Ottawa’s ‘night mayor’ wants to transform quiet capital into after-dark destination

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This article was published 03/11/2024 (690 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OTTAWA – Canada’s capital has long held a reputation as a town that fun forgot.

Mathieu Grondin wants to be the one to change that for good.

Grondin was hired in June as Ottawa’s first nightlife commissioner — a position that’s become known as the “night mayor.” His goal is to transform the city from boring and bureaucratic to buzzworthy over the next 10 years.

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

“I don’t share that opinion.”

Ottawa’s workforce is heavily filled with federal government employees who, even before COVID-19 changed commuting habits, had a reputation for quickly fleeing the city’s core for its suburbs and beyond as soon as the workday was done.

Those workers don’t always contribute to nightlife and many inside and outside Ottawa see the city as a hub of bureaucracy.

In a move fitting of that reputation, officials have turned to a new bureaucrat to fix that.

Grondin was hired by the City of Ottawa to lead one of the first nightlife policy plans in Canada. He said nightlife governance is part of a global trend that has the potential to boost tourism, economic activity and fun.

The role has only existed for a number of months, and while similar roles have existed elsewhere, the notion is pretty unusual in Canada.

“It’s a new thing for everyone,” Grondin said. “I think everybody is looking at this with a bit of curiosity.”

Amsterdam is generally considered to have been the first with such a position, but cities such as New York and Washington followed suit. Montreal has a night council.

Grondin said the foundations for a lively nightlife already exist in Ottawa. The problem is, not enough Ottawa residents know about it.

“There’s a lot of stuff happening in Ottawa,” Grondin said. “Somehow, it seems that communication about these events is not super efficient.”

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

“We want to create new initiatives 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 prove to be Grondin’s greatest challenge.

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

But he knows the change won’t happen overnight.

Grondin said tackling related issues like the housing and addiction crises falls under the purview of city council.

In 2025, he 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 for a new volunteer “nightlife council.” The council’s members are expected to be announced shortly.

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

Centretown Community Association transportation chair Derrick Simpson announced on X that he was one of them.

Simpson said if selected, he wants to improve the e-scooter programs and add maps, bike lockers and ride-share and taxi drop-off zones in the downtown.

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

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

“I think that’s just the natural evolution of where we’re 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 by the Ottawa Board of Trade and the Canadian Urban Institute in May, will also help spur downtown activity. That plan outlines ways to bring 40,000 people to live into Ottawa’s downtown by 2034.

“We’ve got to get the economic engine of this city firing again,” said Dayler.

Grondin also pointed to the planned launch of a mid-sized music venue in the ByWard Market and the promised construction of a new NHL arena for the Ottawa Senators at the LeBreton Flats site just west of downtown will bring lots of action to the city centre.

“In the next 10 years, the face of the city is going to be transformed,” Grondin said. “It’s a great opportunity now to set the stones right, you know, have a good base so we can develop a nightlife in Ottawa.”

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