Live Nation Canada brings History music venue to Ottawa
Live Nation Canada aims to make history by expanding its Drake-owned music business to the capital.
In a Wednesday news conference, Live Nation Canada unveiled History Ottawa, a two-story live music venue that will occupy the former Chapters building on the corner of Rideau Street and George Street.
It will have a 2,000-person capacity and is being built in collaboration with Canadian rapper Drake and the National Capital Commission (NCC), which announced the building purchase in January 2024.
"Among other things, this is maybe the only opportunity in my life that I'll ever get to thank Drake and [NCC CEO] Tobi Nussbaum at the same time," joked Mayor Mark Sutcliffe during the news conference.
History Ottawa is Live Nation Canada's first expansion of the History brand, with History Toronto having opened back in 2021. History Ottawa is set to open in early 2026.
Erik Hoffman, president of music at Live Nation Canada, said History Ottawa will help further cement Ottawa on the music touring map.
"Ottawa's always had a love affair with live music," Hoffman said. "This notion that it is some sleepy government city or some town that fun forgot isn't just annoying to hear, it's simply untrue."
Sutcliffe said History Ottawa will be a "game-changer" to help revitalize the ByWard Market and downtown Ottawa.
"This is going to bring so much activity and so much life to the ByWard Market, which is already going in the right direction," Sutcliffe said. "I've been chatting with business owners in the ByWard Market and they are seeing positive signs, but I feel like this is really going to springboard the downtown economy and our nightlife."
Hoffman said some demolition is already underway and that the building will look "very similar" to History Toronto. He described the music venue as having both general admission and seating options up top for music fans.
Melanie Brulée, executive director of the Ottawa Music Industry Coalition, said Ottawa is "ripe and ready" for this new music venue.
"We have a lot of talent here already. As well, we got a lot of the infrastructure that is starting to build," Brulée said. "This is just the next step in Ottawa's music ecosystem."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Calgary Herald
2 hours ago
- Calgary Herald
'This is an opportunity': Federal energy minister says world is eying Canada's critical minerals
Article content Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson says he constantly hears from other countries that want to buy critical minerals from Canada, and that is presenting the country with an opportunity for economic growth. Article content 'At the G7 (meeting this month in Alberta), all the countries said they wanted to buy Canadian critical minerals,' he said at a Toronto Region Board of Trade event on Wednesday. 'Right now, at the NATO summit, what the prime minister is hearing is that all those countries want to buy our critical minerals. This is an opportunity for us.' Article content Article content Article content Hodgson said Canada needs to ensure it mines critical minerals, but also builds processing facilities so that it can share in some of the wealth created by products made from what it mines. The federal government is focused on ensuring Canada builds major projects quickly and responsibly, he added. Article content Article content Hodgson said Canada is standing at a unique moment in its history that is defined by 'instability.' Supply chains are 'being ripped apart,' climate change is advancing and Canada is in the midst of a 'devastating trade war ' with the United States, its closest trading partner. Article content Last week, the House of Commons passed Bill C-5, which he referred to as the One Canadian Economy Act because he said it would break down interprovincial trade barriers while also ensuring that major nation-building projects, such as mines, pipelines and other infrastructure, are built quickly and with the consent of affected communities. Article content Article content As part of that process, he said Prime Minister Mark Carney plans to hold a summit on July 17 with leaders from First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities to discuss some of the projects that will be fast-tracked. Article content Article content 'The goal here is to create certainty that catalyzes investment,' Hodgson said. Article content He said Canada also has an opportunity because it is unified in its resolve to grow its economy by working together despite the impending crisis brought on by the trade war. Article content 'This is a trade war we did not ask for, but it is a trade war we must win,' he said. Article content It was similar to the message that Ontario's Minister of Energy and Mines Stephen Lecce delivered when he introduced Hodgson at the event.
Canada News.Net
2 hours ago
- Canada News.Net
The Competition Bureau wants more airline competition, but it won't solve Canada's aviation challenges
A recent market study by the Competition Bureau is calling for more airline competition in Canada's airline industry to reduce fares, increase service quality and provide better services to remote communities. The study reiterates that Canada's domestic air travel market is largely dominated by just two carriers, Air Canada and WestJet. Together, they account for between 56 per cent to 78 per cent of all domestic passenger traffic. This concentration limits passenger choice, and many Canadians feel airfares are high and quality of service is low as a consequence. Increased competition has lowered air fares elsewhere, like in Europe, for example, where low-fares airlines dominate the continental market. However, there have been negative outcomes for consumers. While the bureau positions competition as the solution to the many issues plaguing the industry, it overlooks how an increase in competition can fall short, particularly when it comes to transparency, service quality, labour conditions and regional connectivity. One of the Competition Bureau's key criticisms of Canada's airline industry is the lack of cost transparency when booking flights. Hidden fees and complex fare structures make it difficult for travellers to effectively make comparisons among airlines. But it's unreasonable to expect increased competition - when airlines seek to make their offering more attractive than their competitors - to lead to greater transparency in Canada. In fact, competition has been linked theoretically and empirically to dishonest practices. Europe provides a cautionary example. Increased competition has not led to greater air fare transparency in Europe. Airlines like Ryanair, a low-fare airline and the continent's largest airline by passengers carried, have been accused of hiding fees for passengers. The bureau's study also found that many Canadians are dissatisfied with the quality of service offered by domestic airlines. Yet increased competition is unlikely to raise service standards. As airlines compete to offer the lowest fares, they often look to reduce operating costs, typically at the expense of service quality. Those who suffer the most from airlines minimizing costs are employees, since labour represents one of the few areas where airlines can cut back. The morality and safety implications of introducing wage and employment insecurity to workers within high reliability organizations aside, reducing the quality of employment terms and conditions for workers in such an important industry is short-sighted. Claims of a pilot shortage are contested, and making employment in Canadian aviation less attractive for a highly skilled and crucial occupational group like pilots is a strategic faux pas that could have long-term consequences for the industry's stability. Canada's unique geography means that many remote regions rely on airlines for goods and transport. Yet these areas are not effectively served by the commercial aviation industry. The bureau suggests greater competition could help, but that claim is questionable. The reason existing airlines are not providing a greater number of flights between remote communities and larger airports is because these routes aren't profitable. Rather than expanding service, a more competitive market could shrink route availability because airlines could abandon less profitable routes or refuse to compete on routes where a market leader emerges. To its credit, the bureau offers several recommendations for northern and remote communities. But these communities are unlikely to benefit from competition alone. In fact, increased competition would likely mean airlines will focus on profitable routes and remove those that don't yield high profits. Europe's airline industry is once again instructive. Eurocontrol, a pan-European organization dedicated to the success of commercial aviation in Europe, states that "domestic aviation in Europe has experienced a substantial and persistent decline over the past two decades," including the demise of regional operators serving lower-density routes. Where routes have been maintained - in Norway, for example - it's as a consequence of public service obligations that guarantee essential routes are maintained through government support. It's because of public service obligations, not competition, that the Canadian government can serve remote communities. Without such safeguards, increased competition has the potential to do more harm than good. The bureau also recommended relaxing rules around foreign ownership within the Canadian airline industry so that a wholly foreign owned airline can compete domestically. But not all airlines are equal. Some, like Qatar Airways, are backed by the government of their home state. Qatar Airways has purchased stakes in airlines in Asia Pacific and Africa. Competition with airlines such as Qatar Airways is inherently unfair because of the huge financial support it receives. Allowing such state-backed carriers into the Canadian market could place domestic airlines at a significant competitive disadvantage. This could not only weaken Canadian airlines, but also be detrimental to the Canadian economy if domestic carriers are pushed out.
Toronto Star
2 hours ago
- Toronto Star
Moist, 98 Degrees to play at CNE alongside Commodores and all-Canadian ‘90s supergroup this summer
Canadian alt-rock favourites Moist hit the stage on Aug. 18, while Commodores (of 'Brick House' and 'Easy' fame) perform on Aug. 24, the CNE announced Wednesday.
