WINDSOR, ONT. -- Windsor is taking centre stage when it comes to hosting a province-wide New Year’s Eve celebration to ring in the new year and say goodbye to the year that was.
‘From Ontario, With Love: A Celebration of Hope’ is a New Year’s special filled with performances from award-winning artists all broadcast from Windsor’s historic Capitol Theatre.
“We’re very, very excited and it’s actually really amazing that the only live location in Ontario is going to be in Windsor,” said show producer Jeffery Latimer.
Virtual revellers across Ontario, Canada, and the world can catch the New Year’s Eve special online and on TVO during the final hours of 2020.
“I think it’s a wonderful thing and the fact that we could shoot some of this live and employ artists and filmmakers and directors and crews in a time when they all really fought for work because it’s been so difficult,” Latimer said.
Musical performances, fireworks and storytelling will fill the 90-minute production. The show is hosted by Big Brother Canada host and executive producer Arisa Cox and actor Andrew Phung of Kim’s Convenience.
“We’ve got Avril Lavigne, The Barenaked Ladies, the Halluci Nation who used to be a tribe called ‘Red’, each doing different songs from different locations telling stories,” Latimer said.
He also noted the event will pay tribute to front line workers and was taped in six different cities, aside from Windsor’s life element.
“It’s such a huge and important city in our province and I think sometimes we forget what’s there,” Latimer said. “We forget this amazing theatre, The Capital!”
The Capitol Theatre is also celebrating its 100th anniversary New Year’s Even Night, so expect the Windsor Symphony Orchestra.
“It’s a sense of pride to be able to say look what Windsor did for New Year’s Eve, look how Windsor stepped up to do something for everyone and I think that’s important,” said Turbo Espresso Bar owner Renaldo Augustino.
Augustino is lending support, and encouraging locals to order takeout to help restaurants and bars just a little, on what’s normally one of the busiest nights of the year.
“It’s one of those things where the revenue from New Year’s really takes you through those slow months of the year that follow directly right after,” he said.
‘From Ontario with Love’ starts 10:30 p.m. Thursday and will be available on TVO or online through TVO’s YouTube channel.
