Another batch of Canadian celebrities enshrined in ever-growing Walk of Fame

TORONTO (CP) - From the Hip to the not-so-hip, the class of 2002 has been enshrined on Canada's ever-growing Walk of Fame.

That's the stretch of sidewalk in Toronto's theatre district that boasts slabs of concrete immortalizing an eclectic group of home-grown celebrities with their very own designer stars. Unlike the original walk of fame in Hollywood, neither studio nor personality pays a fee for the honour here. (Nor are there prostitutes plying their trade along the pavement.)

Please see below for this year's inductees into the Canadian Walk of Fame

As in the previous four years since the honour began, this year's list of inductees is a strange mix of talent. It runs the gamut from the rock group Tragically Hip to the Great One himself, Wayne Gretzky, to the late orchestra leader Guy Lombardo, whose big band sound may be unfashionable these days but who gained worldwide immortality with his New Year's Eve anthem, Auld Lang Syne.

The Toronto business executives who founded the tribute in 1998 - with government financial contributions - boast that it is the public itself that has the big say in submitting nominees by mail, e-mail or fax. From that list a panel of experts picks a dozen or so winners each year.

Peter Soumalias, Walk of Fame president, says they now have a library of 65,000 names for future consideration.

"They're so much smarter than we are, they really are," says Soumalias about the public at large. "There's not a week where we don't get someone who writes us a note with a nomination that we all say 'Well, we never thought of this one and why didn't we?' "

Others who confirmed attendance at Tuesday night's gala ceremony at the Princess of Wales Theatre included musician/producer David Foster, game show host Monty Hall, film director Arthur Hiller, painter Alex Colville and two troupes, Quebec's world-renowned Cirque du soleil and the cast of the old SCTV comedy series (represented by Dave Thomas, Joe Flaherty, Tony Rosato and Robin Duke).

Scheduling conflicts prevented appearances by Gretzky (his dad will fill in), Dan Aykroyd, writer Timothy Findley and SCTV alumni Catherine O'Hara and Martin Short, who already received his own star in 2000.

Whenever anyone compiles a best-of list, it generates lively debate and this year is no exception. It hasn't gone unnoticed that the 2002 inductees are pretty much white and male.

Soumalias defends the randomness of the tally, insisting that in the long run, everything balances out, and besides, not even the women on the selection committee took issue.

"We never sit down to look at demographics, geographics, gender," he insists. "And this year was just one of those years, I guess."

Soumalias says they will always make choices based on merit and not a quota system.

"I certainly have had people that have commented 'I hate to think I was inducted only because I fit into a particular demographic as opposed to meriting the award.' "

And even Soumalias has to agree that controversy spells publicity and any publicity is good.

Or as skater Kurt Browning, one of the hosts for the Tuesday night gala, put it: "If no one complains, then no one's interested."

Browning won his sidewalk star last year and has been to visit it twice, to show relatives and scrape off any gum. He was selected to share emcee duties this year with ice queen Catriona LeMay Doan. But he's as excited as any civilian about encountering some of the other stars.

"I mean, to meet Monty Hall! Who knew Monty was Canadian? That's going to be a riot. I feel like taking my dad as my date just so he can meet Monty Hall."

"I have been 'walked over' on both the Hollywood Walk of Fame, as well as the one in Palm Springs, Calif., for years," Hall said recently. "Now my Canadian friends will be able to 'step on me' also, and I'll love every footprint of the abuse."

Browning says the Tragically Hip are also a favourite of his.

"For power and fun. You know, the drive where you're angry, you put on Tragically Hip. Where you're happy you put on the Hip. So they've been a big part of my life."

Then there is the sheer delight in the names that come out of nowhere but who prove to be surprisingly worthy, such as diminutive Inuit artist Kenojuak Ashevak, who was inducted last year.

Browning also has his own issues with the selection process, wondering, for example, why he was anointed before Brian Orser.

"It does run on protocol that's mixed with emotion and logic. And they've always been really proud of the fact that this is something that's going to be around a long time."

As a result, Browning says, it's important to remember that rather than having dozens of worthy inductees each year, they'll get to everyone eventually.

The gala will be the basis for a two-hour special to air on Global TV on Canada Day. In addition, Star!, the showbiz specialty channel, will telecast red-carpet highlights on Friday, June 7. -

This year's inductees into the Canadian Walk of Fame:

-Wayne Gretzky

-The Tragically Hip

-Dan Aykroyd

-David Foster

-Monty Hall

-Arthur Hiller

-SCTV comedy troupe

-Cirque du soleil

-Alex Colville

-Timothy Findley

-Guy Lombardo (posthumously)

Presenters and Performers:

-Norman Jewison

-RUSH

-Rich Little

-Fred Willard

-Walter Gretzky

-Walter Ostanek

-Bruce Cockburn

-Apogee

Hosts: