Old Ottawa South Community Association

What Old Ottawa South Community Association does

The Old Ottawa South Community Association (OSCA) is a private, volunteer-governed, non-profit community association incorporated in Ontario, Canada, serving residents of the Old Ottawa South neighbourhood in Ottawa. Founded in 1974 (the OSCAR newspaper) / 1978 (the association), OSCA operates from the City of Ottawa-owned Ottawa South Community Centre, known locally as "The Firehall," at 260 Sunnyside Avenue. The organization delivers educational, sports, fitness, and recreational programming across all age groups, supported by 51-100 employees and a volunteer Board of Directors elected annually at the AGM.

OSCA's core product portfolio is structured around eight service lines: The OSCAR (a self-supporting monthly community newspaper published since 1974 and funded entirely by advertising), the Firehall Fitness Centre (a cardio and weight-training facility offering tiered monthly, three-month, annual, and drop-in memberships), Adult Programs (fitness classes such as Yoga, Pilates, Kickboxing, Broadway Workout, and Barre plus creative arts such as pottery and writing), Children's Programs (sports, arts, fantasy/role-play, and youth nights), Garden Club (monthly horticultural meetings with annual memberships), Camps and Before/After School Programs (PD Day camps, March Break camps, Summer Firehall Camps, Breakfast Club, After Four), Community Events (Porch Sale, Fall Fest, shared community calendar), and four active governance committees (IDEA, Environment and Climate Action, Senior Watch Old Ottawa South, and Traffic and Safety). Its underlying technology stack consists of standard community-management SaaS — Amilia for online registration and the online store, Activity Messenger for program guides, Eventbrite for ticketed events, Canva for the annual report, and .ics/iCalendar export — with no proprietary AI or data platform.

OSCA's business model blends non-dues revenue, donations, and modest user fees. Revenue streams include Firehall Fitness Centre memberships (subscription recurring: $44/month, $119/three months, $397/year, $11 drop-in), Garden Club annual memberships ($25 individual / $40 family, subscription recurring), one-time/monthly/annual donations to OSCA operations, tax-receipted donations and securities contributions to the Old Ottawa South Community Fund, advertising revenue in The OSCAR newspaper, and event table rentals ($25 per table at the Porch Sale). Membership in OSCA is free for adults 18+ living in Old Ottawa South, and programs are open to all individuals regardless of residence. Distribution occurs through the Firehall physical site, door-to-door OSCAR newspaper delivery, the oldottawasouth.ca website, email newsletters, and active social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X/Twitter).

Name

Old Ottawa South Community Association

Legal name

Old Ottawa South Community Association

Website

https://oldottawasouth.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Old Ottawa South Community Association (OSCA) is a non-profit community association in Ottawa, Canada, operating from The Firehall at 260 Sunnyside Avenue. It serves Old Ottawa South residents with fitness, recreational, educational, and social programming, including the Firehall Fitness Centre, children's camps, the OSCAR newspaper, and community events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Recreation Services

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Spectator Sports (71121)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Amateur Clubs & Community Sports Organizations (MPAKACAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG)

Keywords

• Community recreation programs
• Fitness centre memberships
• Community newspaper publishing
• Nonprofit community association
• Youth and adult programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Ottawa

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Fitness Centre Memberships: The Firehall Fitness Centre offers membership tiers including monthly, quarterly, and annual options, plus drop-in rates for casual users.
2. Garden Club Memberships: Annual individual memberships at $25 or family memberships at $40 for participation in monthly gardening meetings and horticultural activities.
3. Donations (OSCA Operations): One-time, monthly, or annual donations supporting daily operations and community programs. No donation too small.
4. Community Fund Donations: Tax-receipted donations and securities contributions supporting long-term legacy projects through the Old Ottawa South Community Fund.
5. The OSCAR Newspaper: Monthly community newspaper published since 1974, self-supporting through advertising revenue. Receives no subsidies; distribution is free to Old Ottawa South homes and businesses.
6. Event Table Rentals: OSCA rents tables for $25 at community events like the Porch Sale to generate revenue from local vendors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

OSCA is a non-profit community association that delivers education, sports, fitness, and recreational programming for all age groups from a historic community centre known as The Firehall. It operates the Firehall Fitness Centre, offers adult and children's classes, a Garden Club, before/after school care and camps, community events, and publishes the monthly OSCAR newspaper. Services are supported by donations, program fees, memberships, and advertising, and the association advocates on neighbourhood planning, traffic, environment, and accessibility issues.

Product overview

The Old Ottawa South Community Association (OSCA) operates as a community organization offering a portfolio of programs and services centered around community engagement, recreation, and advocacy. The core offerings include The OSCAR (a monthly community newspaper since 1974), the Firehall Fitness Centre (a fitness facility with equipment and memberships), and diverse programming across all age groups including Adult Programs (fitness, creative arts), Children's Programs (sports, arts, youth activities), Garden Club, and Camps/Before-After School care. OSCA also organizes community events through a shared calendar system and facilitates resident participation through four governance committees. The organization operates from the Firehall at 260 Sunnyside Avenue and is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The OSCAR Newspaper A self-supporting monthly community newspaper published by OSCA since 1974 that serves as the Community Voice and source of information for Old Ottawa South; distributed free to homes and businesses and funded entirely by advertising.
• Firehall Fitness Centre A fitness facility located downstairs in The Firehall at 260 Sunnyside Avenue, offering cardio and weight training equipment and tiered memberships (1-month, 3-month, annual) plus drop-in rates for residents and workers in Old Ottawa South.
• Adult Programs Session-based and drop-in programming for adults 16+ including Yoga, Pilates, Kickboxing, Broadway Workout, Barre, Pottery, Fictional Writing, Firehall Jammers (music), and ukulele group lessons.
• Garden Club Monthly gardening and horticulture meetings (second Tuesday of each month, September through May) offered to individual members ($25/year) and family members ($40/year).
• Children's Programs Programming from preschool to youth, including Preschool Playgroups, Basketball, Volleyball, Gymnastics, Badminton, Pottery, Art, Dungeons and Dragons, Magic the Gathering, Dance in the City classes, and Friday Night Youth Nights.
• Before & After School Care and Camps PD Day camps, March Break themed camps, Summer Firehall Camps at Windsor Park, Before/After School care including Breakfast Club and After Four activities for school-age children.
• Community Events and Calendar A community calendar featuring OSCA-produced events such as the Porch Sale and Fall Fest, plus community-submitted events, with iCal, Google, Outlook 365, and Outlook Live calendar subscription integration.
• Community Committees Four active standing committees — IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility); Environment and Climate Action (ECAC); Senior Watch Old Ottawa South (SWOOS); and Traffic and Safety — that address specific community issues and involve resident participation.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration12 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• City of OttawacoreOthersThe City of Ottawa is acknowledged as a key supporter of OSCA. The City manages room rentals at the Firehall (260 Sunnyside) and OSCA operates from City-owned facilities. OSCA works with the City on traffic-calming initiatives, planning matters, and various community programs.
• EnviroCentre OttawaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnviroCentre Ottawa is coordinating the School Streets initiative with Hopewell School, where Hopewell Avenue may be closed during school pick-up and drop-off times to improve safety and encourage active transportation.
• Rideau Valley Conservation AuthorityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOSCA works with the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority to control invasive species and enhance the natural area around Brewer Pond as part of the Environment and Climate Action Committee's initiatives.
• Community Action for Environmental Sustainability (CAFES)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOSCA is an active member of CAFES, a community coalition working on environmental sustainability initiatives across Ottawa.
• Seniors Health Innovations Hub (SHIH)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA group of volunteer seniors in central Ottawa committed to enhancing support for aging in place through community innovations in primary care, housing, technology, and home care & community support. SWOOS collaborates with SHIH on senior wellness initiatives.
• Carleton UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSWOOS (Seniors Watch Old Ottawa South) is collaborating with Carleton University on the Social Isolation and Loneliness (SIL) Project, inviting seniors to complete surveys about their experiences of connection and community support.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Volunteer Ottawa: Hub connecting volunteers to Ottawa non-profits like OSCA; directly relevant given OSCA's volunteer-governed operating model and committee-based programming.
• Community Foundation of Ottawa: Local grant-making and donor-advised fund organization supporting Ottawa non-profits, including community associations; comparable as an enabling/funding ecosystem participant relevant to OSCA's Community Fund.

Direct peers

• Boys and Girls Club of Ottawa: Non-profit youth-focused organization offering sports, arts, before/after-school care, and camps for children and youth — directly comparable to OSCA's children/youth programming vertical.
• Dovercourt Recreation Association: Ottawa-based non-profit recreation centre offering fitness memberships, aquatics, sports, and children's programming — directly comparable community-recreation model with tiered memberships and camps.
• Westboro Beach Community Association: Ottawa neighborhood association delivering recreational, social, and community programming; comparable to OSCA in mission, volunteer governance, and local program focus.
• Glebe Community Association: Neighboring Ottawa community association offering recreation, fitness, social, and advocacy programs for Glebe residents; structurally and functionally very similar to OSCA, operating from a community centre with membership-based programming.

Regional players

• The Perley and Rideau Veterans' Health Centre: Ottawa non-profit offering seniors health, housing, and community programs; comparable in mission to OSCA's SWOOS senior-aging initiatives though operating in a healthcare/clinical context.

Broad incumbents

• YMCA of Northeastern Ontario (Ottawa): Large established non-profit operator of fitness facilities, child care, camps, and community programming; offers overlapping capabilities to OSCA but at much broader scale and with multiple branches.
• City of Ottawa Recreation, Cultural and Facility Services: Municipal operator of community centres, arenas, pools, and registered programs across Ottawa; the broader incumbent OSCA partners with and partly competes against for registered recreation programming.

Emerging players

• Centretown Community Health Centre: Ottawa community-based health and social services provider; comparable in community-embedded programming model though focused on health services rather than recreation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/OldOttSouth
• Facebookfacebook.com/oldottsouth
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/old-ottawa-south-community-association
• Instagraminstagram.com/oldottsouth

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Old Ottawa South Community Association