We’ve been celebrating our 30th anniversary all April long! Our birthday was just last Friday. As part of the fun, we’ve been meeting with former OVC Board members, and some others who have been along for the ride. We’re reflecting on three decades of tourism and considering what the future might hold. Join us for a look back on local tourism’s evolution, some Ottawa Visitors Center history, and a special guest’s unique perspectives.

Our special guest for this entry Shelly Roalson, City Clerk of the City of Ottawa. She got us started with some background on her time at the city.

“I started working for the city in 2000, and we used to be in charge of multiple events that were all city sponsored events on city property. So we always worked in conjunction with the Visitor Center. I worked many of them over the years, with Donna and staff, and for everything from Morel, Wine Fest, Oktoberfest, to the beginning of the Chris Kringle Market,” Shelly said.

Shelly has helped out for a lot of exciting events! And as we’ve noted throughout this interview series, our collaborations with others help make all of this possible. When we work together, we can achieve great things. With her event and city experience in mind, we asked Shelly what tourism, in relation to Ottawa, means to her.

“I would say the partnerships, is what over the years, has been the best, with everybody being on the same page and working together. The events that have brought the tourism into town have been awesome. Even when we used to have Riverfest, for example, there would be a lot of people downtown and eating out in their local businesses. I think that’s probably why we have more restaurants now, than we have had in the past. It’s kind of a niche, I feel like, for people to come to town, go eat somewhere, go to the brewery, and then hit an event. One-stop shopping, so to say,” she said.

Ottawa’s shopping and dining options have certainly increased over the years. We’ve been exploring how tourism growth benefits so many differing areas of the community. of course, this hasn’t always been the case. We asked Shelly how she has seen tourism come along over the last 30 years.

“It’s definitely grown. It’s changed a little bit, I would say, because of social media. Before, of course, we had more paper with everything, and there’s less paper now, right? Everybody’s on social media, seeing what’s going on. People wait to the last minute now, because they know they can to come to something. That’s probably, what I would say, the biggest change would be. Before you had to reserve, reserve, reserve, and now you can come last minute because of social media,”

Social media has certainly made information much more widely available. It allows to reach people that we never would have before, especially with things like blog posts! It can also make things easier for busy people on the go, or anyone who might just be curious about what’s going on. And of course, Ottawa tends to have a lot going on! So, we asked Shelly if she has a favorite event or attraction from throughout the years.

“Because I like music so much, I guess for me, I would say I did like Riverfest in the early stages. You had to work it, but yet you got to listen to the music too. So it was kind of a win-win, so to say, made that time go faster. We really don’t have a lot of events anymore, in what we refer to as the ‘lower lot.’ But back in the day when that area was jam-full with people, it was always nice to see that. I’ll go with Riverfest.”

Riverfest is a fondly remembered event. Every so often, we get the occasional call asking about it! Ottawa has been home to a variety of iconic events and attractions from over the years. Given her experience with events, we asked Shelly if she’d like to see a former event or attraction return, or if she’d prefer to see something new in town.

“With us owning the old Central School property, I would like to see a bigger music event held down there, where people could bring their own blankets or lawn chairs, and hang out, and enjoy the river, and see the park across on the other side,” she explained.

There are so many exciting things on the horizon for Ottawa. In a town like ours, there’s no telling what else might come next, the possibilities are limitless. To round out our interview, we asked Shelly if she had any final thoughts on the future of Ottawa and tourism.

“I would just assume that we would stay all working together to promote Ottawa, and keep it going like it’s going. We’ve got some things on the cusp with the Exploreum Children’s Museum, which I think will be a big attraction once we get a building. It’ll pull more people in and maybe we’ll have some more family-oriented events,” she said.

As some may know, Shelly and Brent Roalson are key contacts with Mrs. and Mr. Claus up at the North Pole. We also asked Shelly if they’ve been working with Santa and Mrs. Claus on seeing if they’re available for any other appearances in Ottawa, beyond the Festival of Lights and Chris Kringle Market.

“We love doing that. With the addition of the Dayton Ridge property, we’re talking about holding some Santa and Mrs. Claus events out there too this winter. So, I’m looking forward to that. That’s always a good time.”

Many thanks to Shelly! We’ve only got a couple more interviews left for you, but we’re so grateful and proud of 30 years in the Middle of Everywhere. Stay tuned on the rest of our blog or our Facebook page for the last of these interviews.