(Topic ID: 226172)

Ottawa Pinball Show cancelled by tornadoes -- help a brother out

By dr_nybble

5 years ago


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    #1 5 years ago

    This year's Ottawa Pinball & Games Show was going to be the best ever....

    You can see the setup finished on Friday night (under emergency lighting):

    Environment Canada has now confirmed that SIX tornadoes ripped through the Ottawa area that evening, resulting in city-wide blackouts. A major power substation close to the show was destroyed! Without power all weekend the show had to be cancelled.

    Obviously the organizer -- Josh -- is out of pocket. Our local pinball community has stepped up to get him back on track and ready for 2019. If you'd like to contribute to the effort please visit the fundraiser below!

    https://www.gofundme.com/opgs-strikes-back

    #2 5 years ago

    A view from two corners on the Friday night, with just the emergency lights on. This wasn't even the final setup! There were about 140 machines in total.

    opgs (resized).jpgopgs (resized).jpg

    #3 5 years ago

    The craziness of that weekend can't be overstated. I arrived in Ottawa to a complete blackout. I couldn't even feed my kids. We drove home the next day.

    As a former event promoter this is my worst nightmare to have an event that you spent all that effort on just go poof from nothing you have any control over.

    I donated to the gofundme and I'll do what I can to suport the show next year hopefully.
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    #4 5 years ago

    here is a photo of the damage to the Merivale high-voltage transfer station, as posted by Ottawa Hydro.
    This was a key link of infrastructure whose destruction at the hands of a tornado ultimately doomed the show

    hydro station (resized).jpghydro station (resized).jpg

    #5 5 years ago

    The Die Hard Pinball League is happy to make a small contribution, we hope that helps to lessen the financial burden and helps out a city we all love. Good luck we will spread the word!!!

    #6 5 years ago
    Quoted from pins4life33:

    The Die Hard Pinball League is happy to make a small contribution, we hope that helps to lessen the financial burden and helps out a city we all love. Good luck we will spread the word!!!

    I cannot begin to put words together that would express how thankful I truly am for your donation. I am humbled by the kindness I am seeing from everyone and quite frankly it is overwhelming.

    Thank you very much.

    #7 5 years ago

    Yes, that is a bummer about all the effort put into setting up for the event, then not getting to see everyone enjoying playing the games.
    Thankful though that the building wasn't filled with hundreds of people and then have a bad tornado wipe out the bldg and injure people.
    My guess is that next year will be an awesome show.

    #8 5 years ago

    What a brutal turn of events... but we can help pull it back from the edge. I can't imagine Ottawa without the OPGS. It's such a great event. Anything anyone can give to get a fresh start for next year is so important.

    #9 5 years ago

    Throwing an idea out there but couldn't OPGS share space with the Geek Market next year and create a bigger show? Wouldn't that benefit both communities and draw larger crowds? Comic Books, Board Games, Arcades and Pinball Machines?

    #10 5 years ago

    To the die hard pinball league and anybody else who has made a donation that are nowhere near us nor have anything to do with the show...your care and generosity are well...nothing short of amazing. Thank you so much!

    #11 5 years ago

    Most important thing is that no one was seriously injured and that everyone is safe now. It's such a shame what happened and I do hope the donations can help move things forward. Imagine, a tornado in Ottawa. Anything is truly possible...

    #12 5 years ago

    Donation sent. This should be a sticky at the top

    #13 5 years ago
    Quoted from flashinstinct:

    Throwing an idea out there but couldn't OPGS share space with the Geek Market next year and create a bigger show? Wouldn't that benefit both communities and draw larger crowds? Comic Books, Board Games, Arcades and Pinball Machines?

    OPGS took up ALL of the Sportsplex Halls A + B. We were moving machines out into the hallway!

    #14 5 years ago

    This thread has been Stickied! Yay Pinside!

    #15 5 years ago
    Quoted from cait001:

    OPGS took up ALL of the Sportsplex Halls A + B. We were moving machines out into the hallway!

    Which is awesome. But think about how many more people would come if both events combined. Share the rental cost and get a big venu like the Pavillion at Lansdowne. You couldn't get any better than that and you would get crowds if you matched the show on a weekend that their is football or a big show.

    #16 5 years ago

    Donated. I haven't been in a couple of years, but I'd like to get back there. Hopefully it all works out.

    #17 5 years ago
    Quoted from tim_sanderson:

    Donated. I haven't been in a couple of years, but I'd like to get back there. Hopefully it all works out.

    Thank you!!! You will be welcomed with open arms when you do make it back!

    #18 5 years ago

    Donated. Good luck.

    #19 5 years ago

    $41 away from $4k as of this writing.

    #20 5 years ago

    Donated! Best of luck going forward...

    #21 5 years ago
    Quoted from dmcguy:

    Donated! Best of luck going forward...

    Wonderful! Thank you very much!

    Quoted from frolic:

    $41 away from $4k as of this writing.

    We have just hit the $4K mark! FANTASTIC! Thank you once again to everyone that has opened their wallet and helped to rally behind OPGS!!!

    #22 5 years ago
    Quoted from Wickerman2:

    Donated. Good luck.

    Thank you so much from so far away from our beautiful city.

    I hope you guys have fully recovered from your floods last year!

    #23 5 years ago

    really heartening to see donations coming in from specific leagues, too!

    #24 5 years ago
    Quoted from cait001:

    really heartening to see donations coming in from specific leagues, too!

    Yes, and not just in-province leagues, but out of province and out of country.

    #25 5 years ago

    We are down to the final few hours of this campaign and just shy of $4500 by $115 dollars. It would be fantastic to hit this mark! Thank you so much Pinsiders for helping the OPGS out of the hole the tornadoes dug us. Your donations will be put to good use!

    #26 5 years ago

    Really great to see what a successful gofundme this was. Nice to see the hobby rally like this.

    #27 5 years ago

    I know the show didn't have much of a pinside presence compared to all of the bigger American shows, but something tells me next year will be a whole new level of epic. I'm going to push it heavier and see if we can even get some of the Americans to come Northward for it.

    #28 5 years ago

    Exactly...We drive 6 and 8 hours to go to Allentwn and Pinburgh. This show is good enough to be up there with some of the show south of the border.

    #29 5 years ago
    Quoted from cait001:

    I know the show didn't have much of a pinside presence compared to all of the bigger American shows, but something tells me next year will be a whole new level of epic. I'm going to push it heavier and see if we can even get some of the Americans to come Northward for it.

    Quoted from Murphelman:

    Exactly...We drive 6 and 8 hours to go to Allentwn and Pinburgh. This show is good enough to be up there with some of the show south of the border.

    I think the problem with trying to get us guys to go north will be money. You guys come south because machines are much cheaper down here most of the time. What incentive would I have to drive 8 hours north to pay 35% to 50% more for a machine than I can buy it for 50 miles from home?

    Not to say a few guys might not drive up to play pinball or sell a machine but I don't see a ton of people heading from the US to Canada to go to a pinball show.

    #30 5 years ago
    Quoted from too-many-pins:

    What incentive would I have to drive 8 hours north to pay 35% to 50% more for a machine than I can buy it for 50 miles from home?

    I dunno, a chance to hang out with some folks that you haven't seen in awhile. The chance to play some games you've never played. The chance to learn french, the language of romance! The chance to eat some poutine! Maybe you'll see a moose! Maybe you'll see two moose! Maybe you'll have a good time doing something you haven't done before.

    Or, whatever, you could stay put. Build that wall.

    #31 5 years ago

    Nice to see a number of good shows in Canada, look forward to maybe attending next year if my schedule works out. So far I have a busy IFPA/Stern Circuit schedule next year but would really like to support the Canadian shows when I can!!!

    #32 5 years ago
    Quoted from semicolin:

    I dunno, a chance to hang out with some folks that you haven't seen in awhile. The chance to play some games you've never played. The chance to learn french, the language of romance! The chance to eat some poutine! Maybe you'll see a moose! Maybe you'll see two moose! Maybe you'll have a good time doing something you haven't done before.
    Or, whatever, you could stay put. Build that wall.

    Not knocking going north to a show. Just saying it is a little different when you guys come south because you know 99.9% for sure you will be able to score a deal.

    Personally I love Canada in the Summer but I wouldn't want to live their in the Winter. But with that said there are plenty of places here in the States I would want to live in during the Winter either.

    #33 5 years ago
    Quoted from too-many-pins:

    Not knocking going north to a show. Just saying it is a little different when you guys come south because you know 99.9% for sure you will be able to score a deal.
    Personally I love Canada in the Summer but I wouldn't want to live their in the Winter. But with that said there are plenty of places here in the States I would want to live in during the Winter either.

    I would have thought it would be cheaper to come up to Canada to make a purchase? A $9000 TOM up here would be $7000USD. Plus you don't have to pay any import taxes (that I'm aware of) because the pin was originally build in the USA. How much does a typical TOM sell for in the USA? Maybe my logic is completely off...

    #34 5 years ago

    Financials aside, I hope we get people out on the incentives of FUN and community.

    And poutine. And shawarma. And Pho. Most Americans don't know proper Lebanese and Vietnamese food but we have some of the best in Ottawa.

    #35 5 years ago
    Quoted from too-many-pins:

    I think the problem with trying to get us guys to go north will be money. You guys come south because machines are much cheaper down here most of the time. What incentive would I have to drive 8 hours north to pay 35% to 50% more for a machine than I can buy it for 50 miles from home?
    Not to say a few guys might not drive up to play pinball or sell a machine but I don't see a ton of people heading from the US to Canada to go to a pinball show.

    It's a great opportunity to sell your machines to us Canadians! We need more games!

    #36 5 years ago
    Quoted from MarkInc:

    It's a great opportunity to sell your machines to us Canadians! We need more games!

    How does the border thing work? If someone were to bring machines from the US to Canada for the show wouldn't they have to pay at customs to bring them into Canada? Seems like it would be a real PITA to bring a dozen machines into Canada hoping to sell them then to turn around and bring some or most of them home.

    Just curious!

    It would be great if you could bring them to the show and only have to pay customs if you didn't bring them home but I know something like that would never work.

    Paying to take machines to a show sounds fairly expensive?

    #37 5 years ago
    Quoted from too-many-pins:

    How does the border thing work? If someone were to bring machines from the US to Canada for the show wouldn't they have to pay at customs to bring them into Canada? Seems like it would be a real PITA to bring a dozen machines into Canada hoping to sell them then to turn around and bring some or most of them home.
    Just curious!
    It would be great if you could bring them to the show and only have to pay customs if you didn't bring them home but I know something like that would never work.
    Paying to take machines to a show sounds fairly expensive?

    You need to declare them at the border. It's fairly simple to do. My Dad is 67 years old and drives down to Florida every winter with a camper full of stuff and never pays a cent on the way there or on the way back.

    Essentially, you just declare it's value and record some pertinent information like serial number, description, model, value, and country of origin. On the way back, if you sold the pin, you would need to declare that you are bringing some much $$$ back into the US. If it didn't sell then you just declare that you're bringing the same pin back. There are a few tricks like just describing the item as a "pinball machine" and then trading pins and bringing back a "pinball machine" as well. Not that I know anything about this...

    I'm sure someone else has more experience on this than I do.

    #38 5 years ago

    Canada just wants to profit on stuff if you sell it. However, if you don't sell what you declare, you pay nothing. It is not complicated, talk to the border agents. They will tell you the way it is, and they will not try and screw you. But if you try and screw them, they will most definitely find a way to make you pay, and plenty potentially with penalties. Honesty in life is the best policy.

    #39 5 years ago

    I wasn't sure how any of it worked at the border. Typically when I head out of the country I take as little as possible with me and figure that way I don't have to deal with any of it. I do remember you can't have fresh fruit in a cooler or anything like that but I wasn't sure how pinball machines would be handled.

    Hopefully this information will help you to get more guys to bring stuff North to your shows. I know you guys love those Classic Bally & Stern machines North of the border.

    Thanks for all the info!

    #40 5 years ago
    Quoted from too-many-pins:

    I do remember you can't have fresh fruit in a cooler or anything like that...

    You are permitted fruit, just no citrus (oranges).

    I use to travel to Maine every weekend to watch the Blackbears play hockey. We would cook dinner in the van using crock pots plugged into inverters. I remember one time we went across the border with the smell of fajitas wafting out of the van. We had chicken and steak, with shredded cheddar, tortillas wraps, salsa, guac, and veggies. The US border guard almost got in with us to share the meal. I still remember his sad face as he waved us through.

    #41 5 years ago
    Quoted from Fifty:

    You are permitted fruit, just no citrus (oranges).
    I use to travel to Maine every weekend to watch the Blackbears play hockey. We would cook dinner in the van using crock pots plugged into inverters. I remember one time we went across the border with the smell of fajitas wafting out of the van. We had chicken and steak, with shredded cheddar, tortillas wraps, salsa, guac, and veggies. The US border guard almost got in with us to share the meal. I still remember his sad face as he waved us through.

    Close.
    You can bring items into Canada that Canada does NOT produce. Meaning you can bring in citrus items or bananas, just not apples. And just declare everything, they are great if you’re up front with them

    #42 5 years ago
    Quoted from northerndude:

    Close.
    You can bring items into Canada that Canada does NOT produce. Meaning you can bring in citrus items or bananas, just not apples. And just declare everything, they are great if you’re up front with them

    Sorry, I was referring to entering the USA. Citrus fruit can't be brought across. I've had grapes confiscated as well.

    #43 5 years ago
    Quoted from Fifty:

    Sorry, I was referring to entering the USA. Citrus fruit can't be brought across. I've had grapes confiscated as well.

    Oh whoops, my bad

    #44 5 years ago

    I have a question. Do the folks putting on the shows get an insurance policy? I would imagine their are special event policies.

    #45 5 years ago

    I think most policies would be for liability insurance. I'm not sure where Act Of God policies would fall.

    #46 5 years ago

    Yes any sane organizer would get liability event insurance if they were putting on an event. Most legimate facilities won’t let you put on an event without it.

    Quoted from EMPins:

    I have a question. Do the folks putting on the shows get an insurance policy? I would imagine their are special event policies.

    Reply

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