After blowing out the candles, the TD OTTAWA INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL ‘Blows its own horn’ after celebrating the most artistically successful Festival ever in 30 years!
From its roots as a weekend-long Dixieland bash to its current status as one of the National Capital Region’s largest annual events, the Festival has been thrilling music fans for 30 summers. Just over 290,000 attended the Festival’s most successful year in its 30-year history in 2010, up by 28,000 from 2009! On Canada Day more than 92,000 attended free concerts, performed by some of the most innovative and cutting-edge Canadian artists at Confederation Park.
More than 850 artists performed in 250 concerts, in 10 different series and in 8 different venues located in the heart of the Nation’s Capital.
“In an industry where success often depends on things beyond organizers’ control, the festival took major risks this year to build for the future, and everything it added worked according to plan.” – Ottawa Sun
Besides the star-studded line-up on the Main Stage there were gems to be found in the successful OLG Stage, Improv Invitational, Friends and the Late Night Jam Sessions at the Crowne Plaza.
“This year, the festival introduced the OLG Tent, a new stage in Confederation Park. Its eclectic, late-night shows were very successful, easily drawing listeners from mainstage concerts that had just concluded. The tent could not hold all who wanted to hear acts such as Bonobo or Gypsophilia.” – Ottawa Citizen
“the Improv Invitational series, experienced the best overall attendance in its five-year history, with some of its best programming to boot.” – Ottawa Sun
“The festival’s nightly jam sessions, run by Ottawa bassist John Geggie, were consistently impressive, with visiting stars such as the saxophonists Joshua Redman and Joe Lovano sitting in to play. An hour or so after the big band of Roy Hargrove finished playing in Confederation Park, the trumpeter and many of his musicians staged a benevolent takeover of the festival jam.” – Ottawa Citizen
Join us next year from June 22 – July 3 as we celebrate the 31st edition of the TD Ottawa Jazz Festival.
O Ottawa. When did you get so hip? Discovering Canada’s cool capital
Michael Kaminer, Special to The Washington Post
In fact, if anything now characterizes the city, I’d say it’s an unselfconscious cool. There’s a proudly indie aesthetic in its neighborhoods, but without the hipster posturing of Toronto. Unlike language-obsessed Montreal, the city has a relaxed attitude toward bilingualism — everything here comes in both official languages — that lends Ottawa an easy cosmopolitanism.
Oh, yes: Ottawa also boasts Canada’s Parliament, along with the National Gallery, the Royal Canadian Mint, the Canadian War Museum, Rideau Hall, the Canadian Museum of Nature, the Canadian Children’s Museum, the Canada Aviation and Space Museum and the Canadian Museum of Civilization. They’re all gleaming, serious attractions, with collections often lauded as some of the world’s best.
They used to be the reason for a visit to Ottawa, with restaurants and shopping an afterthought. These days, don’t be surprised if you find the opposite to be true.
Read the full article in the Washington Post: O Ottawa. When did you get so hip?
NCC WELCOMES THE CANADIAN TULIP FESTIVAL TO ITS CAPITAL PARKS
Visit the NCC’s Tulip Legacy Exhibit in Commissioners and Major’s Hill parks
The National Capital Commission (NCC) is pleased to welcome the Canadian Tulip Festival to Commissioners and Major’s Hill parks, from May 7 to 24, 2010, and to provide the colourful displays of tulips found throughout the Capital Region.
NCC’S TULIP LEGACY EXHIBIT
Commissioners Park, May 7 to May 24, 2010
Major’s Hill Park, May 14 to 24, 2010
The NCC’s Tulip Legacy Exhibit recounts the history of the Dutch Royal family’s refuge in Canada during the Second World War and the contribution of Canadian troops in the liberation of the Netherlands in 1944-45. With panels, photographs and a discovery cart*, NCC interpreters can help visitors discover how the tulip has become a symbol of peace and freedom shared by Canada and the Netherlands. (*discovery cart available at Commissioners Park, Monday to Thursday from 9 am to 5 pm, and Friday to Sunday from 9 am to 8 pm)
65th ANNIVERSARY OF THE LIBERATION OF THE NETHERLANDS
This year, 22,000 tulips, donated last fall by the Embassy of the Kingdom of The Netherlands, will bloom in a special commemorative flowerbed at Commissioners Park to pay tribute to the 65th anniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands. The design of the bed represents, in red and white tulips, the two countries – Canada and the Netherlands, and in blue hyacinths both the Netherlands’ flag and the ocean that unites us.
While touring the Capital, visitors can pick-up a free copy of the “Experience the Beauty! The National Capital Commission’s Tulip Beds” brochure, which provides information on the tulip legacy story, maps out the location of key gardens and designated photo sites in some of the Capital’s most beautiful tulip displays, and recommends walking and cycling routes, with distances, to best enjoy the flowerbeds.
TULIPS AT THE NCC’S CAPITAL INFOCENTRE
May 7 to 14, 2010, from 9 am to 5 pm / May 15 to 24, from 9 am to 9 pm
Tulip lovers will also want to visit the NCC’s Capital Infocentre, one of the Festival’s official sites located across from Parliament Hill. The gallery on the second floor offers an impressive view of the 28,000 red tulips planted by the NCC each year on Parliament Hill.
TULIPS AT THE NCC’S HISTORICAL MACKENZIE KING ESTATE IN GATINEAU PARK
Beginning May 15, weekdays from 11 am to 5 pm and weekends and statutory holidays from 10 am to 5 pm
William Lyon Mackenzie King was Prime Minister of Canada when Princess Juliana of the Netherlands sent a gift of thousands of tulip bulbs to the Canadian people to be planted in Canada’s Capital. Each spring, tulips also bloom at Mackenzie King Estate located in the Capital’s Gatineau Park. The historic buildings of the Estate, set among a unique collection of ruins and stunning gardens, will be open to the public beginning May 15, 2010.
ABOUT THE NCC’S FLORAL PROGRAM
Each spring, over one million tulips and 200,000 annuals planted by the NCC bloom on Parliament Hill, in Major’s Hill, Commissioners and Jacques-Cartier parks, as well as along Confederation Boulevard, the historic Rideau Canal, the Capital’s scenic parkways and recreational pathways, and in front of national museums and institutions. As the official gardener of Canada’s Capital, the NCC is responsible for the design and maintenance of many of the public gardens and the 90 flower beds found throughout the region. The most impressive display of tulips is found in Commissioners Park, where some 300,000 tulips bloom each year.
For more information on tulips, the public can contact the NCC at 613-239-5000, 1-800 465-1867, 613-239-5090 (TTY) or 1-866-661-3530 (toll-free TTY), or visit the website at www.canadascapital.gc.ca/tulips.
For information on the Canadian Tulip Festival, the public can visit the Festival’s website at www.tulipfestival.ca.
How should the Ottawa area be branded: After surveying Canadians, NCC to unveil a marketing slogan in June
Kate Jaimet , The Ottawa Citizen
The National Capital Commission is working to develop a catchy yet dignified slogan, to be unveiled in June, that’s meant to brand the capital region as a source of pride for all Canadians.
Based on public opinion research conducted for the NCC, it’s unlikely the capital will be branded as: “fun,” “dynamic,” “modern,” “cosmopolitan,” or “innovative.”
More likely, the region will be portrayed as “historic,” “interesting,” “beautiful,” and “welcoming,” while the NCC also strives to make it “inspiring,” “environmentally friendly,” and to make sure it “reflects the entire country.”
The slogan is to be part of a five-year $2.5-million branding and marketing project that the NCC began last year. The values identified in the research are meant to infuse the NCC’s corporate culture and operations, as well as the development of a new “Plan for Canada’s Capital.”
Full Story on the Ottawa Citizen website: How should the Ottawa area be branded?
Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest announces blockbuster line-up
Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest organizers have announced the line-up for the 2010 edition of the festival. This year, scheduling will run from Tuesday, July 6 through Sunday, July 11 (Monday will be an off-day for fans and organizers to re-charge their batteries) and re-commence Tuesday, July 13 through Sunday, July 18. Festival organizers are expecting another year of great attendance while offering a dynamic festival experience, for what Billboard Magazine has ranked as one of the top-10 festivals in the world.
Confirmed Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest acts to-date include Alexisonfire; Anders Osborne & Johnny Sansone; Andrew Bird; AfroReggae; Arcade Fire; Aterciopelados; Babe Ruth; Basia Bulat; Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba; Bear in Heaven; Big Jeezus Truck; Big Soul Project featuring Roxanne Goodman; Bill ‘Sauce Boss’ Wharton; Bjorn Berg; Blonde Redhead; Campbell Brothers; Caravan Palace; Carolyn Wonderland; The Cat Empire; Champion and His G-Strings; Charlie Winston; Coolooloosh; Crowded House; Culture Reject; Curtis Salgado; Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi Band; Down With Webster; Drake; Dream Theatre; Eamon McGrath; Elvis Perkins; Ethiopique; Faber Drive; Foghat; Furthur featuring Phil Lesh & Bob Weir; Garaga; Gipsy Kings; GOOD2GO; Gord Downie and the Country of Miracles; Great Big Sea; Great Lake Swimmers; Group 1 Crew; Grupo Fantasma; Iron Maiden; James Hunter; Jimmy Cliff; Joan Jett; Joe Krown Trio with Walter Wolfman Washington & Russell Batiste; John Butler Trio; John Hiatt; John Kilduff; Keith Urban; Ken Workman & the Union; Kevin Costner and Modern West; Kings Go Forth; Konono No. 1; Lady Tramaine Hawkins; Laurent Bourque; Levon Helm; LIGHTS; Loudlove; Lukas Nelson; Marc Cohn; Marcia Ball & The Voice of The Wetlands All Stars featuring Tab Benoit, Cyril Neville, Anders Osborne, Johnny Sansone, Waylon Thibodeaux, and Big Chief Monk Boudreaux; Marianas Trench; Martin Sexton; Matt Andersen; Matthew Good; Matt Schofield; Metric; Moneen; Monster Mike Welch; NEWWORLDSON; Nicolas Collins; Occidental Brothers; Octoberman; Ozomatli; Passion Pit; Paul Rishell & Annie Raines; Planet Smashers; Renaissance; Richie Righteous; River City Junction; Robert Farrell Band; Robert Randolph & the Family Band; Roger Hodgson; Ronnie Baker Brooks; Roy Rogers & The Delta River Kings; Rosanne Cash; The Rural Alberta Advantage; Ryan Montbleau Band; Santana; Septentrional d’Haiti; Slyde; Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes; Staff Benda Bilili; Steel Pulse; Steve Dawson’s Mississippi Sheiks Project; Steve Hackett; Steve Winwood; That 1 Guy; That’s the Spirit; Terrance Simien & The Zydeco Experience; The Aggrolites; The Budos Band; The Constellations; The Ethics; The Flaming Lips; The Hold Steady; The Lost Fingers; The Love Machine; The Mohawk Lodge; The Moody Blues; The Musical Box; The Swell Season; The Whigs; The White Wires; Timber Timbre; TJ Wheeler; Tommy Castro; Too Slim and The Taildraggers; Trevor Hall; Tye Tribbett; We Are Wolves; Weezer; Woodhands; and Yatkha, with more to be announced.
Once again, Canada’s capital city will become a music Mecca during this 12-day arts extravaganza—drawing fans from far and wide. The festival site at LeBreton Flats Park offers a variety of food and merchandise concessions and is fully licensed. Tickets go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 24.
Please, see www.ottawabluesfest.ca for detailed performance schedule and ticket information.
Ottawa Festivals Launches Comprehensive Five Year Research Project
Ground breaking in-depth research project will provide valuable information and tools vital to strengthening and sustaining Ottawa’s standing as being Canada’s Festival Capital
OTTAWA – April 6, 2010 – Ottawa Festivals, an organization that represents more than 50 not-for-profit festivals, special events and fairs that take place in the National Capital Region, has embarked on an in-depth study of Ottawa’s festival industry. As it rolls out over the next five years, the research project will include three areas of concentration: social, economic and environmental impact studies.
“This kind of study is long overdue,” says Barbara Stacey, Ottawa Festivals’ Executive Director, “The majority of studies look solely at the economic impact of festivals, most of which don’t go too much farther than looking directly at tourist spending,” she explains, “These numbers are very important and we certainly are collecting this information, but to get a deeper understanding of the industry’s impact you also have to look at other factors such as: quality of life; the industry’s contribution to municipal branding; civic pride; volunteerism; and providing venues for local artists. Festivals are just as much about community building as they are about economic spin-off. We are very excited to see where this research takes us.”
A collaboration with Algonquin College, the project will provide real-world experience for students who will take part in various capacities. “Right from its inception, we knew we had to involve students in the project,” explains Dr. Tamer Mansy, Program Manager Research and Partnerships at Ottawa Festivals, “true to our industry, we looked at how we could leverage the project to extend benefit to others – with this partnership we are able to do that.”
The collaboration also includes an impressive list of industry leaders. An advisory committee has been established to shape the direction that the project will take. Representatives from the City of Ottawa, Ottawa Tourism, National Capital Commission, Council for the Arts in Ottawa, Algonquin College and Ottawa Festivals have already begun their work and the project is well under way.
The project will be carried out with the participation of Ottawa Festivals Members. “We have already begun an inclusive consultation process involving staff and volunteers that organize festivals, special events and fairs in the National Capital Region,” says Dr. Mansy, “we are gathering firsthand accounts and information to help us develop a clear snapshot of the industry – this will help us identify our strengths and areas that may require more focus going forward.”
“It has always been our intention to be as inclusive as possible. We are very pleased and honoured to have the involvement of the people on our advisory committee and the participation of our members,” says Stacey, “as key stakeholders and partners, their participation was essential.”
About Ottawa Festivals
Ottawa Festivals is a not-for-profit organization that represents 51 not-for-profit festivals, special events and fairs that take place in the National Capital Region. In partnership with the City of Ottawa, Employment Ontario and Trillium Foundation, the organization manages a number of programs to develop and sustain the industry to contribute to positive benefits that impact the community.
Oscar Peterson statue to grace Ottawa: Fundraising campaign aims to raise $210,000
A fundraising campaign has been launched to erect a life-size bronze sculpture of Oscar Peterson outside the National Arts Centre in Ottawa.
The statue of the Canadian jazz virtuoso will be unveiled on June 30 as part of Canada Day celebrations.
Created by Canadian sculptor Ruth Abernethy, it will depict Peterson seated on a bench beside a grand piano.
Full story on CBC website: Oscar Peterson statue to grace Ottawa
Canadian Tulip Festival Getaway Package Available
If you are planning on visiting Ottawa during the Canadian Tulip Festival, check out the package available on the Ottawa Tourism website. In addition to a special rate on Tulip Festival tickets, the package also includes a Rideau Centre savings directory and admission to other area attractions.
» Visit the Ottawa Tourism website: Tulip Celebration Getaway Package
Winterlude 2010: The Urban Cozy Project : February 2010
From Spins & Needles
Inspired by urban art and craft interventions around the world, this February 2010, Spins & Needles + the National Capital Commission (NCC) will transform the Ottawa-Gatineau winter landscape with a large-scale public urban art intervention. This intervention will take place during the annual Winterlude festival, Canada’s capital region winter celebration and one of the largest winter festivals in the world.
The Winterlude Urban Cozy Project, presented by Spins & Needles, will remix warmth, cold, art, craft, music and the city. We’re inviting artists and the public from near and far to create a warm and whimsical urban environment during Winterlude in Canada’s capital city by adding various warm coverings, or cozies, wrapped around trees, lampposts, and other urban elements on festival grounds. The intervention also seeks to play with traditional images and conceptions associated with a country known around the world for it’s cold weather climate.
Details: Winterlude 2010: The Urban Cozy Project : February 2010
PM welcomes the Olympic Flame to Parliament Hill
Prime Minister Stephen Harper today welcomed the Olympic Flame to Parliament Hill as thousands gathered to celebrate the passage of the Olympic Torch Relay through the National Capital Region. He was joined by Gordon Campbell, Premier of British Columbia, John Furlong, Chief Executive Officer of the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, Michael Chambers, President of the Canadian Olympic Committee, and from the National Capital Commission, Russell Mills, Chair of the Board and Marie Lemay, Chief Executive Officer.
“I am proud to welcome the Olympic Flame to the National Capital Region,” said the Prime Minister. “The Olympic Torch Relay began its epic journey 44 days ago in Victoria. For the next 62 days it will continue to travel from coast to coast to coast, showcasing our people, our lands, our athletes, our communities and our Canadian spirit.”
The Parliament Hill celebration featured appearances by Canadian Olympians Steve Podborski, Nathalie Lambert and Joé Juneau, who was the final torchbearer on Parliament Hill. The event also showcased performances by Canadian artists Gregory Charles, Asani and Tom Cochrane as well as the annual lighting ceremony of Christmas Lights Across Canada. This year, the Christmas Lights Across Canada program is celebrating its 25th anniversary with more than 350,000 LED lights.
“As the Olympic Flame makes its way across our great country, it is emblematic of the spirit of the Games,” said Prime Minister Harper. “It embodies the Olympic values of excellence, friendship and respect. Those values resonate deeply with our national character.”
On February 12, 2010, the Olympic Flame will make its way to downtown Vancouver to light the Olympic Cauldron before a television audience of 3 billion people worldwide, signalling the start of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.
Canadians across the country are taking part in the Olympic and Paralympic Torch Relays to celebrate the arrival of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The 106-day Olympic Torch Relay will visit more than 1,000 communities and places of interest in every province and territory.
For more information on the Government of Canada’s support for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay or the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games visit www.Canada2010.gc.ca.
For more information on Christmas Lights Across Canada, visit www.canadascapital.gc.ca.
