For the international touch, it was Iceland and Ireland all the way at Ottawa’s 19th Atlantic Salmon Federation Annual Fall Run Dinner last autumn at the Museum of History in Gatineau. Iceland is known internationally for its dedication to saving the threatened wild Atlantic salmon species.
Iceland’s ambassador to Canada, Sturla Sigurjónsson, who attended with his wife, Elín Jónsdóttir, donated Icelandic water, chocolates, place settings and tourism information in support of the Icelandic-themed dinner. The embassy co-ordinated the arrival from Iceland of speaker Orri Vigfússon, who travels the world in search of practical solutions to save wild Atlantic salmon.
Irish Ambassador John Bassett and his wife, Patricia, donated a dinner for 12, which drew vigorous bidding and raised $3,500 for research to support the salmon species, which is under grave threat to its survival in many rivers, including those in Ireland, Europe, Canada and the U.S.
Among the items that charitable Stuntman Stu auctioned off during his
very lively live auction were Canadian fishing trips, a week’s stay in a Paris apartment and game tickets to the Ottawa Senator’s VIP section. A silent auction featured items ranging from wines, jewelry and fishing gear to restaurant vouchers. The dinner, attended by 220 guests, raised $93,000 in support of the Atlantic Salmon Federation and its ambitious scientific research.
