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Thursday 2:30pm - 6:30pm Saturday 10am - 2pm

Ottawa Outdoor Gear Library - OOGL

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Ottawa Outdoor Gear Library - OOGL

Enabling more people to enjoy the benefits of being active outdoors, to promote equity and reduce ba

The purpose of the Library is to provide opportunities for individuals and groups to borrow equipment with as few barriers as possible. We operate on the principle that cost should not prevent opportunities to try new activities and to enjoy the physical and mental health benefits of recreation and connecting with nature in the outdoors. This could be in your neighbourhood park in the City, along one of the paths or waterways in the Capital, or in the conservation areas, provincial and national parks nearby. In particular, the Ottawa Outdoor Gear Library seeks to support people living with low incomes, women, youth, BIPoC communities, LGBTQ2S+ folks, and newcomers to access gear for outdoor activities.

10/29/2026

Join our team in supporting equity and access to the outdoors and to nature! The Ottawa Outdoor Gear Library is a dynamic initiative actively supporting just and increased access to the outdoors.

The Bilingual Seasonal Vanier Community Outreach Coordinator will provide outreach satellite site service delivery from the Vanier “pod” location. Which includes:
- Conducting community outreach, promoting pilot initiative to local service agencies, and meeting with key community group leaders and other stakeholders.
- Carry out OOGL’s mission of providing free access to outdoor recreational equipment
- Hosting workshops in priority neighbourhoods to increase equitable access to outdoor education and physical activity, while collecting community feedback for evaluation of pilot project.

This position requires working some evening and weekend hours.

This 20 week contract opportunity has been made possible through the Community Initiative Grants funding we have received from the Ottawa Community Foundation, in partnership with the Vanier Community Service Centre.

For more details about the position, and how to apply, visit our website or the link in bio.

Rejoignez notre équipe en nous aidant à améliorer l’accès équitable aux espaces verts et à la nature ! La bibliothèque d’équipement de plein-air d’Ottawa est une initiative dynamique qui œuvre activement pour plus d’accès équitable aux activités de plein-air.

Le/la coordonnateur.rice communautaire saisonnier.ère bilingue de Vanier assurera la prestation de services via un site satellite de proximité depuis le « pod » du Vanier Hub. Ces services comprennent:
- Mener des actions de sensibilisation et d’information auprès de la population, promouvoir l’initiative pilote auprès des organismes locaux de services et rencontrer les responsables des principaux groupes communautaires ainsi que d’autres parties prenantes.
- Mener la mission de la BÉPO qui consiste à offrir un accès gratuit au matériel de loisirs de plein-air.
- Organiser des ateliers dans les quartiers prioritaires afin de favoriser un accès équitable à l’éducation en plein-air et à l’activité physique, tout en recueillant les retours de la population pour

10/21/2026

Join us this Friday, October 23rd from 7-9 pm Ottawa Bike Café for a FREE screening and discussion of the short documentary: Revolutions (2024), directed by Jon Chiang and executive produced by Courtney Szto!

Registration is required (link found in our bio).

Revolutions (...) is a short documentary that asks sports enthusiasts, brands, and manufacturers to think differently about environmental sustainability by putting sporting goods at the centre of the conversation. The film uses the bike as a storytelling device to ask some important questions about sustainability such as: What happens to our ‘toys’ when we’re done with them? What happens to a bike at its end-of-life stage? What would it take to design everything with the end in mind?

We are happy to announce that Dr. Szto will be in attendance for our discussion!

Support for this event provided by Ontario Trillium Foundation ontrillium

10/21/2026

Thank you Nicole Tracey Lewis for leading such a comprehensive introductory fly fishing workshop this past weekend along the Kichi Zībī

We are so grateful to you for your warmth and willingness to share your knowledge with participants. What a beautiful day we were blessed with!

Swipe through to see some highlights from the program and let us know in the comments below if you’d to take part in a program like this in the future.

Thank you again to the Ottawa Fly Fishing Society for lending us your teaching rods, and thank you to Ontario Trillium Foundation for your support.

10/14/2026

Join us on Saturday, October 17th for an Introduction to Fly Fishing Workshop for Black and Indigenous women and gender expansive folks! Registration link in bio!

Guided by life-long water lover and avid fly fisher Nicole, this program will be a comprehensive 2 hours of everything you need to know to fly fish. If you have ever been curious about fly fishing, this is the perfect hands-on experience to get you started!

We will be supported by the Ottawa Fly Fishers Society with teaching rods and fishing equipment.

**Please note, we will not be getting into the water for this intro workshop. We will be fishing from the land.

Details regarding where to meet, how to dress, purchasing a fishing license and more found on our registration page.

This program is supported by the Ontario Trillium Foundation Seed Grant 🌱

08/22/2026

Join us for an outdoor screening and discussion of the 2026 documentary film Out on the Water!

Both Demiesha Dennis (Brown Girl Outdoor World Adventure|Travel|Community) and Ren Navarro (Ren Navarro | HR consulting | DEI education | Drinks expert) - featured community members in the film, will be in attendence. We will begin the evening with a discussion of the film, Dennis and Navarro’s experiences in finding community outdoors, and their relationships with the land and water as Black q***r folks living on Turtle Island (and maybe they’ll share a thing or two about fly fishing too).

This is a free, all ages event. Popcorn and non-alcoholic beverages will be provided. Limited seating available, bring your own blanket or camp chair to be safe.

Please register via eventbrite at the link in our bio.

Thank you to Ontario Trillium Foundation for your support through your Seed Grant, which helps us make programs such as these possible. And a huge thank you to Courtney for connecting us with the filmmakers and all of your help behind the scenes!

07/21/2026

this past weekend we provided gear support to Rain Reigns for their Wild & Q***r Weekend Summer Camp, where 35 newcomer q***r Africans had the chance to unplug and experience the mental, physical, and communal health benefits of connecting with nature.

we’re so grateful to have our M(obile)OOGL which allows us to bring gear to our partners when transportation is a barrier. thank you again to Ontario Trillium Foundation for the capital grant that funded this purchase!

this trip happened to coincide with CPRA - ACPL’s inaugural initiative! visit their page to learn more.

thank you to our volunteers joseph, judy, and chris who helped staff with packing and transporting all this gear!

while this weekend was beautiful in ottawa and the nearby quebec region, we can’t help but think of the land and those affected by the ongoing forest fires taking place across ontario and across canada. most of those affected are First Nations communities, including Namaygoosisagun and Whitewater Lake First Nations, whose homes have been completely destroyed in the fires. this is a reminder that we are not far from climate catastrophe, in fact, it is right in our backyard, in our air, our lakes, and our forests.

06/11/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us at our annual Open House & Gear Grab this past Sunday, June 7th! With your donations we were able to raise $837! If you want to help us get to $1000, you can send your donations to [email protected] or bring cash with you in person when you pick up/return your gear. All donations directly support the operation of OOGL and our programming efforts.

This was one of our favourite events to date. We celebrated our 1 year anniversary of being open at the Bronson Centre, and we will be celebrating 5 years of operation on June 17th!

Special thanks to our dj’s la role model🦋🧸, RHOZE ˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚ ❀, and Tishe who came thru representing Pass the Vibes Collective and played from our MOOGL! Thank you as well to our board members Malak and Sam, and one of our OG volunteers Piper for baking and setting up our delicious table of treats. Thank you to all of our new volunteers who showed up and helped make this possible; events such as these wouldn’t be possible without you.

Lastly, thank you to Ontario Trillium Foundation for your support through this year’s Seed Grant. This funding will support the work of our current staff members and the facilitation of community-based, culturally relevant programming in the coming months.

06/01/2026

Join us THIS Sunday, June 7th for our annual Open House and Gear Grab Fundraiser!!

Our Open House will feature:
✅ An opportunity to tour our summer seasonal space and check out our updated inventory
✅ Meet dedicated OOGL staff, volunteers & board members
✅ Learn about our programs, services & how to get involved
✅ Learn more about our equity-focused mission to break down barriers to outdoor experiences!

Come to our Gear Grab Fundraiser to:
✅ Browse gently used gear
✅ Help us clear out our overstock
✅ Help us raise funds to support our organization!
(Some items will have a suggested donation price, but otherwise it is a pay-what-you-can sale. We will be taking cash and e-transfer)

Please note the parking lot of the Bronson Centre is paid parking via Indigo and there are limited street parking spots. We encourage folks to use more sustainable options for travel including walking, biking, or taking public transit if you are able.

Please share widely and bring a friend!! We look forward to meeting you and sharing some light treats with our OOGL community 🏕️

05/21/2026

Very proud to have launched our brand new Huckleberry Hiker Cascade Cart at the OIPSE/Adapt Expo on May 9th!

The Cascade Cart works across a multitude of terrain, and aids in accessibility along trails by replacing the need for a wheelchair. It is designed to accommodate a wide range of Sherpa (the person pulling the cart) and Passenger body types. The maximum passenger weight is 150 lbs and Huckleberry Hiking recommends a Sherpa height of 5’ to 6’ 8”, and a Passenger height of 3’ to 5’ 6”.

You can learn more about the Cascade Hiking Cart with a quick internet search, or come by OOGL to see it in person. Send us an email ahead of time if you plan to reserve it/want to give it a look as it is not in our inventory system yet.

Thank you to for the donation of the hiker to OOGL, and thank you to Emily Glossop and the rest of the team for inviting us to participate in the Expo!

Looking for more resources on adaptive gear and accessible programming? Check out !

05/20/2026

We were happy to attend MEC Ottawa’s Gear Swap & Demo event on May 2nd. Pictured here is Malak, who joined OOGL’s Board of Directors this last year.

Malak and Chris had some really great convos at MEC. Thank you to Nancy and Jennifer from Ottawa for inviting us!

Let us know if you saw us or spoke with us in the comments!

Address

211 Bronson Avenue
Ottawa, ON
K1R6H5

Opening Hours

Thursday	2:30pm - 6:30pm
Saturday	10am - 2pm

Website

https://ottawaoutdoorgearlibrary.com/

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