A warm welcome goes out to all contestants and juries to the 117th edition of the Forum Song Contest.
Let's revisit the winner of the last edition, and the reason for us returning to Canada for the second time this year; here is Avril Lavigne performing her latest hit 'Head Above Water':
Our Host City for this edition is Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Calgary, a cosmopolitan Alberta city with numerous skyscrapers, owes its rapid growth to its status as the centre of Canada’s oil industry. However, it’s still steeped in the western culture that earned it the nickname “Cowtown,” evident in the Calgary Stampede, its massive July rodeo and festival that grew out of the farming e
bitions once presented here.
The city is situated at the confluence of the Bow River and the Elbow River in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, about 80 km (50 mi) east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies. The economy of Calgary includes activity in the energy, financial services, film and television, transportation and logistics, technology, manufacturing, aerospace, health and wellness, retail, and tourism sectors. In 2015, Calgary had the highest number of millionaires per capita of any major city in Canada. In 1988, Calgary became the first Canadian city to host the Winter Olympic Games.
Downtown features an eclectic mix of restaurants and bars, cultural venues, public squares (including Olympic Plaza) and shopping. Downtown tourist attractions include the Calgary Zoo, the Telus Spark, the Telus Convention Centre, the Chinatown district, the Glenbow Museum, the Calgary Tower, the Art Gallery of Calgary (AGC), The Military Museums and Arts Commons. At 1.0 hectare (2.5 acres), the Devonian Gardens is one of the largest urban indoor gardens in the world, and it is located on the 4th floor of The Core Shopping Centre (above the shopping). The downtown region is also home to Prince's Island Park, an urban park located just north of the Eau Claire district. At the district's core is the popular 17 Avenue, known for its many bars and nightclubs, restaurants, and shopping venues. During the Calgary Flames' Stanley Cup run in 2004, 17 Avenue was frequented by over 50,000 fans and supporters per game night.
Calgary was designated as one of the cultural capitals of Canada in 2012. Calgary hosts a number of annual festivals and events. These include the Calgary International Film Festival, the Calgary Folk Music Festival, FunnyFest Calgary Comedy Festival, Sled Island music festival, Beakerhead arts, science and engineering festival, the Folk Music Festival, the Greek festival, Carifest, Wordfest, the Lilac Festival, GlobalFest, Otafest, the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo, FallCon, the Calgary Fringe Festival, Summerstock, Expo Latino, Calgary Pride, Calgary International Spoken Word Festival, and many other cultural and ethnic festivals. Calgary's best-known event is the Calgary Stampede, which has occurred each July since 1912. It is one of the largest festivals in Canada, with a 2005 attendance of 1,242,928 at the 10-day rodeo and e
bition.And now, Calgary can also proudly call itself an FSC-Host City!
Welcome to our venue tonight, The Scotiabank Saddledome.
Scotiabank Saddledome is a multi-use indoor arena in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Located in Stampede Park in the southeast end of downtown Calgary, the Saddledome was built in 1983 to replace the Stampede Corral as the home of the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League, and to host ice hockey and figure skating at the 1988 Winter Olympics.
The facility also hosts concerts, conferences and other sporting championships, and events for the Calgary E
bition and Stampede. It underwent a major renovation in 1994–95 and sold its naming rights, during which its original name of Olympic Saddledome was changed to Canadian Airlines Saddledome. The facility was given the name Pengrowth Saddledome in 2000, after Pengrowth Management Ltd. signed a ten-year agreement. It adopted its current name in October 2010 as Scotiabank signed on as title sponsor.The arena's roof is shaped like a saddle, thus earning the name "Saddledome".
The Saddledome seats 19,289 for hockey and lacrosse, with different capacities for other events depending on the arena's configuration. It has 72 luxury suites, 41 of which were constructed at the top of the lower bowl in 1995 and 31 were constructed at the top of the second level when the facility was built. There are also six party suites on the corners of the upper loges that are rented on an event by event basis. Sections 115 through 122 of the lower bowl form the Chrysler Club and offers in-seat concession service at Flames games.
Tonight, we will be hosted by the evergreen and glamorous singer, Jann Arden.
Jann Arden, (born Jann Arden Anne Richards; March 27, 1962) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. She is famous for her signature ballads, "Could I Be Your Girl" and "Insensitive", which is her biggest hit to date.
Arden released her critically acclaimed debut album, Time for Mercy in 1993, and followed with a single "I Would Die For You". Her 1994 album Living Under June featured her biggest hit to date outside of Canada, "Insensitive", which was released as a single from the soundtrack to the Christian Slater film Bed of Roses (number 12 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100). Another single from that same album, "Could I Be Your Girl", has also had significant, and consistent airplay on Canadian adult contemporary radio since its release, and featured a dance remix version which circulated on pop radio at the time.
Subsequent albums include 1997's Happy?, 2000's Blood Red Cherry, and 2003's Love Is the Only Soldier. She also released a greatest hits album, Greatest Hurts, in 2001, and a live album, Jann Arden Live with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (2002). In 2005, she released her eighth album (her sixth album of new material); self-titled Jann Arden.
Arden has received a total of 19 Juno Award nominations to date. She has won eight of them, including Songwriter of the Year in 1995 and 2002, and Female Artist of the Year in 1995 and 2001. She has also won awards at the MuchMusic Video Awards, the Prairie Music Awards, the Western Canadian Music Awards and at the ARIA (Alberta Recording Industry Association) Awards. She has 17 top ten singles from eight albums.
In March 2006, it was announced that she would receive a star on Canada's Walk of Fame. In November 2006, Arden received the National Achievement Award from the Society of Composers, Authors, and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) for having six singles reach the 100,000 airplay mark on Canadian radio. She was awarded the prize at a gala in Toronto. In November 2007, Arden was inducted into the Canadian Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame, and was the winner of the International Achievement Award at the 2007 Western Canadian Music Awards.
On December 29, 2017, Arden was appointed as a Member of the Order of Canada for her 'achievements as a singer-songwriter and broadcaster, and for her extensive charitable work.
To initiate our proceedings tonight, sit back and enjoy our opening act: another Canadian singer, Joni Mitchell, performing 'Both sides now'
And now, LET THE SHOW BEGIN!
For our interval act, we will be entertained by Sergey Lazarev performing his cover of Earth Song
And now, let's continue with the second half of the show!
And to complete our proceedings tonight, our closing act: Bryan Adams performing 'Have you ever really loved a woman'
We will now observe the 7-day Evaluation period. During this period any entry entries not conforming to FSC-rules may be reported to the mod team.
The voting procedure and vote collector will be announced in due course, after the Evaluation Period has passed.
[MENTION=15333]JChan[/MENTION] beautiful city 
The 7 day evaluation period is now over and you can now submit your votes! 
