Festival Updates and News
News about Ottawa Festivals and our Member festivals, special events and fairs.
NCC Calls Winterlude Opening Weekend “Very Positive”
Phil Gaudreau
CFRA
The National Capital Commission is quite pleased with the first weekend of Winterlude.
Senior Vice President Guy Laflamme tells CFRA News attendance has been excellent. “If I count the number of smiles I have encountered, I think people were extremely pleased and happy with what they experienced.”
Laflamme is chalking some of the success up to changes in Winterlude’s business plan to focus on arts and culture, educational events, and food. “We still have winter outdoor sports, but we have way more arts and culture…culinary gourmet food activities…as well as scientific activities”.
But he admits the weather was also a big factor this weekend. “This was an A+ type of weather report and hopefully we’ll be able to benefit from the same kind of conditions for the next two weekends.”
Laflamme says over 30,000 people took in Friday’s fireworks at Winterlude’s opening ceremonies, and it was a great kickoff to what he believes is the best edition of the winter festival yet. “Winterlude has grown to a level of quality and sophistication unmatched in past editions.”
He skates and skates and skates … and scores
JOE LOFARO / METRO OTTAWA
Organizers of the Beaver Cup Pond Hockey Festival will attempt to set a Guinness World Record on the Rideau Canal skateway next weekend for the longest breakaway goal.
The attempt will start at 7:15 a.m. on Feb. 11 on the ice near Chateau Laurier, and six skaters will pass the puck to each other in a relay-style trek across the 7.8-kilometre skateway.
The Beaver Cup Festival is a weekend-long four-on- four pond-hockey tournament. Participants in the tournament will include Ottawa Senators alumni and media personalities.
Read full story: He skates and skates and skates … and scores
Capital Pride organizers want grace period on outdoor smoking ban
Neco Cockburn, The Ottawa Citizen
Jean Levac, The Ottawa Citizen
A proposed smoking ban on municipal properties such as City Hall could hurt attendance at the Capital Pride festival, say organizers who are calling for a grace period this summer if the new rules are approved.
Proposed bylaw amendments would see smoking prohibited on city properties such as parks, beaches, sports fields and areas outside municipal facilities, as well as bar and restaurant patios.
Events on city properties would also be smoke-free under the regulations, something that would affect the 2012 Capital Pride festival planned for Marion Dewar Plaza outside City Hall, organizers said.
Read more: Capital Pride organizers want grace period on outdoor smoking ban
Winterlude bigger, more weatherproof than ever, NCC says
Maria Cook, The Ottawa Citizen
Photograph by: Wayne Cuddington, Ottawa Citizen
Traditional favourites such as ice sculptures at Confederation Park are now joined by new events such as the Ottawa Winter Jazz Festival.
Winterlude runs for three weeks until February 20.
“We wanted to put in place a program that is even less vulnerable to fluctuating weather conditions,” said Guy Laflamme, senior vice-president, capital experience, communications and marketing at the National Capital Commission. “I think we’ve done extremely well.”
Read more: Winterlude bigger, more weatherproof than ever, NCC says
Blizzart adds some northern passion: 10 new Winterlude installations help weatherproof artistic endeavours
Peter Simpson, Ottawa Citizen
Photograph courtesy of The Ottawa Citizen, by: Bruno Schlumberger
If you’re trying to interest your young children in contemporary art, then Confederation Park is the place for you. Winterlude has brought 10 installations to the park, and while the pieces are hit-and-miss artistically, most are sure to fire a kid’s imagination.
Blizzart is a part of the National Capital Commission’s plan to weatherproof the annual festival. A warm snap can make short work of the ice sculptures that are ingeniously carved by international teams in the park each year, so the NCC has chosen 10 artists from across Canada to make less-vulnerable installations on the theme of “northern passion.” They were in various stages of installation when I visited on Thursday, and a crazy variety of materials were being put to use, from old mittens and hockey sticks to coloured glass and even ice – though not as it’s used in the familiar sculptures nearby.
Read more @ Ottawa Citizen online: Blizzart adds some northern passion
Get your body movin’ at Winterlude: events include Winterlude Triathlon, annual Bed Race, skating demonstrations and Pond Hockey Classic
PAULINE ANDERSON / METRO OTTAWA
The Ottawa area is synonymous with winter sports and Winterlude certainly lives up to that reputation.
The three weeks of festivities are replete with events that range from deadly serious to the downright goofy.
This year’s highlight is Hockey Day in Canada, Feb 11 at 7 a.m. It features the Guinness World Record attempt for the longest hockey breakaway on the Rideau Canal at the Chateau Laurier.
Full story: Get your body movin’ at Winterlude
Skate back in history with Portraits on Ice
TERESA CHIYKOWSKI / METRO OTTAWA
If you plan to take in some of the exciting sights of Winterlude this month, don’t be surprised to skate upon an art exhibit of a different kind — Portraits on the Ice. This refreshing outdoor gallery returns to the Rideau Canal Feb. 3, this time to mark the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812.
The exhibit showcases 10 portrait reproductions that represent some of the French- and English-speaking militia and colonists, British officers and First Nations allies who were a part of, or were affected by, the War of 1812. The original works of art were created in a variety of media — paintings, prints and photography.
Read the rest of the story on Metro Ottawa online: Skate back in history with Portraits on Ice
Ottawa’s Winterlude presents Jazzfest for music lovers
Saxby / Apt 613
Photo courtesy of Ottawa Jazz Festival
Known for ice sculpture and skating on the canal, Winterlude hasn’t necessarily always been a key destination for the musically oriented. The JazzFest’s Petr Cancura is hoping to change that with this year’s Winter Jazzfest. We got some answers from Petr on what you can expect at the festival and why he thought jazz might be just what the Ottawa winter needs.
The Winter Jazzfest starts this evening and runs until Saturday. Shows take place in venues throughout the city. For a full schedule and information on tickets, visit the Jazz Festival Website.
For the full interview, please visit Apt 613: Ottawa’s Winterlude presents Jazzfest for music lovers
Taste of Winterlude will tickle your taste buds
PAULINE ANDERSON / METRO OTTAWA
Photo courtesy of the NCC
Taste of Winterlude features some of the best cuisine that Ottawa and the Gatineau region has to offer.
You can sample cuisine at some of the area’s top restaurants and venues, learn new cooking techniques from local chefs, and tour local restaurants or shops with top chefs or sommeliers as your guide.
Full story on the Metro Ottawa website: Taste of Winterlude
Smoking ban may hurt Pride attendance: officials
STEVE COLLINS, METRO OTTAWA
Organizers of this year’s Capital Pride festival are worried a proposed ban on smoking outdoors on city property could crimp attendance at the annual celebration held at Marion Dewar Plaza.
Capital Pride Committee Chair Loresa Novy said the expanded smoking bylaw, which could be in place by spring, could have a disproportionate effect on Ottawa’s LBGT community.
“We do have a higher population of smokers within the LGBT population,” she said, “And we’re worried that they won’t attend the festival due to the smoking bylaw.”
Full Story at Smoking ban may hurt Pride attendance
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