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by JOY METCALFE

Baubles and bubbles
Birks do an opulent opportunity to see bling slung on Sung

Quite the glittering affair as Birks downtown launched its trunk show and champagne reception to welcome the rare appearance of H Stern C.E.O. Ronaldo Stern, who displayed some of the most glamorous jewelry seen in this town. Many of the bracelets and necklaces of feathered gold and colourful gems were modeled by actress Steph Sung as we – oohing and aahing – sipped chilled bubbly and goodies by Lazy Gourmet.

More than 440 black-tie guests were at the Hyatt Regency for the 60th anniversary of the Arthritis Society of B.C. which also was the 60th wedding anniversary of honourary co-chairs Rosalie and Joseph Segal. The purpose: to raise funds for more than 600,000 British Columbians living with arthritis. Welcoming the dressy crowd were Dinner Chair Margaret Vanderkruyk and her family and emcee Peter Legge. Attending were Gary, Nanci and Lorne Segal, Milan and Maureen Ilich, Gary and Lis Zlotnik, Janice and Hank Ketchum, Sally and Syd Coleman, Bette and Michael Ainsworth, Alison Lawton, Dr. Ross Petty and MaryBeth and David Poole. Incomparable auctioneer Barry Scott added to the evening’s total of $403,000.

That dynamic businesswoman who wowed the Italians with her culinary expertise during the Turin Olympics, then amazed the Olympians in Beijing with her creative food flair has just opened new offices in that thriving Chinese city. Caterer extraordinaire Deb Lykkemark has opened her Culinary Capers and currently has a Chinese chef absorbing her tried-and-true techniques. Deb was a special guest, along with CBC TV news anchors Gloria Macarenko and Ian Hanomansing, his wife Nancy and president of Les Chefs d’Or Geoffrey Argue as owner Mark Taylor celebrated the fifth anniversary of his award-winning Cru Bistro.

Great turnout as usual for the red-carpet opening of the Vancouver International Film Festival at Jack Evrensel’s CinCin sponsored by Brightlight Pictures’ Stephen Hegyes and Shawn Williamson. Actors, directors and producers crowded into the intimate bistro including Corner Gas’ Brent Butt, Film Commish Susan Croome, Telefilm Canada board member Marlie Oden and hubby Ken, veteran actor Corbin Bernsen, The Guard’s Steve Bacic, Sonya Salomaa and Teryl Rothery, Smallville’s Eve Harlow and Aaron Ashmore, Blindness writer and co-star Don McKellar and my favourite fellow, Charles Martin Smith, who’d had excellent reviews in Toronto for his new film, Stone of Destiny. Following the Blindness premiere, the glitterati moved to the Aquarium for another fab soirée. Festival founder Leonard Schein was there with wife Barb, as were actress Gabrielle Miller and Camilla Tibbs, the new GM of the Writers Festival, with director-boyfriend Richard Coleman.

Gala affair of the month, the annual Nature Trust of British Columbia dinner party at The Four Seasons, honoured longtime conservationist George Reifel. Jennifer and Brian Burke were emceed while the fantastic entertainment was provided by talented Leon Bibb, his son Eric, Lisa Maxx, Jane Morifee and pianist Bill Sample. Surprise of the evening: an anonymous donor presenting a cheque to the trust for $1,000,000. Wow!

More than 880 guests showed up to see and be seen at Tourism Vancouver’s open house. It was jammed! Good to see Stephen Darling, formerly GM at the Westin Grand, now GM of the 119-room boutique hotel in the Shangri-la, the tallest building in town. ... Kudos to Bob Lee on his very deserved Lifetime Achievement Award at the Entrepreneur of the Year dinner at the VCEC. ... Bill Good’s roast at the Bayshore was more toast than roast. As Bruce Allen opined “What could you possibly say bad about Bill? He’s so good, he’s boring!” ... Witty Jim Taylor’s tell-all book on the world of sports, Hello Sweetheart? Gimmie Rewrite! is just out and it’s hilarious! ... And don’t miss Milestones’ The Joy of Six.