Browning skates to Walk of Fame
| Source: |
Edmonton Sun |
| Date: |
February 20, 2001 |
Copyright 2001 Sun Media Corporation
Guess Who's been named to Canada's Walk of Fame?
No, THE Guess Who, the Winnipeg-based rock band.
Also athletes Kurt Browning from Alberta, Jean Beliveau, Ferguson
Jenkins and Harry Jerome, artist Kenojuak Ashevak and writer Margaret
Atwood.
And actor (don't call him Shirley) Leslie Nielsen.
For its fourth year, the stellar Walk of Fame will add 13 new
inductees to the ever-growing path of granite sidewalk stars that
draws tourists to a stretch of King Street in Toronto's downtown
entertainment district.
"I look forward to having a picnic with my wife Sonia right on the
sidewalk beside the star someday," figure skating champion Browning
told Walk of Fame officials. "To have a star with my name on it will
be one of my proudest Canadian moments."
Besides Browning, Nielsen and the Guess Who, the 2001 inductees
include Inuit artist Ashevak, novelist/poet Atwood, NHL legend
Beliveau, baseball player and all-round athlete Jenkins, sprinter
Jerome, who died in 1982, filmmaker Robert Lepage, film director Ivan
Reitman, polka king Walter Ostanek, ballet dancer Veronica Tennant and
opera singer Teresa Stratas.
The 13 will bring to 51 the names of arts, entertainment and
sports celebrities immortalized on the Walk.
With the exception of Jenkins, schedules have already been meshed
with all the stars or their families to make appearances for their
unveilings, says Walk founder and chairman Peter Soumalias. The
official ceremony is slated for June 1 outside Roy Thomson Hall.
Soumalias says this is a far cry from the first couple of years,
before it was clear the Walk had become an institution. He tells of
the famous musician who turned them down in the inaugural year because
he never heard of the event and didn't want to be embarrassed. Then he
felt slighted when not invited the next year.
"This year we not only received nominations from his office, but
I've actually had several phone calls from this individual wondering
if that offer still stood!"
To qualify, candidates must have been born in Canada or spent
their formative/creative years here, been successful for at least 10
years and have a body of work recognized for its impact on our
cultural heritage.
Inductees are selected by a board of directors made up of business
volunteers, from a list of nominees chosen by public ballot. This year
they received more than 40,000 ballots from across the country.
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