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Ottawa now has its inaugural night mayor — officially known as the Nightlife Commissioner — with Montrealer Mathieu Grondin being tapped to implement the city’s plan to improve its after-dark economy.
Introduced at a press announcement at city hall on Tuesday morning, Grondin said his first order of business will be to meet and listen to various stakeholders in the city’s nightlife scene.
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“I’ve been coming to the capital for 25 years, but of course I’m not from Ottawa, and the next few months are going to be to sit down and meet the people who make the beats of the nightlife of the city pulse and figure out what the major forces, challenges and opportunities are.”
According to a biography provided by the city, Grondin has spent a great deal of time working to improve Montreal’s nightlife. In 2017, he founded MTL 24/24, a non-profit that supports nightlife development by destigmatizing nightlife activities and enabling discussions between municipal authorities and the community. In 2020, the organization established a Night Council, “a consultation table for Montreal night owls.”
Grondin earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts from Concordia University in 2004, specializing in film production. He also spent two decades as an actor in film, television and theatre, and 15 years as a director and editor of music videos for artists and commercial clients.
In 2021, he also launched MTL au Sommet de la nuit, an international forum dedicated to identifying best practices for managing urban nighttime activities.
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“I’m here today because I’ve been advocating for cities to create these positions around the world,” he said. “I’m thrilled that Ottawa is the first city in Canada to do this.
“It’s important for cities to have a vibrant cultural life,” he added. “That’s a great way to retain the workforce, especially the creative workforce.”
Grondin had little to say about any specific plans he might have beyond implementing the city’s Nightlife Economy Action Plan, which outlines 10 actions to be taken, such as collaborating with Ottawa Tourism to promote nightlife experiences; developing a Nightlife Safety and Security Plan; and promoting city-wide participation of residents, visitors and businesses in the nightlife economy by residents, businesses and visitors.
“The first thing in my mandate is to implement a nightlife strategy action plan,” Grondin said. “I’m going to put my spices in the recipe at some point, but every city is different.”
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