It’s never been trendier to be the son of a former prime minister. Nobody was photographed as much as Ben Mulroney during Thursday’s exclusive grand opening gala for the $20 million-Infinity Convention Centre.
(Second place probably goes to the glamorous mermaid-looking model who posed all night by the oyster bar).
Mulroney is co-host of CTV’s new Your Morning show and eldest son of former PM Brian Mulroney, to whom he’s similar both in looks and good humour.
“Up until a couple of years ago I was referred to as the successful son of a Canadian prime minister,” said Mulroney, before joking that the bar’s now been raised by the son of another former PM. “And now I’m just a talk show host.”
It was a massive party, with a 700-person guest list that included Mayor Jim Watson, Ottawa Senators president Cyril Leeder, such successful business folks as Bill Malhotra and Jim Taggart, and Catherine Bélanger, widow of the late Mauril Bélanger, the longtime Liberal MP for Ottawa-Vanier who died of ALS in August.
On hand for the ribbon-cutting ceremony were the convention centre’s owners: brothers Harry, Sonny and T.J. Sohal, along with Anand Aggarwal and his son Lalit. It should be noted, the last time Around Town attended a party hosted by Aggarwal it featured a live elephant (it was eight years ago, at his son’s traditional Hindu wedding). There was no pachyderm this time, but maybe a few party animals.
Guests could also check out the beautiful new 15,000-square-foot venue, located near the Ottawa airport. That is, when they’re weren’t busy mingling over drinks, food, live music and Les Oiseaux du Paradis acrobatic performances.
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From left, wedding planner Stacey Price with florist Erin Carmichael and event planner Tami Varma of TC & Co. Events at the grand opening gala for the new Infinity Convention Centre, held on Thursday, October 13, 2016. -
From left, Ottawa TV and radio personality Jeff Hopper, wife Louise White, and colleague “Stuntman” Stu Schwartz with his 10-year-old son, Matteo, cleaned up nicely for the black-tie grand opening gala celebration of the new Infinity Convention Centre, held Thursday, October 13, 2016. -
From left, Steve Ramphos, president of District Realty, with Maria Michalopulos and her husband, Fr. Alex Michalopulos from the Hellenic Community of Ottawa, at the grand opening gala for the new Infinity Convention Centre, held on Thursday, October 13, 2016. -
Dr. Pradeep Merchant, site chief of neonatology at The Ottawa Hospital’s Civic Campus, with Saroj Aggarwal and his wife, Anita Merchant, at the grand opening gala for the new Infinity Convention Centre, held Thursday, October 13, 2016. -
Tina Ages with venue co-owner Sonny Sohal and Ken Ages, principal at Paramount Properties, at the grand opening gala for the new Infinity Convention Centre, held on Thursday, October 13, 2016. -
From left, key business partners Harry Sohal, Anand Aggarwal and Sonny Sohal at the new Infinity Convention Centre for the grand opening gala of the new venue, held on Thursday, October 13, 2016. -
Bill Malhotra, president of Claridge Homes, with Catherine Bélanger and his wife, Romina Malhotra, at the grand opening gala for the new Infinity Convention Centre, held on Thursday, October 13, 2016. -
Ben Mulroney, co-host of CTV’s Your Morning, was in Ottawa to host the grand opening gala for the new Infinity Convention Centre, held on Thursday, October 13, 2016. -
From left, Mona Fortier with Ainsley Malhotra and Catherine Bélanger, widow of the late Mauril Bélanger, long-time Liberal MP for Ottawa-Vanier, at the grand opening party for the new Infinity Convention Centre, held Thursday, October 13, 2016. -
From left, actress Helena-Alexis Seymour with her parents, Lou Seymour and Angie Sakla-Seymour of popular Ottawa model and talent agency, Angie’s AMTI, at the grand opening gala of the new Infinity Convention Centre, held on Thursday, October 13, 2016. -
Evening host Ben Mulroney with Coun. Diane Deans (Gloucester-Southgate) at the grand opening gala for the new Infinity Convention Centre, held on Thursday, October 13, 2016. -
Jim Taggart, chair of the Taggart Group of Companies, with Diana Moore and Semiha Cantas, owner of Cantas Fashion on Sussex Drive, at the grand opening gala for the new Infinity Convention Centre, held Thursday, October 13, 2016. -
From left, Steve Monuk, partner with York Entertainment, and Bill Malhotra at the grand opening gala for the new Infinity Convention Centre, held on Thursday, October 13, 2016. -
Nishith Goel, president at Cistel Technology, with his wife, Nita, at the grand opening gala for the new Infinity Convention Centre, held Thursday, October 13, 2016. -
From left, Infinity Conference Centre business partner Anand Aggaral and his wife, Saroj, with their Rockcliffe Park neighbour, Dr. Paul Beaulé, head of orthopaedic surgery at The Ottawa Hospital and University of Ottawa, at the grand opening gala for the new venue, held on Thursday, October 13, 2016. -
From left, key business partners Anand Aggarwal, T.J. Sohal and Lalit Aggarwal at the grand opening gala of the new Infinity Convention Centre, held on Thursday, October 13, 2016. -
Kristin Smith, a director with the Canadian Medical Association, with her fiancé, Brian Murray, a director at Sakto Corporation, at the Putting on the Ritz grand opening gala for the new Infinity Convention Centre, held on Thursday, October 13, 2016. -
Coun. Tim Tierney (Beacon Hill-Cyrville) and his wife, Jenny, got dressed up for the Putting on the Ritz grand opening gala for the new Infinity Convention Centre, held Thursday, October 13, 2016. -
From left, Steph Hunter with Ottawa radio personality Sandra Plagakis at the Putting on the Ritz grand opening party for the new Ottawa Convention Centre, held on Thursday, October 13, 2016. -
T.J. Sohal and his wife Anu are part of the team behind the new Infinity Convention Centre, which hosted its grand opening gala for some 700 guests on Thursday, October 13, 2016. -
From left, Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson in conversation with TV personality Ben Mulroney at the grand opening gala for the new Infinity Convention Centre, held on Thursday, October 13, 2016. -
From left, Peter O’Leary, chief marketing officer and vice president of ticketing for the Ottawa Senators, with Lydia Leeder and Cyril Leeder, president of the Ottawa Senators, at the grand opening gala for the new Infinity Convention Centre, held on Thursday, October 13, 2016. -
The presence of this mermaid-looking model added glamour to the oyster bar during the grand opening gala for the Infinity Convention Centre, held Thursday, October 13, 2016. -
The owners of the new Infinity Conference Centre gathered together with Mayor Jim Watson, Coun. Diane Deans and evening host Ben Mulroney for a ribbon cutting ceremony during the grand opening gala that took place at Ottawa’s newest venue on Thursday, October 13, 2016.
