Recreation Facility Infrastructure Standards and Strategy

Image of indoor gymnasium with a view through the glass to the hallway in a recreation center

We need your help to:

  • Create Recreation Facility Infrastructure Standards
  • Develop a Recreation Facility Strategy
  • Meet several objectives of the Municipal Sport Strategy

The project will:

1. Establish municipal recreation facility infrastructure standards and its critical elements. These standards will be included in designs for major renovation or newly built municipal recreation facilities.

2. Create the Vision and Guiding Principles for the City of Ottawa's Recreation Facility Strategy

3. Learn about who is using City of Ottawa recreation facilities and barriers for users and non-users

4. Develop a Recreation Facility Strategy, consistent with growth in the City of Ottawa, that recommends renovation, repurposing, decommissioning or the development of new facilities.

We need your help to:

  • Create Recreation Facility Infrastructure Standards
  • Develop a Recreation Facility Strategy
  • Meet several objectives of the Municipal Sport Strategy

The project will:

1. Establish municipal recreation facility infrastructure standards and its critical elements. These standards will be included in designs for major renovation or newly built municipal recreation facilities.

2. Create the Vision and Guiding Principles for the City of Ottawa's Recreation Facility Strategy

3. Learn about who is using City of Ottawa recreation facilities and barriers for users and non-users

4. Develop a Recreation Facility Strategy, consistent with growth in the City of Ottawa, that recommends renovation, repurposing, decommissioning or the development of new facilities.

Indoor Arena Ideas / Opportunities

3 months

What should the city do with our indoor arenas? 

What opportunities are there to help with the issues?

Background for brainstorm of ideas on the future of ice and municipal arenas in Ottawa.

The City of Ottawa operates 24 single surfaces and 9 multi-pad arenas that total 44 indoor ice surfaces. Private ice providers add another 17 ice pads across Ottawa (not including Canadian Tire Centre), totaling 61 ice surfaces in Ottawa. Ottawa has one of the highest ice pad to resident ratios at 1:15,300 (both public and private providers). Other municipalities across Canada range up to 1:34,000.

Most rentals...

What should the city do with our indoor arenas? 

What opportunities are there to help with the issues?

Background for brainstorm of ideas on the future of ice and municipal arenas in Ottawa.

The City of Ottawa operates 24 single surfaces and 9 multi-pad arenas that total 44 indoor ice surfaces. Private ice providers add another 17 ice pads across Ottawa (not including Canadian Tire Centre), totaling 61 ice surfaces in Ottawa. Ottawa has one of the highest ice pad to resident ratios at 1:15,300 (both public and private providers). Other municipalities across Canada range up to 1:34,000.

Most rentals are to minor users, defined as under 19 years of age. Minor users represent 73 percent of prime-time rentals. There is an expected population shift from 2016 to 2028 according to Statistics Canada. All age groups are expected to increase in Ottawa by 2028, but they are not predicted to increase by the same amount. Older adults aged 65 years or older are predicted to increase by 41.7 percent. Youth, 0 to 19 years of age are predicted to increase by 11.6 percent.

Hourly prime-time rental fees (including tax) are $335.80 for commercial Users, $326.20 for adults, and $195.55 for minors.

The average age of single surface arenas is 46 years with a typical lifespan of 70 years. Maintenance demand resulting from our aging arena stock is putting significant pressure on available lifecycle funds.  These demands will become unsustainable in the next 10 years without arena optimization efforts, or a significant increase in life cycle funding.

There has also been a steady decline in prime and non-prime rented hours since 2014. From 2011 to 2013, the city rented 102,000 hours per season (September to April). There has been a steady decrease since 2014, with fewer than 90,000 seasonal hours rented in 2018.

The demand for shoulder hours, prime hours that are close to non-prime, like 4 pm on weekdays has changed. In the past, these hours were usually rented, but now several arenas across Ottawa have shoulder and prime hours available for rental.

Accessibility challenges exist but are now being addressed through dedicated accessibility funding provided by Council. There are also functional challenges for users like small change rooms and ice surfaces that are not a standard size.

Go the map and drag a pin to add your ideas for our indoor arenas!

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