Volunteer for Cookie Ski Scavenger Hunt – February 28

We need people to staff the cookie station at Champlain Park where participants can get their cookie and a stamp on their cookie card, from 10:45 to 15:00. The person Fresh Air Experience had was no longer available. If anyone wants to pitch in, it would be appreciated and they may get a free cookie. 😁

Interested folks can contact Patrick at freshair.patrick@gmail.com or 613-619-2592.

K-Trail Community Cookie Ski

Hosted by Common Empire and Fresh Air Experience, this FREE, fun, accessible group ski happens February 28th at 11:00 AM on the Kìchì Sìbì Trail. This is a scavenger-hunt–style ski, with cookie stations set up along the route between Westboro Beach and Mill Street Brewery.

Cookie stations will be spread along the Kichi Sibi Trail, so you can start anywhere – no set route or official start point. Cookies will be out at stations starting at 11:00 AM (see Strava map).

Skiing is encouraged, but any active transportation is welcome. The goal is simple: have fun, get active, and eat cookies.

[A cookie with rainbow sprinkles on skis, on the winter trail near the Parliament buildings, made by ChatGPT AI]

More information about how the scavenger hunt works is at https://www.commonempire.com/k-trail-community-cookie-ski. Cookies are limited, so please RSVP on Strava to help us plan.

Pollinator Appreciation Day – June 20

Join the celebration

Pollinator Appreciation Day

Saturday, June 20th, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
at the Fletcher Wildlife Garden. Ottawa
Hosted by Wild Pollinator Partners
Free tickets at EventBrite.ca

Wild Pollinator Partners is all about appreciating pollinators. We love how they make sure we have fruit and vegetables to eat and beautiful flowers in our gardens.

This year’s theme is “Start with a Native Tree” which features how important planting native trees are to our environment and how planting a single key native tree can be a game-changer for increasing pollinator biodiversity.

A variety of experts representing organizations or themselves will be on hand to share information and answer questions including:

[Background is a big tree, a distant forest and blue sky with clouds, foregound is someone watering a newly planted small tree]

  • Wild Pollinator Partners
  • Master Gardeners of Ottawa
  • Ontario Invasive Plant Council
  • Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library
  • Ecology Ottawa
  • City of Ottawa
  • Friends of the Earth
  • Monarch Teacher Network
  • Ottawa Stewardship Council
  • National Capital Commission
  • CAFES Ottawa

  • Come and enter our contest to win a free tree to provide habitat and food for pollinators.
  • Come see an interactive display that maps tree planting, pollinator gardening and greening initiatives in the city by ward and neighbourhoods.
  • Find out how to start a pollinator plant project at your local school or park. Recognize invasive species to keep these problem plants out of your yard.
  • The Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library will be there giving away native plant seeds and providing information on how to grow them.
  • Find out how Ottawa is promoting Right-of-Way (ROW) gardening, learn about the “Plant a Tree” program and what is going on with the Community Gardening and Greening Initiative program.
  • Bird Friendly Ottawa members will take you on a tour of the FWG to show you how birds contribute to the distribution of some of our native plants and trees. They’ll also explain how to keep your yard safe for birds.

Enjoy these activities and more. Find out why everyone wants to help pollinators and grow trees.

Full URL for EventBrite tickets: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/ottawa-pollinator-appreciation-day-tickets-1976357525561

Bright Ideas Postponed – Spring

We’ve postponed the Bright Ideas meeting (where we ask for ideas from our neighbours to help spend money to improve the neighbourhood) from February 24th to later in the spring, since we need more time to get things ready and coordinate speakers from various places.

From the January newsletter…

Ever wonder how community events, projects or park improvements get pitched, approved and funded? Join us for a special evening at the Fieldhouse some time in the spring to discover how you can turn your ideas into reality and help make a positive impact on Champlain Park.

This is the first time the community association is hosting a meeting like this, and we’re keen to talk about how to bring ideas to life. The evening will be divided into two sessions, with a refreshments break in between:

Part 1: The Ins and Outs of Project Funding

We’ll explain how community projects and park improvements receive funding and support. We’ll hear from our municipal park planners on how the city handles park improvements and from our volunteer Fieldhouse coordinator.

Part 2: How to Pitch Your Project

We’ll walk through the steps of submitting a proposal and provide guidelines on types of initiatives that fit association objectives. We’ll share examples of successful community projects and give practical tips on how best to present ideas. We’ll finish with a brainstorming session.

This is also a great opportunity to meet other passionate individuals who might want to join forces on a project or event. You never know — you could find the perfect team in one swoop.

Come to learn, be inspired, ask questions, and connect with others about how to launch ideas to make our community even better!

For more info, contact board member Joanne Chianello at chianello.joanne@gmail.com.

Community Association Board Meeting Agenda – February 17

Champlain Park Community Association (CPCA) Board Meeting

Tuesday, February 17, 2026
7:00 PM via Google Meet
Everybody Welcome

Agenda items are limited to 5 minutes unless otherwise requested.

This is a meeting of the CPCA Board of Directors. Champlain Park Community members are welcome to attend, if you would like to propose items for discussion, to ask questions, to organize an event or activity, or to learn more about the issues affecting our community.

Activities and Issues must fall within our community plan/areas of operation in order to be addressed by the CPCA. You can write to the webmaster champlainpark@gmail.com to request a link to join the meeting and/or to connect you with the appropriate Board member for information and guidance including how to submit a Community Project Proposal.

  1. Approval of Minutes of previous meeting.
  2. Interim Motions/Decisions.
  3. Community Members’ Agenda Items.
  4. Soliciting for charities in Kittchissipi ward on our website – Laurie
  5. Political Candidate Interactions: How does the board handle requests for “sit down” meetings with our board from candidates in elections (municipal, provincial or federal) – Laurie
  6. Social Update – Nick
  7. Planning for Feb. 24 Meeting: Understanding how park and community projects can be approved and funded.
    1. Meeting Description approved for CPP and Agenda – Joanne
    2. Draft Content for CPP presentation – Lynne
    3. Motion to Approve Refreshments Up to $200 – Anita
  8. Update on Bob Grainger book on Champlain Park and Fieldhouse photo project – Richard
  9. GIC renewal – Lynne
  10. Engaging Community re: Spending Surplus Monies.
  11. Other business.
  12. Next Meeting.

Agenda last updated on February 17 11:07. Please contact the secretary to add topics.

Garden Club – now April 14

Due to the weather forecast of 15 cms of snow, the Champlain Park garden club is postponing the slideshow/ talk on Canadian mosses scheduled for Tuesday February 10 to Tuesday April 14. Sorry for any inconvenience but that’s winter in Ottawa.

The Champlain Park Garden Club invites you to a slideshow and talk on Canadian mosses and their plant relatives on Tuesday April 14 at 7 pm in the field house.

These incredible plants provide food and habitat to many animal and plant species.

Jennifer Doubt, curator of Botany at the Canadian Museum of Nature is the guest speaker. Doubt oversees the collection, preservation and documentation of over a million specimens of Canadian wild plants.

Drop-in fee for non-members is $5.00.

[A rock with some green moss on it, you can barely see a cellular structure to the moss. There also seems to be some gray lichen on the rock too].

Ping Pong, Board Games – Thursdays

Just a reminder that there are Thursday night games at the field house. Table tennis on the first (that’s tomorrow!) and third Thursday of the month, Board and other kinds of games on the second Thursday. 7pm to 9pm.

  • Kids should be accompanied by adults
  • We now have 3 ping pong tables, and plenty of regular tables too for board games.
  • Bring your paddle & balls but we do have extra paddles and balls. Same for games, if there’s one you particularly want to play then bring it!
  • There is no cost but you do have to be a member of the Champlain Park community association.
[20250206 First Meeting of the Ping Pong Club at Champlain Park]
First meeting of the Ping Pong Club at the Champlain Park Fieldhouse, February 6, 2025.
Playing Ticket to Ride at Games Night at the Champlain Park field house, January 8 2026.

Winter Carnival – January 24

Winter Carnival 2026 on Saturday, January 24, at Champlain Park and Fieldhouse, noon to 3pm

It’s back…with hot chili, cool music, a bon fire, the Kichi Sibi Winter Trail team, and fun sleigh rides! Everyone is welcome to attend the Carnival, whatever the weather. Among the activities:

  • 12-3: bonfire and food in the fieldhouse.
  • 1-3: horse drawn sleigh rides and outdoor games in the park (children must be supervised by adults).
  • 1:30-3 pm: music in the Field house with locally based Jazz, David Constant and friends.

Admission, sleigh rides, hot chocolate and coffee are FREE.

Food and Beverages: There will be a Chili cookoff, baked goodies, juice, hotdogs and more for sale in the Fieldhouse kitchen. Please bring a little cash. Debit/credit machines are NOT available.

The Kichi Sibi Winter Trail team will be out for the fun including a display with snowmobiles and grooming equipment. More info about the trail can be found at www.wintertrail.ca

Volunteers make it happen! We need help with setup and cleanup, lunch counter, ticket sales, and donations of baked goods. Call out for chefs to bring their best chili dish of course! Please contact Erin and Kelly for more info at erintopping@hotmail.com.

Rink will be operating as per normal. The outdoor obstacle course popular with children and youth will be running again this year as well for the duration of the carnival. As an indoor event, organizers urge everyone to follow public health guidelines.

[Sleigh Ride at 2023 Winter Carnival]
Sleigh with Winter Carnival 2023 visitors on the former Pontiac Street Christmas Tree crossing. Photo by AGMS.

The Future of Churchill Alternative School

Churchill Alternative School is undergoing big changes in September and the parents are asking residents in Champlain Park for their support.

[Churchill Alternative School, from Apple Maps street view]

The Ottawa Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) is phasing out the Alternative program and will not be accepting any JK students this fall at Churchill. The board also states that dual track programs like French Immersion and English With Core French will not be offered.
The school council asked the board to reconsider and offer French Immersion.

Parents are also concerned that given all the changes, Churchill school could close in the future.

There are of course broader concerns about the impact all this could have on neighbouring schools in this area – especially those that are at capacity.

Enclosed are letters from both the OCDSB and the Churchill school council explaining each’s position.
Alternative Letter to Parents December 2025.pdf
Churchill Request for Support Letter 202601.pdf

Here is the link to sign the school council’s petition: https://savechurchill.com/

If you want to offer help to the council, contact Amanda at: churchillschoolnews@gmail.com