Not just a city of civil servants

(OTTAWA) Mathieu Grondin swears he didn’t have to twist his arm to move his home from Montreal to Ottawa. With its storied reputation in the federal capital, where he recently took up the post of nightlife commissioner, he found a playground that excited him.

“There are a lot of fun things to do in Ottawa “, he says at a cafe in Byward Market.

He seems ready. And behind him is an army of politicians, businessmen and members of the artistic community.

“I think we need to get rid of the idea that this is a city of civil servants. It’s there, yes, but they’re not the beating heart of downtown Ottawa’s nightlife,” he continues, sitting in Byward Market — a tourist magnet considered the center of Ottawa. night life

Tackling homelessness

Around Byward Market, residential towers are mushrooming. But amidst these giants of glass and steel are many homeless people, often struggling with addiction problems. The neighborhood is also a frequent scene of shootings.

“We’re not too far from a village situation in Montreal,” explains the former general manager of Montreal 24/24 of his new environment.

Matthew Grandin argues that if one of the 10 recommendations of the action plan handed to him by municipal elected officials is to design a citywide safety plan, the problem “goes beyond nightlife.”

His view, however, is similar: “For me, A busy night is a safe night. On a busy night, as long as there are people in the public space, the perception of safety is reinforced. You shouldn’t see it as the chicken or the egg. »

Vilnius and Oslo, inspiration

Even as he sets himself a long-term challenge to “encourage people who would go to Montreal or Toronto to go to Ottawa instead,” Night Owl knows the national capital, the seat of government, is in a sparsely populated basin. Actually playing in the same league.

So he arbitrarily cites a European capital with similar characteristics. “We’ll be a capital, if you look at a city the size of Ottawa that has a very vibrant nightlife and now has a night office, that’s Vilnius, Lithuania,” he enthused.

Lithuanians under 30 top the 2024 World Happiness Report rankings²He mentions.

Canadians of the same age? They come to 58^e Ranked 143rd. “We still have free courses [sauf au niveau universitaire]The economy isn’t so bad… maybe we should work on nightlife,” he preaches to his congregation, unable to stop himself from laughing heartily.

Oslo, Norway, is another place of human-scale government that inspires Mathieu Grondin — special mention for a recent self-deprecating ad campaign aimed at highlighting the Scandinavian capital.³.

A growing and exportable phenomenon

The appearance of “night mayors”, as they are sometimes called Night CzarsAs in London, the United Kingdom, the phenomenon continues to grow – according to a census by the website Nighttime.org, around 80 cities around the world have adopted this approach since 2001.

At the time of publishing these lines, the marker identifying Matheu Grondin from Montreal to Ottawa on the site’s world map has not been moved.

But the 44-year-old commissioner has really made a difference.

“What’s happening in Ottawa is exceptional. Often, people tell me they’re glad I came from Montreal, to bring a little Montreal touch,” he says.

However, we are still a long way from importing the idea of ​​opening 24-hour neighborhood bars in the federal capital, the person who was officially sworn in on June 11 notes: “I was not hired to do this ; That doesn’t seem to be the primary issue either. »

However, it casts a wider net than the byword market segment.

This should include Vieux-Hull on the other side of the Ottawa River, where Matiu Grondin resides.

peaceful It should be little known in Ottawa, where he pledged allegiance. And Party.

2. View the World Happiness Report 2024 (in English)

3. Watch the Visit Oslo promotional video (in English)