As I wander through Parkdale Park on a brilliant spring morning, there’s a new burst of color catching residents’ attention. It’s not just the emerging tulips that Ottawa is famous for, but bright orange lockers now standing like friendly sentinels at the park’s edge.
These “Play It Forward” lockers represent Ottawa’s ambitious new free sports equipment program that officially launched today across 50 city parks and recreational areas. The initiative aims to remove financial barriers to physical activity by providing no-cost access to sports equipment for everyone.
“The beauty of this program is its simplicity,” explains Rawlson King, city councillor for Rideau-Rockcliffe. “Anyone can come to these lockers, borrow a basketball or soccer ball, enjoy some outdoor time, and then return it for others to use.”
Each locker contains a carefully selected assortment of equipment tailored to its location. Basketballs, soccer balls, frisbees, and skipping ropes are standard items, while parks near open fields might include cricket sets or footballs. The winter collection will feature sleds and snowshoes at selected locations.
The City of Ottawa has partnered with the Ottawa Sport Council Foundation and local sponsors to fund the $250,000 initiative. What began as a pilot project in five parks last summer has now expanded tenfold, becoming one of the most extensive municipal sports lending programs in Canada.
“We saw incredible usage rates during our trial run,” says Dan Chenier, general manager of Recreation, Cultural and Facility Services. “Over 85% of borrowed items were returned, and community feedback was overwhelmingly positive.”
For Marlene Tattersall, a grandmother from Vanier, the program has already made a difference. “My grandkids visit on weekends, and now we don’t have to lug equipment from home. We just walk to the park and everything’s there.”
The program addresses a genuine need in our community. According to ParticipACTION’s latest report, only 39% of Canadian children and youth meet physical activity guidelines. Economic factors often contribute to this gap, with sports equipment presenting a significant barrier for many families.
“A decent basketball costs $30-40 now,” notes Karim Mekki, founder of Ottawa’s Equity in Sport initiative. “For families with multiple children or those on tight budgets, equipping everyone for different activities quickly becomes unaffordable.”
The city has implemented several thoughtful features to ensure the program’s sustainability. Each locker has a simple QR code-based borrowing system requiring only a phone number for accountability. While no deposits are required, the system tracks usage patterns.
City staff will restock and maintain the lockers regularly, with additional support from community partners like the Boys and Girls Club of Ottawa, whose youth volunteers have committed to daily checks at several locations.
The “Play It Forward” concept has roots in similar programs from Minneapolis and Barcelona, but Ottawa’s implementation includes distinctive elements like adaptive equipment for persons with disabilities at selected locations and multilingual instructions reflecting our city’s diversity.
Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, who tried his hand at badminton during the launch event, emphasized the program’s broader benefits. “Beyond physical health, these lockers create spontaneous play opportunities that strengthen community bonds. We’ve seen strangers become neighbors through shared activities.”
City data suggests the initiative could generate up to 75,000 hours of additional physical activity among residents annually, potentially creating measurable public health benefits while reducing screen time among youth.
The timing couldn’t be better as Ottawa recovers from the pandemic’s impact. Studies from Ottawa Public Health indicate that many residents, particularly children and seniors, experienced decreased physical activity levels during COVID-19 restrictions.
“This program is about equity and accessibility,” says Councillor Rawlson King. “Every Ottawa resident deserves access to recreation, regardless of income level or neighborhood.”
For parents like Jasmine Singh from Barrhaven, the program solves multiple problems. “Between work schedules and kids’ activities, sometimes we forget to bring equipment. Now we can spontaneously stop at any park and have everything we need.”
The city has published a map of all 50 locker locations on ottawa.ca, with further expansion planned if the program continues to show strong community engagement through the summer.
As I watch a group of teenagers discover the newly installed locker at Parkdale Park, their excitement is evident. Within minutes, a basketball is claimed, and a pickup game begins on the nearby court – exactly the kind of organic, accessible recreation this thoughtful initiative aims to inspire.
