The annual SuperEx will not run this year due to the cost and difficulty of moving from their former site on Lansdowne Park.
SuperEx, more formally known as the Central Canada Exhibition, was shunted from Lansdowne Park this year as the arena prepares for a major redevelopment.
However, most of the visitors for the annual August fair tended to come from the city or from areas within a couple of hours' drive, meaning there wouldn't be a very large impact on hotel rooms and airfare, said Jantine Van Kregten, a spokesperson for Ottawa Tourism.
"The vast majority of visitors were probably in the region," she said, cautioning that the tourism group does not have detailed economic figures breaking down the impact as opposed to other festivals like BluesFest.
Between the relocation and the cost of finding a temporary site, organizers of the board determined it was best to wait until at least 2012 to find an arrangement, a press release from the SuperEx's board stated.
Organizers had considered moving it to land that the board had purchased near the Rideau Carleton Raceway, on Albion Road, but the cost of servicing the land for the festival eventually squashed the plan.
"Moving forward, the board of the Central Canada Exhibition is committed to continuing discussions with the City and others to have our home in the south end of Ottawa become a reality for 2012," the release read.
The fair has only been cancelled twice since 1888, during the periods of the First and Second world wars.
"It seems to be like they did have a plan and land set aside, and it’s not something that has happened overnight," Ms. Van Kregten added. "There is time to plan and to get it back on its proper footing."
Lansdowne Park is being redeveloped in partnership with the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group, which is being led by Minto Group CEO Roger Greenberg, developers Bill Shenkman and John Ruddy, as well as Ottawa 67’s owner Jeff Hunt.
The city will pay out $129.3 million to refurbish Frank Clair Stadium and help build an underground parking garage. OSEG plans to spend $118 million on top of that for the garage, and also adding retail.
Late last month, a Toronto accounting firm cast doubt on the numbers put forward for Lansdowne, saying the project is at risk of running a deficit as high as $208 million.
However, that figure did not take into account rising property tax revenue that proponents say will keep the project cost-netural for taxpayers.
