The organizer of the annual Canadian Tulip Festival says she’s expecting a big turnout this year, especially as the newly opened north-south line of the city’s light-rail system gives festival-goers more transit options.
Jo Riding, executive director of the festival, said the north-south O-Train line that opened in January will make it easier for visitors to get to and from the festival, which runs from May 9 to 19 and this year celebrates 80 years since the liberation of the Netherlands.
The festival takes place at Commissioners Park, near the Corso Italia and Dow’s Lake stops along Line 2 of the LRT.
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“A lot of folks who are from out of town will begin their tour of Ottawa downtown then they come to us. We’re really excited that the O-Train station is open this year. We don’t really know how it’ll play out, but it certainly will be a more attractive option for locals. It also connects us with some folks that are also celebrating the 80 years, like the Canadian War Museum,” Riding said.
With construction work for The Ottawa Hospital’s Civic Campus sometimes obstructing vehicle traffic, Riding said the train will help people who have parked farther away from the site and those coming from other places in the city.
She said the festival hosted 465,000 people last year, generating about $58 million in revenue for surrounding businesses.
“We know that neighbourhoods such as Little Italy are incredibly busy. Every patio is packed. Every restaurant is open on the holiday Monday, just to help serve crowds. Last year, hotel occupancy was up 93 per cent in the city during the festival … The impact of an extra half-million people is felt city-wide,” she said.
Riding said there are many cross-promotions for the festival, from downtown to the west end.
“We have a west-end hive at Tanger Outlets. We also have a new hive (downtown) at the Alt Hotel, where folks can buy flowers and t-shirts and visit the Canadian Remembrance Torch, which will be staying there during the trip to Ottawa. The Canadian War Museum also has such a perfect exhibit to go along with our walking tour,” she said.
With a team of only three people, Riding relies on hundreds of volunteers and community supporters to make the festival happen.
“It takes our little team all year to put together the festival. We’re only a staff of three. We have 620 volunteers this year and 75 partners, sponsors and stakeholders. That’s how we manage to get it all done as a tiny charity with a very big job,” Riding said.
The National Capital Commission takes care of the 300,000 tulips on the grounds at Commissioners Park, Riding added, while her team takes care of the rest.
“The NCC plants and cares for the tulips and we celebrate them, which is a darn good thing because I’m a terrible gardener. I actually have the Guinness World Record for the tallest dandelion, so that’ll tell you how my skills are on the horticulture side,” she joked.
Riding said the festival is partnering with local businesses to help make the festival happen. For example, with its “vintage victory party,” the festival is bringing in local dancers, musicians and Second World War re-enactors to bring back the spirit of 80 years ago.
“We’re working with the Swords and Ploughshares Museum, just south of Ottawa, which has a great collection of Second World War vehicles. We’ll have some old-timey Jeeps and personnel transports. We work with local actors, local musicians and local swing dancers. There’s huge coordination,” she said.
The festival will end with a 15-minute fireworks and drone show over Dow’s Lake.
“It’s actually designed by a retired Army officer who now owns this company. He put his heart and soul into designing a show that speaks to the liberation of the Netherlands … They’ve done a thoughtful job of keeping the story and soundtrack firmly in 1945,” Riding said.
Riding said the festival, which is co-hosted by the Canadian Armed Forces, will honour two veterans in its opening ceremony, followed by a “passing (of) the torch.”
“Every year we select an honoured veteran and we tell their story during the festival. This year, we will be hosting Canada’s most decorated living soldier, honorary Lt.-Gen. Richard Rohmer. He is known as the man who caught (Erwin) Rommel. We also have with us retired Pvt. John Preece, who was a foot soldier who was wounded in action. He’s 99 (years old) and Gen. Rohmer is 101,” she said.
“We will have the Canadian Remembrance Torch to start us off and we (will) also include cadets, because it’s all about passing the torch from one generation to the next.”
She said the message behind the festival is “as important as ever.”
“As our Second World War veterans are coming to the end of their time with us, it’s more important than ever to remind folks about the sacrifice and about how bad things can get when good people do nothing,” she said.
Last year as the “songs of liberation” from the 1940s played on the main stage, she remembers seeing three older couples singing along and beginning to dance.
“It was like looking back into the past and seeing popular culture from 1945. To be able to see the impact of that, it was a really moving moment. It shows just how transcendent the message of hope and freedom and joy continues down through these old songs and right to today,” Riding said.
More information about the festival and its activities can be found at tulipfestival.ca.
