Here's a fascinating, albiet somewhat belated, squib for our readers west of the Rocky Mountains: earlier this year, former Alberta treasurer and provincial Progressive Conservative leadership hopeful Jim Dinning noted in his online calendar he would be attending "meetings" in Vancouver on January 24. But, more specifically, our operatives inform us Mr. Dinning was schmoozing at a pricey $250 per ticket fundraiser for his campaign at Gotham Steakhouse and Cocktail Bar. Said event, which occured the day after the federal election, was attended by a who's who from the downtown Tory crowd. Instrumental in putting the event together were Molson Canada industry and government affairs director Jeff Gaulin, as well as Canadian Restaurant and Food Services Association vice-president Mark von Schellwitz. Meanwhile, the man who's presently got the job Mr. Dinning wants, Ralph Klein, will be in Vancouver this month as the principal draw for a Canadian National Institute of Blind fundraiser.