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I was 23 years old when I was crowned Miss Twinning Queen.
I had moved to Niagara Falls, a few years prior having moved away from Toronto. I completed high school in Niagara and then
went onto Niagara College in Welland, graduating from the 3 Year Business Marketing Management course. Upon graduation, I
was hired by Chateau Gai Wines in Niagara Falls. A few years later, I left the winery to take on the role as the Marketing
Director at Pen Centre. The retailers of the shopping centre nominated me in this contest. I was thrilled and honored
to say the least.
Leading up to Carnival, there were a number of functions that I attended with then Mayor Roy Adams.
From visiting hospitals, as we raised money and purchased wheelchairs to deliver, to visiting the naval base and tar plants,
each experience was more exciting than the next. I met a group of girls from the Neal & Massey Trendsetters, steel band,
and for a few years we had kept in touch writing and sending photos. When I returned to St. Catharines some of them made their
way back the following year to visit.
Of course Carnival..unless you can experience it for yourself, it’s difficult
to articulate exactly the momentum and energy in the stands.
4 days of a party, from sun up to sun down...it was thrilling,
exhausting and it felt as if I were in a dream...was I really here, listening to the Mighty Sparrow belting out his calypso
song...Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot.
Once Carnival was over with, the group of us from Twinning took a much needed rest in
Tobago and there, we swam, and relaxed and slept a great deal!
I returned home
with a new outlook on life and a new appreciation for Trinidad and our twin city St. Catharines. I was proud to be part of
a wonderful organization and was hoping then to continue to participate in future functions.
But my company had other plans for me and within a few
months of returning, I was promoted to another shopping centre in Toronto. For over 25 years now, I’ve resided in Toronto,
with my husband Denis of 22years and my daughter Alexandra (15) and son Daniel (12).
I’ve continued to work in
marketing and promotions within the shopping centre industry, have been fortunate enough to be a recipient of several awards
within our industry that celebrate excellence in shopping centre marketing. My husband is a graphic designer, and when we
met he was working downtown for an advertising agency. About 10 years ago, we joined forces and together we operate a small,
yet dynamic advertising agency, Orban & Associates Inc.
Our clients include shopping centres, design firms, "not for profit organizations" just to name a few.
We are fortunate that we live in a beautiful neighbourhood in North York
and on most weekends we head to our cottage just north of the city, a beautiful home that my husband designed and built over
23 years ago.
I am grateful for every opportunity that has come my way...making the most of each experience and the
incredible people that I have met.
The Twinning Association will always be a part of my exciting past, I proudly have
draped the sash I wore over the entrance of my office door, so that everyone knows they have entered a place of “Royalty”.
Thank
you for this opportunity to share with you my life.
Cheers,
Rosanne
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| Rosanne Orban |
| Click on Soca Nation |
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| Pick your favourite Road March 1954 through 2006. |
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