The Ottawa Sports Pages spotlights local sports inclusion initiatives in this ongoing series.
Many Ottawa sports groups are taking strides to make their programs more accessible and welcoming to all. Here, we highlight their work, while also illustrating some of the barriers participants can encounter.
The series is a bit of a continuation to the special edition newspapers we previously produced about race/income, LGBTQ+, parasport and women’s inclusion in sport.
Those special editions came out during COVID when the regular sports schedule was disrupted. Many conversations about sport inclusion began then, and many initiatives have since sprouted from that.
“During the pandemic, people had to kind of stop what they were doing, but what they filled their time with was becoming part of a collective to figure out how to get back and be better,” says Marci Morris, who served as executive director for the Ottawa Sport Council at the time. “So I think it really strengthened our sector as a whole.”
The Ottawa Sport Council took the lead on creating an equity, diversity and inclusion toolkit called The Belonging Playbook, for community sport organizations to learn how to practically deliver on those objectives.
That was one of the initiatives featured early in this series – we’ll continue to post links to all of the new Inclusion in Sport Series stories on this webpage as they’re published.
If you know of a local sport inclusion initiative we might like to spotlight, please let us know at editor@ottawasportspages.ca.
Everybody Rows Ottawa program is at ‘the heart’ of the Ottawa Rowing Club
The Ottawa Rowing Club, which is Canada’s oldest continuous rowing club, is a prime example of not only developing athlete potential, but also introducing the sport to all-comers. “My goal is to develop athletes, but more importantly to ensure that rowing is a sport for everyone, regardless of their background or barriers,” ORC executive director Zak Lewis wrote. READ MORE…
Increased funding, holding Games earlier in winter among Paralympians’ wishes
Better funding for Canadian sport at all levels and moving the Paralympics up on the calendar were several top-of-mind topics for Ottawa Paralympians following the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games. Winter certainly seemed to already be on its way out when the Paralympics began on March 6 in Italy, providing challenging conditions not seen at usual peak global events. READ MORE…
Ottawa at the Paralympics – Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games coverage
The nation’s capital was represented by eight athletes at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympic Games from Feb. 6-22. Our coverage of their journeys is posted on our Ottawa at the Paralympics central webpage. Throughout the 2026 Winter Games, we provided Ottawa at the Paralympics coverage via our email newsletter, featuring daily recaps, previews & schedules. READ MORE…
New free Hotspurs For Her sessions have a bit of soccer, a slew of smiles
There’s a new Saturday afternoon hang-out for girls in Nepean. At Hotspurs For Her, you’ll certainly see some soccer balls, but it’s not meant to be an intense training session. It’s a welcoming community where girls and women can play, laugh, learn and grow together. “It’s not super structured soccer. There’s music playing and we’re doing all kinds of different games.” READ MORE…
Coach tells Community House Soccer players to ‘stay positive, regardless of circumstances.’
Martin Guimaraes Neto wouldn’t be the first player to draw your attention at the start of soccer practice. He arrives calmly, almost discreetly. But he comes ready to work and hones in on the task at hand. In his three seasons, Martin has become one of the top players in the Ottawa Community House Soccer program, but it’s just as much his demeanour and kindness that’s earned him respect. READ MORE…
Ravens basketball grad savours Masters Indigenous Games gold on his old home court
It’s sometimes quieter in summer, but there’s still been some stirring action on the Ravens Nest hardwood in recent months, including a meaningful return for former Carleton basketball player Noah Horobetz-Simpson. The summer after finishing up his senior varsity season with the Ravens, Horobetz-Simpson was back at his old stomping grounds for the Masters Indigenous Games. READ MORE…
Coach Micaëlla Riché enjoys full-circle experience at Sports Day The Girls’ Way
A decade ago, Micaëlla Riché never would have imagined she’d find herself speaking on a stage at TD Place. Back then, she saw herself coaching NCAA basketball for the rest of her life, having earned a full-time coaching job at age 24. But when the U.S. denied her work visa, Riché’s life took a U-turn that led her on an even more meaningful path. She now works for Lay-Up Youth Basketball. READ MORE…
Special Olympics unified partner Elliott Hartell views life through many lenses
If you could categorize the last six years of Elliott Hartell’s fulfilling teenage life into four parts, it would go something like this – education, basketball, volunteerism and music, and not necessarily in that order. And Glebe Collegiate Institute played a major role in allowing him to excel as a student, an athlete and an individual dedicated to coaching peers with special needs. READ MORE…
Trips for Kids Ottawa taps into nature’s healing powers with outdoor recreation for youth
The Greenbelt around Bells Corners has long been a treasured outdoor space for local hikers, bikers, snowshoers and devoted birdwatchers. But there is a group of young new Canadians gaining a whole other appreciation for the capital’s nature escape. Many participants in Trips for Kids Ottawa’s outdoor recreation programs have arrived from war-torn or impoverished African countries. READ MORE…
Prezdential learned from early tragedy, built program to teach life skills on top of basketball
The road to success is often paved by failures. Manock Lual rapidly experienced that reality when he started Prezdential Basketball, which began purely as a basketball training venture but quickly had to morph into a leadership program. Prezdential now helps youth facing many of the challenges Lual encountered. One of eight siblings, Lual was raised in Overbrook after his family escaped war in Sudan. READ MORE…
Renewed basketball court & new lighting brings new life to St. Luke’s Park
With the sun setting earlier in the fall, downtown players are enjoying the newfound chance to ball past dark at the freshly-refurbished St. Luke’s Park outdoor basketball court. The installation of lighting at the historic site – recognized as Ottawa’s version of New York City’s Rucker Park – represented more than just an upgraded sports venue, it was a major equity win for marginalized communities. READ MORE…
Accessible Busy Minds Education camp keeps young bodies active, inspired
If you were to hear there’s a summer camp called Busy Minds Education and that it’s based at Immaculata High School, then you might guess it’s a code name for summer school. But add in a star yogi, a top youth soccer coach and a few Ottawa Titans baseball players, and what you also get is some very busy bodies. Busy Minds provides a first-ever summer camp experience for many participants. READ MORE…
Despite funding challenges, BGC summer league provides a space for everyone to hoop
On the heels of the BGC Thunderbolts’ historic championship campaign, BGC Ottawa celebrated another successful finish to its Sports and Leadership League season with its basketball playoff finals at Carleton University. Throughout the summer, weekly SLL games were held at BGC’s Ron Kolbus Clubhouse in the west end. Free to all, the SLL is a year-round program that includes many sports.READ MORE…
Ottawa River Special Olympics paddler Kevin Tobin heads to canoe marathon worlds
Kevin Tobin was just a kid who enjoyed paddling at summer camp. But what started out as a fun summertime activity quickly turned into a full-time passion. Now, three years after starting his career, the Special Olympics athlete is set to compete at the 2025 ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships, which run from Sept. 4-7 in Hungary. At age 14, Tobin joined the Ottawa River Canoe Club. READ MORE…
First national PaddleAll burgee win a milestone moment for Ottawa River Canoe Club
The Ottawa River Canoe Club has been around since 2001 and a regular participant at the annual Canadian canoe sprint championships across the country. But never in its 25-year history has it had a milestone moment like it experienced at the recent nationals, which ended Sunday at the Wascana Canoe Club in Regina. For the first time, Ottawa River placed first in one of the 11 point standings. READ MORE…
Atlético Ottawa brings high-level training to low-income community’s summer camp
Two dozen kids may have taken their first step this week from Caldwell to the CPL. There were multiple layers to Atlético Ottawa’s involvement with a City of Ottawa summer camp at Carlington Recreation Centre, but a dream scenario would see one of the young players sporting Atlético Ottawa’s colours one day. Former player Gabriel Carvalho was the lead coach for the training sessions. READ MORE…
BGC Thunderbolts brotherhood at core of historic back-to-back North Pole Hoops titles
The BGC Thunderbolts celebrated a groundbreaking basketball championship in Burlington, but this was a title won thanks to many late nights in the lounge at the Ron Kolbus Clubhouse. Of course this victory doesn’t happen without many hours of dedication in the gym. But what set the Thunderbolts apart from others was the brotherhood formed between the players. READ MORE…
Thunderbolt to Thunderwolf: BGC was ‘a seed that sprouted everything’ for Lucky Lubangi
Born and raised in Ottawa, Lucky Lubangi has always been part of a loving and supportive family, whether at home, living in the Woodroffe neighbourhood, or playing basketball at BGC Ottawa’s Ron Kolbus Clubhouse. The name Lucky came from his parents, who were eager to have a son alongside the five daughters in a row they had. Lucky was the last of the three sons to be born. READ MORE…
Special Olympics Ontario’s Unified divisions spur integration, friendships
Aidan Higo started his senior year at Samuel-Genest high school with an appearance at the OFSAA high school provincial championships and finished it with some unique memories from the Special Olympics Ontario School Championships. Higo was one of over 1,100 student-athletes from across the province who came together for competitions in athletics, basketball, bocce, floorball and soccer in early June. READ MORE…
Stick Together program renews coach’s connection to family’s fading Indigenous roots
Growing up in Barrhaven, Brendan Goddard didn’t have a particularly strong attachment to his family’s Indigenous roots. And when he joined the Nepean Nighthawks at age 9, he certainly never imagined that his field hockey club would one day help him regain that link in a powerful way. “My great grandmother was in a residential school, taken away from her family, off the reserve,” recounts Goddard. READ MORE…
Soccer provided a ‘bridge to a new life’ for 4 Ukrainian refugee families with U12 OSU players
The parking garage had become a regular living area for the Pankov family. When sirens sounded, Mykola and Iryna would quickly descend to the basement of their building from the 15th floor to take cover with their three children. They’d spend the next several hours gripped with fear, not knowing whether they might be hit by the latest round of Russian missile attacks. “I didn’t want my children to live in such a place,” recalls Iryna Pankova. READ MORE…
OSEG Foundation’s new Autism Moves program revives sports opportunities for kids with ASD
On Sunday mornings inside the RA Centre gymnasium, the bouncing basketballs and the swish of the nets are the sounds of relief for families with young, active children who have Autism Spectrum Disorder. At this time last year, the local autism community was devastated by the news that Ausome Ottawa was forced to fold due to funding cuts, and a slew of sports and recreation activities for youth with ASD went with it. READ MORE…
Boxing Without Barriers’ athletes live the thrill of fight night at 3rd Spring Showcase
There’s nothing that boxing promoters love more than a sold-out crowd on a Saturday night, but Chantal Deketele had the unique distinction of packing over 100 fans into the Beaver Boxing Club’s basement home without the prospect of knockouts or blood spilled. “It doesn’t have to mean getting beaten up or punching people in the face all the time,” explains the founder of Boxing Without Barriers. READ MORE…
New soccer program for players with autism will kick off with ‘incredible’ enthusiasm
Courtney Auer-Weatherell wasn’t the player of the match every time she stepped on the pitch – and in recent years she’s often been a supporter from the sidelines due to injury – but she is still a champion of the very best kind. An Ottawa South United Force player since age 3, Auer-Weatherell is now back with her childhood club to lead a new program for children with autism, which has been met with great enthusiasm. READ MORE…
Lacrosse coach Mary James set to enter North American Indigenous Sports Hall of Fame
For Ottawa’s Mary James, there’s no better compass than the sport of lacrosse. “I just go where the game calls me,” she says. So far, that hasn’t led her astray. In a short six-year coaching career, the Peterborough-born coach has already had a massive impact on the Ottawa lacrosse community and now, she’s earning recognition for her efforts as a member of the Haudenosaunee Nationals. READ MORE…
Biggest season of Girls on the Run Ottawa reaches finish line with celebratory 5K
At first glance, you wouldn’t think there’d be many barriers to participating in a sport like running. It’s about the most basic of physical activities, you can do it almost anywhere, and it doesn’t require a pile of specialized equipment to get into it. “There are some barriers with equipment,” counters Kim McLean, who recently helped organize the season-ending Girls on the Run Ottawa 5K event. READ MORE…
‘Don’t be afraid to go after it’ implores Diana Matheson at Sports Day the Girls’ Way
Sports Day the Girls’ Way delivered a karate-chop of courage to over 800 young girls on Monday at TD Place. Organized by the OSEG Foundation alongside the City of Ottawa and Fast & Female to promote girls’ continued participation in sport, the third-annual edition of the event was its biggest yet. “It was amazing,” reflected Kim McLean, the OSEG Foundation’s manager of community impact. READ MORE…
2024 Ottawa Community House Soccer Festival draws 60+ players & many more smiles
Over 60 players from four Ottawa Community Housing neighbourhoods came together for the second-annual Community House Soccer Festival on Sept. 21 at Hillcrest High School. The young participants wore wide smiles along with T-shirts from lead coach Raz El-Asmar’s Ottawa TFC Soccer Club, pizza from the OCH Foundation, and took home soccer balls from the host Ottawa Internationals. READ MORE…
Special Olympian rowers make history at the 50th Head of the Rideau
The Ottawa Rowing Club’s 50th Head of the Rideau regatta was a rrrrrr-oaring success on Sunday, Sept. 29 as 283 athletes from 28 clubs raced the clock under perfect weather conditions and cheering spectators. And if you were a young athlete with an intellectual disability, it was an historic day to be in a boat and celebrate a special moment of unprecedented inclusion. READ MORE…
Hop on Bikes program delivers ‘a bike a day’ to riders from Ottawa Community Housing
If an apple a day keeps the doctor away, then the Ottawa Community Housing Foundation’s “a bike a day” saying goes one better by not only keeping young cyclists healthy and happy, but also delivering a dose of freedom and hope. The leaders of the popular and growing Hop On Bikes program set a goal to deliver 365 refurbished bicycles to OCH communities across the city this year. READ MORE…
Ottawa River Canoe Club’s inclusive mentality made Paralympic podium possible
Brianna Hennessy’s exceptional journey to the Paralympic canoe podium may not have occurred if the ORCC hadn’t already been an accessible place, ready to welcome a para athlete who wanted to try paddling during COVID. The riverbanks are fairly steep and rocky, and the water can get rough, but the club installed a ramp, and the stable va’a canoe can get users on water safely. READ MORE…
New summer camp blends Indigenous cultural lessons with sport
It was a week full of sports, cultural learning and good fun both inside and outside of the Louis-Riel Dome as TMSI Sports Management, the CEPEO French public school board and the Wabano Centre hosted their first-ever Indigenous multi-sport and cultural camp, which was free for students from the CEPEO school board and the Wabano Centre. “It’s extremely important,” says TMSI’s Abby McCorriston. READ MORE…
‘It’s more than a sport’: BGC Thunderbolts making big noise through basketball
Lightning is striking both on and off the court for the BGC Thunderbolts. The Thunderbolts’ charge first formed out of a desperation for recreation during COVID, when a group of young players began playing and training together at the Ron Kolbus Clubhouse. The force grew under the coaching and mentorship of Kian Nejad over the past couple years, and the energy exploded in 2024. READ MORE…
Belonging Playbook helps sport groups create ‘an inclusive and accessible place for everyone’
The Ottawa Sport Council has officially released The Belonging Playbook, perhaps the most anticipated project in its 10+ years of operation. The free resource hub at OttawaBelongingPlaybook.ca offers guidance on how community sports organizations can promote diversity, foster inclusion and remove participation barriers to make their programs more welcoming for all. READ MORE…
Could winter sports follow the football model and provide athletes’ equipment?
The fall sports season is reaching its climax and it won’t be long until winter sports take over. But before the skates and skis hit the ice and snow comes the National Capital Amateur Football Association’s championship weekend – and with it, the opportunity for winter sports to take a look at a sport where diversity and inclusion have long been embedded. Football players don’t need to buy their own equipment. READ MORE…
3 OCH neighbourhoods unite for end-of-season Community House Soccer Festival
After weekly sessions throughout the summer in their own communities, players from the Blair Court, Russell Heights and Confederation Court Ottawa Community Housing neighbourhoods came together for a season-ending festival on Saturday, Sept. 23 at Franco-Cité high school. The sessions were led by Raz El-Asmar, an Ottawa TFC Academy coach and past Ottawa Sports Awards Mayor’s Cup winner. READ MORE…
OSEG Foundation ‘lights the candle’ with Sports Day The Girls’ Way event
Brianna Hennessy still remembers the way her mother looked after playing rugby when she was younger. She would be covered in grass and scrapes with a big smile on her face. And Hennessy thought that was beautiful. After her mother Norma’s death, Hennessy decided to channel her mom’s vivacious and inspiring energy, said the Paralympic paddler at the Sports Day The Girls’ Way event at TD Place. READ MORE…
‘I Can Play Anything!’ program constantly adapting to provide equal sport opportunities to all
The RA Centre’s I Can Play Anything! program started out as a PhD student’s research project, and now the ever-morphing initiative is showing that its sport instruction philosophies can be applied in any setting too. In collaboration with the CHEO, uOttawa human kinetics student Angelica Blais first created the program in an effort to study physical literacy development in children with medical conditions. READ MORE…
‘Movement is Medicine’ for Masters Indigenous Games athletes
Set on soaking up every moment of the Ottawa 2023 Masters Indigenous Games, Michelle Kennedy covered a lot of ground over the course of the two-day athletics competition a month ago at the Terry Fox Athletic Facility. “There really aren’t that many events, like on this scale, that are for adults and older people,” highlighted Kennedy, noting the Games provide an incentive for participants to stay fit. READ MORE…
Gay Ottawa Volleyball to use Ottawa Sport Council grant to expand into youth programming
David Muddiman started playing volleyball at the age of 12, but there were moments when he felt he didn’t fully belong. That’s why Muddiman is helping create an environment where he and others can feel safe. Gay Ottawa Volleyball aims to build community for 2SLGBTQ+ members and allies through physical activity. Programs are currently geared towards adults, but they’ll soon begin serving youth as well. READ MORE…
From 2008 to 2023: MP Naqvi’s Ottawa Centre Cup’s objectives remain unchanged
Following noise complaints from neighbours, the basketball net at St. Luke’s Park in Centretown was shortened, rendering it unusable by the neighbourhood’s youth. The roots of the Ottawa Centre Cup stemmed from this division in the community, but 15 years later, the event continues to have the opposite effect, bringing participants together to celebrate the sport and their community. READ MORE…
Phresh Basketball Tournament celebrates 10 years of building community connections
The Phresh Basketball 3-on-3 Tournament celebrated its 10th edition at the Fisher Park outdoor courts on July 15. The event focuses on using basketball as a catalyst for conversation. The lead organizers are Chris Hebert of the Phresh Men’s Salon in Britannia and Renford Thomas, alongside the Ontario Public Service Employees Union’s Coalition of Racialized Workers. READ MORE…
Prezdential Basketball born out of pain, but Manock Lual turned hardships into helping youth
When Manock Lual first arrived in Canada in early grade school, he was exploding with anger. “I used to fight every single day,” recalls Lual, now 34. “I had to deal with a lot of different things – not knowing the language, not understanding communication.” Though landing in Overbrook was a great step for Lual’s family after living through war in Sudan, many challenges remained. READ MORE…
Rowing ‘brings people together’: ONEC senior pride program leader
John Moore has a vision for rowing. As a member of the Ottawa New Edinburgh rowing club, Moore saw rowing as a way to help people feel at home. That’s why he helped start a new learn-to-row program alongside the Ottawa Senior Pride Network.“Rowing has the power to bring people together,” Moore told Rowing Canada. “Our aim was to introduce the 2SLGBTQQIA+ senior community to the joy and adventure of rowing.” READ MORE…
Value of collaboration a key take-home from first Ottawa Basketball Summit
The Ottawa Basketball Network tipped off when over 70 local basketball organizations and leaders gathered last month in hopes of developing increased collaboration, facilities and equity for their sport. The Ottawa Basketball Summit brought together representatives from local clubs, all four Ottawa school boards, the City of Ottawa, Ottawa Tourism, universities and many more on June 10. READ MORE…
Live clinics added as Ottawa Inclusive and Para Sport Expo grows in year 2
Nelson Smith discovered sledge hockey by accident. Smith stumbled into the sport when watching his granddaughter play hockey at the Jim Durrell Recreation Centre. He signed up and played until he was 70. Now 76, Smith manages public relations and marketing for Sledge Hockey of Eastern Ontario. He wants to make it easier to find and play the sport and hopes the June 3 Ottawa Inclusive and Para Sport Expo will help. READ MORE…
Samuel-Genest HS holds 15th Olympiad for students with intellectual disabilities
Samuel-Genest high school hosted a record 250 participants for the 15th edition of its Olympiad for students with intellectual disabilities on May 19, along with 160 assistants and nearly 100 student volunteers. The event was organized by students in Samuel-Genest’s entrepreneurship class, with more help a social change and challenges course, while phys ed students ran sports stations. READ MORE…
Ottawa Basketball Network aims to grow sport one more court at a time
The Ottawa soccer and hockey communities had their moments in the sun over the past two decades, receiving increased fields and ice pads respectively to accommodate growth in their sports. But basketball, which has been seeking its slam-dunk celebration for more than a quarter of a century, is still waiting its turn. The basketball community has been making noise since the early 1990s. READ MORE…
Indigenous Hockey Equipment Drive touches down in Ottawa on May 27
Graham McWaters is a busy man. He’s constantly planning his next moving truck rental, driving to hockey equipment donation events, packing up all the gear, taking the fresh truckload back to storage, then repeating it all again, sometimes the very next day. Not to mention coordinating how to get the equipment off to its intended recipients in often-remote Indigenous communities. READ MORE…
Nighthawks’ Stick Together program offers free field hockey to Indigenous youth
Nepean Nighthawks Field Hockey Club founder Sandeep Chopra has been coaching for 40 years and has seen several of his players compete at the top international level, but he nonetheless picks the club’s Stick Together program as perhaps his favourite career highlight. “This is one of the most rewarding things I’ve done,” Chopra says of the program for local Indigenous youth. READ MORE…
Hockey rallies to make positive impact off the ice with pair of local events
In the past few years especially, news stories on hockey certainly haven’t all showcased the best side of the sport in Canada. But in the past two weeks, Ottawa has hosted a pair of events that showed hockey can have a very positive influence away from the rink. Through a day-long tournament, Hockey Helps The Homeless granted over $50,000 to Shepherds of Good Hope. READ MORE…
‘Still a lot of learning to do’ on community sport inclusion, says Ottawa Sport Council director
Marci Morris still has to have those conversations. As Ottawa Sport Council executive director, she still finds herself having to explain the importance of inclusive environments in sport. While she has witnessed lots of growth in the 10 years since the Council was founded, Morris believes “we still have a lot of learning to do” about equity, diversity and inclusion in sport. READ MORE…
Kanata Nordic’s We All Belong initiative introduces winter sport to new communities
When Marlene Alt first started cross-country skiing as a student at Western University, she wasn’t athletic at all. Her roommate had to talk her into trying the sport for the first time. But when she got into skiing, it gave her confidence. That confidence is one of the driving factors behind Alt spearheading the We All Belong program at the Kanata Nordic Ski Club. READ MORE…
Boxing Without Barriers’ first show gives spotlight to athletes often sidelined in combat sport
Boxing is not included in the Special Olympics. It’s not a sport at the Paralympics. But at a basement gym tucked in a corner of Ottawa’s Little Italy, boxing is for everyone. Boxing Without Barriers, founded by Chantal Deketele, offers non-contact boxing for people with disabilities. Deketele started it when she saw the lack of accessible opportunities in the sport. READ MORE…
The Harbour Harvest is a welcoming Ice Fishing Derby both raising money to support immigrant serving agencies and including hundreds of them in the event by providing all equipment and hole dilling – as well as dozens of volunteers showing them how it’s done. Ice fishing is a sport, really it is lol. Dropinsports have been doing all sorts of sports targeting the integration of newcomers for many years, and introding them to the sports available in Ottawa. Since Covid19, they scaled back to only Ice fishing but the future may be bring new ideas. Thanks to all these organizations for being inclusive, and to OSP for supporting them! ❤️