So much has happened with the roller skating community in Ottawa in the past year since my last post on roller skating updates! Since its store opening over a year ago, Ottawa’s local roller skating store Rideau Rollers has been going on strong, expanding to provide skate maintenance events, skatepark workshops with guest instructors, trail skating outings and even hosting a fundraiser show to support the Ottawa Trans Library.
Photo provided by Rideau Rollers.
Ottawa’s indoor roller rink 4 Wheelies has also been running for a year, offering roller skating lessons, various themed parties and a fun place for Ottawa residents to dance on skates. Meanwhile, Ottawa’s beloved indoor skatepark The Yard shut down its doors forever in March due to the rising rent costs, prompting discussions amongst the broader skate community about the pressing need for sustainable, accessible indoor skate spaces in Ottawa—especially during the winter season.
With summer around the corner, there are plenty of indoor and outdoor roller skating opportunities. Here is a non-exhaustive sampling of events and activities to look forward to this summer.
City of Ottawa drop-in skating:
As ice is removed from the hockey arenas for the summer, Ottawa offers several drop-in roller skating sessions throughout the week for flat-ground recreational skating. Some sessions are free, while others have a nominal entry fee of a couple of dollars—see their website for schedule and details, which often change.
- Lois Kemp Arena, 200 Glen Park Drive: Mondays, 6-7pm (family time), 7-8pm (public).
- Lansdowne, 1525 Princess Patricia Way: Tuesdays, 6:15–7:15pm and 7:20–8:20pm (scroll down to “Drop-in schedule – roller sports”).
- Jim Tubman Chevrolet Rink, 2185 Arch Street: various time slots daily.
Rideau Rollers:
Ottawa’s only roller skating store has been open for a year now! The store not only sells skates, but also protective gear and accessories. In exciting news, the store began to offer roller skate rentals at $20 a day. You can also rent protective pads, although they suggest bringing your own helmet. Rideau Rollers’ blog features a helpful monthly listing of upcoming skate-related events in Ottawa.
Rideau Rollers located on Somerset St. W. Photo provided.
Some upcoming events at Rideau Rollers include:
- Rideau Rollers Skate Maintenance Night, Thursday, May 16, 4-7pm: A free meet-up to tune up your skates.
- Rideau Rollers Rollout, Saturday, May 26, 10am: A free trail skate open to all wheels, with permitting.
- Rideau Rollers First Birthday Party, June 1: Keep an eye on the store’s blog for updates.
4 Wheelies:
Ottawa’s indoor roller rink has been busy this year! Besides their regular themed nights, they offer roller skating classes—the most recent ones starting on May 4—so keep an eye on their website for more details.
Some special events coming up:
- Summer Camp for kids, July 8–August 19: Week-long co-ed camps to keep kids aged 5-12 active and entertained.
- Rumour has it they’ve got plans for their one-year anniversary on June 24–stay tuned to their website for more details!
Ottawa Valley Roller Derby:
Ottawa Valley Roller Derby’s travel team, the Ottawa Valley Rapids, has returned for an exciting bout season playing against other local and international teams. The young skaters of Ottawa Junior Roller Derby have also been busy preparing for this season. The league has now introduced two new house teams—the Valley Cats and the Street Rats—who will be pitted against each other all season, leading up to a final playoff at the end of the season (full disclosure: I am a Valley Cat. Meow!)
Poster for Ottawa Valley Roller Derby. Photo provided.
If you want to catch some roller derby in action, here’s a list of their upcoming home bouts:
- Saturday, May 18:
Game 1: Peterborough Area Roller Derby Juniors vs. Ottawa Junior Roller Derby
Game 2: OVRD House League Battle–Valley Cats vs. Street Rats - Saturday, June 22:
Game 1: Toronto Roller Derby All Stars vs. Ottawa Valley Rapids
Game 2: Toronto Toxins vs. OVRD Freshies - Saturday, July 13:
You can also catch this event as part of a Brew Donkey Brewery Tour package!
Game 1: Royal City Roller Derby Bruteleggers (Guelph) vs. Ottawa Valley Rapids
Game 2: OVRD House League Battle–Valley Cats vs. Street Rats - Saturday, Aug. 17:
This event is also offered as part of a Brew Donkey Brewery Tour package!
Game 1: Roc City Roller Derby (Rochester) vs. Ottawa Valley Rapids
Game 2: OVRD House League FINAL–Valley Cats vs. Street Rats
All events are held at St. Laurent Complex, 525 Côté Street. Doors open at 5:30pm, Game 1 at 6pm, and Game 2 at 8pm. Tickets are $15 and available at the door. Kids ten years and under are free admission, with a limit of two kids per adult.
Ottawa Roller Derby:
There’s lots of exciting roller derby happening in Ottawa this season! Ottawa Roller Derby is ripe and ready for a fun season. They will mostly be travelling to play against other cities, but they will play a home game at the St. Laurent Complex on June 15, with Ottawa Roller Derby vs. Sherbrooke Roller Derby. Doors open at 5:20pm, with the bout starting at 5:50pm. Full disclosure: you will probably see me playing on the track for Ottawa here, too! They will also be hosting a roller disco on July 20.
See the Ottawa Roller Derby website for more details and updates.
Ottawa Roller Derby. Photo provided.
Ottawa Quad Session Rollerskating:
Ottawa’s recreational flat-ground roller skating group has been having a fun year of skate socials, roller dance parties and even a road trip to Delson, Quebec to visit the famous Palais du Patin!
They host social roller skating sessions every Friday from 9-10:45pm at the Norm Fenn Gym at Carleton University, where you can rent roller skates if you don’t have your own. You can get your passes here.
Additionally, they’re hosting a Roller “Unbirthday” Party on Friday, May 17 in the Horticulture Building at Lansdowne. The all-ages session runs from 5-7:30pm, and the adults-only session is from 8:30-11pm.
Keep an eye out for a roller disco on Aug. 17!
Quad Mob Ottawa:
This is a casual and informal network of roller skaters, formally known as CIB Ottawa, that like to skate outside on Ottawa’s many paved bike paths and shred at the skatepark—often with a stuffed turtle strapped to their butts for extra protection. Join their Facebook group to catch news and meet-up information or follow them on Instagram.
Finally, there are Ottawa’s roller skaters at the Capital Pride Parade on Aug. 25! As with every year, you will likely see many of these groups “marching” (skating) in the parade this year.
