In the almost 10 months since Ottawa hired Mathieu Grondin as his first nightlife commissioner, what has he been doing?
It is not clear to Jason Laurans, owner of Absolute Comedy in Preston Street. He has never had news from Grondin, and has no idea what he has achieved.
“If they are doing something, it’s nothing I have seen,” he said. “I have certainly not seen the numbers increase here for that.”
Several other places in nightlife contacted by CBC were in the dark about their work, from Rainbow Bistro in the Byward market to Irene’s in the Pub Glebe and Cheshire Cat in CARP.
Paul Granger of House of Targ, who was among those who previously requested Grondin’s work, said he has not had his news either.
“I don’t feel that there is anything that has changed or happened apart from some emotion about the fact that someone would try to do this, and then simply nothing after that,” said Granger.
The same feeling has appeared in the citizen of Ottawa, where a column suggested that Grondin has been “invisible since he received the work.”
It has also emerged on social networks, with a popular Reddit publication that indicates that nothing has emerged. More than three hundred people commented, and some called “idiot” work or accused the commissioner of doing nothing “to win their six -digit salary.
Thys Boer, president of the Night Life Council of the Dutch city of Rotterdam already often known as his current night mayor, met those positions and could not believe them. He literally called him the most bad reddit thread “he had read.
Rotterdam is the city that was a pioneer in the concept of night mayor. Boer has met with Grondin, in Vienna and Rotterdam, and had a very different evaluation of his skills.
“I have known that it is a very serious and hardworking guy,” he said. “So yes, this Reddit publication surprised me a bit.”
An ally inside the bureaucracy
Those who have had the opportunity to work with Grondin since he assumed Ottawa’s work according to Boer, and do not share the criticisms that float on social networks. They say that it seems to be listening, while working in silence inside the bureaucracy to tear down the barriers that contain Ottawa’s nightlife.
“It has been a voice, a support voice in the city, and this is something we have not had in a long time,” said Mark Monahan, executive director of Ottawa Bluesfest.
In his opinion, part of the complaint about Grondin comes from a misunderstanding of what was really hired to do.
“It was brought to make the city a better place to organize events, not to put itself in itself,” said Monahan. “I think he has been working behind the scene, and in the City Council, to give recommendations.”
As Grondin himself declared in the city’s own ottatalk podcast, the Commissioner of Night Life is “a bureaucratic work.”
He said he is not “the official Ceremonies of Ottawa”, but a link that analyzes whether to cut the bureaucracy could facilitate doing business after dusk.
Does Rotterdam’s boer look at his role in the same way? Is it a facilitator? An intermediary?
“In the end, yes,” he said.
City that looks at the Loosening Statute
The city would not make Grondin available for an interview with CBC. But the first updates about their work have just appeared in a report to the Committee of Corporate Services and Finance of the Council, which will consider it next week.
According to the report, Grondin has met with more than 110 groups and individuals involved in the economy of nightlife, attended more than 30 economic development and cultural industry events, and visited most of OTTAWA’s commercial improvement districts.
He details how he has supported businessmen who open new places, such as City Gridwrks, who moved to the old Mavericks site in Rideau Street. That project came from Farid Dagher, owner of City at night, who told CBC that Grondin has been “of great help.”
The report says that the commissioner is now working on a nightlife security plan and a brand website to promote the places and attractions of nightlife.
But much of the report is dedicated to how Grondin is pressing the city staff who works in the statutes’ reviews, while observing the rules of loosening above all, from food trucks to noise and dancing licenses for dance parties throughout the night.
That is good news for Deek Labelle, general manager of Chateau Lafayette, the oldest bar in Ottawa. Speaking in his capacity as president of the Business Advisory Committee of the Byward Market District Authority, Labelle said Grondin seems to be “on the right way.”
She said “Opricketeting” is a great headache for companies in the market. It is encouraged that Grondin’s team is looking for a place permit that helps artists to parking artists while carrying or downloading equipment.
“I think those things are happening and is in process, but it will be a slow process regardless of what,” he said. “And that is in the city, not in the nightlife team.”
Labelle said she is “grateful” for Grondin’s role, and that he has found it easy to address.
“I discovered that he is there, he is present and open to talk,” he said.
Let Snoop Dogg play
Monahan has had its own battles with an inflexible bureaucracy. In 2019, when Snoop Dogg was reserved to play in Bluesfest, an electric storm delayed the show. Monahan told CBC that he requested an exemption to the noise statute, so that the rapper could play until 11:30 pm
He had to fight for every minute. The city would only give him until 11:20 pm, Monahan recalls. But Snoop Dogg played well during that time, and Bluesfest was stuck with a fine.
“The challenges we face are not always understood by the city,” he said. “You know, we are risking large amounts of money to bring artists here.”
Monahan said he discussed his challenges with Grondin during his first meeting.
“It’s understanding,” he said. “I think he understands.”
According to the report that reaches the Council, the statutes’ reviews include “amendments recommended to noise exemption regulations to provide operational flexibility for outdoor events affected by climatic delays or other unforeseen circumstances.”
‘Better late than never’
Grondin formed a voluntary nightlife council in November to play an advice. The members who spoke with CBC were positive about the quality of the discussions.
Chris Wong is co -director of the Asinabka Film and Media Festival. He said that the council meetings so far have focused on issues such as permits, noise, accessibility and security statutes.
He shares the same concern about the inflexible rules that are brought on the path of events. Like Monahan, Wong puts out outdoor musical events and discovers that “there is not much margin” in the noise statute.
“We have to turn it off at 11,” he said.
He is happy to know that the city is considering loosening. In his opinion, Grondin is doing a good job by gathering people to talk about their problems and form links that could strengthen Ottawa’s nightlife.
“He is willing to work with the community and with the bureaucracy to close that gap,” he said. “I think he’s doing a good job so far.”
But he accepts that transforming Ottawa’s nightlife economy will take time.
“I could take years, but better late than ever,” Wong said. “I’m glad the seeds will be sown now.”
