Face-to-Face Encounters with Famous and Infamous people

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by rousseau

Here's my favourite Chretien joke (needs to be done verbally in classic Chretien accent). Actually, it's one of my favourite jokes ever.

Jean Chretien goes to Moosomin to give a speech at a wildlife preservation society. It doesn't seem to go over very well, so he asks the organizer what the problem was.

Chretien: I give da speech, I tink it a good one, but nobody clap. What da problem?
Organizer: The speech itself was okay, but you were wearing a fox hat, which wasn't really appropriate. Why did you wear a fox hat?
Chretien: Well, when I tell my wife I go to Moosomin to give a speech, she say to me: Moosomin? Where da fock's zat?

Reminds me of the one from the Mulroney years about the PM being so popular that Saskatchewan had named a city in his honour - Moose Jaw.

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by Razor

This is cheating, because it was before she became famous.

For myself, it was Shania Twain..Only because she was in a few of my classes in high school. I didn't really know her per say, but I did make small class mate type talk with her in those daze..Other then that, Daniel Alfredsson in a bar on Elgin Street after they lost to the Leafs that night.He was with Martin Havlat and a few other Sens players at that time..I left him alone, but just nodded to him in passing and said "good to have a few after" or something like that..He nodded back, and said "ya" and probably appreciated me leaving him alone after a rough game..Everybody in that spot were cool and pretty much left the players alone..I can't think of any others really.

I've met her both before and after she became famous and the most recent time was at Ivanhoe Lake. (near Foleyet) She has stayed at a few camps (cottages and a lodge) there.

Now that I think of it, I have met famous people in the same area when fishing and exploring on some of the remote roads. But I usually didn't know who they were. (current and former NHL players, actors, business people, outdoors TV show people) Usually one of the guys with me recognized them.

[Razor]

Originally Posted by le calmar

Didn’t Kanye West mention once that he would consider buying a house in Ottawa because people would just leave him alone there?

Oh Maybe.I never knew Ottawa had that rep for fans leaving celebrities alone.

Originally Posted by esquire

I am jealous of the Shania encounters some of you had back in the day... what a babe. Don't know how you concentrated on your class with her around...

So long ago, but from what I recall she was actually quite normal. A little Tom boyish even. Certainly not glamorous looking like she had to be when she became famous.

Originally Posted by Loco101

I've met her both before and after she became famous and the most recent time was at Ivanhoe Lake. (near Foleyet) She has stayed at a few camps (cottages and a lodge) there.

Ha, I know of that spot..Just never made it there myself. Near Joe's halfway/Keiffer Lake ?..kenogamissi or Pine South were our stomping grounds.

Originally Posted by rousseau

Here's my favourite Chretien joke (needs to be done verbally in classic Chretien accent). Actually, it's one of my favourite jokes ever.

Jean Chretien goes to Moosomin to give a speech at a wildlife preservation society. It doesn't seem to go over very well, so he asks the organizer what the problem was.

Chretien: I give da speech, I tink it a good one, but nobody clap. What da problem?
Organizer: The speech itself was okay, but you were wearing a fox hat, which wasn't really appropriate. Why did you wear a fox hat?
Chretien: Well, when I tell my wife I go to Moosomin to give a speech, she say to me: Moosomin? Where da fock's zat?

That was hilarious actually.Cheers!

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Razor

Oh Maybe.I never knew Ottawa had that rep for fans leaving celebrities alone.

The province of Quebec has this rep BTW. I've heard it many times. (We have also a rep for giving standing ovations to any show regardless of whether it was good or not.)

Never heard of any of this extending to Ottawa, though if you attend a performance in French in Ottawa you'd likely witness the same behaviour.

[MolsonExport]

I heard that back in her pre-fame days, Shania was somewhat pretty (but had bad teeth), but all I can think of is her at her peak gorgeousness.

glamgalz

[itom 987]

Back in 2005 when I was working in downtown Edmonton, I walked past Ralph Klein in the pedway system on my way to the food court to get lunch. It took every ounce of self discipline to prevent myself from yelling at Klein to get out of Edmonton.

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by itom 987

Back in 2005 when I was working in downtown Edmonton, I walked past Ralph Klein in the pedway system on my way to the food court to get lunch. It took every ounce of self discipline to prevent myself from yelling at Klein to get out of Edmonton.

You should have thrown some change at him and told him to get a job.

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

I heard that back in her pre-fame days, Shania was somewhat pretty (but had bad teeth), but all I can think of is her at her peak gorgeousness.

glamgalz

I saw her in her prime at Southcentre mall when she did an appearance there in the early 90’s. She was hot.

[itom 987]

Originally Posted by O-tacular

You should have thrown some change at him and told him to get a job.

I wanted to make a scene... but the negative consequences of doing so far outweigh the benefit. I could have lost my job, gone to jail, or be vilified by the media.

[Razor]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

I heard that back in her pre-fame days, Shania was somewhat pretty (but had bad teeth), but all I can think of is her at her peak gorgeousness.

Here ya go..Not that clear, but I dug out an old yearbook and took a quick pic.

[IMG][/IMG]

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by Acajack

The province of Quebec has this rep BTW. I've heard it many times. (We have also a rep for giving standing ovations to any show regardless of whether it was good or not.)

Never heard of any of this extending to Ottawa, though if you attend a performance in French in Ottawa you'd likely witness the same behaviour.

If you go to ANY performance in Ottawa you’re likely to witness a standing O. It’s chronic and I don’t understand the proclivity.

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by Acajack

The province of Quebec has this rep BTW. I've heard it many times. (We have also a rep for giving standing ovations to any show regardless of whether it was good or not.)

Never heard of any of this extending to Ottawa, though if you attend a performance in French in Ottawa you'd likely witness the same behaviour.

Northern Ontario also has a rep for standing ovations. And it happens at pretty most concerts and shows in Timmins.

As for celebs /famous people, I'd say that Northern Ontario is also similar where pretty much everybody will ignore somebody famous who is famous from here while here. I think the smaller population and next to no media or fans following the celebs may have something to do with it.

A few years back former chief of Attawapiskat First Nation, Theresa Spence,was in the news for the troubles on the coastal reserve and controversy over her spending and lifestyle. It was the main story on national news in Canada at a few points. I saw her a lot in Timmins at that time and still do sometimes. I remember sitting behind her at a Timmins Symphony concert during the height of her being in the news. Nobody approached her and I didn't hear anybody around me mention her. She was with her husband and I'm guessing that nobody wanted to talk with them during intermission of after the concert.

I've seen Eileen (Shania) Twain in Timmins out with relatives and nobody really got excited. The only people who I remember approaching her were a few who went to high school with her and actually knew her and she knew them. Twain attended a high school reunion at Timmins High and nobody went nuts about it. She actually went up to almost everybody there and said that she wanted to get photos done with whoever was willing to so that she would still remember everyone.

[Marshal]

-

[Wigs]

Originally Posted by esquire

...

Impressive local Winnipeg knowledge, by the way

I am a fountain of useless knowledge

[Xelebes]

Originally Posted by Proof Sheet

Same mega band....where are they now ?!

Candi is now a high school music teacher in Toronto region.

[Xelebes]

I helped Adam Gregory do a recording at school, shortly after he obtained his recording contract in Nashville.

Got to lounge with Chris Liberator, of the Stay Up Forever Collective after he performed a surprise 3-hour set in Edmonton. A notable celebrity in the techno realm, I figure. Oh and met Delta 9 in Calgary. One of the first cds I ever bought was his that I bought in HMV in West Edmonton Mall. Pretty curious that there was a Delta 9 CD there but it was a massive electronic music section there in 2003.

Other than that, nothing really. No politicians, no top 40 acts, no big business men or anything like that.

[J.OT13]

I've seen a few Ottawa Senators (from the hockey team, not the politicians) over the years. Daniel Alfredsson shopping at the grocery store. Mark Stone and Mark Borowiecki at a bar before a RedBlacks game. One of the new kids was with them as well.

Elizabeth May walked past me downtown one evening.

I crossed Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson on the street once and shook his hand, but he's everywhere, so not much of a story.

I saw Michael Wekerle at Chapters on Rideau Street. Wasn't there for a book signing or anything, just shopping with a high-maintenance looking women half his age.

I attended an event where Justin Trudeau and former Governor general David Johnston were speakers.

So other than Wekerle, pretty standard Ottawa sightings.

[esquire]

^ Is Michael Cowpland the same man about town that he was in Ottawa back in the 90s? Every time I picked up a copy of Frank Magazine, he was front and centre.

My impression of Ottawa in the 90s, in a single photo:

[rousseau]

Fun anecdotes by proxy: A neighbour said he met some guy on a coffee break in Hagersville when he was working for Bell Telephone back in the late 70s. The guy said that his son had just signed his first pro hockey contract.

The guy? Walter Gretzky.

The same neighbour said that when he was a lot younger he and some friends would take their BB guns out into the forest near Cayuga Ontario. One time they got reamed out by a fearsome old man who threatened to "kill them." That man? Bill McSorley.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by esquire

^ Is Michael Cowpland the same man about town that he was in Ottawa back in the 90s? Every time I picked up a copy of Frank Magazine, he was front and centre.

My impression of Ottawa in the 90s, in a single photo:

More like the antithesis of Ottawa.