"Canada 150th" events in Ottawa

[kevinbottawa]

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

And if I were at Canadian Heritage, I'd be on the phone to La Machine, and Cirque du Soleil, and anyone else with a history of such spectacle, to turn over the Canada Day budget to their management.

Agreed. This needs to be a lesson for the federal government- get out of the events business. Celebrations Ottawa (I think that's the official/legal name for the Ottawa2017 organization) needs to be kept in tact and handed over major city and federal events. It's almost like an R&D hub for events. They should be allowed to try new things, take risks, make mistakes and see what works. Inspiration Village could've been better, but overall Ottawa 2017 has been a success so far.

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by kevinbottawa

Agreed. This needs to be a lesson for the federal government- get out of the events business. Celebrations Ottawa (I think that's the official/legal name for the Ottawa2017 organization) needs to be kept in tact and handed over major city and federal events. It's almost like an R&D hub for events. They should be allowed to try new things, take risks, make mistakes and see what works. Inspiration Village could've been better, but overall Ottawa 2017 has been a success so far.

Agreed. The federal officials who were involved in planning Canada Day did not understand how to make an event work and make sure that security is present but not oppressive.

I am not sure if I am in favour of bringing back La Machine on an annual basis simply because it was so good because of its uniqueness. I do want a group to be established permanently (no doubt with many who participated this year) to develop a program of unique events to make Ottawa an exciting place to visit and for local residents as well. We are now seeing the potential as a result of people looking outside the box when planning summer events.

I want this vibe to the city. "This is Ottawa? Wow!" Let's get beyond the sedate. Ottawa was exciting this weekend.

[kevinbottawa]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

Agreed. The federal officials who were involved in planning Canada Day did not understand how to make an event work and make sure that security is present but not oppressive.

I am not sure if I am in favour of bringing back La Machine on an annual basis simply because it was so good because of its uniqueness. I do want a group to be established permanently (no doubt with many who participated this year) to develop a program of unique events to make Ottawa an exciting place to visit and for local residents as well. We are now seeing the potential as a result of people looking outside the box when planning summer events.

I want this vibe to the city. "This is Ottawa? Wow!" Let's get beyond the sedate. Ottawa was exciting this weekend.

I was in Toronto for most of this weekend. I kept seeing the pictures of La Machine and thought, "Damn. I'm in the wrong city this weekend." While I was in Toronto, some of my friends from Toronto were in Ottawa. Thankfully, I got back in time for the finale.

On my way back from Toronto I saw three American license plates in a row heading towards Ottawa- Maryland, Ohio and South Carolina.

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by kevinbottawa

I was in Toronto for most of this weekend. I kept seeing the pictures of La Machine and thought, "Damn. I'm in the wrong city this weekend." While I was in Toronto, some of my friends from Toronto were in Ottawa. Thankfully, I got back in time for the finale.

On my way back from Toronto I saw three American license plates in a row heading towards Ottawa- Maryland, Ohio and South Carolina.

Ottawa used to get a lot of American visitors. Not so much in recent years. A lot of it has to with fluctuating exchange rates. Canada is more expensive than the USA when the exchange rate goes up. The bigger problem was the American imposition of passport controls back about 10 years ago. That really damaged short-term and spur of the moment visits. We can't control American obsession with security but we can make Ottawa a must see place to go. Toronto and Montreal have already reached this level. Ottawa needs to come up with events that will differentiate it from the big brothers of Montreal and Toronto. Ottawa is now big enough to do some interesting things and to become a draw on its own merits.

I am old enough to see how Ottawa has changed in my lifetime. There is so much more going on than when I was growing up. Now, we need to take it to the next level, which we are proving is possible.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

Agreed. The federal officials who were involved in planning Canada Day did not understand how to make an event work and make sure that security is present but not oppressive.

It's not even the security issue that I'm interested in, and sadly, these days, we are likely stuck with hard security in a way that wouldn't have been the case 10 or 20 years ago.

I'm more interested in the perennial blandness of the Canada Day show. It's in a serious rut and needs a good, hard shakeup.

I am not sure if I am in favour of bringing back La Machine on an annual basis simply because it was so good because of its uniqueness. I do want a group to be established permanently (no doubt with many who participated this year) to develop a program of unique events to make Ottawa an exciting place to visit and for local residents as well. We are now seeing the potential as a result of people looking outside the box when planning summer events.

Something La Machine-like:

- it has to be unusual, even a little weird
- the city is the stage
- something that you're not likely to see in another place any time real soon

Another side-effect of the "lightness" of La Machine (vs. say the long setup and takedown period of the Canada Day stage) is that by Monday morning, you'd never know it had happened. Everything was back to normal, without physical hangover, which made peoples' retrospective conversations about it already acquire a dream-like quality.

I want this vibe to the city. "This is Ottawa? Wow!" Let's get beyond the sedate. Ottawa was exciting this weekend.

It was, as the kids say these days, "lit".

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

I am old enough to see how Ottawa has changed in my lifetime. There is so much more going on than when I was growing up. Now, we need to take it to the next level, which we are proving is possible.

Hell, even between Montreal and Toronto, with a combine metro-region population of almost ten million, how many of those millions have never even been to one or the other of the three cities that make up the Montreal-Toronto-Ottawa triangle?

And the Montreal-Ottawa market in particular is why would be super-valuable to restore inter-urban train service to downtown Ottawa within about a 50-year horizon.

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

Hell, even between Montreal and Toronto, with a combine metro-region population of almost ten million, how many of those millions have never even been to one or the other of the three cities that make up the Montreal-Toronto-Ottawa triangle?

And the Montreal-Ottawa market in particular is why would be super-valuable to restore inter-urban train service to downtown Ottawa within about a 50-year horizon.

I don't think there was ever inter-urban train service between Ottawa and Montreal the way you talking about it, but it is time for it to happen. This is why I am so anxious for the HFR project to proceed.

I think that Ottawa already has certain events that Toronto and Montreal don't have. Example is Winterlude, which is very unique to Ottawa. We need more of these types of unique events, some held every year, some one offs.

[ars]

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

It's not even the security issue that I'm interested in, and sadly, these days, we are likely stuck with hard security in a way that wouldn't have been the case 10 or 20 years ago.

I'm more interested in the perennial blandness of the Canada Day show. It's in a serious rut and needs a good, hard shakeup.

I agree

Heck, look at the lineup they had for the Canada Day concert, literally a bunch of unknowns or lesser known artists minus Bono and The Edge(who were last minute additions because they happened to be in the area).

I understand showcasing lesser known Canadian talent, but atleast make an effort to go big on the sesquicentennial celebrations. If they wanna focus on Canadian talent, there are dozens of international Canadian superstars to choose from.

That's not even mentioning the rest of the lame stuff they had planned throughout the day in other parts of the city.

Would be glad if the people involved in the Canada Day planning committee were never in charge of planning anything else in this city in the future.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

I don't think there was ever inter-urban train service between Ottawa and Montreal the way you talking about it,

Trains from dowtown Ottawa to downtown Montreal? There totally was until they moved the Ottawa train station to the middle of nowhere.

I think that Ottawa already has certain events that Toronto and Montreal don't have. Example is Winterlude, which is very unique to Ottawa. We need more of these types of unique events, some held every year, some one offs.

Winterlude has also gotten rather meh and ruttish.

NOW, if we could combine Ottawa's waterways with its new-found love of robotic-mechanical street spectacle... battleboats, anyone?

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

Trains from dowtown Ottawa to downtown Montreal? There totally was until they moved the Ottawa train station to the middle of nowhere.



Winterlude has also gotten rather meh and ruttish.

NOW, if we could combine Ottawa's waterways with its new-found love of robotic-mechanical street spectacle... battleboats, anyone?

Train service to Union Station downtown is never coming back. The best we can do will come with the opening of the Confederation Line as the downtown connection. What will be a bigger boon will be a train every hour on a faster schedule.

Even if we somehow got intercity trains to downtown, it will be contrary to the HFR plan that cannot have trains spending the time moving into and back out of downtown Ottawa. This will slow down trains too much for those making the entire run between Montreal and Toronto.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

Train service to Union Station downtown is never coming back.

Maybe not. But that's not the only place that a new closer-to-downtown inter-urban station could be.

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

Maybe not. But that's not the only place that a new closer-to-downtown inter-urban station could be.

Tremblay Road isn't really that far from downtown, only 3 stops on the Confederation Line. I don't see anywhere else suitable.

Relocating the station would be a mistake as the station is pretty convenient to most of the East half of the city and with LRT coming, in theory, it becomes more convenient.

[acottawa]

Interesting that a post-war neighbourhood 3km east of downtown is in the "urban core" while a post-war neighbourhood 3km southeast of downtown is in the "middle of nowhere."

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by acottawa

Interesting that a post-war neighbourhood 3km east of downtown is in the "urban core" while a post-war neighbourhood 3km southeast of downtown is in the "middle of nowhere."

What, no intercity station in Vanier?

[BlueJay]

[QUOTE=lrt's friend;7881776]Train service to Union Station downtown is never coming back.

Of course it is never coming back but it should be. Ottawa once had great rail lines which we will never see again.

[Kitchissippi]

A few weeks ago I was in Montreal and stumbled upon the Transe-Express performance in the old city. I liked it better than La Machine, it felt more engaging. We should get those guys to do a show here.

[zzptichka]

I've seen Plasticiens Volants in Quebec City about a month ago. Also pretty cool and should fit in well.




Is it a coincidence that all these theaters are from France?

[eltodesukane]

Like the Giants in Montreal.
http://storage.tvanouvelles.ca/v1/dy...200x&version=1

[kevinbottawa]

Originally Posted by ars

I agree

Heck, look at the lineup they had for the Canada Day concert, literally a bunch of unknowns or lesser known artists minus Bono and The Edge(who were last minute additions because they happened to be in the area).

I understand showcasing lesser known Canadian talent, but atleast make an effort to go big on the sesquicentennial celebrations. If they wanna focus on Canadian talent, there are dozens of international Canadian superstars to choose from.

That's not even mentioning the rest of the lame stuff they had planned throughout the day in other parts of the city.

Would be glad if the people involved in the Canada Day planning committee were never in charge of planning anything else in this city in the future.

The federal government has to make sure that everyone is represented so they don't step on everyone's toes. You need three headliners, a French act, a First Nations act, a country music act representing Western Canada, a francophone host and an anglophone host. That's the formula year after year. Everyone has to be represented. They need to divert from it but if they do someone will be upset.

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by kevinbottawa

The federal government has to make sure that everyone is represented so they don't step on everyone's toes. You need three headliners, a French act, a First Nations act, a country music act representing Western Canada, a francophone host and an anglophone host. That's the formula year after year. Everyone has to be represented. They need to divert from it but if they do someone will be upset.

I understand that they need to do this for the 70s-style noon show, which is televised nationally, and has politicians and dignitaries all over the place, but he evening show isn't televised (other than a few bits that make it into Rick Mercer's clip show), they could get a prominent act who could do a proper set.