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The social scene in Montreal, the bilingual metropolis unlike any other in Canada or indeed the world, is as varied as its arts and culture, much of which is supported by said diverse scenesters.

Jacqueline Demarais. Photo by The Canadian Press

There’s the old guard, those with their surnames on hospital and museum wings, long-standing political connections and permanent spots on Forbes’s annual list of billionaires. Among the most prominent (and generous) are Federal Construction Ltd. founder Michal Hornstein and his wife, Renata, who in 2012 donated their cherished collection of 80 Old Master works to the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts; in 2017, the museum will open the Michal and Renata Hornstein Pavilion for Peace, a major expansion project that will coincide with Montreal’s 375th anniversary.

Ian and Linda Greenberg. Photo by Graham Hughes for The Globe and Mail

Jean Coutu Group founder Jean Coutu and his wife Marcelle, meanwhile, have his-and-hers pavilions at the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC) at the University of Montreal and also support education programs in the fight against drug abuse. The grande dame of Quebec society is Jacqueline Desmarais, widow of the late Power Corp CEO Paul; she’s a pal of former French president Nicolas Sarkozy (he was her escort at her husband’s memorial service) and her attendance alone is the stamp of approval many balls and benefits long for. Fellow members of the old guard include almost anyone from the Bronfman, Bombardier-Beaudoin, Molson, Greenberg and Mulroney clans.

Brian and Mila Mulroney. Photo by The Canadian Press

Expect to see them at ribbon cuttings or holding court at major local fundraisers such as Le Grand Bal des Vins-Coeurs, the Goodman Cancer Research Gala, the annual gathering of the Council for Canadian American Relations or the upcoming Grands Ballets Ball.

Bombardier president and CEO Pierre Beaudoin, right, and his father Laurent. Photo by The Canadian Press

Muscling in on the old guard’s territory are the city’s and province’s many entrepreneurs, from business leaders to forward thinkers. Some have brought dusty family dynasties back to life while others have established their own from the ground up. Alison Silcoff is the party-planning powerhouse who spearheaded the Daffodil Ball, the most anticipated (and successful – $27-million raised since 1994) cancer-related fundraiser in Canada; the next ball, set for mid-April, is being chaired by some of her friends in high places, including SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. CEO Robert G. Card, CIBC board chair Charles Sirois and Deloitte LLP’s Frank Vettese.

Alison Silcoff with L'Oréal Canada CEO and president Javier San Juan. Photo by Graham Hughes for The Globe and Mail

Claridge executive chairman Steven Bronfman has taken the company founded by his father, Charles, in 1987 in a new and exciting direction, having invested early in organic and specialty foods, real-estate development and even Broadway shows; alongside his wife, Claudine Blondin, a former Molson marketing executive, Bronfman also initiated Sémin– Arts, an education project designed to fuel the contemporary art market across Quebec.

Isabelle Marcoux. Photo by Tom Sandler for The Globe and Mail

Since 1984, when he founded Cirque du Soleil, Guy Laliberté has redefined circuses and show business, producing spectaculars that have been seen by more then 90 million people worldwide; in 2007, he launched the One Drop Foundation, a philanthropic venture that provides access to clean water in developing countries. McGill grad and former lawyer Isabelle Marcoux, meanwhile, has taken over where her father, Rémi, founder of Transcontinental Inc. in 1976, left off, serving as board chair of the company, the largest printing and media activation enterprise in Canada. She also raises major funds for Montreal Children’s Hospital and the Tel-Jeunes Foundation. Hers is a powerful household; her husband, François Olivier, is Transcon’s president and CEO.

Blogger Lolitta Dandoy. Photo by Tom Sandler for The Globe and Mail

Finally, there are the cool kids – the ingenues, swans, comers and arty types who bring a hip factor to gala dinners, fashion happenings and museum benefits. Weather by blood or by marriage, for example, nextgen members of the extended Desmarais clan are making their mark. In 2013, France Chrétien Desmarais, daughter of former PM Jean, saw her daughter Jacqueline-Ariadne Desmarais tie the knot with Belgian Prince Hadrien de Croÿ-Roeulx in the social event of that year. More recently, Mary Dailey-Desmarais was in Montreal with husband Paul Desmarais III for one of the more anticipated happenings, the MMFA’s annual gala, chaired this year by Alan and Roula Rossy; also on hand were museum director, curator and Denis Gagnon supporter Nathalie Bondil, Emmanuelle Duperre (also in Gagnon and the wife of Cirque du Soleil president and CEO Daniel Lamarre) and Julie– Katherine Turcotte (another bright socialite and frequent committee member). Bloggers who make sure the scene is well documented include two of note: Lolitta Dandoy (a fashionable girl-about-town) and Jennifer Campbell (who’s Diary of a Social Girl is focused on the local party circuit and its key players, herself included).

Dominique Bertrand and Jacques Maurice.Photo by Graham Hughes for The Globe and Mail

Other assorted scene makers include Nathalie Schwartz Décarie (daughter of jeweller George Schwartz); Isabelle Hudon of Sun Life Financial; Scotia McLeod wealth manager Jacques Maurice and his model/socialite/writer wife, Dominique Bertrand; makeup maven Lise Watier and her husband, Serge Rocheleau; art advisor Debbie Davis Goodman; the artist Heidi Spector and her lawyer husband, Chuck; and Suzanne Legge Orr and her husband, Jeffrey.