FedDev Ontario invests over $10 million to support return of Ottawa Bluesfest and three tourism projects in Ottawa region
June 16, 2022 - Ottawa, Ontario
As the nation's capital, Ottawa draws millions of visitors each year to its tourist attractions, major events and sites of natural beauty and historic significance. Ottawa Bluesfest − a 10-day, multi-staged music festival − is one of the city's top attractions, known for welcoming some of the world's highest-profile talent and hundreds of thousands of tourists annually. The cancellation of Ottawa Bluesfest in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic resulted in significant loss of revenue for the local economy. The Government of Canada is committed to revitalizing major events and festivals and the hard-hit tourism industry, positioning these sectors for a strong economic future.
Today, the Honourable Helena Jaczek, Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), announced over $10 million to support Ottawa Bluesfest and three Ottawa-based tourism operators.
Ottawa Bluesfest will receive an investment of over $9.8 million through the Major Festivals and Events Support Initiative (MFESI) to help the festival return to its pre-pandemic scale, as well as support the expansion of the mainstage area and the purchase of a new portable stage, to expand and increase capacity for its highest-profile shows.
This investment will enable Ottawa Bluesfest to attract visitors to the festival and be better positioned for long-term success, while providing spillover economic and job benefits to businesses across the region. Before the pandemic, festivals including Ottawa Bluesfest brought over 300,000 visitors to the city and accounted for $220 million in annual spending in the city, with positive benefits across the local tourism industry.
An additional investment of more than $250,000 through the Tourism Relief Fund (TRF) will support three tourism businesses in the region: Haunted Walks Inc., Alicja Confections Inc., and Escape Tours and Rentals, as they recover from the pandemic and attract visitors through new products and services.
Additional details on projects that received support can be found in the backgrounder.
