Why getting a special-event permit in Ottawa 'sucks the life out of you'

A file photo of the large crowd for one of the Bluesfest performances in 2026. Photo by Ashley Fraser /POSTMEDIA

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At a time of skyrocketing costs and tight budgets, Ottawa festivals are under additional stress from an “unpredictable” and “last-minute” municipal permitting system, says Tara Shannon, executive director of Ottawa Festivals.

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It’s a system that can result in a surprise invoice from the City of Ottawa after an event, apparently to cover the cost of services incurred or the loss of potential revenue. The bills can be hundreds or thousands of dollars, and there’s no transparency in how these assessments are calculated, Shannon says.

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“The city sort of estimates what the services’ costs are going to be and then they adjust after the festival, so there will be an adjusting invoice,” Shannon said. “Sometimes it’s more, and sometimes it’s less, but the unpredictable nature of it creates stress and makes it difficult for the festivals. It’s having a negative effect.”

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Tara Shannon is executive director of Ottawa Festivals, the umbrella group for festivals in Ottawa. Photo by Tony Caldwell /POSTMEDIA

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While the city did not break down how the costs were determined, Ryan Perrault, general manager of the emergency and protective services department, said an estimate was provided to organizers in advance. Final costs “may vary in limited circumstances based on the services actually required,” Perrault wrote in an email.

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Festival organizers have also been stymied by the slow pace of permit approvals as well as the number of city departments that must sign off on each one. To streamline the permitting process for outdoor events, festivals and film productions, the Event Central office was created more than a decade ago, with an online portal launched in 2022 for the submission of applications.

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Despite those measures, the process is still onerous and potentially expensive, says Mark Monahan, executive and artistic director of Bluesfest and CityFolk.

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“Once you’ve filled out all your information (in the portal), it then gets disseminated to the various city departments who may want to be involved, or are affected,” he said. “Then you have to deal with those departments.”

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Also required is a meeting between the Event Central office, the event organizer and the city’s Special Events Advisory Team (SEAT), along with representatives from various city departments, which may include transit, public health, paramedics, fire services, police services, parking control, bylaw enforcement and more. The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario and the National Capital Commission could be involved, too.

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The discussion goes around the table, with each department bringing up its concerns, and the onus is on the festival to satisfy those concerns before a permit is issued, Monahan said.

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But, he noted that each department worked on its own schedule with little regard for a festival’s timeline. Although city staff are professional and thorough, Monahan believes they have a hard time keeping up with the number of permit applications.