High above a city skyline that deserves to be seen and admired, members of the Rideau Club gathered Saturday for a special evening that paired social connection with social conscience, raising an impressive $80,000 toward tackling chronic homelessness.

There to welcome guests was the club’s board president, senior commercial real estate executive and community leader Shawn Hamilton. He’s been closely involved in shaping a downtown that’s vibrant and economically strong, while also working to address the city’s persistent homelessness challenge.

“Tonight we are here to listen, learn and give support to those impacted by the growing human tragedy unfolding across our streets,” Hamilton, principal at Proveras Commercial Realty, told a room that included such notable figures as one of Canada’s top pollsters, Nik Nanos, and construction industry leader Dennis Laurin.

The Rideau Club, a private social and networking club that’s been around since before Confederation, is successfully keeping up with the times. With more than 1,000 members, it values inclusivity, experience and purpose over the stuffy, old-school scene. “It’s not an Agatha Christie novel when you get here,” quipped Hamilton.

Nik Nanos, chief data scientist and founder of Nanos Research, and his wife, assistant deputy minister Paule Labbé, at the Rideau Club’s President’s Gala in support of Shepherds of Good Hope and its efforts to end homelessness. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Multidisciplinary artist Marianne Trenka, from Orbital Talent, juggling during the dinner service at the Rideau Club’s President’s Gala, held in support of Shepherds of Good Hope. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Dennis Laurin, founder and chairman of LAURIN, and his wife, community volunteer Andrea Laurin, at the Rideau Club’s President’s Gala held in support of Shepherds of Good Hope. Photo by Caroline Phillips

From left, Doug MacCrae (CFO at ADGA Group), Angie MacCrae (founder of KOTi 28), Tanya Murdoch and her husband, Shawn Hamilton, board president of the Rideau Club, which hosted its President’s Gala on Saturday, March 28, 2026, in support of Shepherds of Good Hope. Photo by Caroline Phillips

This year’s President’s Gala was held in support of Shepherds of Good Hope, a local charity taking innovative approaches to homelessness that go beyond providing emergency shelter.

Hamilton led the room in a toast “to friendship, to community, to compassion, and to the good work that the Shepherds are undertaking, which exemplify all three.”

On any given night, some 3,000 people experience homelessness, said the Shepherds of Good Hope Foundation’s interim CEO, Meighan Hartley. “To me, that’s unacceptable.”

Hartley shared the story of an older woman named Susan who turned to Shepherds for help. An abusive relationship had left her struggling with alcohol. A prolonged hospital stay followed, and when she fell behind on her rent, she was evicted from her home, said Hartley.

Susan had previously worked as a social worker for the City of Ottawa. “What really stayed with me is that this is a woman who spent her entire life helping others during their time of need,” said Hartley. “She told me she used to refer people to Shepherds of Good Hope and never imagined she would one day find herself at its doors.

“And so, when you’re driving by our facilities and wondering what’s happening inside, I want you to think about individuals like her,” said Hartley, adding that those who turn to Shepherds may not be as far removed from our lives as we imagine.

Shepherds later helped Susan move from the shelter into its Richcraft Hope Residence, a supportive housing building on Montreal Road. The organization now has more clients living in such facilities than in its emergency shelter, Hartley noted proudly.

Hartley was joined at the Rideau Club gala by several members of her board, including chair Kaveh Rikhtegar, Yasser Ghazi from RBC, Jason Hunt from First Avenue Investment Counsel, and Shepherds’ honorary officer emeritus, John Peters from Gowling WLG.

From left, Shepherds of Good Hope Foundation (SGHF) board member Yasser Ghazi, vice president of commercial financial services at RBC; SGHF board chair Kaveh Rikhtegar; and SGHF board member Jason Hunt, portfolio manager at First Avenue Investment Counsel, at the Rideau Club’s President’s Gala in support of Shepherds of Good Hope. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Gowling WLG partner John Peters, who’s an honorary officer emeritus with Shepherds of Good Hope, as well as its Foundation, with Shannon Polk at the Rideau Club’s President’s Gala in support of Shepherds of Good Hope. Photo by Caroline Phillips

From left, Meighan Hartley, interim CEO of Shepherds of Good Hope Foundation, with community engagement coordinator Sarah Langham, and Emma Bernans, senior manager of philanthropy, at the Rideau Club’s President’s Gala in support of Shepherds of Good Hope. Photo by Caroline Phillips

The room also heard from Shepherds of Good Hope CEO Stephen Bartolo, who has spent more than 24 years with the organization, starting on the front lines. He remains committed to ending chronic homelessness.

Bartolo spoke about the organization’s focus on shelter transformation. Over the next five years, Shepherds is concentrating its efforts on prevention and permanent housing solutions.

“We know that if you stay in emergency housing for a long time, the odds of experiencing mental health and substance-use challenges increase exponentially,” he said.

More recently, the organization has been piloting diversion initiatives to identify better options than the shelter system for those seeking help for the first time. “We’re training our staff to ask really powerful questions so we can determine whether safer alternatives exist,” said Bartolo, noting that over the past six months, Shepherds has successfully diverted nearly one in four individuals away from the shelter system.

“At the end of the day, homelessness usually comes down to a loss of human connection, often a breakdown with family or friends.”

By helping individuals avoid the shelter system, Shepherds enables them to stay connected to their support networks, preventing situations from escalating into a crisis, he said.

Sometimes, he added, individuals believe they have to leave their apartments without fully understanding their legal rights, or find their living situations taken over by others to the point where they no longer feel comfortable remaining there. “We were able to advocate on their behalf and help them return to stable housing.”

He also touched on Mayor Mark Sutcliffe’s pledge to end youth homelessness by 2030.

“We know that diversion, particularly for youth, works — in many cases nearly 80 per cent of the time,” said Bartolo. “As more shelters prioritize diversion, we expect to see a significant shift in how the system operates.”

Bartolo is hopeful these efforts will eventually reduce the need for three shelters in the downtown core. “Shepherds has put up its hand and said, ‘We want to transform our shelter when the timing is right’,” he said. “We’re looking to convert upper floors into supportive housing for the most marginalized individuals, with deep wrap-around health supports and partnerships with The Ottawa Hospital, The Royal and CMHA.”

Each month, Shepherds — which has its own health team — accepts more than 1,500 referrals from police, paramedics, hospitals and other shelters, helping to ease pressure on emergency services.

“As a city, we need to do more of that,” he said.

After dinner, emcee Sam Laprade, host of An Hour to Give, led the live auction of donated experiential packages. Items included a six-course dinner with wine pairings for four hosted at the Rideau Club; a two-night stay at the Fairmont Château Laurier; dinner for four at Arlo restaurant, which ranks among Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants; a round of golf at the Royal Ottawa Golf Club; and a custom grooming and wardrobe experience from Intersection Barbershop, Surmesur and Blandin & Delloye.

From left, event emcee Sam Laprade from An Hour to Give on Rogers TV/Country 101.1, Rideau Club board president Shawn Hamilton, principal at Proveras Commercial Realty; and Rideau Club CEO Carol-Ann Goering at the Rideau Club’s President’s Gala in support of Shepherds of Good Hope. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Performer Lea Antoine from Orbital Talent in action during the dinner service at the Rideau Club’s President’s Gala in support of Shepherds of Good Hope. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Kevin Bon, senior wealth advisor at CIBC Wood Gundy, and his fiancée, Carly Plate, at the Rideau Club’s President’s Gala in support of Shepherds of Good Hope. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Rideau Club board president Shawn Hamilton, left, and his wife, Tanya Murdoch, with Rosalby Guerrero and Steve Stanley, president and CEO of  NewFound Recruiting, at the Rideau Club’s President’s Gala in support of Shepherds of Good Hope. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Shepherds of Good Hope Foundation board chair Kaveh Rikhtegar at the Rideau Club’s President’s Gala in support of Shepherds of Good Hope. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Algonquin College professor Praveeni Perera, who’s also an influencer as The Weekend Fashionista, and her husband, Sashien Godakandae, CEO, Enigmatic Group of Companies, at the Rideau Club’s President’s Gala in support of Shepherds of Good Hope. Photo by Caroline Phillips

From left, Caroline Rikhtegar and her husband, Kaveh Rikhtegar, chair of the Shepherds of Good Hope Foundation, and Linda Mulock and Frank Mulock, partner at Gowling WLG, at the Rideau Club’s President’s Gala in support of Shepherds of Good Hope. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Blair Dickerson, vice president for public and corporate affairs at Domtar, and creative professional Amanda Bon at the Rideau Club’s President’s Gala in support of Shepherds of Good Hope.

Shawn Hamilton, board president of the Rideau Club, welcomed guests to the President’s Gala held Saturday, March 28, 2026. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Multi-disciplinary artist Marianne Trenka, seen juggling during the dinner service at the Rideau Club’s President’s Gala in support of Shepherds of Good Hope. Photoby Caroline Phillips

Shannon Coombs, president at the Canadian Consumer Specialty Products Association, and Frédérik Larouche, director of government relations with StrategyCorp, at the Rideau Club’s President’s Gala in support of Shepherds of Good Hope. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Performer Lea Antoine from Orbital Talent in action during the dinner service at the Rideau Club’s President’s Gala in support of Shepherds of Good Hope. Photo by Caroline Phillips

This article is made possible through sponsorship from Star Motors, WCPD, Syntax Strategic, RBC, Marilyn Wilson Dream Properties, ExecHealth, Altis Recruitment, Bell Canada, First Avenue Investment Counsel, Welch LLP, and Brazeau Seller Law.
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