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
Winterlude Weekend 1 Highlights: Capital Region’s winter celebration set to kick off with skating, sliding, ice carvings and the American Express® Winterlude Opening
The National Capital Commission (NCC) is ready to welcome residents and visitors for the 34th edition of Winterlude, which starts Friday, February 3, 2012. Over three weeks, until February 20, Canada’s Capital Region will be the ideal destination to discover Canadian winter traditions through a wide variety of cultural, sport, culinary and family activities.
Here is a snapshot of the activities taking place during the first weekend of Winterlude.
American Express® Winterlude Opening
Friday, February 3, Canadian Museum of Civilization
The celebration officially kicks off with the American Express® Winterlude Opening at 8:30 pm at the Canadian Museum of Civilization on February 3rd. The program will feature special lighting effects, historical characters and drummers, storytelling around cozy fire pits, an outdoor DJ dance party, and, at 9 pm, a fireworks extravaganza.
Visitors can take advantage of free admission on February 3, from 5 pm to 11 pm, to explore the museum’s many exhibits and enjoy special programming.
The event will also be celebrated at Snowflake Kingdom in Jacques-Cartier Park, which will remain open until 9:30 pm, offering another perfect vantage point to enjoy the evening’s fireworks.
Rogers Crystal Garden in Confederation Park
“Northern Passion” carved in ice
This weekend, there are plenty of chances to watch ice carvers from around the world create their crystalline masterpieces at Confederation Park. These include the Rogers One-Block Challenge on Friday, February 3 from 8 am to 10 am (Awards Ceremony: 5 pm), and the 25th Rogers International Ice-Carving Competition, where professional carvers from around the world put their talent to the test throughout the weekend (People’s Choice Online Voting Contest starts Sunday, February 5 at 6 pm).
On opening weekend, visitors to Rogers Crystal Garden will also have the opportunity to:
- visit an authentic Sami Lavvu from northern Norway;
- discover BlizzArt, an outdoor gallery featuring unique Canadian work of art;
- meet artists from northern Canada and see them perform in the Rogers Crystal Globe;
- groove to the tunes of the Sub-Zero Music Series;
- celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in ice and photos;
- learn about ephemeral art and create their own sculpture;
- experience the Yukon through the eyes of talented artists;
- find out more about the great Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen, and his expedition through the Northwest Passage.
The public can start off their first Winterlude weekend with a delicious (and free!) pancake and hot chocolate breakfast at 10 am on Saturday, February 4, during the Eighth Annual Enbridge Pancake Breakfast (Festival Plaza at Ottawa City Hall, across from Confederation Park). While supplies last.
Snowflake Kingdom in Jacques-Cartier Park, Gatineau
Let the adventure begin — with the Ice Hog Family!
Presented by the Ville de Gatineau and the NCC, young and the young at heart alike will enjoy playing in this frosty paradise of giant snow slides. The fun begins on Friday, February 3, at 10:30 am, when Mama and Papa Ice Hog, and twins Noumi and Nouma, join the crowd for the official launch of Snowflake Kingdom – North America’s biggest snow playground.
On Winterlude’s first weekend, visitors will have the chance to:
- find their way through the A-maze-ing Fort Wellington;
- learn about the life of the people who lived in 1812 through interpretation, demonstrations and games;
- take part in a day in the life of a Coast Guard employee;
- test their physical fitness in the Canadian Forces Winter Obstacle Course;
- experience downhill skiing with qualified instructors;
- feel the rhythm at the Snowflake Stage featuring talented performers and acrobatic stunts;
- celebrate Yukon Days with performances and snow sculptures;
- visit the Adventure Zone, where they can try Jumpaï trampolines, rock climbing and catch a lift in a tethered hot air balloon (Feb. 3).
The Rideau Canal Skateway
Celebrating 42 seasons of skating
Each winter, the NCC transforms the Rideau Canal into the world’s largest skating rink, which was officially recognized as such in 2005 by Guinness World Records™. The Rideau Canal Skateway is centre stage for many activities during Winterlude. For the celebration’s opening weekend, the world-famous ice surface will host the 29th Annual Winterlude Triathlon and the 32nd Annual Accora Village Bed Race which take place at Dows Lake this Saturday. In addition to pioneer activities and crafts that take place this weekend at Bronson Avenue with the Canada Agriculture Museum, throughout Winterlude visitors to the Skateway will have the opportunity to:
- discover Portraits on the Ice, an outdoor art gallery presented by Library and Archives Canada, which this season commemorates the War of 1812;
- see Fire Weavers and other talented acts at the WestJet Fun ‘n Festival Zone;
- enjoy culinary demonstrations and sample creative Canadian dishes in the American Express Lounge at Fifth Avenue;
- sign up for a free 45-minute Subway® Learn to Skate session;
- take in storytelling theatre, traditional dances, songs and hand drumming with Aboriginal Experiences at Pig Island;
- and much, much more!
Programming Partners
Truly making Winterlude the Capital Region’s winter celebration
For the 34th edition of Winterlude, more than 50 programming partners, from Ottawa and Gatineau’s private and public sectors, have come together to offer visitors a wide-range of indoor and outdoor activities aimed at animating the Capital like never before. Here is just a sampling of what takes place on the first weekend of Winterlude:
- 21st Annual ByWard Market Stew Cook-Off;
- the first annual Ottawa Winter Jazz Festival;
- Cool Science Saturday at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum;
- Northern Lights 2012: Northern Lights Business and Cultural Showcase;
- Ottawa Theatres Present Paul Brandt at Centrepointe Theatre;
- CARTE BLANCHE with Jean-Claude Marcus and Samuel Boivin-Provost presented by the Ville de Gatineau;
- The Mighty Popo: Gakondo is presented by the Ville de Gatineau;
- Downtown Rideau CHILL FACTOR.
For more information about Winterlude, please contact the NCC at 613-239-5000, 613-239-5090 (TTY), 1-800-465-1867 (toll-free) or 1-866-661-3530 (toll-free TTY), or visit the NCC’s website at Winterlude.gc.ca.
Winterlude 2012: More partners, more to discover
Skating, sliding, musical fireworks, culinary experiences and much more
[Source: NCC press release]
Canada’s Capital Region — The National Capital Commission (NCC) today unveiled the line-up of events for the 34th edition of Winterlude and the 42nd season of the Rideau Canal Skateway, the world’s largest skating rink.
The Capital’s winter celebration, will be held from February 3 to 20, 2012, and feature an array of memorable activities where the outdoors, winter sports, Canada’s diverse cultures, winter traditions and culinary arts will be at the forefront.
“For the 34th edition of Winterlude, more partners than ever have come together to offer residents and visitors the opportunity to rekindle their appreciation of Canadian winter traditions, our diversity and our artistic and scientific achievements,” explains Marie Lemay, NCC Chief Executive Officer. “The iconic Rideau Canal Skateway, the world’s largest skating rink, will be at the heart of the Capital Region’s winter celebration”.
Ms. Lemay was accompanied by Jim Watson, Mayor of the City of Ottawa; Marc Bureau, Mayor of Ville de Gatineau; and Wendy Hall, Vice-President of Account Development, Global Corporate Payments with American Express, at a news conference held today at the Fairmont Château Laurier in Ottawa.
NCC, Occupy Ottawa protesters heading for Winterlude showdown over Confederation Park
Mohammed Ahmad, The Ottawa Citizen
The National Capital Commission and the Occupy Ottawa movement are likely heading for a showdown at Confederation Park over plans for Winterlude.
Considering the Occupy movement as a never-before-seen worldwide phenomenon, the NCC allowed the protesters to set up shop at Confederation Park to demonstrate against what they see as economic inequities in Canada and the world — even though it was in violation of regulations.
But speaking for the first time since the occupation began Oct. 15, NCC chief executive Marie Lemay said that with Winterlude — which takes place in February — fast approaching, the NCC will need to get the park back. Site preparations for Winterlude often start in December.
“One thing that we do want is to be able to return the land to its usual public use, and that is something we’ll have to discuss with the folks out there,” Lemay told the Citizen Tuesday.
“We do have important programming coming up with Winterlude and there’s a number of other programs that take place on this land. We want to be able to let the rest of the public use it.”
Call to Artists: Show your Northern Passion
OttawaStart
The National Capital Commission (NCC) is seeking work by Canadian professional artists for Northern Passion, an outdoor group exhibit to be held in Confederation Park, in the heart of Canada’s Capital Region, during Winterlude 2012.
From February 3 to 20, 2012, Confederation Park will again be an official site for the Capital’s winter celebration. Every year between 300,000 and 400,000 people visit this hub of Winterlude activity, making it an exceptional place for public presentation of works by Canadian artists.
Read more on the OttawaStart website: Call to Artists: Show your Northern Passion
The good news and the bad about the arts in Canada
Charles Gordon, YourOttawaRegion.com
Summer is the right time for a look at the good, the bad and, yes, the ugly in the Canadian arts.
First the good: Last week, during the Ottawa International Jazz Festival, a band of young musicians rehearsed in the theatre of Library and Archives Canada, as part of the TD Jazz Youth Summit. The 17 players, high school, university and college students, were brought together from across the country. Later, they would present two concerts on the festival’s main stage.
Three seasoned pros, all Canadians, worked with them as they struggled to learn a difficult composition, Transit, by Darcy James Argue. The band’s musical director, Jim Lewis, a Toronto trumpeter, composer and teacher, welcomed Argue, who is originally from Vancouver but now leads a New York-based band. One of his trumpet players, Ingrid Jensen, who is also originally from British Columbia, also pitched in, as well as playing fiery trumpet solos.
The guidance was in part technical but also general – it was about breathing, it was about not playing timidly, it was about projecting authority and it was enjoyed by both sides. “I’m very appreciative of you guys playing my music,” Argue told them.
By the end of the 90-minute rehearsal, the piece was sounding almost as professional as it would sound later that night, when Argue’s own band, the Secret Society, played it in Confederation Park.
Read more on the Your Ottawa Region website: The good news and the bad about the arts in Canada
Top-Notch Musicians Play Ottawa Jazz Festival: Béla Fleck and Matt Andersen thrill the crowd
Susan Hallett, Epoch Times
Canada Day saw masses of people at Confederation Park in downtown Ottawa. Two boys were swimming in the fountain while three others gathered the pennies people had thrown in for good luck while I strolled past. Mobs of people were licking ice cream cones and eating rotis, sipping beer and enjoying poutine along with the all-day free jazz concerts at the 31st annual TD Ottawa International Jazz Festival.
What we heard on this perfect, star-filled night was an absolutely unique bluegrass-jazz crossover displaying what the festival brochure describes as “a special kinship between the four musicians, a bond forged over 20 years ago in a mutual passion for creativity and artistic advancement.” After playing with various artists and taking a hiatus, Fleck reconvened the original Bela Fleck & The Flecktones, that amazing initial line-up of an incredible combo.
Ottawans and fellow jazz lovers were fortunate to have the opportunity to hear these stars play. It was definitely a night to remember.
Full review on the Epoch Times website: Top-Notch Musicians Play Ottawa Jazz Festival
Hugh Masekela replaces Youssou N’Dour in the 2011 Ottawa Jazz Festival lineup
OttawaJazzScene.ca
The Ottawa International Jazz Festival announced June 13 that South African trumpeter Hugh Masekela has replaced Youssou N’Dour in the 2011 jazz festival lineup. The festival said N’Dour had abruptly cancelled his Canadian tour and will return home to Senegal following a family emergency. A story in a Montreal Gazette blog suggested N’Dour had a problem with obtaining visas.
Masekela last appeared in Ottawa in 2008 at a jazz festival winter concert. The famed vocalist and trumpet player will perform in Confederation Park on Tuesday, June 28 at 8:30 p.m. All tickets purchased for the N’Dour performance will be honoured for Masekela’s show.
Much of Masekela’s music reflects his experience of growing up in South Africa under apartheid. As an icon of the fight for equality in that nation, his style is derived from the battlefields of Johannesburg, the street, the church, labour camps and political protests,along with the sounds of South Africa’s diverse ethnic culture. His story is told in vivid portraits of the struggle and the sorrows, the joys and thepassions of his country.
In other lineup changes, French trumpeter Médéric Collignon
earlier cancelled his appearance at the festival due to health issues. No replacement for his concert has been announced.
The Festival also announced that Israeli piano dynamo Omri Mor will be performing at the festival on Thursday, June 23 (instead of June 30); logistical issues had originally put this concert into doubt.
Rideau Canal Festival announces lineup
Tony Lofaro, Ottawa Citizen
OTTAWA — The Rideau Canal Festival is rolling toward its fourth year, adding some new wrinkles to a midsummer festival that celebrates the canal as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Borrowing a page from other local festivals, the Rideau Canal festival is this year introducing a passport offering discounts valued at $100 at all festival sites and activities, including canal bikes, walking and bicycle heritage tours, as well the adopt-a-metre-of the canal program. The passport is $20 for adults, children under 12 are admitted free to festival sites.
The festival will also have a World Heritage Stage Concert Series featuring several Ottawa-area bands at Confederation Park, one of the official festival sties. Some highlights include Fresh Beat, a house music show marking UNESCO’s International Youth Year, and Puffin Productions’ environmental storytelling and music for children, and also music honouring some of the builders of the canal.
Read more on the Ottawa Citizen website: Rideau Canal Festival announces line-up
Ottawa Turkish Festival
The Festival will be open to general public free of charge and will display Turkish art, folk dance, music and gourmet food, where visitors will get an opportunity to celebrate, learn, and savour Turkish hospitality, culture, heritage and cuisine.
The first Ottawa Turkish Festival was organized in 2007, based on the fantastic initial success it has expanded to weeklong festival. Turkish culture, dance and music have mesmerized audiences for the past four years and this year’s schedule promises no different.
Visitors will be able to browse and buy Turkish products, souvenirs and handcrafts, participate in activities for children, view many authentic demonstrations and performances, sample Turkish cuisine, and do much, much more at the Festival.
| Flag Raising Ceremony 4 p.m. – 5 p.m. Friday, July 15, 2011 Ottawa Police Headquarters 474 Elgin Street |
Turkish Parade Noon – 1 p.m. Friday, July 22, 2011 Sparks Street Mall (Starts at Lyon to Elgin) |
| Festival Opening Gala 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. Friday, July 22, 2011 Ottawa City Hall 110 Laurier Avenue West |
Festival Grounds Noon – 9 p.m. Saturday, July 23 & Sunday, July 24, 2011 Confederation Park Ottawa |
What to expect at the Festival?
- Performances of Turkish Folk Dances, Whirling Dervish of Rumi and Live Turkish Music.
- Watch an Ebru (Water Marbling) painting demonstration on paper and Classical Calligraphy Drawing.
- Relax at the Turkish Oriental Corner, decorated with pillows, rugs, arts, handicrafts, traditional jewelry and more.
- Enjoy Turkish cuisine, sample gourmet foods including kababs, donair vegetarian & olive oil dishes, Gözleme (Turkish Pancake), Börek (Turkish Flaky Pastry), Mantı (Turkish Ravioli), as well as drinks like Ayran (Turkish Buttermilk). A meal would not be complete without desert! Taste Baklava, Turkish delight and more.
- Don’t miss popular Turkish coffee and tea served in an authentic setting
- Let your kids enjoy all sorts of activities: face painting, games, cotton candy, the inflatable village and more!
- Browse the different vendors and booths for books, souvenirs, fine arts and crafts.
- Visit our employment corner to discuss career opportunities with the Canadian Forces, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and the Ottawa Police.
- Support charitable organizations like Northern Lights Educational Services (NLES) providing top quality Child Care services and the Canadian Institute of Intercultural Dialogue (CIID) hosting monthly Interfaith Dialogue Talk Series (IDTS).
- Plan your trip to Turkey, to the land of ancient civilizations! Pickup a copy of touristic brochures available at our information booth.
This year the Festival promises to be even better with International performers and increased programming! It will take place on Saturday, July 23 and Sunday, July 24 at Confederation Park in Ottawa. For the complete week-long Festival Events Schedule please visit www.ottawaturkishfestival.com.
