Mimi O’Bonsawin brings a little piece of home to The Wintertime Music Festival – Apartment613

By Pune Media On Mar 17, 2025

By Paul Goubko

Last week, Ottawa’s Inaugural Wintertime Music Festival showcased diverse local artists to reflect the city’s faces and culture.

After five years of planning and delays due to the pandemic, The Gladstone Theatre partnered with the Ottawa Music Industry Coalition (OMIC) to bring the Ottawa community joy and entertainment.

Running from March 9 to March 15, The Wintertime Festival was conceptualized to provide music lovers with something to fill the gap before the festival season that celebrates local artists.

“We wanted a festival that was going to reflect our city. And so every single artist that has been on the stage is a local artist, an Ottawa artist, all, just like wildly eclectic and diverse styles. So you come in for this festival, you’re having an adventure because you got everything from roots to rap to Chinese traditional music to Latin music,” says Robin Guy, Gladstone Theatre’s theatre manager.

Gladstone Wintertime Festival poster. Photo provided.

Guy says with the positive reception of the shows in person and online, she hopes the festival will become a larger, annual event incorporating the successful elements they saw this year.

“Maybe we move to what we did on Sunday in that we had three bands in the afternoon, and then the big headliner in the evening, and that really felt very festively. So yeah, see what we can do in terms of stacking shows, and how much can we fit in.”

Saturday’s show brought headliner Mimi O’Bonsawin, who describes her music as a mixture of folk, pop, and roots, to share her experiences with the audiences she connects with.

“It’s really important that I tell my story. So it’s things that I’ve experienced myself. I’ve never put myself in a situation where I’m telling somebody else’s story through a song,” O’Bonsawin says. “This sounds kind of wishy-washy, but [I write about] life itself. And of course, I write love songs, but they’re [about] love for the land, love for my people, love for my family, love for all of the things we all share.”

Performing live is an important piece of her music and this shined as she engaged with the crowd on Saturday, who were singing, clapping, and dancing throughout the performance.

“I think live music is so human, and to keep it human and to have those connections, I just love that. So I hope that people find a little piece of home in our music because it’s something we’d like to offer,” O’Bonsawin explained before the performance.

Along with Ryan Schurman providing rhythmic drum and percussion, their uplifting melodies and introspective lyrics appeared to embrace the audience like a warm hug that invited you into their universe. It felt like a celebration after a local harvest bringing the audience together and stirring memories reminding listeners of the beauty of life and the world around us.

Those who couldn’t attend will be able to see Mimi O’Bonsawin for free at Museo Parc Sugarfest on March 29 and FemmeVox 8 brought to you by the Great Canadian Theatre Company on March 30. Tickets are $35 and wheelchair-accessible seating is available.

For those who missed the festival, follow The Gladstone Theatre on Instagram and Facebook for next year’s iteration.

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