Guy Laflamme
Guy Laflamme, Former Deputy Director of the National Capital Commission
Guy Laflamme, former Deputy Director of the National Capital Commission (who worked closely with Jinju City to bring their lanterns to Winterlude in Ottawa in 2013)
Guy Laflamme is currently the Executive Director at Ottawa 2017, and was previously the Deputy Director of the National Capital Commission. He has experience producing major events, commemorations, as well as cultural and tourism experiences, including Canada Day celebrations, the annual Winderlude Festival, Mosaika, and the Millennium show produced at the Casino Lac Leamy. More recent events include Red Bull Crashed ICE, the 2017 Juno Awards and Juno Week, the Canadian Videogame Awards, the Interprovincial Picnic on the Bridge, and the Inspirational Village. Mr. Laflamme served as the Chair of the Juno Awards Host Committee in 2003 and 2012, and he also serves as the Chair of International Festival and Events Association in addition to his role as Executive Director at Ottawa 2017. For over 16 years, he has been teaching at the Telfor School of Management at the University of Ottawa[1].
Winterlude is an annual event in the National Capital Region to celebrate Canada’s unique northern climate and culture. It began in 1979 and is organized by the Department of Canadian Heritage. Hundreds of thousands of visitors can enjoy skating on the Rideau Canal (the world’s largest skating rink), experience ice-carving competitions, and enjoy themselves in a huge winter playground with majestic snow sculptures.[2] In 2013, Mr. Laflamme worked closely with South Korea’s Jinju Namgang Yudeung Festival, the Jinju Art and Culture Foundation, and Jinju City to bring the unique and highly colourful experience of an outdoor Garden of Lanterns exhibit to Winterlude. 2013 marked the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations with South Korea, and the exhibit demonstrated the incredible spirit of this international friendship with over 1,300 lanterns in Ottawa’s Confederation Park.[3]
[1] http://www.telfer.uottawa.ca/emba/en/latest-news/359-meet-the-man-behind-ottawa-2017-guy-laflamme-presents-the-a-confidential-overview-of-ottawa-2017-objectives-to-telfer-community
[2] http://www.canada.pch.gc.ca/eng/1416244168510/1416244168510
[3] http://www.ottawafestivals.ca/capital-to-welcome-famous-jinju-city-lanterns-outdoor-garden-of-lanterns-to-shine-during-winterlude-2013/