The party continues! Ottawa 2017 features mechanical creatures, time-travel and dining in the air
The year may be half over, but the Canada 150 party is just getting started in Ottawa. There’s a lot to look forward to over the next six months, including an immersive multimedia journey through time, a culinary flight of fancy served 150 feet in the air, massive music events and even a giant firebreathing dragon roaming the city.
According to Ottawa 2017’s executive director Guy Laflamme, the program was designed to give visitors a different perspective on Ottawa, reference Canada’s founding nations and showcase Canadian talent. An independent not-for-profit entity, Ottawa 2017 will have had a hand in bringing over 250 events to the city by the end of the year.
Laflamme said one of the events he is most looking forward to is Kontinuum, a parallel-universe adventure through time revealed through an immersive, underground multimedia production by Montrealbased sound-and-light show specialists Moment Factory. From July 16 to Sept. 14, up to 4,000 people per day will experience the 45-minute interactive story inside one of Ottawa’s future LRT stations.
“Even though the system will only be operational as of 2018, I felt it was essential to include a component of the LRT system because it’s going to be the most important transformative project within the recent decades for Ottawa,” said Laflamme.
While limited numbers of tickets will be available on site, it is strongly recommended to reserve in advance. More than 75,000 people have already reserved their free tickets online, and Laflamme said he expects it will ultimately draw hundreds of thousands of visitors.
Another highlight for Laflamme is Sky Lounge, a gourmet dining experience with a view of Ottawa like you’ve never seen. A table for 22 will be hoisted up by crane into the air, where diners will enjoy cocktails or a lavish meal prepared by chef Stephen La Salle from Feast+Revel at Andaz.
“It allows people to have the most spectacular view of the downtown core,” said Laflamme.
Tickets range from $150 to $250 and include a redcarpet welcome with appetizers and an aperitif, as well as after-dinner drinks. Seats are equipped with a fivepoint harness for safety, and the heated table and a clear roof will keep diners cosy even if it rains. Foodies have until July 22 to get on board.
One of the most highly anticipated spectacles coming to Ottawa this year is La Machine. In a North American first, a fire-breathing woodand-steel dragon weighing 45 tonnes and a 20-metre long mechanical spider will roam the streets of Ottawa in a four-day-long free street theatre event. The dragon is a reference to Ottawa’s sister city, Beijing, while the spider recalls the famous metal arachnid by sculptor Louise Bourgeouis that crouches outside the National Art Gallery.
“It’s not just a parade, it’s a street theatre production, so you will have scenes in different areas between LeBreton Flats and the ByWard Market,” said Laflamme. “If you come to the downtown core it will be hard to miss them because both the dragon and spider are about three storeys high.”
Over 2.5 million people have already seen the promotional video for the event, and thousands more plan to turn out to see these creatures roam the city July 2730. Details on the starting point for La Machine and where to gather to view key scenes in the story will be posted online ahead of the event.
Inspiration Village, which has already drawn more than 175,000 visitors since opening in late May, will continue until Sept. 4. The free event in ByWard Market features sea shipping containers transformed into artistic installations, special exhibitions and performances by acrobats, DJs, athletes and more from noon to 8 p.m. daily.
Other events to look forward to include special guest chef menus at local restaurants developed by Canadian culinary stars cooking for the sold out Aug. 27 Canada’s Table event, the YOWttawa concert featuring Guns N’ Roses and Our Lady Peace (and free tailgate party before the show featuring Canadian artists, including francophone and Indigenous talent), Agri 150’s unique culinary and agricultural experiences in rural Ottawa, Ignite 150’s epic stunts in all corners of the capital, and the ongoing Ottawa Welcomes the World series at Lansdowne Park, celebrating Canada’s diversity and recognizing our ties with other nations around the world.
In the fall, there will be still more to see and do. Highlights will include the NHL 100 Classic, the 105th Grey Cup and Festival and the Canadian Video Game Awards.
More information about these and other upcoming Ottawa 2017 events is online at www.ottawa2017.ca.