The same Gala experience brought right to your living room

Seven World Championships; Six Olympic appearances; Five Olympic medals; Four Olympic Gold medals – Hayley Wickenheiser is a leader both on and off the ice. Considered one of the best female hockey players, she's respected in both the male and female hockey realm. She was the first female player in the world to notch a point in a men’s professional game while playing in Finland, and played in or coached at four NHL development camps with the Philadelphia Flyers, the Edmonton Oilers and the Toronto Maple Leafs, the first woman in history to have done so. She also still holds the record for the most assists, points and goals for the Canadian Women’s National team. Hayley retired in 2017, after her professional hockey career took off at 15 as she was the youngest member chosen from the Canadian Women’s National team. Her Olympic career spanned 23 years, 5 medals, and 2 sports. With countless accolades to her name, she was also the 2014 official Canadian flag bearer. 

Formerly known as the best kept secret in soul music, Toronto-based singer Tanika Charles has become a staple of the scene both at home and abroad. Her music revels in honesty and attitude. Her live show is high energy and endearing. The 2x Juno Award nominated and 2x Polaris Prize long-listed singer continues to win audiences over one stream, one Shazam and one encore at a time. Backed by her band The Wonderfuls, Tanika has embarked on 5 international tours across 9 countries since releasing Soul Run, including 70+ headlining performances. Together they oscillate between faithful recreations of her studio recordings and cross genre nods to rock, gospel and country influences. In 2019 she had the honour of being named the inaugural Polaris artist-in-residence for 2020 at the Studio Bell National Music Centre.

The newest “dragon” to join CBC’s hit show Dragon’s Den, Lane Merrifield is one of Canada’s leading tech entrepreneurs. He is the founder of Club Penguin, the largest children’s online social network. At age 28, he sold it to Disney for $350 million, and, as their youngest executive vice president, turned it into a billion-dollar brand. In 2012, Lane returned to his entrepreneurial roots and launched FreshGrade, a learning assessment tool that connects teachers, parents, and students to help personalize and improve learning. It’s now used in 80% of districts across Canada. Lane is also the founder of Wheelhouse, an organization that invests in and supports early-stage tech companies and entrepreneurs through mentorship, access to capital, and connections to global business networks. 

André Picard is a health reporter and columnist for The Globe and Mail, where he has been a staff writer since 1987. He is also the author of five bestselling books. André is an eight-time nominee for the National Newspaper Awards, Canada’s top journalism prize, and past winner of the prestigious Michener Award for Meritorious Public Service Journalism. He was named Canada’s first “Public Health Hero” by the Canadian Public Health Association, as a “Champion of Mental Health” by the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health, and received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for his dedication to improving healthcare.

Part national, part local: The Stay at Home Gala will take place at the same time in over 20 Canadian cities. Each city will add its own local element to the national broadcast. Your city hasn’t joined yet? No problem. Join another community, or start your own, and join the national broadcast which will reach Canadian living rooms across the country. 

Want to see more local content before/after the National broadcast? Click here for more information on how you can bring this to your city by becoming a local host yourself! www.stayathomegala.com/champion.