Sorry, but due to bad weather, the sleigh ride has been cancelled.

The Sleigh Ride takes off December 22, with horses, sing-along!

Thursday, December 22^nd, 2022 at 6:00PM

The annual horse-drawn sleigh ride is back and arrives just before Christmas, a lovely start to the school holidays. Special thanks to Jim Cocks, volunteer organizer, and to the Wellington West BIA for sponsoring the ride. The sleigh ride will wind through the neighbourhood and there will, of course, be a sing-along of holiday carols. Feel free to bring bells or other instruments. There is a rumour Santa may stop by. Best be there to find out!

The sleigh will be available for several rides and will start at the front of the fieldhouse at 140 Cowley at 6pm. To ensure everyone can ride the sleigh and manage overcrowding and safety issues, the first sleigh ride will prioritize young children, their caregivers, seniors and anyone needing assistance. Then there will be the main sleigh ride through the neighbourhood and of course all interested are encouraged to walk behind the sleigh and sing holiday carols. The sleigh will continue to be available for several more rides to accommodate all. Poor weather sometimes cancels the sleigh, so best to check the website for last-minute updates.

Hot chocolate will be served inside and outside at the Fieldhouse. Feel free to bring Christmas cookies or snacks. If you’re able to volunteer to help with the sleigh ride or Fieldhouse set up, clean up, hot chocolate, please contact Jim Cocks at jim.co@sympatico.ca.

To accommodate COVID considerations, please note these proposed precautions:

• Ottawa public health guidelines will be followed. Ottawa public health recommends wearing a mask in crowded and indoor spaces. To note the ride is outdoors with an open sleigh and the Fieldhouse will be open for refreshments.
• Several tours of the neighbourhood are planned to avoid overcrowding and there is a limit to the sleigh capacity: first tour would prioritize young children, their caregivers, seniors and anyone needing assistance, second tour open to all, third and/or a subsequent tour could be for only masked participants if there is a demand (to ensure choice for those being more cautious).

Happy holidays.

Sorry, but due to bad weather, the sleigh ride has been cancelled.

The Sleigh Ride takes off December 22, with horses, sing-along!

Thursday, December 22^nd, 2022 at 6:00PM

The annual horse-drawn sleigh ride is back and arrives just before Christmas, a lovely start to the school holidays. Special thanks to Jim Cocks, volunteer organizer, and to the Wellington West BIA for sponsoring the ride. The sleigh ride will wind through the neighbourhood and there will, of course, be a sing-along of holiday carols. Feel free to bring bells or other instruments. There is a rumour Santa may stop by. Best be there to find out!

The sleigh will be available for several rides and will start at the front of the fieldhouse at 140 Cowley at 6pm. To ensure everyone can ride the sleigh and manage overcrowding and safety issues, the first sleigh ride will prioritize young children, their caregivers, and seniors. Then there will be several more rides to accommodate all. Feel free to walk behind the sleigh. Details on the route and exact times will be posted on the website closer to the date. Poor weather sometimes cancels the sleigh, so best to check the website for last-minute updates.

Hot chocolate will be served at the Fieldhouse. Feel free to bring Christmas cookies or snacks. If you’re able to volunteer to help with the sleigh ride or Fieldhouse set up, clean up, hot chocolate, please contact Jim Cocks at jim.co@sympatico.ca.

To accommodate COVID considerations, please note these proposed precautions:

• Ottawa public health guidelines will be followed. Ottawa public health recommends wearing a mask in crowded and indoor spaces. To note the ride is outdoors with an open sleigh and the Fieldhouse will be open for refreshments.
• Several tours of the neighbourhood are planned to avoid overcrowding: first tour would prioritize small children, second tour open to all, third and/or a subsequent tour could be for only masked participants if there is a demand (to ensure choice for those being more cautious).

Happy holidays.

Thank You to Community Volunteers for the Champlain Park Sleigh Ride 2019!

What a wonderful way to warm our hearts on a cold evening with carol singing, jingling of bells, and a visit with Santa!

A special thank you to Jim Cocks, the enthusiastic organizer of the event. The King family, with Cowley Avenue resident Bill Baggs playing a lead role, prepared the special stop to visit Santa and distribution of candy canes to children by Santa’s helpers.

The Champlain Park Community Association funded the event. Thanks to volunteers who made hot chocolate and donated baked goods that were enjoyed by everyone at the field house. Thanks to Bridgehead for the beverage supplies.

Families who came out of hibernation to participate were happy to start the holiday season connecting with neighbours and sharing Christmas cheer!

See the attached photos contributed by Joyce Mortimer (first one) and John Arnason (the others).

Continue reading “Christmas Sleigh Ride – Thanks” →

Start Your Holiday Celebration with a Community Sleigh Ride and Carol Singing!

Thursday, December 19^th, 2019 at 6:00PM

What a great way to start the holidays!

WE’RE GOING TO TRY SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT THIS YEAR !! In addition to the main sleigh ride which will depart from the Fieldhouse at 6:30pm, we have added an earlier, shorter “toddlers-ride” starting at 6pm.
Continue reading “Community Sleigh Ride – December 19” →

Many Thanks to Volunteer Neighbours for Community Sleigh Ride 2018!

What a wonderful way to start the Holidays with Carol Singing and Jingling of Bells through Champlain Park!

A special thank you to Jim Cocks who was the energetic organizer of the event. Dennis Van Staalduinen, West Wellington Business Improvement Association, led the singing of Christmas Carols with enthusiasm! The Sauve family, with Tom Sauve playing a lead role, once again prepared the special visit to Santa and distribution of candy canes to children by Santa’s helpers. The Champlain Park Community Association funded the event. Thank you to volunteers who made hot chocolate and donated baked goods that were enjoyed by everyone at the field house. Families came out of hibernation to an evening with mild weather and a great opportunity to connect with neighbours! See the attached photos contributed by John Arnason.

Start Your Holiday Celebration with a Community Sleigh Ride and Carol Singing!

Thursday, December 20^th, 2018 at 6:15PM

What a great way to start the holidays!

If you’re able to volunteer any time with set-up, cleanup, making treats or hot chocolate, or just have questions about the event, please let Jim Cocks know at jim.co@sympatico.ca or (613) 728-7881. We thank-you in advance. One can never have too many elves!

Continue reading “Community Sleigh Ride – December 20” →

Following up on the sleigh ride, first some thanks from Champlain Park neighbours to organizers Jim Cocks, Tom Sauve, and Dennis Van Staalduinen for leading us through the neighbourhood singing Christmas carols on a horse drawn wagon with a stop at Santa’s house for candy canes. We jingled all the way!! Thank you to the volunteer elves. Thank you to the sponsors of this free event, the Champlain Park Community Association, Bridgehead and the West Wellington Business Improvement Area. Thank you to many volunteers who donated treats at the field house party.

Here are some photos by John Arnason: