A sneak peek into the excitement of Boots and Hearts
Canada's largest camping and country music festival, Boots and Hearts, in Oro-Medonte has officially kicked off its 13th year.
On Thursday, crews carried out some last-minute sound and lighting checks.
"There are about 25 of us all together and we’ve been making friends everywhere we go," says Kyle Clarkin.
Two stages are being used this year. The main stage and the front porch stage.
Boots and Hearts in Oro-Medonte Ont., on August 8, 2024. (CTVNews/Rob Cooper)
A total of 35 country music artists will perform over the next four days with up to 40,000 fans expected a day.
"New people new experiences," says Ashton Shaw.
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox
“The music, the singers, the coming of everything is just so much fun here this is the best place to be on earth,” says Madeline Morganelli.
This year's lineup will feature 14 Canadian artists. Including Alexa Goldie who has been coming as a fan for the last six years.
"You know you get to network back here get to meet new people you get new experiences. I’m going to learn so much being on stage today and being with the other artists and seeing how I can improve myself, it’s a good learning day for sure," says Goldie.
Boots and Hearts in Oro-Medonte Ont., on August 8, 2024. (CTVNews/Rob Cooper)
“We’re very excited, we even make sure to have Canadians that we have never had before and we’re just going to enjoy all of Canada's top talent," says Brooke Dunford.
Cody Johnson, Thomas Rhett, and Jason Aldean are the headliners. The event runs right through to Sunday night.
Top Stories
-
-
-
-
-
WITH VIDEOWITH VIDEO Alleged porch pirate walks off with outdoor furniture from Barrie home
-
-
-
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING
DEVELOPING Hezbollah leader says pager attack crossed a 'red line' as fears of wider war mount
The leader of Hezbollah said Thursday the mass bombing attack in Lebanon on the group’s communications devices was a 'severe blow' and said Israel had crossed a 'red line.' But he vowed the group would emerge stronger and continue its daily strikes into northern Israel.
BREAKING
BREAKING Pablo Rodriguez to sit as an Independent MP after resigning from Trudeau's cabinet
Longtime cabinet minister Pablo Rodriguez will be sitting as an Independent MP after stepping down as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s transport minister and Quebec Lieutenant, CTV News has learned.
Quebec woman charged with first-degree murder in death of five-year-old boy
A 29-year-old Quebec woman is facing a first-degree murder charge in the death of a five-year-old boy southwest of Montreal.
CTV News in Italy
CTV News in Italy Stolen Winston Churchill 'Roaring Lion' portrait returned after ceremony in Italy
A special ceremony at the Canadian Embassy in Rome marked the successful recovery of an iconic portrait of Winston Churchill after a two-year search by Ottawa police.
'Put them on the exhaust pipes': Alberta mayor appears to advocate for the killing of feral cats
The mayor of an Alberta city appeared to suggest that residents should use inhumane tactics to deal with feral cats.
Huge python grabs Thai woman in her kitchen, squeezes her two hours before she can be freed
A 64-year-old woman was preparing to do her evening dishes at her home outside Bangkok when she felt a sharp pain in her thigh and looked down to see a huge python taking hold of her.
Ontario police arrest 2 suspects, search for 3 others in door-to-door-sales fraud
Two people have been arrested, and three others are still at large in connection with a door-to-door sales fraud that police said victimized more than 200 people across Ontario.
NASA scientists recreate Mars 'spiders' on Earth for first time
NASA scientists have successfully replicated spider-like shapes found on the surface of Mars in a laboratory setting for the first time.
Ontario mother scammed out of $1,800 in Taylor Swift ticket scam
An Ontario mother lost $1,800 hoping to get Taylor Swift tickets for her seven-year-old daughter. 'I don't understand how someone could just take advantage of someone and their hard-earned money, and it was a gift for a seven-year-old girl,' Dana Caputo, of Tottenham, Ont., told CTV News Toronto.
Shopping Trends
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
Kitchener
-
Three missing people from Kitchener haven't been seen since Sept. 1
Police are hoping the public can help them locate three missing people from Kitchener.
-
Some Waterloo Region families still waitlisted for before and after school care
Almost three weeks into the school year and some families are still on waitlists for before and after school care and it’s exposing some major gaps in the education system.
-
40 people displaced due to fire at Brantford’s largest homeless shelter
A fire broke out Tuesday night at Rosewood House, Brantford’s largest homelessness shelter, leaving 40 residents without a place to stay or the essential services they rely on.
London
-
Shooting in London at unknown location
A shooting early Wednesday morning is being investigated by London police after a man showed up at hospital with gunshot wounds — the catch, police don't know where the shooting happened.
-
Sentencing hearing in field party shooting
The mother and brother of an 18-year-old who was shot and killed during a teen field party more than three years ago gave emotional victim impact statements on Wednesday.
-
Children's Museum needs another $1 million to open doors by year's end
The London Children’s Museum says it will not be able to open its new site by the end of the year, as planned, unless it can come up with another $1 million.
Windsor
-
Vacant building fire on Wyandotte Street East
Windsor firefighters responded to a vacant building fire on Wednesday night.
-
Police seek suspects after $64,000 bank fraud
Windsor police are asking for the public’s help to identify two suspects involved in a $64,000 bank fraud investigation.
-
Amherstburg to remove Boblo Island Dock
Amherstburg town council has secured the funding they need to get rid of a historical eye-sore.
Northern Ontario
-
BREAKINGBREAKING Highway 101 remains closed west of Timmins after fatal crash
One person is dead and another is in hospital with serious, life-threatening injuries after a crash involving a commercial and passenger vehicle on Highway 101 west of Timmins on Wednesday afternoon.
-
One person dead following North Bay industrial incident
North Bay Police Service says one person has died following an industrial accident at the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission Rail Yard on Tuesday.
-
Cleanup of chemicals at North Bay airport to begin within weeks
Remediation work at the North Bay Jack Garland Airport is set to begin in the next few weeks.
Sault Ste. Marie
-
One person dead following North Bay industrial incident
North Bay Police Service says one person has died following an industrial accident at the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission Rail Yard on Tuesday.
-
Car trouble in northern Ontario results in drug bust
Three northern Ontario residents are charged with drug trafficking after the vehicle they were in got stuck along a bush road off Highway 17 on Monday.
-
Sault man charged with threating victim with a hammer
A 50-year-old man in the Sault has been charged following an assault on Saturday that involved the use of a hammer.
Ottawa
-
Here's how long you wait to see an ER doctor at Ottawa hospitals
Statistics from Health Quality Ontario show all five Ottawa hospital emergency rooms exceeded the provincial average for wait times for a first assessment by a doctor in July, which was 2 hours.
-
Eastern Ontario woman loses money in alleged online fraud after receiving pop-up alert on computer, OPP says
Ontario Provincial Police are issuing a warning to be on guard against fraudsters, after an 84-year-old eastern Ontario woman had money removed from her bank account in an alleged online fraud.
-
Woman missing, man rescued on Ottawa River after going out in a kayak
A search continues in the Ottawa River for a 30-year-old woman reported missing while kayaking near Pembroke, Ont.
Toronto
-
Victims identified, suspects charged with first-degree murder in double homicide north of Toronto
Police have identified the two men killed in an early Wednesday morning shooting at a park north of Toronto. York Regional Police (YRP) say officers were called to Bayview Park, near Bayview and Lowndes avenues in Keswick, Ont., just before 7:30 a.m. for a report of shots fired.
-
Toronto's dry September continues. Here's when the rain will return
Toronto saw a record-breaking wet summer, but September has proven to be anything but, with less than five millimetres of rain recorded this month.
-
Ontario mother scammed out of $1,800 in Taylor Swift ticket scam
An Ontario mother lost $1,800 hoping to get Taylor Swift tickets for her seven-year-old daughter. 'I don't understand how someone could just take advantage of someone and their hard-earned money, and it was a gift for a seven-year-old girl,' Dana Caputo, of Tottenham, Ont., told CTV News Toronto.
Montreal
-
Public services are becoming dehumanized, warns Quebec Ombudsman
Public services in Quebec are becoming dehumanized, warns Quebec Ombudsman Marc-André Dowd in his 2023-2024 annual report, which is filled with concrete examples.
-
BREAKING
BREAKING François Legault wants the Trudeau government to fall
Quebec Premier François Legault is calling on the Bloc Québécois to topple the Trudeau government next Wednesday and trigger a federal election.
-
Quebec woman charged with first-degree murder in death of five-year-old boy
A 29-year-old Quebec woman is facing a first-degree murder charge in the death of a five-year-old boy southwest of Montreal.
Atlantic
-
BREAKINGBREAKING New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs kicks off provincial election
New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs has called for a provincial election. Voters will go to the polls on Oct. 21, as prescribed by the province's fixed-date election law.
-
Halifax Public Libraries reopen Thursday after workers accept new offer
Halifax Public Libraries reopened Thursday after workers accepted a new collective agreement, ending a nearly month-long strike.
-
New freeway between Lower Sackville and Dartmouth, N.S., delayed again
The multi-million-dollar highway connector between Lower Sackville and Dartmouth has been delayed again.
Winnipeg
-
BREAKINGBREAKING Universite de Saint-Boniface evacuated due to suspicious item
A Winnipeg university has been evacuated due to a suspicious item on campus.
-
'It starts off innocent': Manitoba man loses $185,000 to crypto-romance scam
A Manitoba man is warning others after he fell victim to an elaborate online scam over the summer.
-
NDP caucus chair says ousted MLA treated Manitoba government role as 'side hustle'
Another voice has joined the public war of words between a Manitoba MLA ousted from caucus and the premier who backed the decision to scrap him from the team.
Calgary
-
'Put them on the exhaust pipes': Alberta mayor appears to advocate for the killing of feral cats
The mayor of an Alberta city appeared to suggest that residents should use inhumane tactics to deal with feral cats.
-
10 things to do in Calgary this weekend (Sept. 13 - 15)
10 things to do in Calgary this weekend.
-
Pressure still on oilsands sector despite silence after greenwashing law: think tank
Canada's oilsands industry remains under pressure to reduce its greenhouse gas footprint, even as companies have clamped down on public communications in the wake of new anti-greenwashing legislation.
Edmonton
-
'Put them on the exhaust pipes': Alberta mayor appears to advocate for the killing of feral cats
The mayor of an Alberta city appeared to suggest that residents should use inhumane tactics to deal with feral cats.
-
Pressure still on oilsands sector despite silence after greenwashing law: think tank
Canada's oilsands industry remains under pressure to reduce its greenhouse gas footprint, even as companies have clamped down on public communications in the wake of new anti-greenwashing legislation.
-
WEATHER
WEATHER Josh Classen's forecast: Warm spell comes to an end Friday
After four consecutive days with afternoon temperatures in the 20s, a brief cool down is looming.
Regina
-
Regina's executive committee passes purchase of new homeless shelter, council approval required
Regina Executive Committee has passed the purchase of a new building for a low-barrier homeless shelter in Regina.
-
Tornado warning in place for parts of southeast Sask.: Environment Canada
A tornado warning is in place for parts of southeast Saskatchewan on Wednesday evening.
-
Yorkton RCMP seize cocaine in drug trafficking investigation
An ongoing investigation into drug trafficking has resulted in the seizure of cocaine in Yorkton, according to RCMP.
Saskatoon
-
In letters to slain girlfriend's family, Thomas Hamp said he thinks weed caused his psychotic break
Thomas Hamp says he believed secret police were out to kidnap, torture, and kill him when he fatally stabbed his girlfriend Emily Sanche in February of 2022.
-
Teen faces new charge in Sask. high school arson attack
A 14-year-old student who allegedly set her classmate on fire is facing a new charge.
-
'I thought I was dead': Man electrocuted, burned at SaskPower hydro dam calls for compensation
May 9, 2022 was the day Blayne McKay thought he was going to die. He called his wife to say goodbye, after getting electrocuted at the SaskPower Island Falls Hydroelectric Station, about 100 kilometres northwest of Flin Flon.
Vancouver
-
Video shows historic bridge in Kamloops, B.C., collapsing after fire
The Red Bridge, a historic landmark in Kamloops, B.C., was completely destroyed by fire early Thursday morning.
-
1 dead after Langley crash; Highway 1 eastbound closed
Police have closed Highway 1 eastbound through Langley while they investigate a crash that left a motorcyclist dead early Thursday morning.
-
NDP flips, BC United flops, B.C. Conservatives surge as election campaign approaches
If the lead up to British Columbia's provincial election campaign is any indication of what’s to come, voters should expect the unexpected.
Vancouver Island
-
Video shows historic bridge in Kamloops, B.C., collapsing after fire
The Red Bridge, a historic landmark in Kamloops, B.C., was completely destroyed by fire early Thursday morning.
-
NDP flips, BC United flops, B.C. Conservatives surge as election campaign approaches
If the lead up to British Columbia's provincial election campaign is any indication of what’s to come, voters should expect the unexpected.
-
'Trove of extraordinary fossils' discovered in northern B.C., museum says
Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.
