Parks and recreation in Vanier
City of Ottawa data lists 16 parks in and around Vanier, five community or recreation facilities and an Ottawa Public Library branch. Several parkettes sit within a few hundred metres of Vanier North's centre.
33 parks, beaches, pathways and recreation places are mapped in the Vanier area: 16 parks, 0 beaches, 0 pathways and trails and 6 recreation centres and libraries.
Updated · Facts on this page link to their sources
Among the largest parks in the data are Richelieu Park, Riverain Park, Bernard-Grandmaître Arena, Optimiste Park, Nault Park and Kiwanis Park. Closest to the centre of Vanier North are St-Denis Parkette (0.1 km) and St-Jacques Parkette (0.2 km); closest to Vanier South's centre are Bernard-Grandmaître Arena (0.3 km) and Vanier Francophone Square (0.4 km). All distances are straight-line.
City facilities listed nearby include Richelieu-Vanier Community Centre, Linden Lea Community Centre, St. Laurent Complex/Don Gamble Community Centre, Lowertown Complex and the Ottawa Public Library Vanier Branch. Wikipedia also notes an urban sugar shack and an outdoor Catholic shrine, La Grotte-de-Lourdes, in Vanier.
Parks and recreation near Vanier
Neighbourhood parks
27Bernard-Grandmaître Arena
Active Recreation park
307 McArthur Avenue, VanierIn Vanier Southmaps.ottawa.ca
Carillon Park
Active Recreation park
246 Park Street, VanierIn Vanier Northmaps.ottawa.ca
Genest Outdoor Pool
Outdoor pool (full pool)
In Vanier Northmaps.ottawa.ca ottawa.ca
Janeville Park
Active Recreation park
355 Iberville Street, VanierIn Vanier Southmaps.ottawa.ca
Kiwanis Park
Active Recreation park
395 Levis Avenue, VanierIn Vanier Southmaps.ottawa.ca
Marier Avenue Park
Passive Recreation park
239 Marier Avenue, VanierIn Vanier Northmaps.ottawa.ca
Mary Papatsie Park
Active Recreation park
217 Emond Street, VanierIn Vanier Northmaps.ottawa.ca
Nault Park
Active Recreation park
325 St. Denis Street, VanierIn Vanier Northmaps.ottawa.ca
North River Road Parkette
Passive Recreation park
291 North River Road, VanierIn Vanier Southmaps.ottawa.ca
Optimiste Park
Active Recreation park
43 Ste. Cécile Street, VanierIn Vanier Northmaps.ottawa.ca
Outdoor rink, Optimiste Park
Outdoor rink (winter, weather permitting)
43 Ste-Cécile St.In Vanier Northmaps.ottawa.ca ottawa.ca
Outdoor rink, Richelieu Vanier Park
Outdoor rink (winter, weather permitting)
300 des Pères-Blancs Ave.In Vanier Northmaps.ottawa.ca ottawa.ca
Outdoor rink, Riverain Park
Outdoor rink (winter, weather permitting)
400 N River Rd.In Vanier Southmaps.ottawa.ca
Outdoor rink, St. Ambroise Park
Outdoor rink (winter, weather permitting)
330 Meilleur Priv.In Vanier Northmaps.ottawa.ca ottawa.ca
Richelieu Park
Active Recreation park
300 Pères-Blancs AvenueIn Vanier Northmaps.ottawa.ca
Riverain Park
Active Recreation park · waterfront access
400 North River Road, VanierIn Vanier Southmaps.ottawa.ca
Splash pad, Kiwanis Park
Splash pad (summer only)
395 Levis Avenue, VanierIn Vanier Southmaps.ottawa.ca ottawa.ca
Splash pad, Nault Park
Splash pad (summer only)
325 St. Denis Street, VanierIn Vanier Northmaps.ottawa.ca ottawa.ca
Splash pad, Riverain Park
Splash pad (summer only)
400 North River Road, VanierIn Vanier Southmaps.ottawa.ca
Splash pad, St. Ambroise Park
Splash pad (summer only)
120 Landry Street, VanierIn Vanier Northmaps.ottawa.ca ottawa.ca
St-Charles Park
Passive Recreation park
5 St-Charles StreetIn Vanier Northmaps.ottawa.ca
St-Denis Parkette
Passive Recreation park
St. Denis StreetIn Vanier Northmaps.ottawa.ca
St-Jacques Parkette
Passive Recreation park
St-Jacques Street at des Pères-Blancs AvenueIn Vanier Northmaps.ottawa.ca
St. Ambroise Park
Active Recreation park
120 Landry Street, VanierIn Vanier Northmaps.ottawa.ca
Vanier Francophone Square
Passive Recreation park
Dupuis Street at Montreal RoadIn Vanier Southmaps.ottawa.ca
Outdoor rink, St. Paul's Park
Outdoor rink (winter, weather permitting)
469 Donald maps.ottawa.ca ottawa.ca
Splash pad, Cardinal Glen Park
Splash pad (summer only)
11 Dunbarton Court, Ottawamaps.ottawa.ca ottawa.ca
Recreation centres & libraries
6Bernard-Grandmaitre Arena
Arena
309 McArthur AveIn Vanier Southmaps.ottawa.ca ottawa.ca
Ottawa Public Library Vanier Branch
Public Library
310 Des Peres Blancs AveIn Vanier Northmaps.ottawa.ca biblioottawalibrary.ca
Richelieu-Vanier Community Centre
Community Centre
300 Des Peres Blancs AveIn Vanier Northmaps.ottawa.ca ottawa.ca
Linden Lea Community Centre
Community Centre
15 Rockcliffe Waymaps.ottawa.ca ottawa.ca
Lowertown Cmplx
Recreation Complex
40 Cobourg Stmaps.ottawa.ca ottawa.ca
St. Laurent Complex/Don Gamble Community Centre
Recreation Complex
525 Côté Stmaps.ottawa.ca ottawa.ca
Quick answers
Short answers first; each links to the full answer and its sources.
What parks are in Vanier?
City of Ottawa's parks inventory lists 16 parks in and around Vanier, including Richelieu Park, Riverain Park, Optimiste Park, Nault Park and Kiwanis Park. Closest to Vanier North's centre are St-Denis Parkette (0.1 km) and St-Jacques Parkette (0.2 km), in a straight line.
As of 2026-10 · maps.ottawa.ca
Is Vanier good for families?
Vanier has the amenities many families look for nearby, though children are a modest share of the population. In the 2021 census, via the Ottawa Neighbourhood Study, 12.7% of residents in Vanier North and 9.2% in Vanier South were aged 0–14, and average household size was 1.9 and 1.8.
As of 2026-10 · ons-sqo.ca ons-sqo.ca
Is there a library in Vanier?
Yes. The Ottawa Public Library Vanier Branch is the library listed in City of Ottawa data, about 0.6 km from the centre of Vanier North in a straight line.
As of 2026-10 · maps.ottawa.ca maps.ottawa.ca
What recreation centres and arenas are near Vanier?
City of Ottawa data lists five community or recreation facilities near Vanier: Richelieu-Vanier Community Centre, Linden Lea Community Centre, Bernard-Grandmaitre Arena, St. Laurent Complex/Don Gamble Community Centre and Lowertown Complex. Bernard-Grandmaitre Arena is 0.3 km from Vanier South's centre and Richelieu-Vanier Community Centre is 0.6 km from Vanier North's centre, both in a straight line.
As of 2026-10 · maps.ottawa.ca maps.ottawa.ca
How much tree canopy does Vanier have?
Tree canopy covered 21.4% of Vanier North and 15.6% of Vanier South in 2024, according to the Ottawa Neighbourhood Study.
As of 2026-10 · ons-sqo.ca ons-sqo.ca
Is there a sugar shack in Vanier?
Yes. Wikipedia says Vanier is home to the only urban sugar shack in Canada (as of 2026), which hosts a Maple Sugar Festival (Festival des Sucres) on its 17.5-acre sugar bush each spring.
As of 2026-10 · en.wikipedia.org museoparc.ca