I had a beer or two with Mr. Lahey last night… things got ugly…
By Jean P. Labelle
Ontario Progressive Conservative leader Tim Hudak spoke at a business breakfast this morning at an event sponsored by the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce and the Ottawa Business Journal.
Outlining his five-point plan for job creation to a several hundred business leaders at the Hampton Inn on Coventry Road, Hudak spoke about Ontario’s job crisis and his plan to treat energy policy as economic policy.
He promised to cut hydro costs and scrap the controversial Samsung deal that is costing Ontario taxpayers $1 billion a year.
He will remove the HST from hydro and home heating bills and eliminate the Debt Retirement Charge from hydro bills saving the average Ottawa household $275.00 a year.
A few years back, while waiting at a local medical clinic in Orleans, my wife Nicole and I started talking to the couple beside us.
He was the new Imam of the Orléans growing Muslim community, Mohammed Bin Salim Badat.
We had heard that a new Mosque was planned for Orleans and that a building permit had just recently been approved by the city of Ottawa. He filled us in on the progress and the need of a mosque in East Ottawa.
It’s been three years of building but it has been worth the wait. They chose not to go the route of a mortgage but to raise the funds themselves and build as money permitted.
I attended the grand opening this past Saturday along with many of Ottawa’s civic leaders and many happy members of the Muslim community.
What a beautiful building!
When the guests arrive they will be immediately struck by the plush carpeting which was imported from Turkey and donated by a local member of the mosque. The carpet is made to last 100 years.
The doors, pulpit and book cases were all hand-carved in Syria and should be installed by the end of October. The finishing touch will be a central chandelier which is being made in China using Egyptian crystal. Mini-replica chandeliers will grace the walls.
The total cost of the new mosque is about $3 million, $2.4 million of which has already been raised. The remaining $600,000 will be raised through continued fundraising efforts.
More information can be found here: http://www.masjidbilal.org/index.html
Split second decisions… we make them everyday.
But how many of us can say that the decisions we make may have saved a life or two?
On my way home tonight, I came across this scene that had happened just a minute before my arrival. After assessing everyone was OK, the photographer part of me kicked in. What had happened is that, an Audi Wagon driven by a young woman taking her two sons to their soccer game, had come to an abrupt stop on Innes Road in Orleans. The speed limit at that section of Innes is 80KM/HR. As she came to her stop, looking into her rear view mirror, she could see the large utility truck barreling down upon her. At the last second, the driver of the truck turned his truck into the ditch, avoiding a certain collision. Little did he know that in the back seat of the relatively small car in front of him, were two young boys, on their way to a soccer match. It was a rough landing, a little rougher than the truck driver thought it might be, but he was OK. Actually, talking to him just after his harrowing detour, he spoke very calmly about the incident and his decision. He said he did not really have a choice… he chose the ditch. He said that had he not steered the truck into the ditch, the outcome would certainly be much different and we would be talking about another story all together.
Two memorials were held in Ottawa Friday to honour local fallen firefighters and those firefighters who lost their lives during the Sept. 11 attacks.More than 150 of Ottawa’s firefighters and police officers marched down Laurier Avenue Friday morning to honour the 343 firefighters who died in the Sept. 11 attacks.
‘You rushed in so that so many others could rush out.’—Message left outside U.S. Embassy, Sept. 11, 2001
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- Marlee Scott
Megan Cheung for Front Page Media
“I was always a ham as a kid,” says the animated, rising country artist Marlee Scott.
She remembers dancing in home videos and recording songs with her childhood band, The Mermaids. At age 10, with her first tape recorder and three years of guitar and voice lessons under her belt, she wrote and recorded seven songs with her sister and friend. Fast-forward to the present day and The Mermaids have long since disbanded, but the 25-year-old Canadian remains an entertainer at heart.
Raised in St. Albert, Alta. and based in Nashville, Scott stopped in Ottawa earlier this week to promote her new single, “Beautiful Maybe.” Written by accomplished songwriters Marcus Hummon, Tia Sillers and Tania Hancheroff, the polished track showcases Scott’s effortless voice and relays an inspirational message about hopes and dreams – something she said anybody can relate to. The feel-good song also speaks volumes about her “big dreams” for a career in country music.
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- Marlee talking with our interviewer Megan Cheung
Though she recognizes she still has a long way to go, the confident singer has found some success at home and abroad. Last year’s release “Here to Heaven” was a Top 20 hit in Canada and Australia and Scott was a Rising Star nominee at the 2010 Canadian Country Music Association Awards. The catchy “Beautiful Maybe,” released in Europe a few months ago, is topping charts and sitting at No. 2 in England and Belgium.
“I’d love to get an opening spot on a tour down in the States or up here. I’d love to go overseas…I want to say, ‘I’m coming tomorrow!’” exclaimed Scott. “I live to be on stage.”
Her passion for performing is apparent, as she breaks into song not once, but twice during the interview. Eager fans, though, will have to continue to wait to see the talented singer in concert. Lately, she has been too busy working on her third album.
“This is the big one. This is the big wham,” Scott said of her work-in-progress. She last toured with Emerson Drive back in 2009.
With a possible release date in early 2012, her upcoming album will feature mostly outside music. Her self-titled, second album (2008) had 10 songs – nine of which she co-wrote.
“I just fell in love with these songs from these other writers. I fell so hard for them that I couldn’t give them up and I couldn’t say, ‘Well, I’d rather do my stuff.’”
Live versions of “Planet Of Your Own” and the album’s next single “Train Wreck” are already available online. In videos from her U.S. radio tour, she may only be armed with her acoustic guitar, but these songs are full of sass and spunk.
“I love surprising people. It’s fun to be a little different than everybody else and I think the record’s going to stand out. It’s a little edgier and it’s got almost a bit of rock undertone. But there are some killer ballads on it that just rip your heart out of your chest.”
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- Marlee Scott and her manager Gerry Leiske in the background
Scott is also not afraid to embrace the pop potential of her songs. In the U.S., a dance remix of “Beautiful Maybe” can be heard in country clubs and the song has sparked its own line dance.
“I’m a fan of all styles of music. I love pop music. I love dance music. I love rock. I love country. So it’s fun for me to hear my stuff get almost ‘pop-sized.’”
She may be branching out on this “emotional rollercoaster” of a record, but she hasn’t forgotten why she chose to make country music in the first place.
“I love that country music is real. It talks about real life situations and stories and it says something.”
She penned “Love Hating You” a few years ago and it tells how she plays “mean” tricks on a fictional girl who has done her wrong. She also worked with Marcus Hummon to write “Kiss Coming Home,” a song about being on the road and having that special person to come home to. Both songs will appear on the upcoming record.
For now, listen for “Beautiful Maybe” on your local radio station to hear what she has to offer. While The Mermaids won’t be making a comeback, and the male members of her backing band are likely to reject the title, Marlee Scott is optimistic about her future – and she doesn’t need to share the spotlight.
The Keats
Halifax-based twin sisters Jolene and Sharlene create instant fans with their powerful two-part harmonies and wonderful blend of country and pop music. The Keats are quickly becoming known as one of Canada’s most talented new country acts.
Justin Moore is an American country music singer and songwriter signed to Big Machine Records imprint Valory Music Group. He has released one album for the label, the self-titled Justin Moore, which has accounted for four Top 40 singles on the Hot Country Songs charts.
Easton Corbin signed to Mercury Records Nashville in 2009 and released his debut single, “A Little More Country Than That”, followed by a self-titled debut album in March 2010. The song reached Number One on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts in April 2010.
With five albums to her credit, Sara Evans is on her way to becoming one of the most successful female artists of her generation – a compelling, heart-in-the-throat heir to Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette.
Since Rascal Flatts came on the country scene over a decade ago, the trio has helped change the face of popular music. The band’s trademark sound of emotive lead vocals and soaring harmonies has become the standard for cutting-edge country.
Just a quick post as I’m heading back to the Capital Hoedown site to cover the days activities.
First up we had Jason Blaine, Canadian country singer-songwriter hailing from Pembroke, Ontario who now calls Nashville his home.
Billy Currington. The title of Billy Currington’s new album, Enjoy Yourself, says it all. Clearly, his fans have been enjoying Billy’s brand of music with six of his songs charting at number one on the Top Ten list.
Miranda Lambert first exploded onto the scene as a finalist in the 2003 season of the “Nashville Star” television series. Kerosene, her debut album came out in 2005, and marked Miranda as a major new songwriting talent with fans and critics everywhere.
And of course, the much anticipated Carrie Underwood. Unbelievable! I will write more later.
The second annual Capital Hoedown, the largest star-studded country music festival in North America, kicked off last night at LeBreton Flats Park.
MacKenzie Porter opened up the three day festival, as she has previously, for Kenny Chesney, Tara Oram and Doc Walker.
MacKenzie Porter was raised on a cattle and bison ranch in Southern Alberta. At the young age of four, she began studying piano, violin, and voice. MacKenzie toured for a number of years with a family band including her brother Kalan Porter (2004 winner of Canadian Idol). She is currently writing and recording her upcoming debut album. This summer, MacKenzie won the Nashville North Star competition and has recently opened for Kenny Chesney, Doc Walker, Trooper and the Canadian Tenors.
Speaking of Canadian Idol, next on stage was Tara Oram. Born in Gander, NFLD, Tara’s music is inspired by her family, and is a celebration of her small town roots. She is also influenced by many established artists, such as Rosanne Cash, Marty Stuart & Dwight Yoakam.
Tara’s first album, ‘Chasing The Sun’, earned her three top-15 Canadian Country singles, and racked up numerous awards including a 2009 JUNO nomination for Country Album of the Year, an ECMA win for Country Recording of the Year, and the coveted Rising Star Award at the 2009 CCMA’s! In addition, the Newfoundland Herald bestowed Tara with the title of ‘Entertainer of the Year’ in 2008. In 2010, Tara also had the privilege of performing at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
Her new hit, “1929” was a crowd favorite, getting the crowds swaying under a cool summer evening sky. Showing why she was an Idol favorite, she closed her set with Twist and Shout, Where The Streets Have No Name and Neil Young’s Rockin’ In The Free World.
A few more photos of Tara are here: https://www.labellephoto.com/?page_id=3258
Doc Walker was up next with crowd favorites “Get Up” and Beautiful Life”.
Over their decade-plus time together Doc Walker have earned the title of ‘the hardest working Country band in Canada’ the old fashioned way, through relentless perseverance – constantly honing their chops as a songwriting and a performing unit.
Hitting every little speck on the map again and again and putting over a million miles behind them in Canada alone, in an effort to forge a lasting relationship with their audience.
And to close things up, the much anticipated Kenny Chesney. Front Page Media was invited on stage just prior to Kenny kicking off his set to get a few shots of the of the estimated 15000 fans. An incredible site to be sure.
As he does in most every concert, Chesney gave it his all. With much help from the audience singing along to every song, “Live A Little”, “Reality” and “Summertime” set the tone for the evening.
A fantastic first night was had by all!
by Jean Labelle
Ed Estes - As an American member of the Enfield Fire Departmentn Nova Scotia, it was an honor and privilege to attend the Memorial service in Ottawa. Thank you all.