January 4th 2009 - - The Governor of Canada, Michaëlle Jean announced last wednesday 60 new nominations for the l'Ordre du Canada. Many celebrities are making part of this list where our Céline Dion, will  be the Compagnon (partner) de l'Ordre du Canada.

The elected members will be invited to receive their great in a Ceremony which's date is about to be confirmed by the Office of General Government.

4 Partners, 14 officiers and 42 membres had been chosen to receive the Canada's Order.

Besides Céline, the tenor Ben Heppner; the dancer Louise Lecavalier; the Theather Actress Elsa Bolam and  Douglas Cole, the owner of a club which promoted the jazz, are also making part of such important prize.
Source: Le Matin

January 2nd 2009 - Happy New Year! I wish we could all live in peace, health, joy and whatever the future may bring us through this new year!

- Madonna and Celine Dion were the biggest worldwide concert draws in 2008, each selling more than $200 million worth of tickets to their slickly produced shows, trade publication Pollstar said on Tuesday.

The pop singers also took the top two spots in North America, which accounts for an estimated 40 percent of the concert business, Pollstar said.

Madonna's "Sticky & Sweet" world tour, which finished in Brazil last week, tallied $281.6 million from 17 countries. North American fans ponied up $105.3 million.

French-Canadian balladeer Dion, launching her first world tour in more than eight years, earned $236.6 million from 24 countries, with North America contributing $94 million.

This year marks the first time that Pollstar has compiled foreign data. Among the all-time North American tours, Madonna's ranks at No. 8 and Dion's at No. 12. The Rolling Stones hold the record with $162 million from their 2005 trek.

Dion, 40, might well be the hardest working woman in show business, having made Pollstar's list of top 10 acts every year since 2003. That year she began a 700-plus show residency at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, and grossed more than $385 million by the time it wrapped last December.
Source: tuscolatoday.com