Participation in Ottawa recreation programs booming

By Roberta Bell, Sarah Turnbull and Emanuela Campanella

The culture around city-run recreation programs is the reason the programs are so successful, participants say.

“The interaction with other people is part of the fitness,” said Nelda Nicoletti, who was instructing a low-impact tai chi class at Hunt Club-Riverside Park Community Centre Tuesday morning. “For as little as one might do, the passion is there and they’re out of the house. It’s very important.”

According to the city’s recently released 2014 budget briefing notes, more Ottawa residents participate in city-run recreation programs than residents of any other Ontario municipality participating in the Ontario Municipal Benchmarking Initiative (OMBI).

The OMBI collects data for 37 municipalities—including large urban centres in the province, like the City of Toronto and York and Durham regions—to measure and compare performance and operational practice.

More than 15 per cent of residents partook in registered recreation programs, according to the OMBI’s most recent Performance Measurement Report from 2012.

June Wells, 72, said she appreciates the affordability of the city recreational programs.

“When you’re not working and you don’t get a paycheque, you need to have classes or activities that you can afford to do and not just once now and then. You have to do it every week,” said Wells, who was taking a Zumba class Tuesday morning at Jack Purcell Community Centre.

Most programs listed in the city’s fall and winter 2013-14 recreation guide run for 12 to 14 weeks and cost between $70 and $90 dollars, although some of the family and special needs programs can cost double as much.

There are a broad range of classes offered, including swimming lessons, gymnastics, yoga, dance, skating, hockey and a number of arts and culture programs. The programs facilitate those of all ages, from infants to senior citizens.

“I think the city provides a really good assortment,” Wells said, noting there are classes targeted to those of different skill levels. “It’s what you can do.”

The city also offers programs in French.

According the 2014 budget briefing notes, the city offered seven per cent more French-language recreation programs in spring 2013 than it did the spring before.

The budget briefing notes said during the same time period, resident participation French-language recreation programs went up by 12 per cent.