About Us
Community Services and things
The Community Hall and Library at 380 Springfield Road opened in 1994 after a successful building campaign within the Village.
Community Hall and Library
The Rockcliffe Park Residents Association directors and committee meetings, club meetings and many recreational activities including the Speakers Program are held here. This beautiful room is perfect for birthday parties, special events, meetings or receptions. It is wheelchair accessible, has a kitchen, and may be rented for private events. It is heavily used for the many City recreation programs. Call the Recreation Coordinator in the Community Police Centre for details.
Library
The Library is now part of the City of Ottawa Public Library system. Volunteers and City Library staff make the Library an active place with many interesting programs for children and adults. It serves Rockcliffe Park and the surrounding area. Membership in the Ottawa system of libraries is free to all residents of Ottawa and the seven computers plus two dedicated to the system-wide catalogue are available for all to use. Rockcliffe residents can request books from any other branch in the Ottawa system as well as interlibrary loans. Other services include electronic databases, various resources for genealogy, the Every Child a Reader program and Every Child a Card campaign plus writing contests throughout the year.Hours of operation are:
Monday and Wednesday: 10 am – 5 pm
Tuesday and Thursday: 1 pm – 8.30 pm
Friday: 2 pm – 6 pm
Saturday: 10 am – 2 pm
Sunday: Closed
There are special activities for babies and preschoolers and “Meet the Author” events in conjunction with school class visits are held from time to time. Consult the library staff for details.
Community Police Centre
The Police Centre, located at 360 Springfield Road, is open Monday to Friday from 9 am to 5 pm. One Police Officer is on duty; other officers patrol the district by car and bicycle. Trained volunteers assist the police with specified office tasks and new volunteers are welcome. The RCMP also patrols the Village to provide security for the diplomatic residences.
In addition to its police function, the Centre serves as the central source of community information and includes the office of the City’s Recreation Coordinator. The archives of the Heritage and Site Plan Committee and the RPRA files are housed there.
City Recreation Programs
The City of Ottawa offers a diverse selection of recreation activities in the Community Hall at 380 Springfield Road. Typically, we begin each weekday with early morning walking, Pilates or aerobic classes, followed by a variety of bridge lessons. After-school programming begins at 3:30 and includes children's dance classes, chess club, arts and crafts and a Friday movie and pizza. We end the day with evening meetings, adult tap or yoga classes. Weekends are reserved for Ikebana, babysitter training and room rentals. The administration office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm and is located at 360 Springfield Road in the Community Police Centre.
Rockcliffe Book Fair
The Rockcliffe Book Fair was started over 45 years ago to promote a love of reading and children’s literature and to raise funds for the Rockcliffe Park Public School library. Today it has expanded to help RPPS purchase sports equipment, computers, and fund field trips, and in addition, provide literacy grants to five different beacon schools in Ottawa. Starting on the Friday morning and running through the first full weekend of November, the gymnasiums of RPPS are transformed into what has become one of Ontario’s best used-book sales, with thousands of used books, CDs, DVDs, puzzles and
games from which to choose. The Fair draws up to 2,000 people who browse the collectibles book section and the aisles devoted to Canadian and international history, science and nature, cooking, novels and fiction of all kinds, biography, among others and the extensive children’s section In addition, there is an international café with delicious food to enjoy at the Fair, or to take home, and there is a wonderful craft corner to delight the children while you shop. Book Fair collects books all year round and relies on the generosity of its many volunteers to make it a success. Join us and get to meet parents from the school’s catchment area of Rockcliffe, Lindenlea, Sandy Hill, Lower Town, New Edinburgh and area residents, some of whom have volunteered since the Fair’s inception. Please go to our website at www.rockcliffebookfair.com for more information.
Friends of the Village of Rockcliffe Park Foundation
The mission of The Village Foundation (1997) is to protect the beauty, character and vitality of the community of Rockcliffe Park for present and future generations. Its objectives are to provide financial support for facilities such as the Library and the Community Hall, as well as projects promoting conservation of the community’s natural environment and preservation of its heritage character. Through a Board of Directors, the Foundation manages an endowment fund, operating as a registered charity and issuing tax-receipts, as appropriate for donations. The Foundation may be contacted at 120 Buena Vista Road, Rockcliffe Park, K1M 0V5.
Neighbourhood Watch
Rockcliffe Park is a Neighbourhood Watch Community. A team of block captains, acting as the eyes and ears of the neighbourhood, work closely with the Community Police Centre and the Ottawa Police Service to monitor the more than 750 homes in the Village. It is a vigilant, effective tool against home break-ins and vandalism. Your participation in this community-based organization is encouraged. Please call the Community Police Centre at 236-1222 extension 5919 for more information or if you wish to help.
Garden Club
T
he Rockcliffe Park Garden Club has been in existence for twenty years. Membership is $25 annually for one person and $35 for two; the guest fee is $7.00 per meeting. The club meets between September and April in the Community Hall at 380 Springfield Road. Whether you are a novice gardener, or have a natural “green thumb,” you will enjoy the program of speakers and workshops. A plant-sale is held each May in the Jubilee Garden and the annual June bus tour of gardens in the National Capital Region is not to be missed. Contact Vera Cody, club president at 613-889-0472 and watch the RPRA bulletin board at 380 Springfield Road for event notices.
The Village Gardeners, most of them members of the Garden Club, volunteer their time to maintain the flower beds in the Jubilee Garden and at the Library and Community Hall. They welcome new garden enthusiasts. Drop your name and telephone number into the RPRA mail box if you wish to polish your green thumb and help keep our Village looking beautiful.
Rockcliffe Lawn Tennis Club (RLTC)
Located on Lansdowne Road, the RLTC, a private club, has eight outdoor courts and an
inviting clubhouse. Programs are organized for juniors and adults, featuring round-robin tournaments and tennis instruction from the club pro. Members pay an initiation fee and annual dues.
The Rockcliffe Directory
The Village telephone and address list is updated annually and may be purchased at the Community Police Centre for $5.