Politicians, musicians and Canadian personalities will join Joe Biden and Justin Trudeau for a reception Friday night at Ottawa’s Aviation and Space Museum.
The “two Michaels,” two diplomats jailed by the Chinese regime in 2019 and released two years later, will take their place next to them. Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig also received a warm ovation in the House of Commons earlier in the day.
The evening begins with Inuit throat chanting and First Nations drumming to greet guests.
Charlotte Cardin will perform a song called “Next to You,” which will appear on her upcoming album, and the song “Hallelujah” by Léonard Cohen during the dinner.
Many business players are on the guest list, including Patricia Gauthier, CEO of Moderna in Canada, and Marc-André Blanchard, Vice President and Global Chief Investment Officer of Caisse de dépôt et Placement du Québec.
Former Canadian and US ambassadors and all members of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Advisory Board have confirmed their attendance.
See who will be joining them for a snack:
-Jean Chretien, former Prime Minister of Canada
-Joe Clark, former Prime Minister of Canada
-Pierre Poilievre, leader of the Conservative Party of Canada (CPC)
-Yves-François Blanchet, leader of the Bloc Québécois (BQ)
-Jagmeet Singh, leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP)
-Elizabeth May, leader of Canada’s Green Party (PV)
-Charlotte Cardin, Quebec singer-songwriter
-Gregory Charles, Quebec singer-songwriter
-Alan Doyle, lead singer of the Celtic music group Great Big Sea
-Jeffrey Remedios, President and CEO of Universal Music Canada
-Charles Lafortune, Quebec author
-Mark Critch, actor, known for his role in the series This Hour Has 22 Minutes
-Gabriel LaBelle, Canadian-American actor
-Sarah Polley, Canadian filmmaker and director of the film Women Talking (winner at the 2023 Oscars)
-Ben Proudfoot, Canadian filmmaker and Oscar-winning director (2021)
-Cameron Bailey, CEO of the Toronto International Film Festival
-Wendy Noss, President of the Film Association of Canada
-Nathalie Provost, PolySeSouvient
-Michelle Douglas, Canadian human rights activist
-Helen Kennedy, executive director of Egale Canada
-Doug Kerr, Executive Director of Dignity Network Canada
-Diana Matheson, Canadian soccer player, Olympian and CEO of Project 8
-Lana Payne, President of the UNIFOR union
-Linda Silas, President of the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions
-Marissa West, CEO of GM Canada
-Tim Murphy, Chairman of the Detroit-Windsor Bridge Commission
-Joanna Griffiths, CEO of Knix
-Patricia Gauthier, CEO of Moderna in Canada