Ottawa’s ‘night mayor’ wants to transform the quiet capital into an after-dark destination – Brandon Sun

OTTAWA – Canada’s capital has long had a reputation as the fun-forgotten town.

Mathieu Grondin wants to be the one to change this forever.

Grondin was hired as Ottawa’s first nightlife commissioner in June; this position was known as the “night mayor”. His goal is to make the city interesting rather than boring and bureaucratic in the next 10 years.

“A lot of people seem to have this view of their city that Ottawa is boring,” said Grondin, who has lived most of his life in Montreal.

“I do not share this view.”

Ottawa’s workforce is predominantly filled with federal government employees who, even before Covid-19 changed commuting habits, were known for quickly fleeing the city’s core to the suburbs and beyond as soon as the workday ended.

These workers do not always contribute to nightlife, and many people in and outside of Ottawa view the city as a center of bureaucracy.

In a move worthy of this reputation, officials turned to a new bureaucrat to fix the problem.

Grondin was hired by the City of Ottawa to lead one of the first nightlife policy plans in Canada. He said nightlife management was part of a global trend that had the potential to increase tourism, economic activity and entertainment.

This role has only been available for a few months, and although similar roles are available elsewhere, the concept is quite unusual in Canada.

“This is new for everyone,” Grondin said. “I think everyone is looking at this with some curiosity.”

Amsterdam is generally thought to be the first city to have such a location, but cities such as New York and Washington have also followed suit. Montreal has a night council.

Grondin said the foundations for a vibrant nightlife already exist in Ottawa. The problem is that not enough Ottawa residents know about this.

“There’s a lot going on in Ottawa,” Grondin said. “Somehow, it seems that communication about these events has not been very productive.”

City of Ottawa figures show residents and visitors spend approximately $1.5 billion on nightlife activities each year. The city’s nightlife economy includes 4,600 businesses employing 38,000 workers.

“We want to create new ventures and grow the ones we have, and eventually we want to be able to promote the city as a nightlife destination for night tourists,” Grondin said.

But how Ottawa residents perceive their own nightlife may be Grondin’s biggest problem.

“I think we need to rebuild that pride around the city, around our own nightlife and around our own local scene,” Grondin said.

But he knows change won’t happen overnight.

Related issues such as housing and addiction crises fall within the city council’s purview, Grondin said.

In 2025, it hopes to implement a new safety and security plan and an online tool to raise awareness about Ottawa’s nighttime activities.

In September, Grondin announced plans to form a new voluntary “nightlife council.” Council members are expected to be announced shortly.

More than 500 people applied for the positions before applications closed on Oct. 11, Grondin said.

The X is one of them, announced Derrick Simpson, head of transportation for the Centretown Community Association.

If elected, Simpson said he would like to improve e-scooter programs and add maps, bike lockers, carpooling and taxi drop-off zones downtown.

“There’s a lot of room for improvement, but we’re coming from a good place,” Simpson said.

Zachary Dayler, executive director of the ByWard Market District Authority, said bringing in a night commissioner and night council is a strong indication that the city has “turned the corner” and wants to try new things.

“I think this is the natural evolution of where we are going as a city,” he said. “I think the future of Ottawa is incredibly exciting.”

Grondin said the Downtown Ottawa Action Agenda, a plan released in May by the Ottawa Board of Trade and the Canadian Urban Institute, will also help spur activity downtown. This plan outlines ways to bring 40,000 people to downtown Ottawa by 2034.

“We have to get the economic engine of this city moving again,” Dayler said.

Grondin also noted the planned opening of a mid-sized music venue at the ByWard Market and the promised construction of a new NHL arena for the Ottawa Senators at the LeBreton Flats field just west of downtown.

“The face of the city will change in the next 10 years,” Grondin said. “Now is a great opportunity to put the pieces in the right place, you know, to have a good foundation so we can develop a nightlife in Ottawa.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 3, 2024.