Ottawa families, musicians, skaters and artists alike took to the streets throughout the Glebe, despite construction, Sept. 9-10.
Glebe Streets, in its third year running in Ottawa, rocked the dusty and desolate Bank Street from Glebe straight to Fifth Avenue during the two-day event. It boasted skateboarding and BMX rail and trick competitions, live concerts of varying musical genres, spoken word, games and activities of all kinds.
Burdened by the construction throughout the Glebe, local businesses have suffered serious financial downturns as business has weakened without access to local traffic, organizer Maya Ethier said.
Having witnessed this struggle in her local economy, Ethier, a music teacher who resides with her two young children and husband in the Glebe, said she was more revved up than ever to pull together an even bigger and better event.
Ethier said she was determined to gather established local artists like Amos the Transparent, which would bring out a solid crowd.
Amos the Transparent was one of more than 20 performances that spanned the course of of the weekend, across two stages on either end of the Glebe.
Hailing from Ottawa, this six-piece indie/folk/rock group who have gained international popularity in recent years, said they were stoked to participate in this community gathering in their own hometown.
Lead singer and guitarist Jonathan Chandler, guitarist Mark Hyne and bassist James Nicol said they rarely perform in outdoor venues.
“It’s a different vibe, when you’re outdoors,” Nicol said. “Outdoor shows are beautiful with the sun on your face.” The band said they felt this would be a fresh experience and likely a better social atmosphere than the club scene.
“The all-ages thing . . . we’re used to playing lots of clubs, and you have to hit up your parents for advancement on your allowance for those. We have lots of younger fans. We try to cater to them,” Hyne said.
Glebe Streets also provides opportunities for local youth in music to thrive and hone their skills in a competitive industry, Ethier said.
“My passion is giving opportunities to young people,” Ethier said. “Young people thrive on music. I want to give [them] a venue to perform and an opportunity to grow.”
Glebe Streets not only saw a powerful sense of community, but reminded those in attendance how lucky they are to live in Ottawa, Chandler said.
“[Ottawa] is home to me. My family’s here. I live here. I work here. This is home.”
