Canada- For its second year in Ottawa, Sexapalooza had more stage shows, booths and seminars. But the show manager said the transit strike and the severe cold were to blame for a decline in attendance this year.

“I don’t know how people in Ottawa are living with the buses on strike,” said Liz Lewis. “It blows my mind.”

With many of the booths at Lansdowne Park geared toward younger people, Lewis said it was unfortunate that those were the people most affected by the strike.

“We’re especially trying to promote safe sex, good relationships, healthy sexual relationships, and younger people really need to get that message,” she said.

To that end, Lewis said the adult fun show, which wrapped up yesterday, was targeted more at women and couples and about empowering women sexually.

Attending the event for the first time, Alex Bartraw said it kind of caught him offguard the see people lounging on a sex swing.

“It’s interesting. There is a lot of stuff I’ve never really seen before,” he said. “It’s nice to see people coming together without being shy about a lot of things that are here.”

At the booth for the women’s education-oriented sex shop Venus Envy, Patty Thille said being part of a larger show gives the Bank Street store an opportunity to reach people who might otherwise shy away from the subject.

“Most people that come to Sexapalooza would be comfortable talking about sex or going into stores. But not every one is, or they might bring friends who aren’t,” she said.