2016 Ottawa Guitar Show Trip

The 2016 Ottawa Guitar Show was an amazing show, highlighting not only local/regional luthiers, but I would consider some of the premier luthiers in the world.  This may be surprising to many around the world since Ottawa is a relatively small city compared to other metro areas.  But it’s close enough to Montreal and Quebec (which offer stunning examples of old and new world artisans) that it attracts a talented, varied group of artists who display exquisite artistry coupled with impressive guitar-making prowess.

The Trip
I was visiting Ottawa from Toronto and decided to take the train for the weekend.  It’s a 4.5 hour trip by car, and about the same by rail.  I absolutely love train travel, so I was looking forward to the trip, and it did not disappoint. The VIA railcars were clean, spacious, with free Wifi and an AC power outlet plug available.  There were a few stops in between Union Station in downtown Toronto and the Ottawa train station near Tremblay road but they were short and didn’t interfere much with the journey.  I believe train travel can be great as compared to air or car because:

1. You don’t have all the security hassles you have at the airport. It was surprising how nice this was, as opposed to being treated rudely like cattle through security lines at most airports.
2. Luggage space is abundant and seats are bigger with much more space. And the trip is not 100% packed like on a plane.
3. There have recently been train accidents worldwide, but in general these are far less than car travel — though plane travel is statistically safer. See this article.
4. You can sleep and/or enjoy the ride rather than drive on 401 and have the possible congestion and traffic
   

   On the train … relaxing and enjoying the scenery.

When I got into Ottawa, I used Uber to get from the station to where I was staying. It was my first use of Uber and I was prepared to use it. Quite an amazing experience, being able to bypass the taxi line, have the driver arrive so quickly, know me and where I was going, and be able to track it on my smartphone in real-time. Then get dropped off with no payment or tip required, and an e-mailed receipt of the exact route (shown on a map) with pickup and drop off times, with a detailed breakdown of all fees.  I can see why so many travellers and business people love Uber.

The Food

I don’t go anywhere without looking at where to eat! For lunch, I ended up at a fish and chips place called Cat’s Fish and Chips and chose that for a quick bite as I got into Ottawa for a very late lunch on a Saturday. The food was very good as were the beer choices.  I had the beer-battered haddock fish and chips which was excellent. I tried to not eat too much (unsuccessful) because I had a special dinner lined up for that night.

Beer battered haddock at Cats Fish and Chips

Dinner was at a place called The Fraser Cafe.  Reservations were made in advance, and they confirmed while I was on the train that day.  The place is small and unassuming from the outside. Inside is a different story, as it’s decorated well for a modern restaurant. Fare is mostly modern cuisine using the best local ingredients.  The dishes were excellent. To start, I had the Whalesbone oysters with horseradish/lemon/hot sauce.

Whalesbone oysters

Followed by Foie Gras Torchon — apple relish/pickled rhubarb/pecan/frisee salad/toast/mustard.

Foie Gras Torchon

These were amazing appetisers. The main course for me was Arctic Char — citrus butter/crispy fish cake/dill/asparagus/tomatoes/pickled shallots.

Arctic Char

Dessert was a passionfruit sorbet which was heavenly. Overall, this place is highly recommended if you are ever in Ottawa.

The Glebe

Sunday morning brunch was near The Glebe Community Centre where the show was being held. The Glebe area has plenty of small eaties and shops, and I had a great brunch at The Wild Oat. There was already a line at 9am when it opens, so you know the place is good.  The coffee was excellent, as were the omelettes.

An omelette at The Wild Oat

You can sense this place is all about providing great, healthy food at a good price with excellent customer service. Sort of opposite of the large retail chain food experience.

The Show

Panorama of Ottawa Guitar Show in Scotton Hall

The show was held at the beautiful Glebe Community Centre — mainly in Scotton Hall — which was the perfect size for an exhibition of 40+ luthiers.  With free admission and a location close to The Glebe, it was ideal for such an event.

I arrived right at the beginning of the show and was greeted by the organizer, Michael Sankey. I own a guitar made by him, so it was great catching up on things and seeing his collection of headless guitars on display. The exhibition not only featured luthiers from around the region, displaying their wonderful instruments, but also small performances by local musicians playing these instruments.  Also scattered in the corners of the hall were sound-insulated booths allowing you to play and try out instruments and amplifiers/pedals.

All the exhibitors were enthusiastic to show their instruments and talk about their work.  It is quite refreshing to see the artisanal mentality in play — people truly loving the work they do and being honest about their products.  This is in contrast to many big guitar makers who continue to push the same old models in different variations and charge high prices for CNC instruments of mediocre quality.  However, I am happy to report that there continues to be great interest in artisanal guitar making in North America — as the Ottawa Guitar Show gets bigger each year — and worldwide as evidenced by the Holy Grail Guitar Show in Berlin. Of which many of the luthiers at the Ottawa Guitar Show will be exhibitors (Sankey Guitars, Lavoie Guitars).

We are truly in a Golden Age of Luthiery!