Ottawa’s nightlife council ready to ramp up the party

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The first meeting of Ottawa’s newly assembled nightlife council is sure to be a blast as 18 key players representing various aspects of the arts scene join forces to begin their fight for the city’s right to party. 

“I’m quite sure this will be a great group,” said council member Claudia Balladelli, the former music programmer at the now-defunct Mercury Lounge who lost her job during the pandemic but then pivoted to co-found a global music festival called Axé Worldfest. 

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“I think (the council) reflects what Ottawa nightlife is, but more importantly what Ottawa nightlife can be: Bigger, better, more places to go, more parties to be at. I think we can make it a little bit easier. We can bring better ideas and hopefully make some changes. Less rules, more fun,” she predicted. 

The nightlife council is an all-star team hand-picked by Ottawa’s recently appointed nightlife commissioner Mathieu Grondin after a callout for volunteers. Recruiting for it was one of the first steps in the Nightlife Economy Action Plan, which was presented to city councillors last spring and forms the basis of Grondin’s job. 

Grondin said the council will not only help him “identify the systemic barriers to commercial and cultural growth at night,” but also propose solutions and new initiatives. 

“It will help build consensus around issues, and we can use it as a soundboard to get feedback on the different steps…of the Nightlife Economy Action Plan,” he said. 

According to statistics gathered by the city, an estimated $1.5 billion is spent on nightlife activities each year in Ottawa, an amount that represents about 30 percent of the daytime consumer spending. The sector counts about 4,600 businesses and some 38,000 workers.

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In addition to Balladelli, the council includes experienced music promoters such as Lisa Zbitnew, the Ottawa-born, Toronto-based venue owner who has made Bronson Centre Music Theatre into one of the best venues in town; Rachel Weldon, the forward-thinking programmer who runs the non-profit, indie event company Debaser and holds the quarterly, multidisciplinary Pique parties; and White Rabbit CEO Richard Laplante, who’s been throwing parties with local, national and international DJs for years. 

Joining them are drag performer/promoter Eric Vance, better known as Sunshine Glitterchild; Patrick McCormack, managing director of the Cranium hip-hop festival, Christopher Wong, co-director of Ottawa’s Indigenous-led Asinabka Film & Media Festival, and foodie Mat Beausoleil, a critic and consultant in the food, beverage and travel industry. 

Rounding out the at-large membership of this diverse crew are safe-raving advocate Michaela Domenico, Ottawa Venues rep Alex Sirois, Aidan Kallioinen of the Carleton University Student Association and Feza Lugoma, DJ and co-founder of Pass The Vibes. 

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Also coming to the table are six representatives of existing cultural and economic development organizations, including the Ottawa Festival Network, Ottawa Music Industry Coalition, Ottawa Tourism, Arts Ottawa, the ByWard Market District Authority and the Ottawa Coalition of BIAs. 

Grondin said the 18 recruits will be invited to an introductory meeting before the end of 2024, to be followed by quarterly meetings throughout 2025. 

lsaxberg@postmedia.com

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