Guess who’s coming to Ottawa for the city’s big 200th anniversary celebration?
It’s Canadian rock legends The Guess Who. Founding members Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings are reuniting after a break of 23 years and will perform as part of their Takin’ It Back Tour at Ottawa Bluesfest on July 19, in a special event to honor Ottawa’s bicentennial.
The city is partnering with Ottawa Tourism to organize various events celebrating this important milestone, highlighting Ottawa’s diverse history and culture.
Plans include a family-friendly gathering at Marion Dewar Plaza, a community-focused exhibit at city hall, and the introduction of an arts, culture, and entertainment district downtown.
A complete lineup of Ottawa 200 events will be announced in the new year, according to the city.
This programming is funded by the municipal accommodation tax and primarily coordinated by Ottawa Tourism, which has invited various vendors to participate in the official celebrations.
Jérôme Miousse is the director of public affairs for Ottawa Tourism. He says that everyone has a role to play in reconciliation. (Antoine Allain/CBC)
“We are looking for operators that reflect every single group of the population that participated in that rich Ottawa history,” said Jérôme Miousse, Ottawa Tourism’s director of public affairs.
“That includes Indigenous operators, that includes francophone experiences. We really want everyone to feel represented.”
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Different perspectives
The Rideau Canal construction started in 1826 under Lt.-Col. John By, from whom Bytown got its name. Long before this time, the Algonquin Anishinābe were caretakers of the land and used the Ottawa River for travel, trade, and traditional ceremonies. “When the construction of the Rideau Canal began in 1826, it did disrupt their way of life and displace their people,” explained Chloe Dennis, historian and exhibits manager at Ottawa’s Bytown Museum. Ben Weiss, a spokesperson for the Historical Society of Ottawa, says the organization has big plans for the city’s bicentennial. (Patrick Leduc/CBC) At that same time, European settlers established a thriving lumber industry here. “The vast lumber industry eliminated forests,” said Ben Weiss from the Historical Society of Ottawa. This also turned Bytown into what he described as a “rough and tumble lumber town.” Weiss mentioned it was so wild it made even the Wild West seem tame. Bytown became known as Ottawa in 1855 and was named Canada’s capital just two years later – ten years before Confederation. The Historical Society of Ottawa aims to celebrate this 200th anniversary with a three-part speaker series focusing on Bytown’s stories along with those about the Rideau Canal and its effects on local Indigenous populations. Dennis stated that she is collaborating with local schools, community organizations like the Japanese Community Association and Somali Cultural Museum, drag artist Morgan Mercury Moore among others to help create an exhibition titled What’s in a Frame? 200 plus years of community portraits set to launch in May at Bytown Museum. The exhibition will shine light on “the people who have lived and worked in Ottawa from time immemorial through Bytown up until now while also looking ahead toward future generations.”Source link
