Ottawa’s long-suffering downtown sprung back to life Friday night with live music, a relaxed atmosphere and large crowds during the opening night of the Ottawa Jazz Festival.
Attendees filled Confederation Park at Elgin Street and Laurier Avenue for an outdoor concert featuring Montreal-based pianist and jazz composer Gentiane MG and her trio, followed by 11-time Juno Award-winning singer-songwriter Feist.
It was a gorgeous night to be outdoors for the launch of summer music festivals in our nation’s capital.
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The VIP Tent was filled with recognizable faces, including Mayor Mark Sutcliffe. He dropped in before heading to the main stage to welcome the crowd. Also seen were Ottawa Tourism president and CEO Michael Crockatt; Aga Khan Development Network representative Mahmoud Eboo, and owners and representatives from such sponsors as Saunders Cider, CAA, LouLou Lounge Furniture Rental, Aiāna Restaurant, Arlo Wine & Restaurant, Queen St. Fare, IG Wealth Management, and others. The VIP area was catered by Coconut Lagoon’s sister restaurant, Thali.
Present were the Ottawa Jazz Festival board of directors, including its president, Adam Douglas, senior counsel and deputy director with Global Affairs Canada; vice president Yves Ménard, business law leader in the Ottawa office of Borden Ladner Gervais; and Richard Goldstein, vice president of construction and developmentKRP Properties in the Kanata Research Park and the Kanata North Technology Park.
Particularly excited to be in attendance was Erin Benjamin, president and CEO of the Canadian Live Music Association. She told OBJ how grateful she was over the return of Canada’s summer festival season for its second year, following the COVID-influenced cancellation of such events in 2020 and 2021.
“Every time I see a crowd in front of a stage, I get goosebumps,” she told OBJ.social. “I’ll never take it for granted and none of us should. We’re very lucky to have such incredible, passionate and resilient people working so hard.”
Canada’s summer festivals are pointing toward a “blockbuster” season, provided the weather cooperates, said Benjamin, who’s also a director with the Ottawa Board of Trade. “The programming is amazing, people are back volunteering and buying tickets to shows, and festival artists are on the roads touring. And that’s what it takes: audiences, artists and incredible outdoor stages.”
Benjamin credited the festival community for the strong return. “None of them gave up. For the most part, our beloved Canadian festivals are back.”
There’s been considerable ongoing discussion about how the city needs to step up its game by enhancing its nightlife, as a way of reversing the damage caused by remote work trends on the economic activity of the downtown core.
Making Ottawa one of the best cities for live music appeals to Scott May, who regularly hosts performing artists at his coffeeshop-bar-performance space, Bar Robo, at Queen St. Fare. “Nobody ever went wrong supporting arts and culture in this city.
“I think anything that draws several thousands of people downtown can’t be anything but beneficial, and also serves to reinforce the notion that becoming a Music City, with a premium place for live musical performances, is something people want and support,” he said. “It’s an enormous economic driver for the city. Enormous.”
Ottawa city council recently approved the city’s first nightlife economy action plan to develop and promote nocturnal activities and experiences. According to the City of Ottawa, our nightlife economy accounted for more than $1.5 billion in spending in 2019, almost 30 per cent of the $5.5 billion spent during the daytime.
Among the politicians excited to see Ottawa “coming alive again” was Ottawa city councillor Ariel Troster, whose Somerset Ward includes much of downtown.
The festival is a great opportunity, she said, for attendees to visit all the happening spots around town. “I hope people explore Elgin Street and the (Byward) Market and all the other nearby areas.”
The Ottawa Jazz Festival continues until this Friday, primarily on the Confederation Park Main Stage and its neighbouring venues, the Marion Dewar OLG Stage and the National Arts Centre’s Fourth Stage and Azrieli Studio.
Upcoming headliners include Melody Gardot, Avishai Cohen Trio, Lord Huron, Buddy Guy, Snarky Puppy and Herbie Hancock.
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