The Race the Base and Dream Wheels Weekend was a fund-raising event which featured a race between a Ferrari Enzo and a CF-18 Hornet fighter jet. The event was aimed at raising funds for four charitable institutions namely:

• The Military Families Support Society – the charity for the families of the members of the 4 Wing Cold Lake
• Breast Cancer -  a national charity
• Heart for Health – the Cold Lake Hospital charity
• Bonnyville Health Foundation – a not for profit organization which raises funds for health programs in Bonnyville

Each driver had the rare opportunity of testing the maximum potential of their luxury sports cars on the runway of the Canadian Forces Base Cold Lake at the City of Cold Lake, Alberta. Seats in the luxury sports cars for a trip from Cold Lake to Bonnyville were auctioned off on Saturday to raise funds for the charities. Two hundred VIP tickets were also available at $500 each in order to gain access into the VIP tent, which was the starting area for the speed runs and was an exclusive area for VIPs and the drivers.

The event was highlighted by races between a CF-18 Hornet and a number of luxury sports cars. The race between the CF-18 Hornet and the Ferrari Enzo was the race of the day for Saturday.

Major Brian Dunsterville brought along his souped up M5 to the event while Zahir Rana tested the maximum potential of his $2,000,000 Ferrari Enzo at the runway of the Canadian Forces Base Cold Lake during the Race the Base and Dream Wheels Weekend.

The event, the sole fundraiser for the Calgary Southwest Electoral District Association, attracted dozens of notable Cabinet Ministers, Members of Parliament, Leaders of Opposition and Candidates of Record – most of which wanted to hear the Right Honourable Stephen Harper, P.C., M.P., Prime Minister of Canada speak.

The key point of this year’s speech was that Canada was least affected of the G8 countries by the current global economic downturn and that jobs were still being created. After that, while all ate dinner which included Alberta Prime Rib (served medium rare), the Prime Minister took two hours of his time to shake hands, kiss babies and pose for photos.

As always, we’re looking forward to next year’s event.

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Links for this week:

• Urban Mixer’s Event Calendar for Calgary
• Brent Ray Fraser’s Website
  

Check back sporadically for what’s happening in your city and great special guests.

Visual artist Brent Ray Fraser will be on UMTV, Monday, November 10th, 2008.

Guests enjoyed sampling the Dutch pancake that is the restaurant’s signature dish while mingling with representatives from the company including Bill Waring, President and John Dys, Founder.

To find out more about the restaurant, check out the original release, after the jump.

The original release:

For Immediate Release

November 4, 2008

De Dutch De lighted with Official Opening in Calgary, Alberta

Surrey, BC: De Dutch Pannekoek House Restaurants Inc. was simply delighted to officially open the newest De Dutch restaurant on Wednesday, October 29^th at Unit 234 – 4916 130^th Avenue SE in Calgary (in the Shepard Regional Centre). About 150 guests attended the Opening Celebration that evening to welcome and congratulate the new Franchisees, Gerry and Janette Martens, including: friends; family; business associates; suppliers; and, representatives from surrounding businesses and contractors who developed the new location.

As well, many members of the De Dutch family joined the celebration including Bill Waring, President; John Dys, Founder; Jim Durham, Alberta Area Partner, Canadian Pacific Region Inc.; Randy McIntosh, Alberta Area Partner, Canadian Pacific Region Inc.; Melissa Waring, Director of Franchising; Vicky Biamonte, Operations Manager; Nicole-Ann Poitras, Marketing Manager; and, Richard Dys, BC Franchisee.

The event guests toured the new 2,500 square foot restaurant with modern stainless steel kitchen, 92 seats and river rock fireplace to complete the inviting, contemporary Dutch décor featuring warm yellow walls, intimate booths, touches of traditional blue and white, and customary fresh flowers throughout.

Guests were delighted to sample De Dutch’s famous Pannekoek – a genuine Dutch pancake that is the restaurant’s signature dish – served in the most popular flavour combinations of strawberries and real whipped cream, and imported Edam cheese and ham. Event attendees also found the popular Bitter Ballen simply delicious – a traditional Dutch treat of blended beef, vegetables and special spices, breaded and served with Dutch mustard. One of the highlights of the evening was for guests to test their own skill at making and flipping their own Pannekoek!

De Dutch President, Bill Waring and Alberta Area Partners, Jim Durham and Randy McIntosh formally welcomed Gerry and Janette Martens and the De Dutch concept to Alberta before the official ribbon cutting ceremony. Bill Waring stated, “We are thrilled to have Gerry and Janette Martens bring the De Dutch concept to Calgary. With their extensive restaurant experience, intrinsic knowledge of the market, and passion for the De Dutch concept, we are sure that this restaurant will flourish providing a unique and simply the best dining experience for Calgarians. We are proud to welcome our newest team and customers to the De Dutch family.”

The newest De Dutch in Calgary is open for breakfast, brunch and lunch between 6:30 am to 3:00 pm on weekdays and 7:00 am to 3:00 pm on weekends.

pan_ne_koek (pãn-ne-kõõk), n. genuine Dutch pancake, tasting similar to the traditional North American pancake and is slightly thicker than a crepe. It has a circumference of 37″, a diameter of 12″ and if you cut it into square inch pieces you will enjoy 113 bites. Simply delightful any way you like, but the customary way is to roll it up and cut off bite-size pieces. Served in over 50 combinations of both sweet and savoury mouth-watering ingredients, Pannekoeken are guaranteed to satisfy every type of craving!

The thirty-three year old De Dutch franchise currently also has 18 locations in BC’s Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island, Fraser Valley, Okanagan, and Cariboo, and has successfully carved a niche in the competitive food service industry. While offering dinner at one location, De Dutch Pannekoek House specializes in breakfast, brunch and lunch, offering their customers a unique blend of European ethnicity in its menu items. The Pannekoek, a 12″ in diameter Dutch-style pancake, is their signature dish which continues to draw loyal customers to their restaurants.

-30-

For more information:
Nicole Poitras, Marketing Manager Sandra Merk, Media Relations

De Dutch Pannekoek House Restaurants Inc. Insight Productions

Phone: 604.543.3101, E-mail: npoitras@dedutch.com Phone: 604.535.9828, E-mail: srmerk@shaw.ca

The evening included a fusion of cuisine, art, entertainment and culture featuring the Calgary Italian Folk Dancers, Shimmy with Suzy Belly Dancing, Ballroom & Country Dance Studio, Club Tango Argentino, Dance Canada Productions, minerva, Savanna-Rose, The Matt Blai Connection, Aqy Baba, Stephen Strain and Brian Sharp. The event was a great success with the organizers CPC Elevate raisingover  $55,000 in support of  Aspen’s Empowering Families Initiative.

To find out more about the event, check out their website, HERE and stay tuned to the Urban Mixer events calendar for next year’s event.

Levant spoke at the Fraser Institute’s Behind the Spin forum this past Thursday. The topic? None other than his highly publicized publishing of the  Danish Cartoons in his then magazine, the Western Standard in 2006. Levant was charged with a human rights complaint for publishing the cartoons and subsequently won his case. The host of Behind the Spin, Danielle Smith, described Levant’s views as a way to “Battle it out with political correctness,” a social grace Levant is not fond of.  Levant does, however, have a provocative and engaging argument. Referring to Human Rights Commission officers as “a title George Orwell would have approved of”, Levant made his view on the abolition of the Human Rights Commission very clear.  He called for the denormalization of the Commission and changes to the law that would allow this to happen.

Whether you believe in Levant’s highly controversial values or not, this reporter thinks it is important to hear him out and make an informed decision on his perspective. Overall, a very thought-provoking event I am happy I did not miss!

To find out more about events put on by the Fraser Institute, check out their website, HERE.

Four gifted mixologists, Luis Perez from Raw Bar, Franz Swinton from Raw Bar, Andrea Polasek from Amsterdam Rhino and Patrick Potter from Amsterdam Rhino all competed for the $500 prize and a chance to compete against Canada’s finest at the Iron Bar finals in Montreal.

As part of the evening’s itinerary, guests tasted last year’s national winner, ‘The Kicker,’ and nosed Gibson’s Finest Sterling, Gibson’s Finest 12 Year Old and Gibson’s Rare 18 Year Old Canadian Whiskeys alongside expert and enthusiast, Bruce Mackenzie.

The competition was hosted by Willow Park Wines & Spirits’ Michael Bigattini, with local media personalities Bob Sumner, Käthe Lemon, Candice Vallantin and Eric Rumble as judges. In the end, Raw Bar’s Franz Swinton took home the title as Calgary’s best.

Check out the original release, grab the recipe for ‘The Kicker,’ and find out more about the Iron Bar competition, after the jump.

The original release:

Media Advisory

Your Team May Not Win the Grey Cup®

But Your City’s Finest Bartender May Be Bringing Home The Gibson’s Cup

What: Football fans and whisky drinkers across the country will be cheering on their favourite bartenders in the Gibson’s Iron Bar Competition. Beginning this October, every city that has a CFL team will host a competition featuring cocktails made from Gibson’s Finest Canadian Whisky and a top-secret ingredient.  A panel of food and drink connoisseurs and sports experts will judge the winning cocktail.

Who: Your city’s hottest bartenders will vie, Iron Chef style, for the chance to come to Montreal and compete in the final Iron Bar competition held during Grey Cup Week.  The Iron Bar Champion will receive $1000 or tickets to the 2008 Grey Cup® game and their drink will be crowned the “Gibson’s Cup”.

When:             Friday, October 10, 2008
6:00pm
Where:            Amsterdam Rhino, 607 11 Avenue SW

Notes: A tasting and nosing of the Gibson’s Finest Sterling Canadian Whisky, Gibson’s Finest 12 Year Old and Gibson’s Finest Rare 18 Year Old will be held.

Gibson’s Finest is among the top five leading brands in the growing premium and deluxe Canadian whisky categories. The brand range consists of Gibson’s Sterling, blended whisky; Gibson’s Finest 12 Year Old, a benchmark premium Canadian whisky; and, Gibson’s Finest Rare 18 Year Old, one of the longest aged Canadian whiskies. Gibson’s Finest Canadian Whiskies are available across Canada.

To RSVP or for more information about the Gibson’s Iron Bar Competition, please contact:

Iona Yeung
Jesson Artmont Communications Inc.

The Kicker is a tasty afternoon treat, here’s the recipe:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 oz. Gibson’s Finest Canadian Whisky
Juice of 1/8 fresh lime
4 oz. ginger beer

Method:

Fill glass with ice. Add 1 1/2 oz. of Gibson’s Finest Canadian Whisky, the juice of 1/8 fresh lime and top with ginger beer. Stir to mix. Garnish with a lime wedge and serve with beer nuts.

To see the Gibson’s Iron Bar challenge results from the previous Vancouver event, check out our notes, HERE.

Winemaker, Ray Signorello Jr., along with partners, Denny Hop and Greg Karamanian were present to greet guests who sampled the Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah blend, enjoyed live music by Los Morenos and tasted the succulent canapes provided by Muriettas.

To find out more about Fuse Wine, check out our notes from the original Vancouver, BC, launch event, HERE, and their website, HERE.

Welcome to the wildest week in Wet City! Forget condoms; this week is so action-packed you’ll want a whole wetsuit!

To see the latest newsletter (and newsletter archives) for your city, click the appropriate city, below:

CALGARY | VANCOUVER

Suit up, cool down, and last one in the hot tub buys the mojitos.

ADD FRIENDS

Pour one for yourself and pass the pitcher on. And while you’re at it, pass this email on as well. Don’t keep all the good stuff for yourself! Forward this weekly social roundup to your friends and bask in the resulting tsunami of goodwill and free drinks! Every one of our wholesomely sexy events also has a “Send this page to somebody” button on its unique web page, so pass it on!

Tap the power!

Click on either of the following links to see our party plans for the upcoming week:

CALGARY | VANCOUVER

Whether you’re into watersports or prefer to stay cool and keep your powder dry, we’ve got your entertainment of choice every week in the Urban Mixer newsletter.

Raj Taneja
The Jacques Cousteau of the Hot Tub
phone: (800) 688-1868 x 911
raj@urbanmixer.com
www.urbanmixer.com

… the cure for the common social life