What is DRA’s mission?
Dovercourt’s mission is to enrich the lives of people in our community through:

• Opportunities: DRA will provide high quality, creative, educational, recreational, fitness, social and leisure opportunities.
  
• Teamwork: DRA will work in partnership with its committed professional employees and dedicated community volunteers.
  
• Environment: DRA will provide safe and friendly environments for our participants.
• Sharing: DRA will share its assets and energy with other groups and individuals helping build our community.
  
• Caring: DRA will encourage and facilitate participation in our programs and services for those less fortunate.
  
• Building: DRA will continue to contribute to the development of a healthy community.
  

Our motto, "A Community Working For the Community, Une communauté qui travaille pour la communauté" represents the authority of our volunteer Board of Directors, elected from our community and dedicated to responding to our community’s needs. Our objective is first to ensure that our recreation center and all of its programs and services are well run. Our success builds our ability to share and include all segments of our community. We look forward to continuing to work with our clients, neighbours, other community groups, service clubs and local businesses to make our community a great place to be.

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What are the features that DRC has?
• fully accessible facility
• 25 metre leisure pool with sauna, whirlpool, baby pool, water slide and tarzan rope.
• Warm water temperatures.
• large lobby with living room feel
• large assembly hall/ aerobics studio
• pottery studio
• dance studio
• large multi purpose room
• "Doverport" health and wellness studio
• female, male and family change rooms
• free Rogers internet café with 2 pentium computers
• bright, colourful, inviting architecture on human scale

How many people does Dovercourt serve?
385,000 attendances in 2001, represents over 12,000 users

Where do they come from?
95% are City of Ottawa residents, with the majority coming from the immediate catchment area. (Parkdale Avenue in the east, the Western parkway in the west, The Ottawa River to the north, the Queensway to the south.) The remaining percentage comes from neighbouring municipalities with approximately 5% from Aylmer and west Hull.

What does Dovercourt offer and what makes it different from other community centres?
Dovercourt Recreation Centre is managed by DRA through a purchase of service agreement with the City of Ottawa. DRC offers a wide range of programs in aquatics, health, fitness and recreation both at the centre and in satellite facilities. Many of the programs offered are unique to Dovercourt. DRC is under the direction of a volunteer board of directors elected from the community, who provide the philosophical and policy direction of the organization.

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If DRA is non-profit, how does it post revenues of over 1.8 million dollars?
Revenue from programs amounts to over 1.6 million. Funding from the City is just over 240,000. As a not for profit registered charity, DRA converts its profits from some operation areas into subsidized fees, financial assistance programs, and special services and programs for special populations. In other words, the funding from the City of Ottawa, service clubs, other government grants, fundraising efforts by DRA itself and our financial success in programs gives us the capacity to fulfill our charitable goals of sharing, caring and building our community. After program, operational, and overhead costs, DRA projects a break even for its budget.

What is the current level of support that DRA receives from the City of Ottawa? Cash funding and in-kind?
Dovercourt currently receives $240,820 in cash funding, with approximately $300,000 in-kind. In kind costs include heating, lighting, pool operator, pool chemicals and most cleaning supplies.

How does DRC’s operating costs compare to the City of Ottawa?
According to a study performed by City of Ottawa staff, quoted by Councillor Jim Watson in a Citizen article in 1996, DRA’s cost per user was $2.02, compared to $3.92 and $2.55 at two City-run facilities of similar size and scope.

Why is Dovercourt more efficient?
Our small size, independence, and community focus enable us to quickly respond to community and client requests and ideas. DRA has a tradition of innovation and imagination in programming that has attracted excellent staff. DRA makes extensive use of community resources such as schools, churches, and parks. DRA has fostered strong relationships with local businesses through sponsorship, with other community groups through joint programming, and with volunteers in program and special event delivery.

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Why does Dovercourt need support from fundraising, charitable donations and service clubs?
DRA is committed to providing quality, affordable programs and services to the whole community, not just those that can pay. While DRA has increased many of the program and service fees under its control, further increases threaten the ability of many individuals to pay. As well, DRA provides a financial assistance program for needy families and individuals for most programs, and many programs and services for special populations are offered at a reduced rate or in some cases free of charge. While DRA has reduced or cancelled marginal programs and services, further cuts would mean that segments of the population will be poorly served or not at all. Finally, changing needs in our community as well as the wear and tear on our facility and equipment has required a constant re-investment in the center. Over the past 15 years of operation, DRA has contributed over $500,000 in new equipment, and facility improvements, with the help of self help grants from the City of Ottawa, and significant contributions from local Kiwanis clubs.

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