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Mathieu Fleury, Adam O’Connor and Treasa Carolan.
Larry O’Brien and Jim Watson.
Larry Kelly and Brian Kilrea.
FUNDRAISER
Ottawa Irish-Canadians celebrate St. Patrick’s Week with Bruyère fundraiser If anybody should have been dancing a happy jig at the Irish Canadian Saint Patrick’s Week Luncheon it should have been Vito Di Muccio, who was able to bust a few moves at the Heart & Crown Irish Pub in the ByWard Market. The 83-year-old Mr. Di Muccio suffered a stroke in October and is eternally grateful to the staff at Bruyère Continuing Care for helping him to walk and talk again through its rehabilitation
program. “Bruyère was a lifesaver,” he said at the annual business-networking luncheon organized by the local IrishCanadian business community in support of the Bruyère Foundation. Mr. Di Muccio said he’s also thrilled to be getting his opera voice back. He even belted out some of Schubert’s Ave Maria for OBJ.social to hear. At the event were prominent Irishborn businessmen Larry Bradley
and Pat Kelly, owners of the Heart & Crown Irish Pubs and Bradley Kelly Construction. Attendees also included hockey legend Brian Kilrea, businessman and former mayor Larry O’Brien, and former Ottawa Rough Rider-turned-investment executive Whit Tucker. It was surprising to run into lawyer Lawrence Greenspon, who joked that the “green” in Greenspon makes him half-Irish. He was hanging
out with organizers of the Fight for the Cure charity boxing event for cancer, sponsored by the Heart & Crown. Bobby Kerr, associate project manager for Brookfield Global Integrated Solutions, was back to chair the festive luncheon, which featured live music, Irish dancing, food and open bar. It was expected to raise between $25,000 and $30,000 for Bruyère and another charity back in Ireland. “Every penny we collect goes to the charities,” said Mr. Kerr, while noting that all the costs of hosting the $125-a-ticket luncheon are covered by the business sponsors. Organizers pushed back the start time this year until early afternoon, which was a smart move judging by the nearly 200 people who packed the pub. On hand were Peggy Taillon, president of the Bruyère Foundation, and its board chair, retired high-tech executive Fiona Gilfillan. Bruyère Continuing Care is a complex continuing care, rehabilitation and palliative health care centre and one of the largest of its kind in Canada. It is named after Mother Élisabeth Bruyère, who had a deep connection to the Irish immigrants: She cared for them when they were hit by a typhus epidemic in 1847.
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Calling all Dreamers, Innovators and Leaders The Telfer School needs your help to support Ottawa’s talent quest
MONDAY, MARCH 27, 2017
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he Ottawa Business Growth Survey has drawn the same conclusion two years in a row – attracting skilled talent remains the top issue keeping local business leaders awake at night. In addition, 54 per cent of local tech talent needs are in management – dynamic individuals who can drive commercial success into global markets. That’s why the University of Ottawa’s Telfer School of Management continues to push the boundaries of excellence to attract the best students to its programs. Because if you want to produce
“Building a competitive workforce for the future is key to the economic priorities of the City of Ottawa and the Government of Canada.” a quality graduate ready to hit the ground running and add value to an organization, you need to start with a quality applicant. Quality goes beyond grades. Equally important is diversity – individuals with backgrounds and experiences that can enrich any organization looking to prosper in a globalized economy.
“Baby boomer retirement is leaving gaps in the labour force while Ontario is seeing a demographic decline in high school graduates,” said Alain Doucet, Assistant Dean, External Relations, at the Telfer School. “There is a war for talent and it begins on the campus. For the National Capital Region to have the new generation of leaders it
needs, we must work collaboratively with our alumni and the broader community.” How? Local organizations in the private and public sectors can continue to partner with Telfer for internships, coop placements, mentorship and class projects. Beyond this, Telfer is actively building its financial capacity to offer scholarships. As post-secondary institutions become increasingly competitive about enrolment, scholarships have emerged as a vital tool to attract the best and brightest. “Building a competitive workforce for the future is key to
the economic priorities of the City of Ottawa and the Government of Canada,” Doucet added. “With your help, we can do our part by providing the best possible experience for students
and making them job ready in support of the local economy.” To learn more about how you can support Telfer, please visit myTelfer.ca/ whatmatters.