OTTAWA
Famous 5 Ottawa is pleased to announce it will host acclaimed author and historian Charlotte Gray February 21, 2017 as part of its Enbridge Famous 5 Ottawa Speakers Series.
“We are pleased to offer this forum celebrating 150 years of Canada and the history that comes with it,” said Isabel Metcalfe, chair of Famous 5 Ottawa. “Charlotte’s wit and sense of drama always brings the past to life.”
Ms. Gray will speak about her latest book The Promise of Canada: 150 Years — People and Ideas That Have Shaped Our Country. It highlights some of Canada’s most important stories through the lives of prominent Canadians, past and present. As Canada begins its sesquicentennial celebrations, Ms. Gray will share her observations on the gradual evolution of Canadian identity.
“Charlotte Gray has an impressive understanding and appreciation of Canadian history and highlights some of our most important stories in a compelling and engaging manner,” said Roxanna Benoit, Vice President, Public Affairs and Communications, Enbridge. “We are proud to have Ms. Gray kick off our exciting roster for the 2017 Enbridge Famous 5 Ottawa Speakers Series.”
Ms. Gray’s nine previous non-fiction bestsellers include The Massey Murder; Gold Diggers, Striking It Rich in the Klondike; Reluctant Genius, the Passionate Life and Inventive Mind of Alexander Graham Bell and Sisters in the Wilderness, The Lives of Susanna Moodie and Catharine Parr Traill.
Born in Sheffield, England, and educated at Oxford University and the London School of Economics, she began her writing career in England as a magazine editor and newspaper columnist. After coming to Canada in 1979, she worked as a political commentator, book reviewer and magazine columnist before she turned to biography and popular history.
She appears regularly on radio and television as a political and cultural commentator, and has been awarded five honorary doctorates, from Mount St. Vincent University, Nova Scotia, the University of Ottawa, Queen’s University, York University and Carleton University.
A member of the Order of Canada and an Adjunct Research Professor in the Department of History at Carleton University, Ms. Gray is the 2003 Recipient of the Pierre Berton Award for distinguished achievement in popularizing Canadian history. She is former chair of the board of Canada’s National History Society, which publishes the magazine Canada’s History (formerly The Beaver.) She sits on the boards of the Ottawa International Authors Festival, the Art Canada Institute/Institut de l’Art Canadien, the Sir Winston Churchill Society of Ottawa and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.
Famous 5 Ottawa is a volunteer organization supported through Enbridge and Norton Rose Fulbright sponsorships.
Famous 5 Ottawa - Founded in 1997, the Famous 5 Ottawa is a volunteer group that celebrates the achievements of women who have made significant contributions locally, nationally and internationally. It mentors and encourages young women to consider a career in public life; provides inspiration and education to young Canadians about nation building; and celebrates the contributions of ordinary women who achieve extraordinary results.
Enbridge - Life takes energy. And for more than 65 years, Enbridge has played an essential role in connecting people to the energy they need to live their lives to the fullest. Enbridge operates the world’s longest crude oil and liquids transportation system across North America, with a significant and growing involvement in natural gas gathering, transmission and midstream business, as well as an increasing involvement in power transmission and renewable energy. When the energy people invest in life meets the energy we fuel it with, beautiful things happen.
Media Contact:
Anne Dawson
anne@dawsonferguson.com
613-979-0513
