TORONTO — Gordon Lightfoot and Kim Cattrall dined with hundreds of media and political figures Tuesday night as Canada's newsweekly, Maclean's magazine, marked its centennial.

The red carpet gala at the Toronto Centre for the Performing Arts drew hundreds of VIPs for dinner and performances to mark the new look and 100th birthday of the magazine, which has long been a staple of dentist and doctor waiting rooms across the country.

"How do you tell the story of a country and its place in the world in just one book, and a magazine at that?'' said journalist Arthur Kent, the evening's MC.

"Well, issue by issue, season after season, for 100 years.''

"Thankfully we've witnessed just the early few chapters of Canada's history and now, looking into the future, Maclean's magazine has everything to strive for, everything to achieve, just like the great country that it covers and represents.''

Former Newfoundland premier Brian Tobin, renowned newsman Knowlton Nash and retired general Lewis Mackenzie were among the guests who dined on a menu of mixed baby green salad with goat cheese, stuffed chicken, herb mashed potatoes and pumpkin creme brulee.

Former Livent magnate Garth Drabinsky produced the gala, which included speakers federal Human Resources Minister Belinda Stronach.

The party coincided with a major redesign orchestrated by publisher and editor-in-chief Kenneth Whyte, who previously helped start the National Post. He took over the helm at Maclean's in March.

In the ensuing months, Whyte has invited many former Post employees to come work with him at Maclean's.

Even Drabinsky -- who did advertising and marketing work for the Post -- was signed on to produce a show for Tuesday's gala.

The new Maclean's will have more of a focus on breaking news as well as smaller photographs, resulting in more editorial pages.

"I hope that as far as the content is concerned it will be a bit to the left,'' Dr. Henry Morgentaler, a guest, said of the changes.

The magazine's name on the cover page will now feature a maple leaf apostrophe.

The first cover story is about the cellphone records of the federal privacy commissioner.