The Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival (french: Festival de Montgolfières de Gatineau) is an annual festival held in

Gatineau Gatineau ( ; ) is a city in western Quebec, Canada. It is located on the northern bank of the Ottawa River, immediately across from Ottawa, Ontario. Gatineau is the largest city in the Outaouais administrative region and is part of Canada's Na ...

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirte ...

, Canada, and organized by a not-for-profit organization, during which hot air balloons of every shape and colour are flown and where 300 shows and performances adding up to over 60 hours’ worth of programming are taking place. More than 200,000 visitors and 1,000 RVs usually participate. It is held over four days in late-August and early September during the

Labor Day Weekend Labor Day is a federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday in September to honor and recognize the American labor movement and the works and contributions of laborers to the development and achievements of the United S ...

History

Jean Boileau era and the festival's beginning (1988-2001)

The festival started in 1988 by Jean Boileau and attracted about 50 000 visitors and about 50 balloons. Through the following years the festival became much larger and was one of the biggest festivals in Canada. Attendance at one point reached over 225,000 people and had over 150 balloons. In 1998, the festival was also hosting the World Hot Air Airship Championship, which was disputed by 16 teams from Europe, China and the United States. Shibas.

Fatal accident and festival departure (2001-2002)

On July 14, 2001, Boileau who was the general manager since its beginning was involved in a horrific hot-air balloon accident just east of the

Ottawa International Airport Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core of ...

on Leitrim Road. The balloon, while trying to land in an open field, struck some hydro wires after a sudden wind gust. It suddenly engulfed in flames. Boileau sustained multiple burns while trying to rescue his 15-year-old daughter, Julie, who was trapped inside the balloon's basket. Unfortunately, the rescue effort failed as the girl died instantly while two other people also sustained burns. Boileau, despite the fact that a subsequent Transport Canada report which mention that the accident was caused by a pilot error and bad weather conditions, was later honored by then-governor general

Adrienne Clarkson Adrienne Louise Clarkson (; ; born February 10, 1939) is a Hong Kong-born Canadian journalist who served from 1999 to 2005 as Governor General of Canada, the 26th since Canadian Confederation. Clarkson arrived in Canada with her family in 19 ...

for bravery. In 2007 a commemorative plaque was unveiled at the La Baie Park for Boileau's daughter known as the festival's first volunteer and a tree was also planted on site in her honor in conjunction of the festival's 20th Anniversary which also honored the founder of the festival. After that event, he never piloted a hot-air balloon and left his general manager spot of the Festival afterwards - some speculations were that the new city of Gatineau administration of Yves Ducharme tried to force him out of the job by offering a spot for the new city as chief of communications. He was handled that position for a few months during rehabilitation, but the position was later removed and changed as the position of director of communications and the City did not appointed him due to health reasons caused by his accident. Some speculated that the Ducharme administration wanted to remove people who were associated with the former city of Gatineau's last mayor, Robert Labine and Ducharme's mayoral rival in the 2001 elections for the new city of Gatineau. However, a settlement between the city and Boileau was made in 2003. The departure of Boileau had also put the Festival's future in doubt as several of his associates also left the Festival's organization. Boileau is currently the communication director of the City of Gatineau since October 2013

Notable singing performers and attendance during the history of the festival

Several well-known artists performed during the Festival over the course of its history since 1988. Among those included: * 1988 : 34 000 festival-goers - Show by Nuance * 1989 : 90 000 festival-goers. Show by

Céline Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion ( ; born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Noted for her powerful and technically skilled vocals, Dion is the best-selling Canadian recording artist, and the best-selling French-language artist of all time. Her ...

and

Pierre Flynn Pierre is a masculine given name. It is a French form of the name Peter. Pierre originally meant "rock" or "stone" in French (derived from the Greek word πέτρος (''petros'') meaning "stone, rock", via Latin "petra"). It is a translation ...

. * 1990 : 110 000 festival-goers. Show by

Mitsou Mitsou Annie Marie Gélinas (born September 1, 1970, in Loretteville, Quebec) is a Canadian pop singer, businesswoman, television and radio host, and actress. She is credited as Mitsou Gélinas when acting, but records simply as Mitsou (the Fre ...

and Paul Piché. * 1991 : 150 000 festival-goers. Show by

Daniel Lavoie Daniel Lavoie (; born Joseph-Hubert-Gérald Lavoie on March 17, 1949) is a Canadian singer–songwriter, actor, producer, poet, and radio host, known for his song " Ils s'aiment" and the role of Frollo in musical ''Notre-Dame de Paris''. He rele ...

, André-Philippe Gagnon, Marjo and

Vilain Pingouin Vilain Pingouin is a rock band from Quebec, Canada. Biography After having played for a few years with various English-speaking rock groups, Rudy Caya and Michel Vaillancourt decided to plunge into more Francophone waters by playing with Les ...

. * 1992 : 170 000 festival-goers. Show by

Richard Séguin Richard Séguin (born March 27, 1952 in Pointe-aux-Trembles, Québec Canada) is a Québécois songwriter, musician and singer. His music career began in the 1970s with the duo Les Séguin, with his twin sister Marie-Claire. The duo achieved c ...

Luc De Larochellière Luc or LUC may refer to: Places * Luc, Hautes-Pyrénées, France, a commune * Luc, Lozère, France, a commune * Le Luc, France, a commune * Luč, Baranja, Croatia, a settlement People and fictional characters * Luc (given name) * Luc (surname) ...

and Les B.B. * 1993 : 185 000 festival-goers. Show by

Robert Charlebois Robert Charlebois, OC, OQ (born June 25, 1944) is a Québecois author, composer, musician, performer and actor. Charlebois was born in Montreal, Quebec. Among his best known songs are ''Lindberg'' (the duo with Louise Forestier in particular ...

Ginette Reno Ginette Reno (born Ginette Raynault; 28 April 1946) is a Canadian author, composer, singer, and actress. She has received nominations for the Genie and Gemini Awards and is a multi-recipient of the Juno Award. She is a gold and platinum selli ...

Alannah Myles Alannah Myles (née Byles; born December 25, 1958) is a Canadian singer-songwriter who has won both a Grammy and a Juno Award for the song " Black Velvet". The song was a top-ten hit in Canada; it was also a number one hit on the US ''Billboar ...

and

Julie Masse Julie Masse (born June 3, 1970) is a Canadian pop singer. Biography Masse was born in Greenfield Park, Quebec. She released her self-titled debut album in 1990, a French language album that made her a star in Quebec and France, with the singl ...

. * 1994 : 200 000 festival-goers. Show by

France D'Amour France D'Amour (born France Rochon on March 30, 1967, in Mont-Rolland, Sainte-Adèle, Quebec, Canada) is a French Canadian singer songwriter from Quebec. She studied music at Collège Lionel-Groulx in Sainte-Thérèse, Quebec specialising in ja ...

Claude Dubois Claude André Dubois (born 24 April 1947) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. Dubois was an early star of the Francophone musical '' Starmania''. He was a vocalist in the Canadian famine relief song " Tears Are Not Enough" and was nominated Most ...

Édith Butler Édith Butler (born Marie Nicole Butler, 27 July 1942) is an Acadian-Canadian singer-songwriter and folklorist of from New Brunswick’s Acadian Peninsula. Biography Édith Butler was born in Paquetville on the Acadian Peninsula in Glouce ...

Gilles Vigneault Gilles Vigneault (; born 27 October 1928) is a Canadian poet, publisher, singer-songwriter, and Quebec nationalist and sovereigntist. Two of his songs are considered by many to be Quebec's unofficial anthems: " Mon pays" and " Gens du pays", ...

and

Roch Voisine Joseph Armand Roch Voisine, (born 26 March 1963) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, actor, and radio and television host who lives in Montreal and Paris. He writes and performs material in both English and French. He won the Juno Award for Male V ...

. * 1995 : 200 000 festival-goers. Show by Marjo,

Sonia Benezra Sonia Benezra (born September 25, 1960 in Montreal, Quebec) is a Canadian TV and radio interviewer and personality and actress who formerly hosted shows on MusiquePlus, MusiMax, MuchMusic and MuchMoreMusic. She hosted a daily live talk show on the ...

Mario Pelchat Mario Pelchat (born 1 February 1964) is a Canadian Francophone singer from Quebec. He received the Felix Award in 1990 and 1992. Biography Pelchat was born in Dolbeau-Mistassini, Quebec and has performed since 1973. His first 45 RPM single was ...

Jim Corcoran James Ashley Corcoran (born 10 February 1949 in Sherbrooke, Quebec) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and former broadcaster. Biography Jim Corcoran was born in Sherbrooke, but went to high school and obtained his B.A. in Boston, Massachusetts ...

Sylvain Cossette Sylvain Cossette (born May 8, 1963) is a French-Canadian singer from Grand-Mère, Quebec (located in the Mauricie region). He was a founding member of the Quebec-based English-language band Paradox in 1984 before becoming a French-language solo a ...

, Michaël Rancourt, Éric Lapointe and Gildor Roy. * 1996 : 225 000 festival-goers. Show by

, André-Philippe Gagnon,

Marie Carmen Marie Carmen is the stage name of Marie-Carmen Aubut (born August 24, 1959), a Canadian pop singer and musical theatre actress born in Sainte-Foy, Quebec. Associated with the bands Accident, Blood et Marie and The Radio Rats in the early 1980s, ...

and

Kevin Parent Kevin Parent (born 12 December 1972) is a Canadian singer-songwriter from Quebec. He is fluent in both English and French. Early life Although his first language is English, he was born in Greenfield Park, Quebec (now a borough of the city o ...

. * 1997 : 225 000 festival-goers. Show by

Dan Bigras Dan Bigras (born 23 December 1957) is a francophone rock singer and actor from Canada. He has released a number of albums of rock music, beginning with ''Ange Animal'' in 1990. He is the spokesman of ''Refuge des Jeunes de Montréal'' (meaning ...

Anthony Kavanagh Anthony Kavanagh (born September 26, 1969) is a Canadian stand up comedian, actor, singer and TV presenter. After a successful career on the francophone stand-up scene in Quebec, he became a major star in France and is now a popular television ho ...

Gipsy Kings Gipsy Kings are a group of flamenco, salsa, and pop musicians from Arles and Montpellier in southern France, who perform mostly in Catalan but also mix in Spanish with southern French dialects. Although the group members were born in France, th ...

and Soul Attorneys. * 1998 : 200 000 festival-goers. Show by

, Dubmatique, Luce Dufault,

Jonny Lang Jon Gordon Langseth Jr. (born January 29, 1981), known as Jonny Lang, is an American blues, gospel, and rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He has made five albums that have charted on the top 50 of the ''Billboard'' 200 chart and has w ...

and

. * 1999 : 200 000 festival-goers. Show by Dubmatique,

Bruno Pelletier Bruno Pelletier (born August 7, 1962) is a Canadian singer. Life Pelletier was born in Charlesbourg, a suburb of Quebec City. In 1983 Pelletier performed in the bands Amanite and Sneak Preview, which sang in English. He later started a group ...

, Corey Hart and

Jean Leloup Jean Leclerc (born May 14, 1961) is a Québécois singer-songwriter and author from Sainte-Foy, Quebec, Canada. He is popularly known as Jean Leloup (which he likes to translate to John the Wolf), a stage name he kept using until 2006, when he ...

. * 2000 : 200 000 festival-goers. Show by Zachary Richard, Marjo, Éric Lapointe, La Chicane,

Pierre Lalonde Pierre Lalonde (January 20, 1941 – June 21, 2016) was a Canadian singer and television host. The son of Jean Lalonde, a popular singer in the 1940s, Lalonde attended high school in the United States but returned to Canada in 1960, where he wo ...

and Richard Abel. * 2001 : 200 000 festival-goers. Show by Luck Mervil,

, Okoumé,

Fernand Gignac Fernand Gignac (March 23, 1934 – August 18, 2006) was a French Canadian singer and actor. Beside his music career under the label Fleur-de-Lis, Gignac also starred in several television series (including '' Symphorien'', 1968). Gignac died on F ...

and

Annie Brocoli Annie Grenier (born January 22, 1971) is a singer whose alter ego Annie Brocoli is a children's character in Quebec. Inspired by Grenier's childhood experiences as well as by her two children, Annie Brocoli has adventures while traveling around in ...

. * 2002 : festival-goers. Show by Alain Choquette,

Gabrielle Destroismaisons Gabrielle Destroismaisons (born December 29, 1982 in Saint-Lin-Laurentides, Quebec) is a Québécois singer. In 2000, she released her debut album ''Etc...'', which sold more than 100,000 copies in a few months and led to Destroismaisons being aw ...

, Boom Desjardins,

and Stéphane Rousseau. * 2003 : Show by

Daniel Bélanger Daniel Bélanger (born December 26, 1961) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. His music is eclectic, inspired by alternative rock, folk and electronic music, sometimes humorous, sometimes wistful. Biography In middle 1983, he founded the band Hu ...

, Bob Walsh, Lulu Hugues, Yelo Molo and les Respectables. * 2004 : 200 000 festival-goers. Show by Daniel Boucher,

Nanette Workman Nanette Joan Workman (born 20 November 1945, Brooklyn, New York, United States) is a singer-songwriter, actress and author, who has been based in Quebec, Canada, during much of her career. She holds dual citizenship of both the United States an ...

Marie-Chantal Toupin Marie-Chantal Toupin (born July 14, 1971) is a Quebec singer. She has released a number of albums of pop and soft rock music. Toupin has sold over 300,000 albums in Canada and has had two albums certified platinum. Early life Toupin was born in M ...

Laurence Jalbert Laurence Jalbert (born Lise Jalbert, 18 August 1959 in Rivière-au-Renard, Quebec) is a pop and rock singer-songwriter from Quebec. Background She began her career with the band Volt in 1985."Quebec singer's struggle pays off". ''Edmonton Jour ...

, Mélanie Renaud,

Andrée Watters Andrée Watters-Michaud (born January 25, 1983) is a musician and a two-time Félix Award winner from Quebec Biography Watters was born in Charlesbourg, Quebec, grew up in the Quebec City region and first showed her talent in a Christmas-rel ...

Gino Vannelli Gino Vannelli (born June 16, 1952) is a Canadian rock singer and songwriter who had several hit songs in the 1970s and 1980s. His best-known singles include "People Gotta Move" (1974), "I Just Wanna Stop" (1978), "Living Inside Myself" (1981) an ...

, La Bottine Souriante and Martin Giroux. * 2005 : Show by Boom Desjardins, Éric Lapointe, Hugo Lapointe,

Martin Deschamps Martin Deschamps (born June 23, 1970) is a Canadian rock singer from Quebec. He records and performs both as a solo artist and as the lead vocalist for the reunited Offenbach. Young age Deschamps was born with congenital deformities of all fou ...

, Florent Vollant,

Michel Pagliaro Michel Armand Guy Pagliaro (born 9 November 1948) is a Canadian rock singer, songwriter and guitarist from Montreal, Quebec. Pagliaro was nominated for a 1975 Juno Award as male vocalist of the year. Although he writes and records predominantly ...

, Luck Mervil,

Vincent Vallières Vincent Vallières (born August 8, 1978) is a Canadian singer from Sherbrooke. Career Vallières debut album, ''Trente Arpents'', was released in 1999, followed by ''Bordel Ambiant'' in 2001 . He became popular in Quebec in 2003 with the release ...

, Émily Bégin,

Marie-Mai Marie-Mai (born Marie-Mai Bouchard on July 7, 1984, in Varennes, Quebec) is a Canadian singer from Quebec. She was initially known as one of the finalists of the first season of the Quebec reality show ''Star Académie''. Background Marie-Mai ...

Nicola Ciccone Nicola Ciccone is a Canadian francophone singer-songwriter, novelist and writer of Italian origin. His songs have been mainly in French but also in English, Italian, and Spanish. He has released 13 albums, which have been nominated for many ADI ...

and the Boogie Wonder Band. * 2006 : 170 000 festival-goers. Show by

Simple Plan Simple Plan is a Canadian rock band from Montreal, Quebec, formed in 1999. The band's lineup consists of Pierre Bouvier (lead vocals, studio bass guitar), Chuck Comeau (drums), Jeff Stinco (lead guitar), and Sébastien Lefebvre (rhythm guit ...

Stéphanie Lapointe Stéphanie Lapointe (born March 26, 1984 in Brossard, Quebec) is a Quebec singer, song writer, television and movie actress and humanitarian activist. She is best known as the winner of the second season of Star Académie. Profile/background Mus ...

, Annie Villeneuve,

Véronic DiCaire Véronic DiCaire (born in Embrun, Ontario, Canada) is a Canadian Franco-Ontarian singer and impressionist.

, Marjo, Garou and

les Cowboys Fringants Les Cowboys Fringants are a Quebec folk rock music group formed in 1995 in Repentigny, Quebec. The French word ''fringant'' can be translated as "dashing", or "frisky". They perform '' Québécois'' néo-trad music (modernized Quebec folk musi ...

. * 2007 : 230 000 festival-goers. Show by

, Compagnie Créole, Alfa Rococo,

Eva Avila Eva Avila (born Eva Gougeon-Ávila on 25 February 1987) is a Canadian singer, songwriter and actress. She won the fourth season of the CTV reality show ''Canadian Idol'' in 2006. Early life Avila was born in Gatineau, Quebec. Her father intro ...

, Kaïn, Champion et ses G-Strings, Lulu Hugues,

, Elizabeth Blouin-Brathwaite and Kim Richardson. * 2008 : 190 000 festival-goers. Show by

Finger Eleven Finger Eleven is a Canadian rock band from Burlington, Ontario, formed in 1990. They have released seven studio albums (six as Finger Eleven and one as Rainbow Butt Monkeys), with their album '' The Greyest of Blue Skies'' bringing them into the ...

Marie-Élaine Thibert Marie-Élaine Thibert (born April 18, 1982) is a Canadian adult contemporary and pop singer based in Quebec. Thibert was first notable for being the runner-up in the first season of Star Académie in 2003, the Quebec singing idol reality show. Sh ...

, Boom Desjardins, Jamil, France Maisonneuve,

Xavier Caféïne Xavier Caféine is a French Canadian rock vocalist, multi instrumentalist, composer and producer from the province of Quebec. He is the primary songwriter and lead singer of his band Cafeine and has also released music under alternate spellings; ...

Dennis DeYoung Dennis DeYoung (born February 18, 1947) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. He was a founding member of the rock band Styx, and served as its primary lead vocalist and keyboardist from 1972 until 1999. DeYoung was th ...

Pascale Picard The Pascale Picard Band is a Canadian rock group from Quebec City, formed by Pascale Picard (vocal and guitar), Philippe Morissette (bass), Marc Chartrain (drums) and Mathieu Cantin (guitar). History The band first made a small appearance during ...

and

Gregory Charles Gregory Charles, OC (born February 12, 1968) is a Quebec performing artist of Trinidadian and French Canadian origin. Biography Charles' father Lennox was a black anglophone of Trinidadian origin; his mother was a white francophone Canadian. Cha ...

. * 2009 : 255 000 festival-goers. Show by

Mes Aïeux Mes Aïeux ( en, italic=yes, My Ancestors) is a neo-traditional Quebec folk music group founded in 1996. Style Although a leader of the Quebec " neo-traditional" scene, the band takes a definitely modern slant on that style, borrowing stories ...

Kenny Rogers Kenneth Ray Rogers (August 21, 1938 – March 20, 2020) was an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013. Rogers was particularly popular with country audiences but also charted mo ...

Ariane Moffatt Ariane Moffatt (born 26 April 1979) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. Known for working across multiple musical genres, Moffatt's music combines elements of electronica, jazz, folk, and pop. A francophone, she is bilingual and has recorded track ...

and Éric Lapointe. Spokesperson:

Patrice Bélanger Patrice is a given name meaning '' noble'' or '' patrician'', related to the names Patrick and Patricia. In English, Patrice is often a feminine first name. In French, it is used as a masculine first name. Popularity In the United States, the pop ...

* 2010 : 175 000 festival-goers – Show by

Bobby Bazini Bobby Bazini (born Bobby Bazinet May 6, 1989) is a French Canadian singer-songwriter from Mont-Laurier, Quebec, Canada. He has released three studio albums and is currently signed to Universal Music Canada. Career 2009–2011: ''Better In Tim ...

Our Lady Peace Our Lady Peace (sometimes shortened to OLP) is a Canadian rock band formed in Toronto, Ontario in 1992. Led by lead vocalist Raine Maida since its formation, the band currently also features Duncan Coutts on bass, Steve Mazur on guitars, and ...

, Hedley,

, Johanne Blouin,

, Luce Dufault, Jesse Cook,

and

Les Cowboys Fringants Les Cowboys Fringants are a Quebec folk rock music group formed in 1995 in Repentigny, Quebec. The French word ''fringant'' can be translated as "dashing", or "frisky". They perform '' Québécois'' néo-trad music (modernized Quebec folk musi ...

. * 2011 : Show by

David Usher David Usher (born April 24, 1966) is a British-born Canadian musician, best-selling author, keynote speaker, and activist best known as the front man for the band Moist. He has also released a number of solo albums. He is the founder of Reimagin ...

Roger Hodgson Charles Roger Pomfret Hodgson (born 21 March 1950) is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the former co-frontman and founding member of progressive rock band Supertramp. Hodgson composed and sang the majority of the band’ ...

Marc Dupré Marc Dupré (born July 28, 1973) is a Canadian singer, songwriter and musician from Quebec. Career His first album release was ''Refaire le monde'' in 2005. It included "Tout près du bonheur" with Céline Dion. The song was written by Dion and ...

Véronic DiCaire Véronic DiCaire (born in Embrun, Ontario, Canada) is a Canadian Franco-Ontarian singer and impressionist.

, Annie Villeneuve,

Les Trois Accords Les Trois Accords is a Canadian rock band from Drummondville, Québec. The band launched its first album, '' Gros Mammouth Album,'' in 2003. Some of the songs from that album, include "''Hawaïenne''", "''Saskatchewan''" and "''Lucille''". Their ...

, Les Respectables. * 2012 : 25th birthday. Show by

KC and the Sunshine Band KC and the Sunshine Band is an American disco and funk band that was founded in 1973 in Hialeah, Florida. Their best-known songs include the hits "That's the Way (I Like It)", "(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty", " I'm Your Boogie Man", ...

, Isabelle Boulay, Éric Lapointe. Reconstruction of the first flight of hot-air balloon. * 2013 : Show by

Sean Paul Sean Paul Ryan Francis Henriques OD (born 9 January 1973) is a Jamaican rapper and singer who is regarded as one of dancehall's most prolific artists. Paul's singles " Get Busy" and "Temperature" topped the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart in the ...

Mia Martina Martine Johnson, better known by her stage name Mia Martina, is a Canadian singer and songwriter. She is known for her hit singles "Stereo Love", "Burning", "Latin Moon" and " Beast". Martina has received Juno Awards nominations for "Stereo Love ...

, Pirate Delsol, Garou,

, Valérie Carpentier,

Bernard Adamus Bernard Adamus (born December 16, 1977) is a Canadian singer-songwriter based in Quebec, whose music draws on folk, blues, country and hip-hop influences.Loco Locass Loco Locass are a Canadian hip hop group from Quebec formed in 1995. The group often defends the role of the French language, and champions Quebec sovereignty. Songs such as " ROC Rap" and "Résistance" highlight the band's political leanings, a ...

Damien Robitaille Damien Robitaille (, born June 1981) is a Canadian musician from the village of Lafontaine, Ontario in the Georgian Bay area, two hours north-west of Toronto. He is a Franco-Ontarian musician whose career is mainly based in Quebec, where he has li ...

References

http://www.lapresse.ca/le-droit/actualites/ville-de-gatineau/201308/27/01-4683692-jean-boileau-a-la-tete-des-communications-de-gatineau.php

External links