FAQs on the Mile

1) How did the Sens Mile come in to being?

Last year during the playoff run, Cameron Bishop and Sarah O’Grady were driving down Elgin Street after the Sens made it to the semi-finals in the run to the Stanley Cup. Both agreed that Ottawa fans needed a place to come out, every night, to celebrate the team’s achievements — much like they did in Calgary. Elgin was determined to be the best place due to the great bars and restaurants, the fact that it was central to everything and that it was 1.2 miles long.

The Facebook group “Elgin Street - The Sens Mile” was created that night with Cameron and Sarah as Administrators.  In short order, people started logging on — but we knew more promotion was needed.  Decking themselves out in their Sens gear, Cameron and Sarah printed off flyers and walked door-to-door along the Mile asking local businesses for their support and handing out flyers to passerbys.  The response was terrific.  A few phone calls in to the Mayor’s office and local media served to spur it forward as the Facebook group itself grew.  

Cameron and Sarah reached out to Shane Currey, who had created a seperate group on Facebook called “I Am An Ottawa Senators Fan” and asked him to put a link up on his page so that people identified as Sens fans there would have another place to show their support for the team — and a real, living, breathing Mile in the centre of Ottawa.  

Throughout the last two rounds of the Sens playoff runs, the fans gathered and gathered and gathered to cheer on their team. Soon, the City of Ottawa put up red “Sens Mile” signs identifying Elgin Street as the place to be during the Sens drive for the Cup.  The pride was electric and when the guys won games, people piled into the street forcing the City to shut down Elgin to allow for a mammoth street party that culminated in a celebratory march to Parliament Hill.

2) Where are the Sens Mile signs today?  

Good question. 5 days after the 2007 play-off run, the signs vanished. As of April 2008 - the outset of the playoffs - they remain somewhere… anywhere… 

3) What are you getting out of this?  

Nothing — and we don’t want anything except a place for the fans of Ottawa to gather on game nights to celebrate and party - in a manner befitting Ottawa - as the Sens march towards Lord Stanley.  The one thing we asked for last year was a charity donation, in memory of Elgin Alexander Fraser (the littlest Sens fan who lost his battle with cancer before the Sens could complete their playoff run), directly to Roger’s House 

4) How did the charity aspect go last year?  

Not as well as we would have hoped — but we hope to have something more concrete agreed to with the businesses along the Mile in time for Round 2.

5) What can the City do to support the Sens Mile?  

They can start by putting the street signs back up along Elgin Street and issuing permits to people who have little kiosks where they sell Sens memorabilia.  They could also officially designate Elgin Street “The Sens Mile” through a proclamation by the Mayor. Finally, putting up big screen tvs again in Festival Plaza at City Hall and allowing for bands and such to play on weekend game nights to stoke up the atmosphere would be ideal.

6) What can the fans do to support the Mile?

They can come out to Elgin Street, decked out in their finest Sens gear, each and every game night.Residents along Elgin Street that face the Mile should hang red towels out their windows or off their decks, or even Sens flags, etc.  They can also start decking their cars out with decals and flags to show the guys that this City is not lukewarm when it comes to fan support.

7) What can local businesses on Elgin Street do to support the Mile? 

They can decorate their windows and help to foster an atmosphere of excitement along Elgin Street for the Senators.  It’s pretty simple really: decorate, promote the Sens and the fans will come party with you.  

8 ) How can you reach the organizers of the Mile?  

 Email: elginthesensmile@yahoo.caIf you have a question, leave it in a comment below, and we’ll add it to our FAQs.