Sunday 25 June 2023
Ukrainian Hall, Ottawa
By Olivia Barrett
Despite smoky conditions, the community of Ottawa West – Nepean showed up and showed out for their annual Canada Day concert, the first one back in-person since 2019. “Today, to see the faces in the crowd, not little squares on a screen, but to see everyone here together is really, really heartwarming,” Ottawa West-Nepean MP Anita Vandenbeld said in her opening speech. The concert showcases local talent from a multitude of cultures, with all the performers being volunteers.
While it was supposed to be a one-time event for Canada 150, Vandenbeld said there was an overwhelming response to do the concert again, with many participants wanting to perform again. Since starting in 2017, the concert has been held in person and produced videos during the pandemic.
“In 2017, I thought what better to celebrate Canada Day than to bring all of the talent, the music, the art, the dance, the performances, the creativity,” Vandenbeld said, adding that music “knows no language boundary.”
The two-hour concert included 11 different performances from singers and dance troupes, including Jamaican reggae artist and Juno award nominee Ras Lee. Performers ranged from Francophone singer Dee Vance to Chinese dances by the Basic Waltz Performance Group to members of the Indonesian Congress to a K-Pop dance troupe, among many others.
“One of the most special things about Canada is our diversity,” Vandenbeld said, which was shown by the mix of ages and cultures both in the audience and performers.
While talking about the power of music, Vandenbeld said, “from 2 to 102, music is able to unite us.”
