Ottawa Bluesfest Mainstage Collapses

After attending most evenings of the Ottawa Bluesfest, taking photos of most of the main stage and side stage acts, I decided to sit the final night out and recuperate.  While bbq'ing some salmon at home in Gatineau, just across the river from the Ottawa Bluesfest, I noticed an intense storm swiftly taking over the sky and twisting the trees, picking up debris and blowing open doors and windows unlike any storm I've witnessed in the area.

Not long afterwards, I had checked up on the status of the Ottawa Bluesfest to find that the Main Stage collapsed under the duress of an intense down-draft which have been known to take down planes attempting to land.

After reading much of the news this morning (this event has been picked up world-wide), I was very happy to read that the bluesfest organizers and staff handled the severe weather with great care as AJ Sauvé and Mark Monahan knew it was time to evacuate the stage.  According to this morning's press conference, there were only a few injuries and everyone who was admitted to the hospital have been released.

I have to hand it to the Bluesfest organizers for not only another great year of programming, but their quick thinking and ability to handle a major weather event and providing safety and security to the performers, staff and patrons.

Read the Ottawa Citizen coverage here.