Brewer Park is really popular all year round. It's located right off of Carleton University,…read morebetween Bronson and Sunnyside, on Brewer Way, right next to the Ottawa River. It's used quite a bit for sports, as it has numerous soccer and football playing fields, baseball diamonds, a basketball net, a hockey arena and speed skating oval in the winter, and is close to Brewer Pool for indoor swimming. It also has bike paths, play structures, a pond, and even a mini waterpark, which makes it particularly fun for kids and families. I always see children playing here with their family, friends, and pets, as well as Carleton students that live so close by. The first time I visited Brewer Park was in the fall for House of Paint, an annual graffiti festival, with live art, DJs and MCs, breakdancing, and BBQ. It takes place at the legal wall under Dunbar Bridge, and the festival is eco-friendly, community-supported, and unique.

I can't believe there aren't more reviews for this excellent park! I came here when I worked in…read morechildcare, and it was a kid's paradise. It might even be my favourite place to bring kids in the city, especially on a hot day. There's an awesome two tiered splash pad here, along with 4 or 5 awesome play structures (which are accessible). There's tons of room for kids to run around, and there's also some other cool features to explore like the community garden, pond, and legal graffiti wall. They have public washrooms and they're fairly clean. This is a fantastic place to bring the little ones, but the House of Paint hiphop festival is also a ton of fun for adults.

Near the casino, this is a perfect 5 km loop. It's typically clean and not overly crowded, which…read moremakes it a great spot for a walk or a run. In the summer you can rent paddle boards and kayaks for 20$ or free with the gatineau access card! Près du casino, c'est une boucle parfaite d'environ 5 km. C'est généralement propre et pas trop achalandé, ce qui en fait un excellent endroit pour marcher ou courir. Durant l'été la location de kayaks et paddlboard est à frais de 20$ ou bien gratuit avec la carte acces gatineau!

Beautiful views, and a decent walk. Really bummed those topiaries that are all over Google aren't…read morethere anymore, but it was a good time-if a gray day.

What a cool little park that I didn't even know existed! Harrold Place Park is a long but narrow…read morepark that is sort of like the median along a boulevard. There's a road on both sides of the park, but it's in a residential area, so the road is not that busy. There are 4 sections to the park. Two long narrow sections and 2 smaller oval sections at the ends. One of the long narrow sections is a fenced-in play area. No dogs are allowed in this area. It has a splash pad, swings and a play structure with slides. It has some benches, picnic tables (some under gazebos, which I like sitting under) and even a table with a built-in checkers/chess board. The other long narrow section is open green space. Dogs are allowed. There's enough space for a badminton net or volleyball net, if people wanted to put up their own and play. The 2 oval sections at the ends of the long narrow sections are also just open green space. Again, dogs are allowed in this area. These sections are smaller. I feel that Harrold Place Park makes really good use of space and it's an excellent community park for those who live in the neighbourhood. Looking for more parks with tables with built-in checkers/chess boards or more parks with splash pads? Check out my parks in Ottawa Collection here on Yelp: https://www.yelp.ca/collection/fhwH7F0hdh8_PpmaXsHSmw?utm_content=Collections&utm_source=ashare

If you have kids, then you know what I mean when I say I am always on the hunt for someplace to…read moretake them - someplace clean, fun, safe and cheap! I heard about this place on Merivale and took my kids there one day. Playtime4kids is an indoor playground wonderland! The indoor part is important in this town because of all the crazy weather. But, it is very cool - slides, tubes, ball rooms, etc. They specialize in birthday parties and provide pizza, cake and a 100% nut-free eating environment (which is so important today and yet I never knew a kid who was allergic to nuts when I was a kid!). Admission is about $8 to $12, depending on the age of your child. But, there are deals. Santa is going to be there on December 5, so don't miss out!!!

Go here if you're looking to contract some really good illnesses and want to be ripped off at the…read moresame time. Not only did they charge me to have Grandma come in to watch my newborn while I took my toddler on the toys and climbing structures, but I don't believe they have properly cleaned the play equipment since they set it up. My toddler got pink eye within 12 hrs of playing here and then the worst cold of our lives has gone through the whole family starting with the toddler. Stay away unless you feel like challenging your immune system.

I visited for the first time today with my kids, and overall it was a great experience. It was…read morequite busy, but there was adequate staff on hand, and everything felt well-managed. My kids had a great time. We visit a lot of play places, and while I've heard some people complain about the price (around $25 per child), I think it's very reasonable since you can stay and play for the entire day. The memberships are also well-priced in my opinion, especially since they are open daily, the visits are unlimited and they're valid for a full year. The staff were friendly, and all of the equipment appeared to be in good working order. The space is small enough to easily supervise your children, but still large enough to keep them entertained. In my opinion, it's best suited for kids up to about age 8. There isn't a food menu, but the snack prices are very reasonable (e.g., $0.50 for juice, $1 for water, $1.75 for chips). Many similar places tend to overcharge for these items. I also called ahead and was told it was fine to bring my own coffee, which I appreciated. The only reason I'm giving 4 stars instead of 5 is the lack of food options. That said, I understand space is limited and that food is available for parties.

my son is having a blast but half the play structures are fixed with duct tape, there's old socks…read moreand food and wrappers in the ball pits, some of the plastic structures have caked on dirt ... I won't be back but at least he had fun! fingers crossed he won't get sick because they clearly don't clean regularly.

I used to love taking my niece here No matter what time of…read moreyear 5 stars would have been reasonably clear But renovations have ruined it now, I fear Where children used to play in the sand Now sawdust and cedar chips cover the land Wanting to modernize, I understand Even the new Jungle Gym was poorly planned It takes up just so much more space And isn't ideal for kids young in age My nephew still small wanted to play But now I can't follow to keep him safe. Used to have a tall, big beautiful slide Replaced with a short one from narrow to wide It looks cool, but not practical if tried With 3 spaces at the end, but still only one at a time? Used to have more open space for kids to run And the water station in the sand pit is questionably dumb We'll hit up another park next time we come They've changed it all up, we just didn't have as much fun. ----------- Installment 26 poetry reviews So, for a nice hike with the dogs (off leash even allowed at points) this park is still an excellent waterview/access place for adults, teens and sports. But the kid's part of this park took a huge turn for the worse. I duno what they were thinking when they redesigned this big #parkFAIL. However, the splash pad area is still a good option for kids on a hot day. I'll give it 2.5 stars, generously rounding to 3, for still being a useful and pretty park in some respects but hafta dock them serious points for ruining the kid's park. Also Stanley Park/New Edinburgh Park ?? Figure out what it's called guys. It can't be both...can it??

This is easily the best off leash park close to downtown. Far away from any traffic, this peninsula…read morestretches into the Rideau River, and provides ample room to chase balls, sticks, and other dogs, who come here in droves. Easily one of the more popular parks in the area, in the summertime it's not uncommon to see 20-30 dogs here at peak times, between 4 and 6pm, later when the summer sun is up late. Lots of regulars, and friendly people/dogs Even though the rules clearly block off the water from dog access, there's a gravel beach where dogs will swim and frolic in the water, seemingly without impunity. It seems to be a tolerated access point, and I've never had anyone have any issues in the 4 years I've used this park. Only issue I have ever had is with sharing the neighbouring bike path with cyclists. Many hardcore riders use this path, and can get upset when they are doing 60kph past the dog area and animals wonder into the lanes. Plenty of on street parking on Stanley Avenue, and also near the children's park at the east end of Stanley. Make sure to leash your dog from this lot and along the access path until you get out in the open.

I am presently in the Cosmic Adventures on Ogilvie. We are regulars here. I was charged admission…read moreagain. I am in a wheel chair. I never set a foot on the play structure. You are charging disable people for a service they will never use. In the last year I gave your business a 1000 dollars in admission fees. Not to include the food. Now my grand kids came back to me saying they can't buy anything with paper money. Simply ridiculous. Don't think I'm coming back!

I love this place. It's been a total lifesaver for those crazy days with my one year old. I usually…read morecome here on days where my kid is driving me crazy, is getting into everything at home, and when I need a break. This place really tires her out. It can cost a pretty penny per visit, so we ended up getting an annual pass which was $99, and included entrance for our child, and two adults. The pass literally pays for itself after the first couple of visits. Birthday parties are also 50% off with an annual pass. Adults DO have to pay to get in, kinda sucks, but kinda understand why. Babies 11 months and under are free. There is a kiddie zone for kids 4 and under. I did notice that some of the older kids sneak into this zone, which sucks, because they normally play rougher than the babies/younger kids. There is also a dance room/area for kids to dance and go crazy, an arcade area near the food court, and smaller rides for the younger kids like a carousel and cars (the kind that you would find at the mall that costs 2 bucks). Parking is a nightmare. It's always full, and people never look where they are driving. Last time I was here, I saw a, most likely VERY tired mom, back up into another car. It is just mayhem here. On really busy days, they usually have an employee directing traffic. Ahemmm...it's like a kiddie Costco! Again, great place for kids to burn off energy, and for babies to get their stimulation.

My parents came to visit me for the weekend for the Tulip festival. We had a picnic at this park…read moreand it was fantastic! Great sunny weather and lots of people. The trees were green and the tulips were out. It's a large area where you have enough space to have privacy. There is lots of shade as well. This was not my first time and won't be my last.

The park is very peaceful and quiet. It is beautiful and has many different flowers. It also has a…read morewonderful view of the Parliament Hill, Ottawa River and the Canal. It's nice to go for a walk/run along the river or go for a picnic and enjoy a laid back and relaxing time. It's a must-see in Ottawa.

There is a big difference between the Sugar Shacks in Ontario, and Les Cabanes à Sucre à Quebec! In…read moreOntario, we are generally quite happy to find many trees tapped for their sap, and a hearty breakfast of pancakes with syrup. We can order bacon and/or sausages on the side, or other things for your typical sweet breakfast such as toast or PB&J. However, in Quebec, they do the "Cabane à sucre" breakfast experience in grand style: your breakfast will include French Canadian Pea soup (sometimes with ham), crispy thick cut bacon, sausages, scrambled eggs, coffee, juice, water, and... did I miss anything??! You'll pay a bit more, but you also get quite a bit more. Afterwards at L'Ange-Guardien, you can take a walk around the grounds, enjoy a "tire-sur-neige" maple lollypop, and if you wish you can toboggan down the hills. This was our second visit to L'Ange-Guardien, and although we were a smaller group this time, we went later in the day... and there was a long lineup, even though we had made a reservation. It's close enough to Ottawa to get there within an hour, but far enough to have that Sunday drive that you so crave. I love this time of year! Deep in the heart of spring, you can tell summer is coming... but for now there is still snow patches on the ground. Une tire sur neige? Yes please!!

Tow rope or walk to the top is less than 5mins, 7(?) slide paths, for all levels of daredevil, warm…read moreup spots outdoors, plus a cafeteria inside where you're own picnic stuff is welcome. And beer. And poutine. And maple taffy and sleigh rides. And helmet rentals. My only complaint is that these details are not easy to find online, before your trip.

If you are a proud dog owner, off-leash dogs are allowed at this neighbourhood park. The playground…read morerecently got a makeover and I believe there will be a splash pad for kids this summer. If the rating was based solely on the dog park side of things, I would drop it a couple of stars. The greenery & upkeep of the open dog play area (south side) are on the poor side. There is fencing on the south and east sides. The dogs and their owners bump it at least one star. It's not a very busy park. Overall the dogs and their owners are a friendly, happy bunch. You get to know everyone relatively quickly. The poopiness of the park is pretty good, but I keep an eye out where I am stepping. People who take their dogs to the park tend to scoop-da-poop. My kids are looking forward to the new splash pad opening. A couple of years ago, Fairlea Park was transformed into a natural playground in addition to the existing ball diamond, play structure and basketball court. The kids play area is in the north side of the park. In the winter months, boards go up for an ultra Canadian experience: outdoor hockey.

I live just on the outskirts of the park here, and have been bringing my dog to this area for the…read morepast year we have had her. One thing I must mention about the previous Review is that the review describes the park, but the pictures seem to be from another park a short walk up the road. One thing I MUST bring to peoples attention about this park, has really nothing to do with the park itself, but the people living in the surrounding area. Since getting our dog, and wondering if we could run her off-leash in the park behind us, we have triple checked with the City of Ottawa website, checked numerous blogs and sites showing where the off-leash areas around us are, and spoken to many other dog owners in the area. That said, NO ONE who lives in the area who does not own a dog, believes it is an off-leash area. There are no notifications pointing one way or another as to whether you need to leash your dog in the area, and it has led to a couple confrontations. Our dog is VERY friendly, and will run up to anyone in hopes of getting some attention. She is also big (45 pounds, but big to people who don't like dogs) and she comes running up at you. She never barks, growls, or the like, just running up with a big dopey grin and gets in your personal space (we've been working on correcting this behaviour, but she forgets as soon as she learns). For other dog owners, this is not a problem, they have come to realize a happy approach versus an intimidating one, and needless to say, if she were to show ANY signs of aggression, we would not let her off-leash in the first place. As soon as she does this though, to people who are terrified of 45 lbs of tongue and fur wanting to be pet, the threats of calling by-law begin, the "put your F'n dog on a leash" begins, the "this is NOT an off-leash area!" begins, and frankly, you can't really point out the facts to these people, cause they don't care. The mere saying hello by something that isn't human, or in some ethnic cases "down right demonic" is enough that they basically come at you with everything short of "your dog will be in the electric chair by weeks end, dagnabit!". Beyond that though? Great park, friendly people, friendly other dogs, and a great community to meet new people (2 and 4 legged) and have a great time...just don't let your dogs move past the area which would be confined by leash if anyone living in the area happens to stroll right through the middle of it. And By-Law or City of Ottawa, PUT UP A SIGN!