La Machine spider and dragon coming to Ottawa 2017 celebrations

A giant mechanical dragon and spider from France will roam the streets of Ottawa next summer as part of celebrations forCanada's 150thbirthday.

It will be the first time the fire-breathing and water spraying creatures invadeNorth America.

We want to be the hub of national celebrations.- Guy Laflamme, executive director, Ottawa 2017

Securing the performance of the monstersfrom La Machine, a production company based in Nantes, France comes at a cost of $3 million an amount that will beshared by both the public and private sector.

The Ottawa 2017organizing committee has been working on bookingthe show for nearly a year and a half.

It hopes the bill is worth it to attracttourists toOttawa for thehallmark birthday.

"We want to be the hub of national celebrations in 2017," said the executive director of Ottawa 2017, Guy Laflamme.

He said the City ofOttawa will pay20 per cent of the bill, while private partners will shoulderthe majority of the costs. Laflamme said the "prudent financial approach" will pay off.

"It will generate international visibility for Ottawa and I know for sure hotel rooms will be jam packed for the week they (La Machine) will be here."

Negotiationsdidn't just involve the City of Ottawa and the French production company. Italso involved a Chinese businessman Adam Yu, anentrepreneur based in Beijing who owns the rights to the dragon for La Machine.

Laflamme said mayor Jim Watson set aside time during his economic mission to Chinato meet with Yu and make the case for loaning the dragon to Ottawa.

Organizers have just started "storyboarding" the showwith La Machine's artistic director, Franois Delarozire.

Although he'sreticent to describe what the show will look like, Laflammedoes provide some hints: the operators will be dressed like they stepped out of the movie, The Matrix, and thegiant robots will make stops at Ottawa landmarks and interact with spectators.

Local musicians will also be hired to form a travelling orchestra for the soundtrack to the dragon's and spider's adventures.

The performances will take place over several days in the summer of 2017.