We held our 9th annual Beaver Club Gala this past Saturday, October the 15th right here in our home at 910 Monaghan Road in Peterborough! It was a huge undertaking to hold the event (for the first time ever!) within the museum’s galleries, but, as we do, we all pulled together and made it happen – and it was magical.
This year’s gala sold out in record time, and was attended by a 173 wonderful guests. Our host for the evening was the one and only James Raffan, and we (very excitedly) welcomed Peter Mansbridge, 12-time Gemini Award winner and officer of the Order of Canada, as our guest speaker for the evening!
The night was opened in true BCG style with the procession of the piper, boar’s head and voyageurs (modeled after the original fur traders’ supper club in Montreal).
Following the procession, our dear friend Chief Phyllis Williams of Curve Lake First Nation gave a traditional welcome, and Bill Morris, the chair of our Board of Directors provided updates on the progress of the museum including new partnerships, programming and also our relocation project.
After a wonderful toast from Peter Mansbridge, our guests enjoyed an 18th century inspired four-course dinner. After dinner, Peter Mansbridge once again took the stage and delighted guests with some after dinner stories including how he got his start in broadcasting the news, stories of filming Pierre Trudeau’s biography, and a reflection of his visit to the original tunnels of Vimy Ridge.
Following the after dinner stories was our live auction and finally to top off the night – Le Grand Voyage, a “paddling competition” which culminates in one guest from each table awarded with a coveted Beaver Club Medal!
This year we expect to gross over $130,000 in support of the museum’s education and public programs – the highest amount raised in the history of the event!
“Guests had the unique opportunity to experience this wonderful evening completely immersed in the organization and amongst our fabulous collection of heritage pieces,” Joyce Mackenzie, Co-chair of the Gala Organizing Committee
“We were so glad that Peter Mansbrige was able to join us as this year’s guest speaker. He captivated our guests with his wonderful toast and after dinner stories. The entire evening was a truly remarkable experience.” Sally Chenoweth, Co-chair of the Gala Organizing Committee
The museum would like to thank everyone involved in the success of this year’s event including Gala sponsors, the Gala Organizing Committee, our volunteers and our wonderful guests and supporters. The ongoing support of our stakeholders is integral to the success of our organization and we can never thank them enough.” Carolyn Hyslop, General Manager, Canadian Canoe Museum
The Gala is held each year on the Saturday following the Thanksgiving weekend with tickets going on sale in the early summer months.