List of Canadian Blues festivals and venues

Canadian blues festivals and venues range from small, community-based festivals that feature mostly local performers to major corporate-sponsored festivals that draw nationally- and internationally-prominent blues bands and huge crowds. Some of the large festivals include the Ottawa Bluesfest, the [http://www.harvestjazzandblues.com /Fredericton Harvest Jazz and Blues] Festival in New Brunswick and the Edmonton's Labatt Blues Festival. These festivals, which are usually organized by volunteer-based blues societies, are an important part of the Canadian blues scene. [http://www.thebluesfest.ca Windsor/London Blues Festival International] produces two shows on the third weekend of July in both Windsor and London Ontario. The premiere event was in downtown Windsor in 1995 and the London festival was added 6 years later. This years festival saw record attendance in both venues.

In addition to blues festivals, Canadian blues bands also appear at a range of other venues, including bars, taverns, lounges, and community centre concert series'. Only a small number of these venues specialize in blues music; in most cases, venues will have a "blues night" or an occasional blues series. Some of the best-known blues venues in Toronto are Healey's (named for former owner, the late Jeff Healey) and The Silver Dollar Room. Other well-known Canadian blues venues include Café Campus in Montreal, Blues at the Bow Live in Alberta, Blues On Whyte in Edmonton, The Shamrock Hotel in Calgary, and The Yale in Vancouver.

Blues Festivals

Canadian blues festivals include:

Ontario

* Atomic Blues Fest - Lindsay, Ontario
* [http://www.kitchenerbluesfestival.com Kitchener Blues Festival] - Kitchener, Ontario
* [http://www.burlingtonjazzbluesfestival.com Burlington Jazz & Blues Festival] - July in Burlington, Ontario
* [http://www.canalbankshuffle.com Canal Bank Shuffle] - October, Thorold, Ontario
* [http://www.coalflatsblues.com Coal Flats Blues Festival] - September in Port Burwell, Ontario
* [http://www.escarpmentblues.ca Escarpment Blues Festival] - Mid July in Milton, Ontario
* House Full Of Blues Festival - North Bay, Ontario
* [http://www.kingstonblues.com Limestone City Blues Festival] - late August in Kingston, Ontario
* Mudcat Blues Fest - August, Dunnville, Ontario
* [http://www.orangevillebluesandjazz.ca Orangeville Blues and Jazz Festival - 1st weekend of June in Orangeville, Ontario
* [http://www.orilliaspringblues.com Orillia Spring Blues Festival]
* Ottawa Bluesfest - held every July in Ottawa, Ontario
* [http://www.oshawajazzandbluesfestival.com Oshawa Jazz and Blues Festival] - August in Oshawa, Ontario
* Porquis Blues Festival - Porquis, Ontario
* Port Credit Blues and Jazz Festival (also called the [http://www.southsideshuffle.com "Southside Shuffle"] ), Port Credit, Ontario
* Stratford Jazz and Blues Festival - April
* [http://www.tbayblues.ca Thunder Bay Blues Festival] - July in Thunder Bay
* [http://www.twistedpines.com Twisted Pines Blues Festival] - May in the Midland/Penetanguishene area
* [http://www.thebluesfest.ca Windsor/London Blues Festival International] - July in Windsor and London

British Columbia

* Hornby Island Blues Workshop - May in British Columbia
* "Summertime Blues 2008! " - August 15 to 24 in Nanaimo
* [Salmon Arm Roots and Blues Festival - August in British Columbia's interior] http://www.rootsandblues.ca/

East Coast

* [http://www.harvestjazzandblues.com Fredericton Harvest Jazz and Blues] , New Brunswick.
* [http://www.saintjohnjazzandblues.com BMO Nesbitt Burns Saint John Jazz and Blues Festival] , New Brunswick.
* [http://dutchmason.com/festival.html Dutch Mason Blues Festival] , Nova Scotia.

Other Regions

* [http://www.festiblues.com FestiBlues International du Montreal]
* [http://ww1.tremblant.ca/blues/en/index.asp International Blues Festival of Tremblant] - July in Mont-Tremblant, Quebec
* [http://www.greatwoodspark.com/Festival-greatwoods/index.htm Great Woods Music Festival] - August in Beausejour, Manitoba
* Edmonton's Labatt Blues Festival - August in Edmonton, Alberta
* [http://www.calgarybluesfest.com - Calgary International Blues Festival in August

Other Blues Venues

In addition to blues festivals, Canadian blues bands also appear at a range of other venues, including bars, taverns, lounges, and community centre concert series'. Only a small number of these venues specialize in blues music; in most cases, venues will have a "blues night" or an occasional blues series.

Eastern Canada

Bearly's - Halifax, Nova Scotia;Fat Tuesday’s Pub - Moncton, NB; Your Father’s Mustache - Halifax, NS;The Tantramarsh Blues Society (www.mta.ca/tbs) presents blues at George's Roadhouse in Sackville, New Brunswick.

Ontario

Readers Cafe - Dunnville;The Musicians' Ball (held in January)- Hamilton;Live at City Hall - Stratford;Healey's - (Jeff Healey's club) in Toronto;The Silver Dollar Room - Toronto's blues club;Whistler's - Toronto club offering live blues on Tuesdays; Lil' House of Blues - Whitby;The Rainbow Bistro - Ottawa;Tango Coffee Bistro - Stratford;Tulky's Sports Bar and Grill - St. Catharines/Welland; Tucson's - Ottawa;Harwood Blues Cafe - Ajax;Fitzy's Crab Shack - Barrie;Blues on the East Side, Cambridge;Boomers 96, Hamilton;Peter's Place - Innisfil;Brandee’s Restaurant, Kingston;Bourbon St. Lounge, Kitchener;100 Georges, North Bay;Attic Lounge, Oshawa;The Dukes Hotel - Port Colborne;Harp (The)- Port Credit;Capitol Theatre, Port Hope; Alleycatz, Toronto;Appleby's, Toronto;Big Bop (The Reverb Room), Toronto;Big Daddy’s, Toronto;Blues on Bellair, Toronto;Cadillac Lounge, Toronto;C'est What - Toronto; Chicago’s (contact is Mark Stafford) Toronto;Horseshoe Tavern - Toronto;Happy Hog Roadhouse - Tottenham;Aardvark Blues Cafe, Windsor

Quebec

Church Street Cafe, Cookshire;Cafe Campus, Montreal;Yellow Door, Montreal; Bistro À JoJo, Montreal;Club d’Autiel, Quebec City

Western and Northern Canada

Blues at the Bow Live - Alberta;Blues On Whyte, Edmonton, AB;The Yardbird Suite, Edmonton, AB;The Shamrock Hotel, Calgary, AB;The Red Onion, Calgary, AB;The Drake Hotel, Canmore, AB; Blue Grotto, Kamloops, BC; Buds On Broadway, Saskatoon, SK;
Sasktel Saskatchewan Jazz Fest, SK; The Yale - Vancouver, BC;The Fairview - Blues On Broadway - Vancouver, BC;Northern Arts and Cultural Centre - Yellowknife, NT;Greatwoods Music Festival, Beausejour, MB;The Shamrock Hotel, Calgary, AB