Tag: Sleigh Ride

Winter Carnival – January 20

Winter Carnival 2024 on Saturday, January 20, at Champlain Park and Fieldhouse, noon to 3pm

It’s back… with hot chili, cool music, and fun sleigh rides! Everyone is welcome to attend the Carnival, whatever the weather. Among the activities:

  • 1-3pm: horse drawn sleigh rides and outdoor games in the park
  • 1:30-3pm: music in the Field house with locally based Jazz Quartet.

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.

Volunteers make it happen! We need help with outdoor games, 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 if you can help out in any way at erintopping@hotmail.com or 613-799-1770.

The Kichi Sibi Winter Trail team will be out for the fun. More info about the trail can be found at www.wintertrail.ca

Rink will be operating as per normal. 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.

Community Sleigh Ride – Cancelled

I’ve just received a sad report that the community sleigh ride has been cancelled due to excessive rain. Thanks to Jim C. for organizing it.

Freezing rain last year, and this year just plain too much rain at the scheduled time. One of these years the weather will get the precipitation type right and we’ll have snow in December! There’s a second chance for a sleigh ride at the Winter Carnival in January, which turned out quite well last year.

– Alex

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

Community Sleigh Ride Cancelled!

Some bad news – the sleigh ride is cancelled!

Jim got a call from sleigh-owner regarding the sleigh ride tomorrow. As feared he is not comfortable coming downtown with his horse rig with the imminent snow storm tomorrow evening. This happened twice before. He was most apologetic, and he looks forward to the winter carnival date, but will not be coming tomorrow.

Community Sleigh Ride – December 22 Reminder

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 22nd, 2022 at 6:00PM

[Sleigh ride horses stopped outside Santa's house, photo by Joyce Mortimer, December 2019]

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.

Community Sleigh Ride – December 22

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 22nd, 2022 at 6:00PM

[Sleigh ride horses stopped outside Santa's house, photo by Joyce Mortimer, December 2019]

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.

Christmas Sleigh Ride – Thanks

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” →

Community Sleigh Ride Tonight – Reminder

Just a reminder that the sleigh ride starts tonight at 6pm for small children, 6:30 for everyone else. Santa suggests you dress warmly! See https://champlainpark.org/2019/12/06/community-sleigh-ride-december-19/ for details and the map.

Also, once Christmas is done, you can bring your natural Christmas tree to the baseball diamond backstop fence for the winter carnival (wind break) and February’s community bonfire (combustion!).

[Horse and sleigh ride]

Community Sleigh Ride – December 19

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

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

[Horse and sleigh ride]

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” →