OTTAWA — A squall knocked down the main stage overhead rig on the last day of the 12-day Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest on Sunday, July 17, about 20 minutes after Cheap Trick started performing. The band members and most of the crew were reported to be okay and no fatalities were reported. The overhead truss and gear fell backward, away from the crowd, onto some trucks. Three people were hospitalized and released, including Sandy Sanderson, a truck driver for Cheap Trick, who sustained the most serious injuries.
The wind and driving rain also drove thousands from the festival grounds and forced the cancellation of performances by Galatic, Joe Satriani and Death Cab For Cutie.
On Monday, July 18, Mark Monahan, the executive director of the festival, held a press conference. He said the rented stage had been inspected by structural engineers and had been used in prior years without incident. He added that the stage was inspected daily and that there was no reason to believe that anything would go wrong.
Groupe Berger/Mega-Stage has since released details noting that the stage is designed to stand up to gusts of up to 120 km/hr (75 mph), and meteorologists had predicted gusts of no more than 90 km/hr (55 mph). A report by the Weather Network has since estimated the winds that hit the stage to have been as high as 140 km/hr (87 mph).
Groupe Berger also noted that the galvanized steel structure, which weighs about 180,000 lbs., was moved about 5 feet by the force of the wind, as was the stage trailer that adds to the ballast on the ground. The company said that the stage is a total loss and will be recycled and not reused.
The damage to lighting and sound gear used for the main stage was also expected to be extensive. Wall Sound and Lighting, which has supported the Ottawa Bluesfest with gear for more than 15 years, reserved detailed comment while the investigation was underway, but also voiced gratitude that its crew members came through the incident without serious harm.
Photos of the incident, just before and after, have been posted on http://www.cheaptrick.com/severe-weather-hits-stage-at-ottowa-bluesfest
