilson Hoey’s iconic O-Canada series into the heart of Trafalgar Square for our 8th annual Canada Day London event on 1st July! We love this amazing series of paintings celebrating the icons, events and guilty pleasures that identifies Canadians.

Timothy Wilson Hoey is an artist, carpenter and proverbial hewer of wood. Primarily self-taught, he approaches painting the same way he uses an axe, part brute force, part delicate balancing act. His O-Canada series began in 2006, celebrating all things Canuck and numbers well over a thousand works, drawing from Canadian history, pop culture, and the intimidating, but sublime geography of this country. It has become something of a visual cross-country road trip of imagery, with iconic staples such as Pierre Trudeau, Rocket Richard, Stompin’ Tom Connors, Casey and Finnegan from TVs Mr. Dressup, and the ubiquitious Tim Horton’s coffee cup.

“It is extremely exciting and flattering to have been asked. I feel like I have been called up from the farm team and am lacing ‘em up for a Stanley Cup final”, he remarked. The exhibit will be a ‘one day’ event with the work returning back home to be exhibited later in the season. We’re thrilled to have Timothy joining us as our first ever Canada Day London artist!

O Canada Art 2

O-CANADA PATIENCE