The roar of high-performance snowmobiles and the spectacle of freestyle acrobatics are set to descend upon Ottawa's historic ByWard Market next month. The event, called Barbegazi, is scheduled for February 6-8, 2026, as a featured attraction of that year's Winterlude festival.
Community Leader Sees Benefit in Balance
Despite the anticipated noise and carbon emissions from the high-octane show, the president of the Lowertown Community Association is welcoming the event. Sylvie Bigras emphasized the importance of balance, expressing excitement about the renewed attention being paid to the historic market district.
"This is Bytown in its original form; it's one of the oldest parts of Canada. We want people to come here," Bigras stated. She also views Barbegazi as a positive preview for the planned pedestrianization of York Street, a key part of the ByWard Market revitalization slated for completion by 2027, the area's 200th anniversary.
From Montreal Backyard to International Stage
Barbegazi is the first Ottawa production by Tribu Expérientiel, a rapidly growing Montreal-based company with a unique mission: bringing extreme sports to unexpected urban locations. The company's origin story is humble, beginning 15 years ago with a backyard snowboarding party organized by founder Micah Desforges.
Faced with a lack of snow, Desforges and his friends gathered Zamboni snow from a nearby arena to build a jump. The success of that impromptu gathering planted the seed for what would become a global business. Tribu Expérientiel now operates events in multiple countries, including the United States and Australia, with plans expanding into Latin America.
More Than Just Snowmobiles
The company's portfolio includes three main event types, each showcasing different adrenaline-fueled sports in city centers. While Barbegazi focuses on freestyle snowmobile stunts, their other events feature skiing, snowboarding, skateboarding, and bouldering. The name "Barbegazi" itself is derived from the French "barbe glacée," meaning "frozen beard," and refers to a mythical gnome-like creature from Swiss Alpine folklore.
The company's core mandate extends beyond the sports themselves; it aims to inject a slice of mountain culture and high-energy spectacle into the heart of urban environments, using portable ramp systems that can be constructed within a single city block. The first Ontario edition of Barbegazi was held on New Year's Eve, December 31, 2023, in Mississauga.
For Ottawa, the three-day event promises to transform a section of the ByWard Market into an arena for aerial snowmobile tricks, adding a new, modern layer of excitement to the city's long-standing winter festival while offering a glimpse into the market's future as a dynamic, people-focused plaza.
