Welcome to Dovercourt!
Dovercourt Recreation Association (DRA) is a not for profit charitable organization formed in 1977 dedicated to enhancing the quality of life in our community through recreation programs and services. In 1983, the City of Ottawa began work on the planning of a new community centre to replace the Westboro Community Centre. DRA was actively involved in the process, and when the new centre opened in 1987, Dovercourt was given the responsibility of managing the new centre through a purchase of service agreement.

In this agreement, the City identifies services it expects Dovercourt to provide to the community, and provides annual cash funding and the use of the centre. While we are part of the City of Ottawa’s recreation service delivery system, the community is empowered to choose what programs and services it runs to meet the community’s needs, and how those programs and services are delivered. The City gets a high level of customer satisfaction and a cost per user significantly lower than centres managed directly by the City of Ottawa.

Since the centre opened, Dovercourt attendances have grown to over 350,000 visits per year, an operating budget of 1.9 million, and most importantly, a reputation for responsiveness, innovation, quality, and variety. DRA has also, through investing in new equipment and facility improvements, made a contribution of over $500,000 to the community it serves since the centre opened.

Our motto, "A Community Working For the Community, Une communauté qui travaille pour la communauté" represents our volunteer Board of Directors, elected from the community, and that it is the community and our clients that call the shots. Staff, clients, other community groups, local businesses and volunteers working together…that’s Dovercourt!