We Are as the Times Are: The Story of Cafe Le Hibou by Ken Rockburn, Burnstown Publishing House, 2015.
Le Hibou was a product of the early sixties and for a time, was considered to be the best folk music club in Canada. When the cafe closed its doors in 1975 it left behind fifteen years of memories. The inspiration for the coffeehouse came from Denis Faulkner with his money and energy supplemented by a small group of like-minded friends. The institution started by this group began in an upstairs apartment on Rideau Street just east of Cobourg and finished at 521 Sussex Drive.
In this book packed with stories about various owners and multiple artists, Ken Rockburn captures the ethos of the times and the rich history of talent that passed through the places. Le Hibou was a space where poetry readings merged with musical performances. It provided a venue where Irving Layton, Muddy Waters, Gordon Lightfoot, William Hawkins, Van Morrison and many more demonstrated their artistic gifts to Ottawa. And it was the place where Jimi Hendrix went to tape Joni Mitchell’s performance after he finished his concert at the Capitol Theatre. The stories in this book provide a remarkable testimony to Ottawa’s (and Lowertown’s) artistic and social scene in the 1960s and 70s.