Year-Round Activities
Sports and Recreation
Public Swimming at City of Ottawa Indoor Pools
Public Skating at City of Ottawa Arenas
Ottawa Critical Mass Bike Ride 
Strollercise with Boomerang Kids
Monday Night Runs at euro-sports
Try a Quest from UrbanQuest.com - use the Frugal Fan discount code! 
Storytime at the Ottawa Public Library
YM/YWCA Mini Port at Place D'Orléans
Movie Screenings at Ottawa Family Cinema
Movies at the North Grenville Municipal Centre, Kemptville
Movie Screenings at Rainbow Cinemas, St. Laurent
Concerts by the University of Ottawa's School of Music
Concert Series at Ottawa Churches
| Name: | Public swimming at City of Ottawa Indoor Swimming Pools |
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| Description: |
The City of Ottawa offers Standard Category public swims at the following indoor facilities, year-round. Swims in the Standard category are frugal ($10 or less for a family of four). Standard swim prices: Family admission (maximum 2 adults)$1.90 per person (tots 2 and under get in for free).
Almost Frugal: The City of Ottawa also offers Leisure category public swimming year-round at the following facilities. Leisure swim prices: $2.90 per person, tots 2 and under get in for free.
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| Website: | ottawa.ca/indoor_pools |
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| Activity number: | 40026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Name: | Public Skating at City of Ottawa arenas |
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| Description: |
City arenas offer public skating, family skating sessions, adult skating sessions, 50+ skating sessions and pick up hockey for adults. Schedules vary by arena. All arenas offer skating from October 1 to March 31; some arenas offer skating year-round. See website for details. Check individual arena listings prior to going as schedules are subject to change. Public skating fees are $6.75/family (2 adults, 2 children). |
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| Website: | List of City of Ottawa Arenas: ottawa.ca/arenas Search Public Skating Schedules: ottawa.ca/skating |
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| Activity number: | 40027 |
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| Name: | Ottawa Critical Mass Bike Ride (For Grown-ups) |
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| Location: | Meet at Confederation Park (Elgin and Laurier) |
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| Dates: | Last Friday of each month, year-round |
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| Times: | Meet at 5:30 p.m., ride leaves at 6 p.m. |
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| Description: | Critical mass is a community bike ride to advocate a bike friendly transportation system. |
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| Website: | http://ottawacriticalmass.blogspot.com/ or visit their Facebook page (Critial Mass Ottawa) |
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| Event number: | 50001 |
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| Name: | Strollercise with Boomerang Kids |
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| Location: | Boomerang Kids store locations, see website for details. |
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| Dates: | Ongoing. |
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| Times: | Various, see website. |
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| Description: | Boomerang Kids offers free strollercise with certified fitness instructors and personal trainers. A great way to get exercise and socialize at the same time! Thanks to Mary and Erin for submitting this event! |
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| Website: | www.boomerangkids.ca/strollercize |
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| Event number: | 20033 | |||
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| Name: | Monday Night Runs at euro-sports |
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| Location: | 13 Bullman Street (off Parkdale) |
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| Dates: | Every Monday (except holidays) |
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| Times: | 6 pm start |
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| Description: | Free Monday night drop-in runs, no cost or registration necessary. Distances range from 5-10km, all abilities welcome. See the website for weekly route details. |
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| Website: | euro-sports.ca |
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| Event number: | 20035 | |||
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| Name: | Geocaching |
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| Description: |
Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game. Serious geocachers will probably want to use a GPS unit, which can be pricey, but if you have a smartphone there are many geocaching apps you can download for pennies (some are even free). They'll do the trick if you're just after an afternoon of fun! The pastime involves using GPS coordinates to find hidden containers, called geocaches, and then logging your finds online. The containers contain a logbook for you to sign, and sometimes a small, inexpensive prize. Each time you take something from a geocache, you should leave something behind for the next person. Geocache coordinates can be found at a number of websites, the most prominent one being www.geocaching.com. Basic membership to geocaching.com is free and lets you search for nearby geocaches using your postal code. |
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| Website: | Ontario Geocaching Association: www.ontgeocaching.com |
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| Activity number: | 40028 |
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| Name: | Try a Quest from UrbanQuest.com |
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| Description: |
UrbanQuest.com offers various Ottawa Quests. You purchase a Quest, print the clue package, optionally have UrbanQuest.com make a reservation for you at a mystery restaurant, and launch your Quest when you're ready to start. Follow the clues through various Ottawa neighbourhoods or through the Museum of Nature, depending on your chosen Quest, learning and having fun along the way.
UrbanQuest.com has a Frequently Asked Questions page here, and I've written a few blog posts about UrbanQuests here and here. Most Quests cost $19.99 plus tax, but there's a discount code for Frugal Fun Ottawa fans! Follow these instructions to redeem the code and get any $19.99 Quest for $14.99 plus tax:
Enjoy your Quest! |
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| Website: | UrbanQuest.com |
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| Activity number: | 40038 |
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| Name: | Storytime at the Ottawa Public Library |
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| Location: | Various branches; see website for details |
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| Dates: | Ongoing |
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| Times: | Various, see website. |
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| Description: | The Ottawa Public Library offers a variety of storytime activities on an on-going basis. These activites include stories, rhymes and songs. Check their website for storytime dates and times at your local branch. REGISTRATION IS SOMETIMES REQUIRED! See website for registration details. Babytime - For babies 0 to 18 months and a parent or caregiver. Evening Storytime - For children of all ages and a parent or caregiver. Family Storytime - For children of all ages and a parent or caregiver. Storytime - For preschoolers aged 3 to 6 and a parent or caregiver. Toddlertime - For babies 18 to 35 months and a parent or caregiver. The library also offers many other programs for children of all ages, including book clubs, homework clubs, and special event programming. Frugal Fun Ottawa will occasionally list some of these events in our One-time Events calendar, but they are just too numerous for us to list every one, and the library website offers a great search engine for finding these activities. |
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Website: |
http://programmes.biblioottawalibrary.ca/oplevent/events/libraryevent_e.cfm |
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| Event number: | 20014 |
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| Name: | YM/YWCA Mini Port at Place D'Orléans |
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| Description: |
This play area for kids is great when you or the kids need a break from shopping; it can also be a great outing on its own if you combine it with a bus ride to the mall. Access to the play area is free; you must supervise your child while he or she plays. The Mini Port was recently renovated and re-opened at the beginning of December 2009. Hours: Mon-Sat 9:30 am to 8 pm Sun 11 am - 5 pm The Mini Port also offers Play Care between 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. for children ages 2 to 7. The cost for this Drop and Shop program varies by the half-hour from $3 for a 1/2-hour up to $12 for 3 hours of care. |
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| Website: | www.placedorleans.com Information on the Mini Port can be found under the Guest Services link. |
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| Activity number: | 40034 |
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| Name: | First Thursday Story Swap (For Grown-ups) |
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| Location: | Library and Archives of Canada, 395 Wellington St. Room 156 |
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| Dates: | First Thursday of each month, year-round |
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| Times: | 7p.m. to 9:30 p.m. |
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| Description: | A story swap/open stage hosted by the Ottawa Storytellers. Come tell a story or just listen. |
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| Website: | www.ottawastorytellers.ca |
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| Event number: | 50004 |
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| Name: | Movie Screenings at Ottawa Family Cinema |
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| Location: | Notre Dame Auditorium, 710 Broadview Avenue (just north of Carling Avenue) |
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| Dates: | Most Friday evenings and Saturday afternoons; see website for current shows. |
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| Times: | Varies, see website. |
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| Description: |
Ottawa Family Cinema is a not-for-profit movie theatre staffed by volunteers. Proceeds from all their shows are donated back to the community. Parking is free, and snack prices are very reasonable (most small items are only $1.50). See the website for their latest movie showings. Tickets are $7.00 at the door BUT you can save up to $4.00 per ticket if you buy a membership and purchase your tickets in advance. A family membership is $25.00 and allows immediate family members including grandparents to take advantage of the discount. |
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| Website: | http://www.familycinema.ca |
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| Event number: | 60013 | |||
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| Name: | Movies at the North Grenville Municipal Centre, Kemptville |
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| Location: | North Grenville Municipal Centre 285 County Road 44, Kemptville |
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| Dates: | Various, see website for current shows. |
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| Times: | Varies, see website. |
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| Description: |
The North Grenville Municipal Centre plays current movies and often has special event movie packages. Visit their website for current listings. Movies are $5/person. |
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| Website: | www.northgrenville.ca/Movies.cfm |
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| Event number: | 20025 | |||
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| Name: | Movie Screenings at Rainbow Cinemas St. Laurent |
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| Location: | St. Laurent Shopping Centre, 1200 St. Laurent Boulevard |
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| Dates: | Most days of the week; see website for current shows. |
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| Times: | Varies, see website. |
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| Description: |
Rainbow Cinemas offers frequent 10 a.m. "Early Bird" shows for $3.00 per person, as well as toonie Tuesdays. And at $5.00 per person, even regular admission still qualifies as Almost Frugal!
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| Website: | www.rainbowcinemas.ca |
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| Event number: | 20027 | |||
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| Name: | Concerts by the University of Ottawa's School of Music |
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| Location: | Various locations; see website for details |
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| Dates: | Ongoing; see website |
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| Times: | Various; see website |
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| Description: | The School of Music at the University of Ottawa puts on several concerts and recitals each month; I try to list the orchestra and ensemble concerts in the Frugal Fun Ottawa calendar, but the School of Music also offers master classes, recitals by individual students, and lectures on various musical topics. Admission to most of these events is with a voluntary contribution; some have free admission. See their website for the complete list of this month's events. Thanks to Rochelle for emailing me about these concerts! |
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| Website: | www.music.uottawa.ca/concert.html |
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| Event number: | 50028 |
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| Name: | Concerts at Ottawa Churches |
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| Description: |
Various Ottawa churches offer concerts on an on-going basis. Admission is by donation or through a freewill offering.
On now: Organ Tuesdays at St. Andrew's Church 82 Kent St. Visit their website for details. Sunday evening Recital Series at St. Luke's Church 760 Somerset St. W. Visit their website for details. |
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| Event number: | 20036 | |||
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| Name: | Ottawa Comic Jam |
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| Location: | Shanghai Restaurant, 651 Somerset St. West. |
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| Dates: | Last Wednesday of each month, except December. |
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| Times: | 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. |
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| Description: | A Comic Jam is when a bunch of cartoonists gather and draw comics together. There are jams in a lot of major cities in the States and here in Canada. There are monthly Toronto and Montreal jams that have been going on for several years. The past Ottawa Jams have been sporadic, but the current Ottawa Comic Jam has been regularly meeting at the Shanghai Restaurant since May 2009!
Jamming together is a great way to improve storytelling, speed, confidence and watch your work take unexpected turns for the better. Isolation is rough for creative types: jamming is the antidote! |
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| Website: | comixjam.tripod.com |
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| Event number: | 20034 | |||
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