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InsideTrack.show: Guy Laflamme talks about ‘Ottawa the old to Ottawa the bold’

From Ottawa the Old, to Ottawa the Bold

In anticipation of the upcoming Ottawa 2017 celebrations, InsideTrack approached Guy Laflamme, executive director of the Ottawa 2017 Bureau, to join us on the show.

Mr Laflamme did not disappoint. During a live panel discussion and subsequent recorded interview, he provided a preview of what to expect over the year, a behind-the-scenes look at how it all came to be as well as insights into the expected legacy of Ottawa’s big year.

Ottawa 2017 wants to use the celebrations to showcase Ottawa as a “technology city” and develop a program that’s big, immersive and rich in emotion. The hope is that this program will generate massive national – and even international – visibility for Canada’s capital.

Beyond 2017, Mr. Laflamme said he hopes the celebrations will leave a lasting legacy of greater business and leisure tourism to Ottawa in addition to inspiring younger generations to contribute to the future of the city.

With more than 170 planned events spanning 365 days in 2017, one of the most pressing questions on everyone’s minds was what residents should look forward to the most. After a bit of prodding, Mr. Laflamme gave us his top three picks:

Red Bull Crashed Ice

This action-packed event features the Ice Cross Downhill World championship, held at the Rideau Canal locks. Due to its proximity to Parliament Hill, the Chateau Laurier and the stunning vistas across the Ottawa River, Mr. Laflamme predicts that it will be the “most scenic ever edition of the Red Bull Crashed Ice.”

Underground multimedia Kontinuum

Touted as a “mind-blowing” science-fiction themed underground journey through time and space, Kontinuum will feature a light and sound show projected in one of Ottawa’s future light-rail stations. The story will be premised on a fictionalized finding during excavations for the LRT, which allows participants to travel through time by accessing an invisible electromagnetic field.

La Machine

Like something straight out of a Michael Bay movie, La Machine will bring larger-than-life mechanized monsters to the streets of Ottawa. A giant spider and a flame-breathing dragon will “take control of the downtown core” from the Chaudiere Islands all the way to the ByWard Market between July 26-30.

Watch the full episode featuring Guy Laflamme by visiting The Inside Track’s website here.

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