Camera: Robert F. Kennedy and Edward Burtynsky host the inaugural Waterkeeper Gala at the Corus Quay

By Peter Saltsman | Photography by George Pimentel

February 7, Corus Quay. Almost 50 years after Camelot, the Kennedy name still draws a crowd. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. joined photographer Edward Burtynsky to host the inaugural Lake Ontario Waterkeeper gala. Kennedy, president of Waterkeeper Alliance, an organization that strives to preserve clean water around the world, had only to flash a smile to get the city’s enviro-elite to kick in a few bucks to help save our Great Lake. At the VIP reception, a flock of fans backed Kennedy into a corner—even Margaret Atwood rushed over for a handshake. The charm worked wonders at the art auction, too: Burtynsky’s Dryland Farming #24, an aerial shot of the Spanish countryside, went for a whopping $30,000. In his keynote address, Kennedy shamelessly buttered up the audience, praising Ontario’s environmental laws and calling the United States “the 14th province.” As far as speeches go, it was no “Ich bin ein Berliner,” but the night’s tally of $289,000 suggested it did the trick.

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