Eugene Levy, Sarah Polley, Jean Chretien, the two Michaels among guests at Biden gala dinner
Eugene Levy, Sarah Polley, Jean Chretien, the two Michaels among guests at Biden gala dinner
Eugene Levy? Check. Sarah Polley? Check. Jean Chretien? Check.
These are just a few of the guests confirmed to attend Friday night’s gala dinner with U.S. President Joe Biden, hosted by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau at the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa.
The gala is set to welcome a plethora of notable people, and include several performances to go along with a very Canadian dinner.
Perhaps the most famous people on the guest list not named Trudeau or Biden are Canadian film and television icon Eugene Levy—star of the wildly popular “Schitt’s Creek” and Toronto’s very own Sarah Polley, who recently took home Oscar gold at Hollywood’s biggest night for her film “Women Talking.”
Two former Canadian prime ministers—Jean Chretien and Joe Clark—as well as every major opposition party leader will attend. Multiple former U.S. ambassadors to Canada and Canadian ambassadors to the U.S., as well as all of cabinet were invited, however, not all of them can make it.
The two Michaels, Kovrig and Spavor, are also both invited guests to the gala and to Biden’s afternoon address to Parliament, CTV News has confirmed. The two men were imprisoned in China from 2018 to 2021.
Diana Matheson, Canadian soccer player, Olympic bronze medalist and CEO of Project 8 will be there, along with actors Charles Lafortune, Mark Critch (“Son of a Critch” and “This Hour Has 22 Minutes”), Gabriel LaBelle (“The Fabelmans”), Oscar winning directors Ben Proudfoot and Daniel Roher, TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey and President of the Motion Picture Association of Canada Wendy Noss.
Toronto’s Eric McCormack, best known for playing Will on the seminal TV series “Will and Grace,” will also be in attendance. In a 2012 interview with “Meet the Press,” Biden described “Will and Grace” as having done “more to educate the American public (about LGBTQ2S+ people) than almost anything anybody has ever done.”
Montreal natives and solo artists Charlotte Cardin and Gregory Charles will attend, as well as Great Big Sea’s Alan Doyle. Doyle and Cardin are also set to perform before and after dinner service, respectively.
As guests arrive, they will be treated to performances from Métis Jiggers Jaime Morse, Riley McKenzie and Jacob McKenzie—the same group that performed at Trudeau’s first swearing in ceremony at Rideau Hall when he became prime minister in 2015. Inuit throat singers Grace Metuq and Tia Qaqaqsiq, Algonquin drum group Eagle River from Kitigan Zibi and Barrier Lake, Que., featuring Yancey Thusky, Jordon Jacko, Awema Tendesi and Steve Wawtie as well as guitarist and pianist Tyler Shaw are also set to perform during reception.
Indigenous Elder Claudette Commanda, an Algonquin Anishinaabe from the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nation, will lead a prayer and blessing after the arrival of Trudeau, Biden, Gov. Gen. Mary Simon and their spouses.
Chief NAFTA negotiator Steve Verheul will be there, and all members of the prime minister’s NAFTA Advisory Council were invited, however some cannot attend. Jeffrey Remedios, CEO of Universal Music Canada will also be in the building.
Other notable guests include:
Michelle Douglas, Canadian human rights activist
Helen Kennedy, Executive Director of Egale Canada
Doug Kerr, Executive Director of Dignity Network Canada
Lana Payne, President of UNIFOR
Linda Silas, President of Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions
Nathalie Provost, PolySeSouvient
Marissa West, CEO of GM Canada
Tim Murphy, Chair of Detroit-Windsor Bridge Commission
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