Launching the Cultural Groups and Organizations Inventory on Open Ottawa

Ottawa’s cultural ecosystem is vast, diverse, and deeply rooted in communities across the city. Today, we’re pleased to launch the Cultural Groups and Organizations Inventory, now available on Open Ottawa.

For those interested in a more visual experience, the inventory will also be available as an interactive map on GeoOttawa later this summer.

This inventory is the first of three major datasets to be released as part of the cultural mapping work supporting the new Municipal Culture Plan. It will be followed by an updated Cultural Spaces Inventory and a new Artist/Creator Inventory. Together, these datasets will offer a detailed snapshot of the people, places, and practices shaping cultural life in Ottawa, serving as a valuable resource for cultural leaders, researchers, planners, and residents alike.

The inventory brings together information on 932 cultural groups and organizations, including non-profit organizations, businesses, informal collectives, and student groups. It reflects the linguistic, cultural, and geographic diversity of the city, including 280 francophone or bilingual organizations offering services in French, 271 ethno-cultural organizations, and 22 Indigenous cultural organizations.

Developed in collaboration with residents, artists and creators, and cultural workers, this inventory draws on insights gathered through pop-up and community events, interviews with cultural and community leaders, and extensive research. It will continue to evolve over time. If you know of a group that should be included, or notice information that needs updating, we invite you to help keep the dataset current [link to update form].

To support comparability and analysis, categories and subcategories align, wherever possible, with the Canadian Framework for Cultural Statistics. This ensures that the dataset is well-suited for sector-level research and policy development.

Explore the inventory on Open Ottawa and discover the depth and reach of Ottawa’s cultural sector.