Celebrating the Career Highs of Kim Cattrall, Blue Rodeo and Dean and Dan Caten

Canada's Walk of Fame has released a diverse list of talent to mark its 12th year of honouring "the unique essence of the Canadian identity." This year's eight inductees are a robust and eclectic bunch, including Sex & The City's Kim Cattrall, comic Howie Mandel, music talent Tom Cochrane and Blue Rodeo, children's literature cause celeb Robert Munsch, international fashion designers Dean and Dan Caten of Dsquared2, Paralympic champion Chantal Petitclerc and the late Raymond Burr of Perry Mason.

The eight honourees will be feted at a Canada Honours Tribute Sept. 12 at the Four Seasons Centre For The Performing Arts, an event that will be taped to air on Global and Slice at a date to be announced. Their induction brings to 124 the number of Canadians who've received plaques in the sidewalks in and around the King St. theatre district. More than 100,000 responses from Canadians were tallied to come up with this year's eight inductees, organizers said.

"We are a creative nation, we are a bold nation ... we are successful and we're also humble about it. And that is the true essence of our Canadian identity ... and it's really what the Canada's Walk of Fame brand has evolved into," said Peter Soumalias, the organization's CEO and president at a press conference at The Windsor Arms Hotel.

Toronto-raised Cattrall became a pop culture favourite when she played Samantha on the SATC series. Moreover, she is about to begin filming a sequel to last year's blockbuster big screen adaptation. The 52-year-old actress will no doubt cause a stir as she accepts the honour on September 12; her sense of style has always lit up the red carpet. And there's no doubt that hers will be one juicy highlight reel.

WOMAN.ca is also tickled by the inclusion of internationally renowned fashion designing twin brothers Dean and Dan Caten, whose clients include Madonna, Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears and Rihanna. These two brothers who know how to party and we're thinking they'll inspire Toronto's most competitive fashion socialities to host at least five or six pre-and-post parties for this dynamic duo. With an avid and ardent following in Toronto, this will be quite a homecoming for Dean and Dan.

Recognition on Canada's Walk of Fame is a brilliant addition to the many accolades for Quebec Paralympic champion Petitclerc, who won the Lou Marsh Trophy as Canada's top athlete of the year after she won all five of her events at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics setting two world records in the process. What a spectacular career in athletic achievement and courage.

Soumalias was certainly an energizing presence as he stood at the podium, revealing that Johnny Grant, the honourary mayor of Hollywood who unveiled the Hollywood Walk of Fame stars up until his death last year, looked to the Canada's Walk of Fame regime as the "gold standard" example of how to succeed in the tribute business. Canada's Walk of Fame is a televised event, something that Hollywood has only caught on to now, because, following Canada's lead, alpha producer Mark Burnett has just sealed the deal to produce the airing of the US ceremonies.

Universal Music Canada CEO Randy Lennox, who chairs the organization's board, said plans are underway to create a new public venue for the walk at Metro Square, which will include biographies of the 124 recipients of the award. "We're also planning a Canadian heritage festival in this next phase of our growth," Lennox revealed. "The plans are to build a public park, to redevelop the streetscape that is now Canada's Walk of Fame into kind of an open-air museum," Soumalias added, describing the site as a "visitor destination" like the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Soumalias tells me that it's his hope that the honourees are genuinely surprised at how their career is celebrated by the organization. "The production teams think long and hard about who will present the award to the honouree. It puts their work in a context that's often very moving to the inductee," he explains. The emotion-packed event has become a highlight of the Toronto International Film Festival over it's many years of recognizing Canadian talent.

By Si Si Penaloza, Editorial Director, WOMAN.ca

Si Si Penaloza
		About the author:
		Si Si has cultivated strong ties with editors, producers and publishers at all major Canadian media outlets. She is a seasoned print, radio and broadcast specialist. Graduating Magna Cum Laude from Bowdoin College in Maine, Si Si moved to Manhattan to study Film at New York University. Her strengths lie in contextualizing relevant content for a broad audience. She's driven to stay competitive and at the top of the market - commissioning exclusive features and launching bold initiatives.
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