La Machine sequel in the works for Ottawa

The organizers behind last summer's monster hit La Machine are looking to bring the show back to Ottawa.

An estimated 750,000 people thronged the capital's streets over four days last July to watchLong Ma, the fire-breathing dragon-horse, andKumo, the giant mechanical spider, do battle. The $4.5-million spectacle was by far the most successful event marking Canada's150thbirthday in Ottawa.

"It was definitely our ball out of the park," Ottawa 2017 executive director GuyLaflammetoldCBCNews. "It was the biggest and probably one of the most complex artistic production in Ottawa history."

Laflammehas just returned from France, where he met with the production company behind La Machine to discuss bringing the spectacle back to Ottawa as soon as 2020.

Ottawa Tourism will now lead the effort to attract La Machine and other popular Ottawa 2017 events back to the capital, with private partnerships and revenue from a new hotel tax expected to pick up the tab covered last year by one-timefunding forCanada's sesquicentennial celebrations.

Entirely new show

Laflammesaid the French Embassy paid for the bulk of his trip toNantes, France, where he was accompanied by a representative from Ottawa Tourism and a member of the mayor's staff.

They discussed bringing La Machine back to Ottawa in 2020 or 2021, he said a long enough wait to whet the public's appetite for more.

"You don't want to repeat that kind of event every two years. You need more time so people are really anxious and looking forward to it,"Laflammesaid.

The show would likely feature new machines,Laflammesaid, becauseFranoisDelarozire'sstreet theatre company doesn'twant to put on a carbon copy of the 2017 show.

La Machine may return after a wildly successful Ottawa 2017 event

7 years ago

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The organizers who brought the massive event to Ottawa this year are looking for ways to return it to the city in 2020.

Scouting new locations

New locations are also being scouted betweenLeBretonFlats and theByWardMarket.

The lawn in front of the Supreme Court of Canada proved too tight for the crowd last summer,Laflammesaid, so they're looking for largeropen spaces such asChaudireIsland.

It would cost roughly $500,000 just to ship the machines to Ottawa,Laflammesaid, but that cost could drop if other North American cities stage the show.

Other events could return

Other events likely to make a return to the capitalinclude the Red Bull Crashed Ice downhill skating championship, likely in 2020.

Red Bull GlobalRallycross, Sky Lounge, Ottawa Welcomes the World,Agri-150andMwteIllumination ofChaudireFalls are some of the other events that could come back in 2018.

Ottawa Tourism nowhas a staff member dedicated to transitioning Ottawa 2017 events to private companies and groupsthat will keep them alive.

"Ottawa Tourism doesn't want to be inthebusiness of hosting events," said Ottawa 2017 co-chair Steve Ball. "We see ourselves as a bit of an incubator to look at transitioning events."

New hotel tax could help

Ball, who's also president of theOttawaGatineauHotel Association, saida new accommodation tax paid by tourists will help subsidize Ottawa Tourism's efforts.

Last year the province gave municipalities the authority to charge tourists a four per cent tax on accommodation, andOttawa hotels and motels moved ahead with that change on Jan. 1.

Ball expects the tax will add $12 million to local coffers, a quarter of which will go toward developing tourism events.