Boots and Hearts comes to a bittersweet end
Canada’s largest camping and music festival came to a close on Sunday in Oro-Medonte, as Boots and Hearts was capped off by headliner Jason Aldean’s performance on the main stage.
"We’ve got more than 25,000 [people],” said Todd Jenereux, executive vice-president for the festival and Republic Live as Burl’s Creek Event Grounds were being packed up on Monday. “This was by far our best execution year [and] the most fun we’ve ever had.”
After Thursday’s kickoff party, 30 performers took the stage from Friday to Sunday.
Saturday evening was headlined by Thomas Rhett’s performance, which was followed by a handful of Canadian artists taking the stage on Sunday. Among them, Elmvale’s Dayna Reid and Innisfil’s Brian John Hardwood, who both performed at Boots and Hearts for the first time after previously attending for many years as fans.
Jackson Dean performing at Boots and Hearts in Oro- Medonte Ont., on Saturday August 10, 2024 (CTVNews/Dave Sullivan)
"I’ve came every year in the audience, just praying that one day I’d be on stage,” said Hardwood. “I just worked me butt off and kept going,”
Hardwood and Reid also confirmed they had plenty of family and friends in the crowd.
"It’s my hope that I can motivate some other small town kid just like from Elmvale Ontario to chase their dreams too,” said Reid.
Avril Lavigne was a surprise guest for Nate Smith’s performance Sunday evening. Before headliner Jason Aldean, Alberta-based band Emerson Drive performed for what will likely be their final time at Boots and Hearts, as it was a stop on their farewell tour that was announced in 2023.
“I think this is extra special for guys like us that understand that it’s a unique experience to be able to play the festivals that we do have up here [in Canada],” said Brad Mates, the band’s lead singer.
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox
Officials say planning for next year’s Boots and Hearts festival got underway months ago, and that they are currently focused on booking their headline performers. The All Your Friends Fest takes place at Burl’s Creek the weekend of August 23-24.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Loblaw using body-worn cameras at 2 Calgary stores as part of pilot project
Loblaw is launching a pilot program that will see employees at two Calgary locations don body-worn cameras in an effort to increase safety.
Trudeau says Ukraine can strike deep into Russia with NATO arms, Putin hints at war
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Ukraine should be allowed to strike deep inside Russia, despite Moscow threatening that this would draw Canada and its allies into direct war.
Driver charged with killing NHL's Johnny Gaudreau and his brother had .087 blood-alcohol level
The driver charged with killing NHL hockey player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew as they bicycled on a rural road had a blood-alcohol level of .087, above the .08 legal limit in New Jersey, a prosecutor said Friday.
Son charged with 1st-degree murder after father's death on B.C.'s Sunshine Coast
A 26-year-old man has been charged with first-degree murder in connection to the death of his father on the Sunshine Coast last year.
What's behind the boom? The Manitoba community that nearly doubled in a decade
For decades, the Town of Ste. Anne was stagnant, but that all changed about 10 years ago. Now it is seeing one of the highest spikes of growth in the province.
'I couldn't form the words': 23-year-old Ont. woman highlights need for rural health care after stroke
The experience of 23-year-old Muskoka, Ont., resident Robyn Penniall, who recently had a stroke, comes as concerns are being raised about the future of health care in her community.
Canadian warship seizes 1,400 kilos of cocaine off Central America
A Canadian warship has seized more than 1,400 kilograms of cocaine during an anti-drug-trafficking operation in Central America.
Air Canada travellers share worries and frustrations ahead of possible pilot strike
Here's what customers had to say about their travel plans ahead of a potential Air Canada pilot strike.
Three-way race expected in Montreal byelection
Byelections rarely draw the kind of attention that has now put a spotlight on a vibrant and densely populated Montreal riding. The Monday vote in Lasalle-Ville Emard-Verdun, in the city’s southwest, is shaping up as a three-way race and a test of the strength of the Liberal party’s base.
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
-
Sisters finally see the Canadian 'aviation artifact' built by their father nearly 90 years ago
Two sisters have finally been reunited with a plane their father built 90 years ago, that is also considered an important part of Canadian aviation history.
-
Hog Heaven: Friday the 13th takes over Port Dover, Ont.
The streets of Port Dover roared to life on Friday for a tradition that has been going on for decades.
-
Blue-green algae found in local lakes and reservoirs
The hot summer weather has created the perfect conditions for blue-green algae in local lakes and reservoirs.
London
-
Police identify shooting suspect and need your help to find him
London police have identified and charged a suspect they say was involved in a shooting earlier this week.
-
VIDEO
VIDEO Downtown CUPE rally in support of Western workers turns tense following altercation
There were tense moments near the end of a rally supporting striking CUPE 2361 members from Western University.
-
Pedestrian in stable condition following serious Richmond Street collision
A pedestrian injured in an early morning collision on Thursday is now in stable condition after sustaining serious injuries.
Windsor
-
Tensions rise on Walpole Island ahead of crucial leadership election
Walpole Island First Nation is grappling with unrest as its community heads into a critical election set for Sept. 21.
-
Controversial Russian war documentary cancelled at TIFF to play at WIFF
A controversial documentary that had its screenings cancelled at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) will now play at the Windsor International Film Festival (WIFF).
-
Northern Ontario
-
Driver charged with killing NHL's Johnny Gaudreau and his brother had .087 blood-alcohol level
The driver charged with killing NHL hockey player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew as they bicycled on a rural road had a blood-alcohol level of .087, above the .08 legal limit in New Jersey, a prosecutor said Friday.
-
Moosonee suspect charged with nine criminal weapons offences
Provincial police seized an arsenal and nearly 300 rounds of live ammunition from a home in on the James Bay Coast on Monday and charged a man with nine criminal weapons offences.
-
Police seize sawed-off shotgun, ammo, northern Ont. teen charged
A northern Ontario teen has been charged with several weapon offences after police responded to a report of a prohibited weapon at a Kapuskasing residence.
Sault Ste. Marie
-
Sault woman accused of scratching, kicking and hitting employees with purse
A 36-year-old woman is facing assault charges after some unruly behaviour towards staff at Sault Ste. Marie building.
-
Sault police charge man, 30, with assault and making threat
A 30-year-old suspect is being held in custody on criminal charges in Sault Ste. Marie after an argument escalated Thursday afternoon.
-
One person in custody after Sault police respond to gun call Thursday
One person remains in custody and officials are searching for an aggressive dog that was subdued with a stun gun, Sault police said Thursday evening.
Ottawa
-
Longtime Ottawa MPP Lisa MacLeod announces she won't seek re-election
Longtime Progressive Conservative MPP Lisa MacLeod has announced she will not be seeking re-election in the next provincial election, bringing an end to a lengthy time at Queen's Park.
-
Somali community alarmed after Ottawa police officers wiretapped, watched
Members of Ottawa's Somali community came together Thursday to denounce the Ottawa police use of wiretaps and video surveillance on five of its own Black officers of Somali decent and their family members.
-
Montreal man dead after stabbing in Ottawa's ByWard Market
A man from Montreal is dead following a late night stabbing in Ottawa's ByWard Market.
Toronto
-
Toronto crowd rallies to fight closure of supervised drug consumption sites
At least 100 people gathered outside the Kensington Market supervised consumption site in a rally to keep it open in the face of new provincial rules that would shut at least a dozen such sites down across Ontario.
-
Ontario's public broadcaster under scrutiny for funding, then pulling Russian war doc
Ongoing controversy over the documentary "Russians at War" has brought scrutiny to Ontario’s public broadcaster, which has said it will not air the film it helped fund.
-
Shooting in Etobicoke sends 1 to hospital: TPS
A man has been taken to hospital following a shooting in Etobicoke Friday afternoon.
Montreal
-
Montreal man seeks living kidney donor as dialysis takes toll
A 25-year-old Montreal man is looking for a living kidney donor and has made a public appeal on social media. Until he finds one, Julian Zadrozny must undergo 10 hours of dialysis a day.
-
How safe are the Liberals in LaSalle–Emard–Verdun? Voters weigh in ahead of Monday vote
LaSalle-Emard-Verdun is one of the safest seats for the Liberals in Canada. They won it by a landslide in 2021, with then justice minister David Lametti earning 10,000 more votes than his closest competitor but now, the tide seems to be turning.
-
Worse than the ice storm: Tropical Storm Debby was 'costliest severe weather event in Quebec's history'
The remnants of Tropical Storm Debby, which caused significant flooding in Quebec, have become the 'costliest severe weather event in Quebec's history,' surpassing the ice storm of 1998, the Insurance Bureau of Canada said Friday.
Atlantic
-
Missing N.S. woman believed dead; man charged with first-degree murder
Police in Nova Scotia now believe a woman reported missing earlier this month is dead, and a man has been charged in her disappearance.
-
N.S. premier to challenge federal plan to send thousands of asylum seekers to province
Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston is pushing against a federal government proposal that would more proportionately distribute the number of asylum seekers across Canada.
-
Alcohol, speed 'significant factors' in Fredericton crash that left 3 dead in May
The Fredericton Police Force says speed and alcohol were “significant factors” in a fatal collision that killed three people, including two teenagers, in May.
Winnipeg
-
What's behind the boom? The Manitoba community that nearly doubled in a decade
For decades, the Town of Ste. Anne was stagnant, but that all changed about 10 years ago. Now it is seeing one of the highest spikes of growth in the province.
-
1 dead, 3 injured in Friday morning crash on Portage Avenue
One person has died and three people were injured following a crash involving a vehicle and a pedestrian at a Portage Avenue intersection Friday morning.
-
Hormone replacement therapy for women may be coming to Manitoba
Premier Wab Kinew said during a Vancouver, B.C. election rally that his government is looking to B.C. healthcare which includes funding hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for women in the province.
Calgary
-
Calgary hiker hospitalized following Friday morning bear attack in Crowsnest area
A hiker is in hospital in Calgary after being attacked by a bear Friday.
-
Driver and new truck making magic in Monster Jam
Calgary’s setting for “the greatest outdoor show on earth” is hosting “the greatest show on dirt."
-
Calgary man gets 6 years for facilitating terrorism through posting of TikTok video
A Calgary man was sentenced to six years for terrorism-related offences Friday.
Edmonton
-
Alberta dentist facing multiple sexual assault charges in incidents dating back to 2012
An Alberta dentist will appear in court later this month on sexual assault charges.
-
Opening of partially completed overpass above east Edmonton train tracks welcomed
Half of a new overpass over the train tracks at 50 Street in Edmonton's east end is now open, relieving traffic congestion that had long been the bane of motorists.
-
5 Oilers prospects to watch at annual B.C. rookie tournament
The fruit harvest in British Columbia's Okanagan is usually very much over, but hockey players on their journey to the professional ranks will further ripen there starting Friday night.
Regina
-
Drugs and guns found following trafficking investigation in Regina, 2 charged
Two people are facing charges after officers seized items valued about $900,000 following a drug trafficking investigation on Thursday.
-
'Without a burdening carbon tax': Sask. investing over $25M into 13 emissions reduction projects
The provincial government says it will be investing more than $25 million into 13 industry driven emissions reducing projects through a special fund.
-
Saskatchewan artist fundraising to help family whose son has genetic disease
A Regina based artist is using his platform to fundraise for the family of a young boy with a genetic disease.
Saskatoon
-
Saskatchewan hospitals report 1,305 service disruptions since 2019, data shows
Data from the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA), obtained by the provincial NDP through a freedom of information request, shows that between August 2019 and May 2024, there were more than 200,000 hours of healthcare blackouts at 58 hospitals and health centres, not including Saskatoon and Regina.
-
New OSB mill construction in Prince Albert set for 2025
After years of delays and planning, a new oriented strand board (OSB) mill is coming to Prince Albert.
-
Sneak peek opportunity at Prince Albert aquatic and arenas recreation centre
The new Aquatic and Arenas Recreation Centre continues to take shape, and the City of Prince Albert is excited to show off the progress to residents.
Vancouver
-
Coquitlam ice rink evacuated due to 'dangerously high' levels of carbon monoxide
A Coquitlam ice arena had to be evacuated Tuesday due to elevated levels of carbon monoxide.
-
Son charged with 1st-degree murder after father's death on B.C.'s Sunshine Coast
A 26-year-old man has been charged with first-degree murder in connection to the death of his father on the Sunshine Coast last year.
-
Canadian warship seizes 1,400 kilos of cocaine off Central America
A Canadian warship has seized more than 1,400 kilograms of cocaine during an anti-drug-trafficking operation in Central America.
Vancouver Island
-
Canadian warship seizes 1,400 kilos of cocaine off Central America
A Canadian warship has seized more than 1,400 kilograms of cocaine during an anti-drug-trafficking operation in Central America.
-
Police investigating suspicious death in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties have launched a suspicious death investigation after a man was found dead Thursday in Nanaimo, B.C.
-
Police watchdog called after suspect shot, woman injured in Merritt, B.C.
British Columbia's police oversight agency is investigating after two people were injured – including a suspect who was airlifted to hospital with serious gunshot injuries – during an altercation with Mounties in the B.C. Interior.
