Rideau-Goulbourn Winter Recreation
The Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Department has provided the following information to our office about the 2014-2015 seasonal recreation programs. It includes information on the Community Outdoor Rink Program, Sens Rink of Dreams, Lansdowne Park Skating Court, Ben Franklin Place, the Public Skating Program, Sledding Hills, and Cross Country Skiing. Contact information or websites for rink status are listed with each program.
Community Outdoor Rink Program
Weather permitting, the outdoor rink season will operate from mid-December, 2014 to February 28, 2015. Some sites may extend their season on a voluntary basis and without additional City funding. Dismantling of rink sites with temporary features (i.e., trailers, boards, lighting) will commence prior to the spring thaw to prevent damage to parkland.
Outdoor Rinks in Rideau-Goulbourn (Ward 21)
| Park Name & Address | Rink Sponsor | Rink Type | Supervision | Ice Maintenance | Toilet | Lights (Temp/Perm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alfred Taylor 2300 Community Way North Gower | North Gower Recreation Association | Rink | No | Community | Yes | Permanent |
| Ashton Community Park 8930 Flewellyn Road Ashton | Greater Ashton Community Association | Rink | No | Community | Yes | Permanent |
| Carsonby 6047 Prince of Wales Drive | Carsonby Community Recreation Association | Rink with Puddle | No | Community | No | Permanent |
| Centennial 5572 Dr. Leach Drive Manotick | Manotick Culture, Parks and Recreation Association | Rink with Puddle | No | Community | Yes | Yes |
| Chanonhouse 3 Mac Storey Street Richmond | Richmond Outdoor Rink Association | Rink with Puddle | No | Community | No | Permanent |
| George McLean 5348 McLean Cr. Manotick | Manotick Park Recreation and Community Association | Rink with Puddle | No | Community | No | Permanent |
| Kars RA Centre 1604 Wellington Street Kars | Kars Community Recreation Association | Rink with Puddle | No | Community | Yes | Permanent |
| Meadowbrook 2972 Danbury Way | Meadowbrook Community Rink Association | Rink with Puddle | No | Community | No | None |
| Munster 58 Dogwood Drive | Munster Community Association | Rink with Puddle | No | Community | Yes | Permanent |
| Rooney 15 Steeple Hill Crescent Fallowfield Village | Fallowfield Community Association | Rink | Yes | Community | No | Permanent |
Click here to learn more about the City's outdoor rink program.
Click here to give updates or obtain information about outdoor rink conditions across Ottawa.
Sens Rink of Dreams
The Sens Rink of Dreams at City Hall opened on November 28, 2014 and offers free public skating until March, weather permitting. Operating hours are 6:00 AM to 11:00 PM, with a heated change area available 8:00 AM to 11:00 PM. A modified operating schedule is in place December 24, 25, and 26. The Sens Rink of Dreams is generally supervised by Public Skating Attendants Fridays 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM, Saturday and Sunday 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM , with extended hours of supervision during special events including Family Day (February 16th, 2015), Winterlude (January 30th to February 16th, 2015), and March Break (March 16th to 20th, 2015).
Rink Conditions for the Sens Rink of Dreams will be posted online on Ottawa.ca and on Ottawa Rinks.
Lansdowne Park Skating Court
Skating is offered for free at the new Landsowne Park Skating Court artificial ice surface December 2 to mid-March. Supervised skating will be offered Saturdays and Sundays 12:00pm to 8:00pm. Please note that there is limited parking onsite. Visit Ottawa.ca for more information.
Ben Franklin Place
Ben Franklin Place is home to the City of Ottawa's third refrigerated ice surface. The rink opened on December 6, 2014 and offers free public skating from 6:00am to 11:00pm. The rink is supervised from 12:00pm to 9:00pm Monday to Friday. Rink conditions will be posted on Ottawa Rinks.
Special Events
February 14, 2015 - Hockey Day in Ottawa
The Department, in partnership with our community-based operators is planning a fun-filled day where residents will be encouraged to set up hockey games and other winter activities city-wide. This event serves to raise visibility and awareness for the outdoor rink program and its volunteers.
February 28, 2015 - Annual Rink Operators Appreciation Breakfast (Jim Durrell Recreation Centre, 9:00-11:00am)
Mayor Jim Watson and Members of Council are invited to attend this breakfast to meet and thank rink operators for their hard work and dedication to keeping this program going through the winter months.
Public Skating at City Arenas
The City offers 241 hours of public skating at 33 arenas weekly for 2014-2015 season September 29, 2014 to April 30th, 2015. “RBC Skate for FREE” weekends started on November 29 – Ottawa residents/visitors may attend any Public Skating session offered on a Saturday and/or Sunday free of charge until March 29, 2015.
Important: For general public skating sessions, it is mandatory that all skaters ten years of age and under as well as any new or weak skaters of any age wear a CSA approved helmet during skating sessions. Skaters with medical conditions requiring a modified or specialized helmet will be accommodated. CSA approved helmets are required for wheelchair and stroller occupants over 12 months. Stroller participants, who are between 0 and 12 months of age, must be safely secured in their stroller. For Pick-Up Hockey sessions full hockey equipment is mandatory, including a certified multi-impact helmet; a full face mask is recommended. For Shinny Hockey, gloves, neck protector, stick and a certified multi-impact helmet are the mandatory equipment required. All public skating sessions offered at indoor arenas are supervised with the exception of Unsupervised weekday, daytime public skate sessions offered at rural arenas. During unsupervised skating sessions, skaters aged 15 and under must be accompanied by a skater age 16 or older. |
Below are the admission fees for all other Public Skating, Family Skate, Adult, Senior and specialized skating sessions (ie. Children/Youth Shinny, Adult 18+, 35+, or 50+ Pick Up) sessions.
Public Skating Fees
| Age | Fees |
|---|---|
| Child (2 years and under) | Free |
| Child (3-4 years) | $1.50 |
| Child (5-12 years), Youth (13-18 years), Student, Adults (19-64 years) | $2.50 |
| Family (Maximum 2 adults and dependents | $6.75 |
Specialized Skating Programs
| Age | Fees |
|---|---|
| Children, Youth and Students | $2.50 |
| Adults and Seniors | $5.75 |
Memberships are available for public skating and specialized skating programs. More information on skating memberships can be found at Ottawa.ca.
If you would like to know more about the Public Skating Program, please visit Ottawa.ca or call 613-580-2666.
Sledding Hills and Tobogganing
The City of Ottawa offers 66 designated sledding hills. Departmental staff inspect hills and conditions on a regular basis. For more information on sledding hills and whether they are open or closed, please visit Ottawa.ca, contact Seasonal Recreation by phone at 613-580-2590, or by email at [email protected].
Cross Country Skiing
The Terry Fox Athletic Facility and Mooney’s Bay Ski Centre (2960 Riverside Drive, 613-247-4883) features a 5 kilometre loop of track set and lit trails for classic and skate skiing and offers a ski instruction program.
A base of twenty centimeters of snow is required before trails can be groomed. The facility will be open from January to early March (weather permitting), Monday to Friday 9:00am to 9:00pm, and Saturday-Sunday 9:00am to 5:00pm. The fee to access the trails is $3.00 per day, or $33 per season.
The City, through purchase of service arrangements, also supports the grooming of cross country ski trails at:
- Fitzroy Provincial Park, 5201 Canon Smith Drive (West Carleton Nordic Ski Club)
- Sheila McKee Park (formerly Riverfront Park), 1730 Sixth Line Road (Kanata Nordic Ski Club)
For more information on these trails and access fees, please visit their respective websites, linked to above.
