Brampton hosts stars for Arts Walk of Fame celebration

BRAMPTON, ON: Five Bramptonians were honoured with a star on the Brampton Arts Walk of Fame
yesterday in recognition of their achievements in arts and entertainment. The event, sponsored by the
Courtyard by Marriott Brampton, brought out some of the biggest names in music and film for a public
event in Garden Square.
With live entertainment by Juno award-winning and Brampton-raised artist Anjulie and additional
performances from local artists, the afternoon was a celebration of the best Brampton has to offer in
arts and entertainment. City Councillor Jeff Bowman acted as the MC, introducing each inductee prior
to their acceptance speeches and the official unveiling of the stars.
“As a lifelong resident of this great City, I have always been impressed with the passion our residents
hold for the arts,” said Councillor Bowman. “The Arts Walk of Fame recognizes Bramptonians who have
brought and continue to bring recognition to our community on a national and, indeed, international
level.”
The 2015 inductees included:
 Tanya Mullings – an internationally recognized, multi-award winning Reggae entertainer for
more than 26 years.
 Tara Oram – a Juno nominee and winner of the Canadian Country Music Association’s Rising
Star award.
 Johnny Reid – a chart-topping, multi-platinum selling country music artist in Canada.
 Gordon J. Smith – an internationally recognized special effects prosthetics and make-up artist,
responsible for the creation of the ‘Mystique’ character in the X-Men series of movies.
 Alan Thicke – a Canadian performing arts icon, perhaps best known for his role as psychiatrist
and father Jason Seaver on the beloved sitcom, ‘Growing Pains’.
The Brampton Arts Walk of Fame initiative was introduced in 2014 to recognize individuals from
Brampton who have achieved excellence in the arts and entertainment industry. Public nominations are
accepted for the categories of performing, visual, media and creative arts and literature.
The 2014 inductees to the Brampton Arts Walk of Fame were Michael Cera, Keshia Chanté, Scott Lale,
Rohinton Mistry, Russell Peters, Jack Reid and Scott Thompson.
About Brampton: The ninth-largest city in Canada, Brampton celebrates a diverse population that represents people from
209 distinct ethnic backgrounds who speak 89 different languages. Brampton residents and visitors have access to state-ofthe-art
recreation facilities and one of the fastest-growing transit systems in Canada. Opened in 2007, Brampton Civic Hospital
is part of the William Osler Health System, which is one of the largest community hospitals in Canada. For more information,
visit www.brampton.ca or follow @CityBrampton on Twitter.