Return to the 2010 Web Site
Ewan Dobson 3rd at Winfield!
We congratulate CGF Competition winner Ewan Dobson on his 3rd place finish at the 2009 Walnut Valley Festival, Winfield, Kansas!
Thanks to Brian O'Sullivan for providing the following report:
"Thanks Del and Canadian Guitar Festival organizers for the opportunity your festival presented to Ewan Dobson. His win at your festival enabled him to compete at the Winfield Festival (which I believe is generally recognized as the world championship). He placed a very respectable 3rd at Winfield against a field of 40. The American winner played nylon string guitar with a Classical/Spanish approach. A Japanese competitor placed 2nd and played beautiful pieces at slower tempos. Ewan dazzled them (as he did the Canadian judges) with his dynamic playing and writing and his impeccable technique. Again, were it not for the Canadian Guitar Festival, he would not have had this opportunity so thanks again Del and company..."
Air Canada Destroys Competition Winner's Guitar
UPDATE
We understand that the pressure from folks all over the web has resulted in an agreement by Air Canada to compensate Calum for his destroyed guitar!! Thank you to everyone who contributed to the effort to encourage Air Canada to do the right thing.
Calum Graham our 2nd place winner had his guitar smashed to pieces by AIr Canada - the Toronto Sun and the Calgary Sun are doing big stories on this tomorrow - lets "cross our fingers in the hopes that Air Canada will do the right thing"!
Airlines have the ability to make a simple policy change to alleviate this all too common problem.
1st - allow ANYONE with an instrument, the option to check same at the gate with baby strollers - these are the last things loaded and the first things unloaded and are handled with a greater degree of care. 2nd - Provide adequate training to all baggage handlers so that they can recognize the unique shape of an instrument and the features of it's outer case. Let us not assume that baggage handlers are mean and disrespectful, instead let us assume that they are simply unaware and need training and other 'special considerations'. ( Their own Olympic Games perhaps? ) - Del
Season 5 a fantastic success! Thank you!
Year five was a huge success on all counts! Wow! What a weekend. So many new faces..so many new friends!
A huge thank you to Rob Poland and CandyRat Records.
And huge congrats to our Competition winners Ewan Dobson, Callum Graham, and Trevor Gordon Hall on their levels of musicianship and creativity.
- 1st Place - Ewan Dobson - Toronto
- 2nd Place - Callum Graham - Calgary
- 3rd Place - Trevor Gordon Hall - Philadelphia
The skill level among the competitors this year was simply astounding. With an Olympic styled judging system, scores can be separated by a decimal place or two. It is a difficult task to judge art, and often the question is asked "Is our children learning?" - oops, I mean "Why do we do this?" .. And the answer is simple : We are all creatures who aim to achieve. Be it outward or inward, we are for some reason, pre-wired to do this. (At least that's my personal take on it.)Getting up on that stage is an achievement on its own.
We have posted our first video submission featuring this year's Guitar Competition on the Videos page. More photos and vids coming soon. Please send us copies of your photos too :) (llhpark@gmail.com )
Back soon and a huge thank you to our volunteers - your hard work and dedication over the weekend was totally monumental. Wendy, Eva, Sam, Phillip, Hanna, Sarah, Stan, Machaela, Kristin, Ashley, Daws, Jeff, Kim, Scott, Tammy, Grant, St. John's Ambulance - and to my beautiful partner Pam....you are my rock. XOXO!
Del
July 31 - August 3, 2009
Season five is 'finally' underway.
Join us for the best three days you are likely to spend all year.
Three days of concerts, clinics, open stages, swimming, camping, eating, and campfire jams.
Take away with you many friendships and memories sure to stay with you for a lifetime...
See you at the lake.
PLEASE REMEMBER TO BRING YOUR OWN LAWN CHAIRS! WE ARE SET TO BEGIN.
Need directions to the site? No problem: maps and directions
Don Alder
Erik Mongrain
Gregory Hoskins
Antoine Dufour
Kelly Valleau
Michael Manring
Gareth Pearson
Emily Fennell
Ray Montford
Sébastien Cloutier
Richard Smith
The String Gents
Tommy Gauthier
and Holmes Hooke
Master of Ceremonies
We have reached the maximum of 24 confirmed competitors. Alternate spaces will be made available at the 9:00am roll call on Sunday August 02, 2009 if there are any spaces that are determined to be available. Thank you for your interest, and remember to sign up early for 2010 as soon as tickets go on sale!
See the Competition page for more information.
What's New
Check out our 
Canadian Guitar Festival Facebook page.
July 22, 2009
Just days away now!
You are currently listening to Antoine Dufour
July 1, 2009
Happy Canada Day!
COGECO Video on Demand is now featuring 6 performances from previous Canadian Guitar Festivals. Anyone with a digital box all across Ontario in COGECO cabled areas can access this feature. Simply go to channel 299, click on TVCOGECO and you'll see a Canadian Guitar Festival button. These programs are free and can be stopped, paused and rewound. These programs began running on channel 13 last week as well.
May 3, 2009
Again this year we are very pleased to announce a special fund raising initiative on behalf of Hospital Atilan in Guatemala. An huge thank you to partner Washburn Guitars for their generous donation of three rover guitars in support of this humanitarian effort. All draw tickets sold offer three chances to win with all the proceeds going to the hospital.
April 28, 2009
We have added a new menu item featuring selected performances from previous Festivals. Enjoy!
April 22, 2009
Download the .pdf version of the schedule: festival_sched.pdf
March 27, 2009
Welcome to the 5th season of the Canadian Guitar Festival. We have put together a lineup of some of the greatest guitarists from around the world.
Our holiday location on beautiful Loughborough Lake Holiday Park cannot be beat; we offer plenty to do for the entire family.
All Credit Card or Paypal payments are processed through PayPal's secure payment system. Enjoy the fun. Enjoy the sun. Enjoy the music.
How to Get Here
Loughborough Lake Holiday Park is located just north of Kingston,via Sydenham Road (8 Km North of Hwy 401 at Exit #613), on a pristine, spring fed, 23 mile long lake loaded with lake trout, bass, pike, & pan fish!
Below is the highway map to the Loughborough Lake Holiday Park entrance. Here is an interactive Google highway map (link opens in a new window).
Here is an overhead view of the site layout:
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