City of Ottawa - Spring into Action

Put a little spring in your step! Register now for spring courses and summer camps!   What you need to know for registration.

Looking for courses available at a specific facility?

JoinOttawa

Take me out to the ball game

Spend your summer evenings at the ballpark. Women and Sport offer women's recreational and intermediate adult softball leagues. Get the girls together or register on your own. Beginners, getting active again or if you’re just out to have fun! Registration information online or call 613-580-2854.

Start walking for your health with classes

Nordic Walking with poles is a low-impact, high-energy ultimate workout that enhances your walking with 20 to 40 per cent more caloric expenditure. Increase your cardio and improve your posture and upper body strength.  Gentle Nordic and Activator Pole Walking classes are also available. If you want to walk with a group, we offer several indoor walking clubs and the Active Living Club hiking program.  Class details can be found in the Fitness and Wellness and 50+ Adult Recreation eGuides.

Unsure what level your child should be registered in for Learn to Swim?

Ask the lifeguards at a public swim or family swim to conduct a free swim assessment while you are at the pool.

Take the bus to visit us (65+)

OC Transpo offers great service for senior riders including free bussing all day Wednesday. Most of our recreation and culture facilities are on bus routes, so why not plan a trip to go swimming or exercise at the senior rate.

Young at Art celebrates young local artists

Come see local young artists works of art at three community galleries across the city. These artists, between 12 and 19 years old, will be sure to impress you! East Ottawa Vernissage: Sunday, April 22, 1-3 p.m. Salons A & B of Trinity Art Gallery, Shenkman Arts Centre, Orléans West Ottawa Vernissage: Thursday, April 26, 6:30-8 p.m. Kanata Civic Art Gallery, John G Mlacak Community Centre, Kanata Central Ottawa: Vernissage: Tuesday, April 24, 6:30-8 p.m. Atrium Art Gallery & Nepean Fine Arts League Exhibition Space Ben Franklin Place, Nepean

Free fitness pass

Visit a participating facility to sign up for a free fitness pass. No appointment needed. Your free pass gives you three visits to participating facilities!

Think twice before venturing onto the ice

With milder temperatures, the Ottawa Drowning Prevention Coalition in conjunction with the City of Ottawa wants to remind residents that when temperatures go up the dangers of being on ice and open water goes up. When ice begins to thaw it may look solid but is often extremely dangerous. Grey ice is unsafe. The greyness indicates the presence of water. Water levels this year are higher than usual and are accompanied by soft, slippery banks that are treacherous, particularly for young children, adults and the family pet. Check ice safety guidelines at Lifesaving Society and Canadian Red Cross. Simply stay away from the ice.

Easter Events - Canada Agriculture and Food Museum

This Easter weekend, come celebrate spring’s arrival at the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum! After a long winter, the barns have come alive with the arrival of newborn animals. Welcome the soft, little lambs, marvel at the rabbits’ silky fur, and observe the fluffy, newly-hatched chicks and ducklings. Visitors can learn about the transformation of cacao beans into chocolate while helping make chocolate cake – and taste a delicious sample! All this from Good Friday through Easter Monday!

Easter Activities >>

Ottawa Public Library - Planning for Retirement on a Low Income

Learn how to get the most from income security programs such as Old Age Security, Guaranteed Income Supplement, Canada Pension Plan and Ontario Disability Support. Many financial advisors are unfamiliar with these programs and how they may interact with each other and financial products such as RRSPs and Tax Free Savings Accounts. Learn to navigate the system in a plain language information session presented by John Stapleton, Open Policy Ontario, and/or other members of The Council on Aging of Ottawa’s Experts Panel on Income Security. Get the answers to the following questions:   What are the income security programs? What is considered "low-income"? What do seniors get in Ontario? How do you reduce taxable income or get money back? Whether you are a senior, approaching retirement, assisting your family or just concerned, please join us at one of these sessions.  We have two sessions in English and one in French. Free to attend.

Register online by clicking on your session of choice:

Saturday, March 24, 2 to 4 p.m. at St-Laurent branch, 515 Côté (in English) Wednesday, March 28, 6 to 8 p.m. at Emerald Plaza branch, 1547 Merivale (in English) Thursday, April 5, 6 to 8 p.m., St-Laurent branch, 515 Côté (in French)

If you have any questions, please call the InfoService line at 613-580-2940.  You will receive handout material with useful information on planning for retirement on a low income. Presented in partnership with the Council on Aging of Ottawa.

Cleaning the Capital - Early Bird Registration

Register your cleanup project for the 2018 GLAD Cleaning the Capital spring campaign by April 14th and you’ll have a chance to win an early bird prize generously donated by our sponsors. Registration continues until May 15th.

GLAD Cleaning the Capital volunteers who submit their online cleanup reports by May 31st are also eligible to win one of the many prizes donated by our sponsors.

Join the thousands of community volunteers to help keep Ottawa clean and green in 2018!

For more information on the GLAD Cleaning the Capital campaign, please visit ottawa.ca/clean.

Thanks for keeping Ottawa clean and green!

The GLAD Cleaning the Capital Team

University of Ottawa Heart Institute - Open House

OPEN HOUSE - A New Home For Your Heart

 

Come Explore the Brand New State-of-the-Art Heart Institute and Discover the Next Generation of Cardiac Care.

 

Friday, March 23 - Tours From 3:00 to 8:00 p.m.

University of Ottawa Heart Institute

40 Ruskin Street - https://www.ottawaheart.ca

 

https://www.ottawaheart.ca/about-us/who-we-are/our-expansion/community-open-house

 

City of Ottawa Museums - At Your Museum - March 2018

Celebrate Easter at the Estate

We’re celebrating the arrival of spring at Billings Estate National Historic Site! Explore why the spring season was so important to farming families like the Billings by planting your own carrot seed and taking it home to watch it grow. Learn more about Victorian-era Easter traditions, decorate eggs, meet the Easter Bunny, and more!

Hop into spring at Cumberland Heritage Village Museum

We’ve got fun and games for the whole family at Cumberland Heritage Village Museum! Unscramble an Easter puzzle as you explore the Museum grounds. Put your skills to the test in an egg rolling competition or give the Easter basket relay a try. Cap it all off with a sweet treat and learn more about the maple syrup industry of the 1920s and 30s.

Egg-cellent fun at Fairfields Heritage House

Get crafty and decorate your very own fluffy bunny mask. Then get in character and hop out to the lawn at Fairfields Heritage House to search out all the eggs the Easter Bunny has hidden across the grounds.

Tune in! to March Break at the Ottawa Public Library

Explore local history through a musical lens with a March Break program at the Ottawa Public Library. We’re hosting fun and interactive children’s programs at various library branches during the week of March 12 to 16. Visit the OPL website for more information on these programs and to register: Log driver lifestyle; Have a swinging good time!; Sound, emotion, movement and your brain; and Dancing through the ages.

Artefact Showcase

The primary purpose of this heater was to warm a heavy, metal sad iron (flat iron) for use pressing fabric. Due to their relative portability, these heaters, fueled by coal oil or kerosene, were also used to boil water, as handheld lamps, or as carriage heaters. Though this model dates from between 1877 and 1905, heaters like this were common through the 1950s in rural communities where access to electricity was limited. Sometimes you will still see refurbished models in use as camp stoves! As demonstrated in these overlaid before and after photos, this heater was recently conserved. This work was completed by an Applied Museum Studies student as part of our community partnership with Algonquin College. Conservation is an important part of maintaining our artefact collections and provides an additional opportunity to learn more about the history of these objects and their role in our communities.

City in Motion launches at Ben Franklin Place

This spring we’re debuting a new, four-part exhibition highlighting the history of transportation in Ottawa and you can get a sneak peek beginning March 15 at the Atrium Gallery, Ben Franklin Place. From canoes and steam ships to trains and trolleys, this exhibition will explore all the ways Ottawa residents have travelled from point A to point B. The satellite exhibition will also be on display at City Hall in early May before opening in full at Billings Estate National Historic Site, Cumberland Heritage Village Museum, Nepean Museum, and Pinhey’s Point Historic Site later that month.

Make time for Play! at Nepean Museum

Play! The building blocks of learning is the perfect exhibition to enjoy during March Break! Kids can express their creativity from the drawing wall to the puppet theatre all while exploring how play-based learning encourages cognitive, physical, social, and emotional development. Nepean Museum is open Monday to Friday from 10 am to 5 pm and weekends from 1 pm to 4 pm. Daily admission to the Museum is free.

Coming soon to the Ottawa Sport Hall of Fame

Our team is hard at work preparing an exciting new display for the Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame. This exhibition will tell the story of sport at the community level and will highlight nine sports and their impact on Ottawa. Stay tuned to this newsletter for more details!

See yourself as a Museums volunteer!

Are you interested in volunteering at a City of Ottawa Museum but aren’t quite sure what to expect from the experience? We’re hosting on-site introductions for new and prospective volunteers at Billings Estate National Historic Site, Cumberland Heritage Village Museum, Fairfields Heritage House, Nepean Museum, and Pinhey’s Point Historic Site. These sessions are a great way to learn more about our museums, programs, and volunteer opportunities! Visit our website to learn more; registration is required.

Summer hiring campaign

Do you know a university or college student who wants to help bring history to life for our visitors? Applications are now open for the position of Summer – Heritage Leader at Billings Estate National Historic Site, Cumberland Heritage Village Museum, Nepean Museum/Fairfields Heritage House, and Pinhey’s Point Historic Site.

Follow us on Facebook!

Get the most up-to-date details about special events and programs by following us on Facebook. Billings Estate National Historic Site Cumberland Heritage Village Museum Fairfields Heritage House Nepean Museum Pinhey’s Point Historic Site Doors Open Ottawa You can also find Cumberland Heritage Village Museum on Instagram!

City of Ottawa Accessibility Spotlight - March 2018

AccessAbility Day 2018 - Thursday May 31 Mark your calendars! The City of Ottawa in partnership with Ottawa Public Health is pleased to celebrate AccessAbility Day 2018. Where: Ottawa City Hall, 110 Laurier Ave. West When: Thursday, May 31, 2018 More information to follow. Public Engagement Accessibility Features The City of Ottawa is committed to the provision of accessibility accommodations for residents with disabilities to provide equal participation in City public meetings. FM Loop assistive listening devices, which provides clear speech/sound and a reduction in background noise, can assist people with hearing loss. They are available for use in Council Chambers and rooms at City Hall for members of the public who attend City meetings. In addition, the City has recently invested in new equipment and technology to improve resident engagement. After conducting a review of City Hall spaces, a number of equipment upgrades at City Hall include: Increased accessible chair/seating options An active subwoofer and an advanced telephone conference system for enhanced sound quality Larger TV screens to display captioning and presentations Since the City of Ottawa also holds public engagement events outside of City Hall, investments in portable equipment options for offsite public engagement events, are now also available upon request. These equipment systems include: A portable public address sound system that provides better sound quality and voice projection, and includes the Williams Sound FM loops system for hearing loss; works with cochlear implants and also with regular headphones A portable discussion system that has wireless accessible conference microphones, a soundboard includes the Williams Sound FM loops system for hearing loss; works with cochlear implants and also with regular headphones For more information on the provision of accessible accommodations during the City’s public engagement events please contact publicengagement@ottawa.ca. Financial Aid - Ottawa Hand in Hand The City of Ottawa offers help with program fees so that all residents can take part in recreation and culture activities regardless of their ability to pay. If you are already a participant in a community or social service agency program, or if you are an individual or family with a low-income, you may qualify for the Ottawa Hand in Hand recreation and culture fee support program. To apply for the Ottawa Hand in Hand, Recreation and Culture Fee Support: Step 1: Print the application form (PDF opens in a new tab or window) at home, or pick one up at most staffed recreation facilities or at a Client Service Centre. Step 2: Complete the application form. Step 3: Bring the completed application form to your local recreation or cultural facility. A supervisor will review the application for approval.

Remember, you can request accessible formats of City public documents and we welcome your disability-related feedback on the accessibility of our services, programs and facilities through the following channels: by phone at 3-1-1 and TTY (613-580-2401); by e-mail to the Accessibility Office at accessibilityoffice@ottawa.ca; and   in person at any of the City’s service locations.

Next QTSRCA Meeting - Monday, March 12th, 7:30pm at Sonny's

The Queensway Terrace South Ridgeview (QTSR) Community Association will be holding our next monthly meeting on Monday March 12th, 7:30-9:00 and you are welcome to join us.  A copy of the agenda for the meeting is available at this link.

When: Monday, March 12th, 7:30 pm 

Where: Sonny’s Bar and Grill – 1119 Baxter Rd

City of Ottawa Recreation Registration Starts Soon - Spring and Summer

March Break adventures

March 12 to 16 is a great time to try something new, improve your sports skills and make new friends at the many day camps across the city. Days filled with physical activity, games, songs, crafts and special events, guarantee there will be no boredom in Ottawa. You can also spend some quality time with your children. Find up to date schedules and information for Public Skating and Public Swimming, and get active with your kids!

Registration Starts Soon!

Swimming and Aquafitness Programs  Online and Touch Tone Telephone Registration (613-580-2588) – starting Monday, March 5 at 9 pm. In-Person Registration on Tuesday, March 6 during regular business hours. All other Recreation Programs and Summer Camps  Online and Touch Tone Telephone Registration (613-580-2588) – starting Wednesday, March 7 at 9 pm. In-Person Registration on Thursday, March 8 during regular business hours.  What you need to know for registration.

Recreation eGuides available now

Fun can be found online in the City of Ottawa's Recreation eGuide and Mon Cyberguide francophone des loisirs.