Ever since I started covering the Canadian F1 Grand Prix in my Grapevine column seven years ago, I usually narrowed my focus to the street festivities that took place in the downtown core, usually on St. Laurent Boulevard and on Peel and Crescent streets (and all the excitement along St. Catherine Street in between).

I never had a ticket to catch the time trials or the actual race at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, nor received any invitations to attend some of the parties that were taking place in many of Montreal's ritziest clubs and hotels. Basically, I was on the outside looking in.
However, that all changed this year.
Last week, I received an invitation to attend an exclusive Grand Prix party at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in downtown Montreal, which took place on June 6 and was hosted by the hotel, along with Infiniti Canada and the Red Bull racing team, which won last year's F1 Championship Trophy, which was basically as a way of saying thank you for the advance item I did about the party a few weeks earlier in my Montreal Times column.
So armed with my pen, notebook and camera, and smartly dressed for the occasion, I arrived at the Ritz just after 7 p.m. with revolving spotlights shining, a coterie of valet parkers waiting to take your car, and an army of paparazzi waiting to snap away with their cameras. And let me tell you, those eager camera people were not disappointed, as a variety of Montreal celebrities graced the party with their presence. There was Mayor Denis Coderre, Just For Laughs founder Gilbert Rozon, Just For Laughs COO Bruce Hills, Quebec singer and broadcaster Mitsou, Olympic figure skating medalist Joannie Rochette, 925 The Beat morning show co-hosts Cat Spencer and Sarah Bartok, CJAD afternoon drive host Aaron Rand, Gazette social columnist Jennifer Campbell and broadcaster Chantal Desjardins.
However, there were three Montreal celebrities who took the longest time to make their way from the hotel lobby to its Oval Room, where the party's nerve center was situated. Montreal Canadiens superstar defenceman P.K. Subban, comedian Sugar Sammy and UFC champion Georges St. Pierre. From the moment they stepped out of their cars in front of the Ritz, the three graciously signed autographs, posed for pictures with fans, did impromptu on camera media interviews, and chatted with many of the guests before they got the chance to experience what the party was all about (Sammy, whom I met for the first time 10 years ago and is now one of the hottest comics to come from Montreal, took a couple of minutes to chat with me, and remarked on how good I looked as a result of my weight loss from four years ago).
And Formula 1 fans were pleased to see in person former F1 champion and Red Bull racing ambassador David Coulthard, who was there to promote the first Canadian appearance of Infiniti's Q50 Eau Rouge concept car. He also told the audience his take on this year's Canadian Grand Prix, as well as offering praise for the city of Montreal and its citizens for making the city such a highlight on the F1 circuit. Also, spotted in the Ritz lobby around 11 p.m., was 1970s F1 champion Niki Lauda of Austria (who was one of the subjects of Ron Howard's terrific movie "Rush", which focussed on the intense F1 rivalry between him and James Hunt during the early and mid-70s).
...Now if I can only score a ticket for the race at the circuit! That's a goal that I will definitely have to set for next year's Grand Prix.
Finally, a big thank you to publicists Leisa Lee and Katia Piccolino, and Timothee Auguet and Thaddee Biegala from the Ritz Cartlon for giving me the chance to experience another aspect of Montreal's Grand Prix festivities. Let's do it again in 2015!
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