Petty speaks of broadcasting and beyond
News - Quinte West - She is a helicopter pilot and a filmmaker, an author and public speaker and has hosted her own television show, jumped out of airplanes and earned certification as a scuba diver. And if there is one thing Dini Petty has learned over the course of a well-travelled career and life, that has also involved numerous firsts, it is the knowledge that “there is a lot more than this.” Petty spoke at Johnstown Church last weekend as part of the fund-raising series in support of the Roy Bonisteel Tribute Garden, offering a little insight into the world of broadcasting and beyond. She also acknowledged Bonisteel’s exceptional career and his contribution to Canadian journalism. In his introduction, event organizer Brian Weston welcomed the crowd of about two dozen, noting that in light of the fact that the series is paying tribute to an iconic Canadian broadcaster, it was only fitting to have another broadcasting icon included. Petty, who continues to travel and speak to groups about her life and work, was an obvious choice, he says. And the guest speaker provided plenty of food for thought along with her collection of anecdotes that ranged from interviewing experiences to inexplicable occurrences that were both death defying and otherworldly. The daughter of Canada’s first talent agent, Molly Petty, she eagerly volunteered for her first stage performance at the age of five and “the parade of beautiful men and
women … began when I was 11 years old.” And while the experience she recounts was admittedly an intimidating one, Petty says, “I got to understand beauty.” Not many years later, she forged her mother’s signature to go skydiving, and she says, that eventually led to 5,000 hours at the controls of a pink media helicopter. And while much of her flying experience was mundane, she says, it also included some life-altering moments. Her television career started at CityTV before she went on to CTV and her own show. And in that time she conducted more than 20,000 interviews, with many of them memorable she says, but adds it was the connection she made with comedian Red Skelton that was truly special. Tongue-tied at their first meeting, Petty says the two became very close. In the ensuing years, Skelton gave her one of his paintings as a birthday present. In concluding her presentation, Petty read a letter he penned in 1994. “I’ve never met anyone like that,” she says. To close, she read from her children’s book The Queen, The Bear and the Bumblebee, which is currently being adapted for the stage and Petty is hopeful will come to Toronto in the near future. As the series continues, Weston and partner Lesley Bonisteel are also hosting an Opera Cocktail Party, featuring teen singing sensation Roanna Lee Kitchen, on November 22 as well as a reading of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol on December 6. Full details are available on their
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Dini Petty reads a letter from comedian Red Skelton during her recent visit to the Johnstown Church. The evening was part of a fund-raising series in support of the Roy Bonisteel Tribute Garden in Trenton.
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web site at <www. oldchurchtheatre. During a recent visit to Quinte West, Dini Petty signs copies of her book The com> or by calling Queen, the Bear and the Bumblebee, which is now being adapted for the 613-392-9212. stage.
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.com Section B - Thursday, November 20, 2014 B9