While most neighbours build fences, it’s nice to know that Ottawa’s upscale Rockcliffe Park — home to the largest number of ambassadors and high commissioners — embraces a spirit without borders.

On Friday, more than a dozen heads of missions from around the world generously hosted up to 14 guests at their respective homes as part of Dining with the Ambassadors, in support of the Rockcliffe Park Foundation.

The sold-out fundraiser was co-chaired by Sarah Baxter and Sarah Waters with a volunteer planning committee that included Cynthia Cusinato, Joseph Cull, Jill Dickinson, Marianne Feaver, Melanie Harmon, Liz Heatherington, Jane Newcome, Marilyn Wilson and Reba Wilson.

Mary Concannon, spouse of Irish Ambassador John Concannon, served as diplomatic liaison.

All proceeds from the beloved biennial fundraiser support community events and programming, as well as the ongoing maintenance and care of Rockcliffe Park, which proudly retains its village charm.

Dining with the Ambassadors also “builds neighbourhood spirit and celebrates global friendships,” said Baxter, while welcoming more than 160 attendees to the Rockcliffe Park Community Centre.

Organizers erected a magnificent clear-top party tent lined with international flags. Beneath it, everyone gathered for an elegant cocktail reception catered by Thyme & Again with red wine donated by the Chilean ambassador. The gathering was sponsored by luxury home seller Marilyn Wilson Dream Properties ® Christie’s International Real Estate, represented by the mother-daughter duo Marilyn Wilson, founder and CEO, and broker of record Reba Wilson. “You set a gold standard,” Baxter told the pair. “Your generosity and style help make this evening unforgettable.”

Dining with the Ambassadors ranks among the Wilsons’ favourite events in Ottawa.

“It’s pretty unique because, when you look at any capital city in the world, Rockcliffe has the highest concentration of ambassadorial residences,” said Reba, noting that many of diplomats’ children attend Ashbury College and/or Elmwood, two prestigious independent schools also located in Rockcliffe. “We develop lifelong friendships with people all over the world.”

There are well over 100 diplomatic missions based in Ottawa.

Sarah Baxter, co-chair of Dining with the Ambassadors, welcomed guests to the cocktail reception held outside the Rockcliffe Park Community Centre. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Irish Ambassador John Concannon and his wife, Mary Concannon, at the cocktail reception for Dining with the Ambassadors. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Volunteer planning members Reba Wilson (Marilyn Wilson Dream Properties), Jill Dickinson (president at CKL Properties) and Marilyn Wilson (Marilyn Wilson Dream Properties) at the cocktail reception for Dining with the Ambassadors. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Volunteer planning member Joseph Cull gave arriving heads of missions, including Israeli Ambassador Iddo Moed, medals to wear for the Dining with the Ambassador fundraiser for the Rockcliffe Park Foundation. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Also supporting the event were Norman Southward, head of Ashbury (along with his wife, Anna Rumin—who volunteered all day at the charity pop-up sale, Boutique Cornerstone) and James Whitehouse, head of Elmwood (and his wife, Nicola Whitehouse). There were student greeters from Elmwood and, from Ashbury, a quartet of students whose music was eventually drowned by the lively crowd’s chatter and laughter.

Additional event sponsors included such couples as Boyden managing partner Jim Harmon and his wife Melanie Harmon; Andrea Johnson and Dave Little, both law partners at Dentons; Dan Goldberg and his wife Whitney Fox; and The Minto Group CEO Michael Waters and his wife, co-chair Sarah Waters.

Guests only learned toward the end of the reception which of the 13 embassies they’d be dining at that night. Dining with the Ambassador was well organized, complete with a large map showing where each participating diplomat resided (no chance of getting lost on the way to the Irish ambassador’s home — he practically lives across the street from the community centre).

Dave Dickinson didn’t have the inside scoop on where he was headed, even though his wife Jill was on the planning committee. “I tried to bribe her,” he joked, adding good-naturedly: “She said, ‘No, Dave, I’m not going to tell you. If I do, you’re going to leak it (grumble, grumble)’. So, I don’t know, yet.”

He ended up dining with his group at the home of Swiss Ambassador Olaf Kjelsen and Carine Kjelsen. The other hosts were Colombian Ambassador Carlos Aruto Morales and Betty León; Egyptian Ambassador Ahmed Hafez; German Ambassador Matthias Lüttenberg and Tjorven Bellmann; Irish Ambassador John Concannon and Mary Concannon; Israeli Ambassador Iddo Moed and Betty Oz Moed; Japanese Ambassador Kanji Yamanouchi, represented at the reception by deputy head of mission, Minister Kohei Maruyama; Malaysian High Commissioner Dr. Shazelina Z. Abidin; Netherlands Ambassador Margriet Vonno and Martin Vonno; New Zealand High Commissioner Cecile Hillyer and William Brandt; Pakistan High Commissioner Muhammad Saleem and Rehana Saleem; Spanish Ambassador Alfredo Martinez Serrano and his daughter, Rosa; and Turkish Ambassador Can Dizdar and Demet Dizdar.

Ambassador Vonno shared that she was very much looking forward to hosting a group that night. “I love it because it connects us even more to the community,”  she said.

The origins of Dining with the Ambassadors trace back to 1947, when Maryon Pearson, the wife of Secretary of State of External Affairs (and future prime minister) Lester B. Pearson, launched a black-tie dinner, known as The Dance Club. She envisioned it as a way to warmly introduce newly arrived diplomats to their neighbours and foreign service counterparts.

John French and his wife Louise were happy to learn they’d be dining at the Spanish ambassador’s home, especially now that they have a personal connection to the country. “We have a grandson going to university there in the fall,” added French.

Louise and John French were hosted by Spanish Ambassador Alfredo Martinez Serrano and his daughter Rosa at this year’s Dining with the Ambassadors fundraiser in support of the Rockcliffe Park Foundation. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Dining with the Ambassadors co-chair Sarah Baxter, left, supporter Whitney Fox, and co-chair Sarah Waters at this year’s Dining with the Ambassadors fundraiser in support of the Rockcliffe Park Foundation. Photo by Caroline Phillips

From left, Monica Singhal (Richcraft Homes) and her husband, Kevin Yemm (Richcraft Homes), and Jeff Mierins (Star Motors of Ottawa) and his wife, Tara-Leigh Mierins, at the Dining with the Ambassadors fundraiser for the Rockcliffe Park Foundation. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Jim Harmon (Boyden) with his daughter, Julia, at the Dining with the Ambassadors fundraiser for the Rockcliffe Park Foundation. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Marilyn Wilson and daughter Reba Wilson from luxury home seller Marilyn Wilson Dream Properties sponsored the cocktail reception for the Dining with the Ambassadors event in support of the Rockcliffe Park Foundation. Photo by Caroline Phillips

From left, Liz Heatherington, Marianne Feaver and Irish Ambassador John Concannon at the cocktail reception for Dining with the Ambassadors, held Friday, May 2, 2025, in support of the Rockcliffe Park Foundation. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Ottawa city councillor Rawlson King (Rideau-Rockcliffe) and his wife, Linda Grussani, arrive at the Rockcliffe Park Community Centre for the cocktail reception portion of Dining with the Ambassadors. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Thomas d’Aquino in conversation with the Japanese Embassy’s deputy head of mission, Minister Kohei Maruyama, at the cocktail reception for Dining with the Ambassadors. Photo by Caroline Phillips

From left, Holiday Little, Nathan Sheaff, Michael Waters and event co-chair Sarah Waters at the Rockcliffe Park Community Centre for the cocktail reception for Dining with the Ambassadors. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Malaysian High Commissioner Dr. Shazelina Z. Abidin, right, arriving at the Rockcliffe Park Community Centre for the cocktail reception for Dining with the Ambassadors. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Peter Nicholson (WEALTH WCPD) and Anabel Bane at the Rockcliffe Park Community Centre for the cocktail reception for Dining with the Ambassadors. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Elmwood School head James Whitehouse chats with Elmwood School students who were volunteering at the cocktail reception for Dining with the Ambassadors in Rockcliffe Park. Photo by Caroline Phillips

From left, strategic advisor James Baxter in conversation with Dan Goldberg, president and CEO of Telesat, at the cocktail reception for Dining with the Ambassadors. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Anna Rumin and Norman Southward, head of Ashbury College, and volunteer planning member Joseph Cull at the cocktail reception for Dining with the Ambassadors. Photo by Caroline Phillips

From left, Dr. Robert Roberts, a former president and CEO of the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, and his wife, Donna, and Hilary McCormack, a former Crown Attorney of Ottawa, at the cocktail reception for Dining with the Ambassadors. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Students from Ashbury College performed during the cocktail reception for Dining with the Ambassadors. Photo by Caroline Phillips

From left, Sylvie Bourgeois, Victoria Lehman and volunteer planning member Cynthia Cusinato during the cocktail reception for Dining with the Ambassadors. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Swiss Ambassador Olaf Kjelsen and Carine Kjelsen at the cocktail reception for Dining with the Ambassadors held in support of the Rockcliffe Park Foundation. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Nathan Sheaff, Nancy Stewart and Taggart Group of Companies chairman Jim Taggart at the cocktail reception for Dining with the Ambassadors. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Volunteer planning committee member Joseph Cull and his husband, Ian Engelberg, at the cocktail reception for Dining with the Ambassadors. Photo by Caroline Phillips

From left, Martin Vonno, Rosa (daughter of the Spanish ambassador), Netherlands Ambassador Margriet Vonno, Spanish Ambassador Alfredo Martinez Serrano at the cocktail reception for Dining with the Ambassadors. Photo by Caroline Phillip

Elmwood school head James Whitehouse and his wife, Nicola, with Grade 12 Elmwood School student Abbie at the cocktail reception for Dining with the Ambassadors. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Israeli Ambassador Iddo Moed in conversation with Thomas d’Aquino at the cocktail reception for Dining with the Ambassadors. Photo by Caroline Phillips

From left, Ontario Superior Court Justice Adriana Doyle and her husband, Kevin Doyle, and Jill Lock and Ted Lock at the cocktail reception for Dining with the Ambassadors, held on Friday, May 2, 2025 in support of the Rockcliffe Park Foundation. Photo by Caroline Phillips

New Zealand High Commissioner Cecile Hillyer was among the participating diplomats acknowledged during the cocktail reception portion of Dining with the Ambassadors, held Friday, May 2, 2025, in Rockcliffe Park. Photo by Caroline Phillips

The Rockcliffe Park Community Centre was decorated with flag from Canada and around the world for the Dining with the Ambassadors fundraiser in support of the Rockcliffe Park Foundation. Photo by Caroline Phillips

This article is made possible through sponsorship from Star Motors, WCPD, Marilyn Wilson Dream Properties, ExecHealth, Infinity Convention Centre, Altis Recruitment, Bell Canada, First Avenue Investment Counsel and RBC.

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