Our Park
Dovercourt is located adjacent to the City of Ottawa’s Westboro Kiwanis Park, which features a wading pool, playing field, tennis court, and playgrounds for preschool and school-aged children. In the winter, a rink and puddle are available for skating. Free parking is available in our parking lot.
Financial Assistance
As a registered charity, Dovercourt is committed to ensuring that its programs and services are available to all in our community. While we strive to make our programs affordable, sometimes families and individuals may need financial assistance to help cover program costs. Please see our Register page for the application.
Rentals
When our rooms are not in use by our programs, we make them available to the public or not for profit groups for meetings.
Accessibility and Inclusion
All abilities are welcome! Dovercourt is committed to the inclusion of people with special needs in all of our programs and services. Please make us aware of any issues of medication, mobility, or other resources that you or your child may need to participate at the time of registration. Read more >
Free Wifi
For those with laptops and other devices that have wireless Internet capability, we offer a free hot spot for you at Dovercourt. Connect from almost anywhere in the centre!
Our Facility Team
Our maintenance team works together with the City of Ottawa staff (our landlord!) to provide a clean, safe and friendly space for you and your family to learn, relax and play. With over 400,000 visits a year, this can be really challenging, but we are dedicated to making Dovercourt your home away from home.
Allergy Alert
Dovercourt is an allergy aware facility, so please identify any items that may cause an anaphylactic reaction for you or your child. While we will ask that these items not be brought to individual camps and programs, due to the number of people visiting our centre on a daily basis, we cannot ban substances that may cause allergic reactions from the centre as a whole. Staff is trained in the administration of epi-pens in the event of an emergency.
Emergency Reception Centre
Dovercourt Recreation Centre has been designated an emergency reception centre by the City of Ottawa. In the event of a major disaster requiring evacuation, Dovercourt and its staff and volunteers will provide registration, shelter, food and care for our community and others. Should this occur, all regular programs and services will be suspended.
Wading Pools
In the summer months, we operate the wading pools at Westboro Kiwanis (at Dovercourt) Park as well as at McKellar Park. Special events are also a part of the summer menu, culminating in our annual Dog Swim every August. See our Programs Flyers & Schedules page for the Summer Rec Swim schedule for details.
Our rinks: Winter fun on ice
In the winter, come out and enjoy our outdoor rink at Dovercourt (Westboro Kiwanis Park). You can join in a game of pickup or glide around in the crisp winter air.
The rink trailer is available during the following hours for changing your boots/ skates:
Mon-Fri: 2 pm to 9 pm
Sat and Sun: 10 am to 6 pm.
If you would like to volunteer to clear snow or flood at Dovercourt/ Westboro Kiwanis Park, please contact Tim at [email protected].
Please note: At the Westboro rink, the puddle is for free skating. Please keep the sticks and pucks inside the boards.
The McKellar rink is now run by the McKellar Park Hosers, a community organization. If you’d like to volunteer, they can be reached at [email protected]
Their website is: www.mckellarparkhosers.ca
Rink Conditions
Check on the status of all Ottawa rinks at www.ottawarinks.ca:
• Go directly to Westboro rink (at Dovercourt)
• Go directly to McKellar rink
Our Skatepark
Summer 2023:
We are looking into potential options and community partners for future projects but do not currently have any plans to replace the skatepark.
Nov. 2022: The courtyard next to our building has held a double halfpipe skatepark for the last decade. The ramps have been well-used in our lessons, our summer camps, and by the community by riders on skateboards, roller skates and scooters.
Unfortunately the wooden structure has deteriorated to the point that the ramps are no longer safe.
