The 2009 Maple Leaf Trust Dinner and Auction

The residence of the High Commissioner on Grosvenor Square was the scene of an exclusive evening as Canadians, British and international guests gathered for the 2009 Maple Leaf Dinner and Auction. Upon entering the splendid hallway, guests were welcomed and assigned seating at tables celebrating Canadian animals - one could sit at a moose, Canada Goose or a loon table, to name a few. In the oval room, guests sipped on sparkling Cava with Blueberry syrup while mingling and meeting some of our CCSF scholars, and listening to the jazzy stylings of Canadian guitarist Jamie Moore.
At 8:00pm, guests were ushered into the dining room to hear welcoming remarks by H.E. High Commission James Wright (Patron of the Maple Leaf Trust), his wife Donna Thomson (Honorary President of the CWC) and Margaret Wickware (President of the CWC). Donna charmingly described sourcing Canadian foods in the UK, including the evening’s unique ingredients, such as Birch Syrup from the Yukon and Canadian lentils readily available at Waitrose. Jim played sommelier and spoke about B.C. Mission Hill award winning wine pairings for each course. Not only did we sip on a SLC Chardonnay and a SLC Syrah, but we indulged in a luscious 2003 reserve Riesling ice wine bearing seductive aromas of honeycomb, apricot and key lime. Paired with these wines were a Lobster Bisque and Manoucher breads, Canadian Bison with lentils and wild rice and a dessert of Saskatoon berries and vanilla mousse.
During dessert, 20 happy winners selected gifts for themselves from our raffle table including truly Canadian gifts of Lucy Waverman cookbooks, gourmet goodies courtesy of the province of Alberta, Timothy Han body products, spa certificates, ice wine and epicurean delights from The Canada Shop a signed Diana Krall CD, a CBC gift bag of books, wine and many many more items.

To top off the evening, auctioneer Jim Wright commenced the live bidding with great panache. Canadian Affair was extremely generous in donating numerous trips, Whiskey sampling and a camera. Other donors provided a “week at the cottage experience”, image consulting and escapes. NFL football tickets were donated by the Province of Alberta. Two tickets for Lionel Ritchie at the O2 centre created a flurry of bids, followed by spirited competition for a holiday week at a flat in Tuscany! All bids and the final prize of “Dinner for Six” at the High Commissioner’s residence raised big-hearted funds for the very worthy cause of the Maple Leaf Trust.
It was a wonderfully successful night. We truly thank everyone for coming and giving so generously! We look forward to next year.

If you would like to support any of our generous donors, buy a CD from our jazz musician, shop for Timothy Han products, etc here are some websites for you to peruse:

• Canadian guitarist Jamie Moore. You can also reach Jamie by emailing Beachkeys@aol.com
• Michael Garry’s luxurious Belgravia gym
• An image make-over at Moi et Me
• Rent a flat in Tuscany, contact Jennifer at anghiari@hotmail.com
• Beautiful body products by Canadian Timothy Han
• Incredible You Spa

With thanks for your support,
The CWC Organizing Committee: Margaret Wickware, Patty Bell, Teresa Howe and Barbara Richards

To view all the photos from the evening, please click here.

submitted by Teresa Howe, Vice-President, Canadian Women's Club

March hospitality morning with Woman of the Future - Kresse Wesling

Do you do your shopping with one of Sainsbury’s brown reusable bags made from used jute coffee bean sacks? If so, you have Kresse Wesling to thank for making your shopping trip just a little bit more environmentally friendly!

Kresse was our guest speaker at our March 10th hospitality morning. This young Canadian woman (originally from Edmonton) has won numerous awards and accolades for starting businesses that look after the environment but that also give something back to people. In the photo below is (from left to right) Teresa Howe, Mona Dahdaleh, Kresse Wesling and Mimi Ghadban.


Kresse gave us a look at the future – at what young, energetic, smart and determined entrepreneurs can do if they really set their mind on doing something right. What’s right for Kresse is a commitment to social enterprise. She told us that for every product she sells, 50% of the profits go to a charitable cause or social enterprise associated with the product or people involved. From EaKo, the company she founded with her partner in 2007 to turn discarded fire hose into desirable high-end fashion accessories, the Fire Brigade’s Benevolent Fund benefits.

What’s also right for Kresse is a commitment to improving the environment. She launched Bio-Supplies in Hong Kong in 2002, determined to switch packagers over to biodegradable packaging alternatives, and then came to the UK to launch Babaloo, offering ethical and environmentally friendly products for parents and babies. These include 100% bamboo baby towels and nappies.

And what’s very clearly right for Kresse is the need to help everyone – both young and old – to understand that building a strong socially-responsible and environmentally-sustainable ethic into a business isn’t just a nice way to earn a living – it should be the only way to earn a living! Since winning the title of Entrepreneur of the Year at the Shell Women of the Future Awards in 2007, and earning EaKo the 2008 HSBC Start-Up Stars Green Award in 2008, in her spare time Kresse serves as a social/environmental business expert for the British Library where she mentors budding entrepreneurs. She’s also advising the UK’s Cabinet Office, where she is taking part in The Social Enterprise Ambassadors Programme.

Kresse brought along some of the re-used fire-hose products sold by EaKo, including a stunning red handbag. The material, which feels very similar to a soft leather, is not at all like the hard rubber texture some of us had imagined it to be. And the fine detail of the stitching makes it a truly fashionable item. As mentioned in your Jan-Mar bulletin, there’s a special code CWC members can use to obtain a 20% discount on her gorgeous products!

Although we know Kresse is often very busy searching through rubbish tips for materials to turn into something usable and desirable (when she’s not networking with high-fliers and leading businesspeople) she spoke to us about how she copes with such a busy lifestyle and how she manages to still find time to go for a run on the beach near her home in Dorset. She told us how as a young girl growing up in Canada, she took looking after the environment for granted – and about her time in Hong Kong working for a venture capital firm. And she spent a long time answering our many questions – many, many thanks to Kresse for taking time from her busy life to speak to us and for inspiring us with her story.