Ottawa's new online registration system for swim lessons faces first test tonight
A swimming pool is seen in this undated file photo. (Shutterstock / Taweesak Jaroensin)
The city of Ottawa's new online registration platform will face its first test this evening, as registration opens for swimming lessons and other aquatic activities this winter.
Parents and elected officials have complained for several years about problems with the old system while trying to register for swimming classes. In August, the portal crashed shortly after registration opened for fall aquatics classes.
A new system has been in the works at Ottawa City Hall for months, and launched recently ahead of the registration for the Winter 2023 recreation and cultural programming and activities.
The city says its new registration platform, Register Ottawa, "is a modern client experience" that allows you to search and filter by activity, time and day, age group, and location.
"You can search and browse all the program and activity offerings and enroll on registration night on the same site," the city says.
Registration for all aquatic activities offered by the city of Ottawa opens at 9 p.m. on Monday, while you will be able to sign up for all other programs and activities starting Wednesday at 9 p.m.
The city warns spaces in swimming lessons will be "snapped up quickly."
The Winter 2023 program has a wide variety of programs, including:
- Learn to swim, power swim and aquatic certifications
- Learn to skate
- Sports and fitness, such as soccer, cross-country skiing and martial arts
- Playgrounds, dog obedience, dinosaur discovery
- Instructional creative and performing arts, such as painting, music and dance
- Virtual programming for real-time online activities
Here is what you need to know about the new registration system
What is it?
Register Ottawa is the city of Ottawa's new registration platform. It allows you to search and filter by activity, time and day, age group, and location.
Visit register.ottawa.ca.
The city says the new platform is compatible with mobile devices and tablets.
Create an account
The city of Ottawa says you will need to create a new account unless you have an active membership (fitness, swimming, sport) or are an Ottawa Hand in Hand recipient.
Parents and guardians are urged to create an account in advance of registration night.
"Fill in the form with your information and add any other family members on the account," the city said in a media release.
"Saving your credit card information in advance will save you valuable time in checking out your preferred program offering."
Bookmark multiple offerings
The city of Ottawa recommends creating a wish list for easy retrieval during registration.
"When preparing for registration day, it’s a good idea to browse and bookmark one or more of your activities," the city said.
"In fact, for high-demand programs, like swimming, bookmark a few offerings of the same program. That way, if your first choice is fully registered, you can quickly get to your second or third choices. You might find the same activity available at a different time or location, or chose a different type of activity to try."
CHANGES TO SWIM CITY PROGRAM
The city of Ottawa is also launching a new swimming lessons program in January.
With the Canadian Red Cross phasing out swimming lessons as part of their water safety services, the city designed its own program.
The Swim City program includes four streams.
Swim Tots (under 3 years) contains three levels
- Little Dippers 1, Little Splashers 2, Little Jumpers 3
Swim Creatures (3-5 years) contains five levels
- Mikinàk/Turtle 1, Omagakì/Frog 2, Màng/Loon 3, Nigig/Otter 4, Amik/Beaver 5
Swim Colours (6-14 years) contains 10 levels
- Yellow 1, Coral 2, Red 3, Magenta 4, Purple 5, Navy 6, Aqua 7, Seafoam 8, Green 9, Lime 10
Adult/youth swim courses contain three levels
Sw'imtroduction 1, Sw'immersion 2, Sw'improvement 3
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trudeau to present health-care offer to premiers in long-awaited meeting for new deal
Canada's health care system is not working as well as it should and that has to change, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday as he prepared to meet the premiers to work on a new health-care funding deal.
Canadians now expect to need $1.7M in order to retire: BMO survey
Canadians now believe they need $1.7 million in savings in order to retire, a 20 per cent increase from 2020, according to a new BMO survey. The eye-watering figure is the largest sum since BMO first started surveying Canadians about their retirement expectations 13 years ago.
Quake deaths pass 5,000 as Turkiye, Syria seek survivors
Search teams and emergency aid from around the world poured into Turkiye and Syria on Tuesday as rescuers working in freezing temperatures dug, sometimes with their bare hands, through the remains of buildings flattened by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake. The death toll soared above 5,000 and was still expected to rise.
Why wasn't the suspected Chinese spy balloon shot down over Canada?
Critics say the U.S. and Canada had ample time to shoot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon as it drifted across North America. The alleged surveillance device initially approached North America near Alaska's Aleutian Islands on Jan 28. According to officials, it crossed into Canadian airspace on Jan. 30, travelling above the Northwest Territories, Alberta and Saskatchewan before re-entering the U.S. on Jan 31.
U.K. police officer, exposed as serial rapist, jailed for life
A former London police officer was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison with a minimum term of 30 years for raping and sexually assaulting a dozen women over a 17-year period.
Thieves cut huge hole in Ottawa restaurant wall to get at jewelry store next door
An Ottawa restaurateur says he was shocked to find his restaurant broken into and even more surprised to discover a giant hole in the wall that led to the neighbouring jewelry store.
Nova Scotia man finds possible historic Killick anchor on beach
John Benoit of West Jeddore, N.S., says he has been beachcombing for over 50 years, but his most recent discovery -- a Killick anchor -- is by far his most memorable.
Quebec minister 'surprised' asylum seekers given free bus tickets from New York City
Quebec's immigration minister says she was 'surprised' to learn the City of New York is helping to provide free bus tickets to migrants heading north to claim asylum in Canada.
China says will 'safeguard interests' over balloon shootdown
China said Tuesday it will 'resolutely safeguard its legitimate rights and interests' over the shooting down of a suspected Chinese spy balloon by the United States, as relations between the two countries deteriorate further. The balloon prompted U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to cancel a highly-anticipated visit to Beijing this week that had offered slight hopes for an improvement in relations.
Atlantic
-
Hundreds of Maritimers still dealing with burst pipes, power outages following record-low temperatures
Hundreds of Nova Scotians are still without power on Monday following frigid temperatures and high winds over the weekend.
-
Frustration with Nova Scotia Power surges after rate increases, weekend outages
A Cape Breton councillor feels with a 14 per cent increase now granted to Nova Scotia Power and millions of dollars in profits annually, residents shouldn't be paying out hundreds of dollars to operate a generator to keep the lights on.
-
Two people charged after 1.6 kg of fentanyl, 200 grams of cocaine seized from P.E.I. home
A man and a woman from Cornwall, P.E.I., have been charged with drug trafficking and firearm offences after drugs and guns were seized from a home in the town.
Toronto
-
NEW DETAILS
NEW DETAILS | Video emerges of moments before former child actor was fatally run down on the Danforth
Surveillance video of the moments before a former child actor was run down by a vehicle on the Danforth has been obtained by CTV News Toronto as police search for the driver.
-
Family of slain Toronto tech CEO to announce 'significant' reward in unsolved murder case
Nearly five years after Matthew Staikos was gunned down in Toronto, the family of the tech CEO is offering up a “significant” reward in the unsolved murder case.
-
Man arrested after 2 TTC riders sexually assaulted on Bloor-Danforth Line
A 56-year-old man has been arrested after allegedly committing two sexual assaults on the TTC’s Line 2, police said Tuesday.
Montreal
-
Teen hit and killed by snow loader in Laval shopping mall parking lot while at work
A 16-year-old boy has died after being struck by a snow clearing truck in the parking lot of Les Galeries Laval shopping mall on Monday night.
-
Iranian prisoner sponsored by Quebec MNA released
The Iranian prisoner sponsored by Quebec MNA Ruba Ghazal has been released, it was learned Monday. Bita Haghani, a young blogger arrested in October, had been sentenced to 18 years in prison.
-
Man killed, 2 police officers injured in fire south of Montreal
An elderly man is dead after a house fire in the small town of Saint-Philippe, about 30 kilometres south of Montreal. Roussillon police confirmed that the fire started around 8 p.m. in a home on Saint-Andre Road.
Northern Ontario
-
Netflix begins password sharing crackdown in Canada. What you need to know
Netflix users who have been sharing their passwords with friends and family members who live hundreds – or even thousands – of kilometres away won’t be able to do so for much longer, as the streaming service announced its plans to end password sharing.
-
U.S. 6-year-old who shot teacher allegedly tried to choke another
A 6-year-old Virginia boy who shot and wounded his first-grade teacher constantly cursed at staff and teachers, chased students around and tried to whip them with his belt and once choked another teacher 'until she couldn't breathe,' according to a legal notice filed by an attorney for the wounded teacher.
-
Why wasn't the suspected Chinese spy balloon shot down over Canada?
Critics say the U.S. and Canada had ample time to shoot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon as it drifted across North America. The alleged surveillance device initially approached North America near Alaska's Aleutian Islands on Jan 28. According to officials, it crossed into Canadian airspace on Jan. 30, travelling above the Northwest Territories, Alberta and Saskatchewan before re-entering the U.S. on Jan 31.
London
-
Fatal fire under investigation on Dundas Street
London police officers and fire officials are investigating after a fatal fire in the east end of the city Monday afternoon.
-
Multi-vehicle crash snaps hydro pole and cuts power
The public is asked to avoid a section of Highbury Avenue after a vehicle collision downed powerlines in the area.
-
London’s housing crisis demands 47,000 new homes — 40 per cent are approved but still unbuilt
An aggressive plan to address London, Ont.’s housing crisis has been unveiled by city hall, but meeting the construction targets will require doing things differently.
Winnipeg
-
'Absolute cash grab': Winnipeg residents upset with construction zone speed trap
The province is building an interchange at St Mary's Road and the South Perimeter to help traffic flow better, but some drivers who live in the area aren't happy with how speed limits are being enforced in a portion of this construction zone.
-
Man sentenced following 'savage' attack on Winnipeg bus
A 45-year-old man was sentenced for an attack on a Winnipeg Transit bus described in court as “savage, sadistic and shocking.”
-
Link alleged between two Winnipeg homicides: police
The Winnipeg Police Service said it has linked two recent homicides in the city, with officers alleging the incidents were not random.
Kitchener
-
Google layoffs impact Waterloo region employees
Google says on Monday notifications were sent to employees affected by the recently announced job cuts.
-
48-year-old woman dies after Wellington County crash
Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) in Wellington County are investigating a fatal two-vehicle collision in the Township of Wellington North.
-
Man arrested for death threats against Kitchener, Ont. Liberal MP
A 44-year-old Woolwich, Ont., man has been arrested for allegedly making death threats against a member of parliament.
Calgary
-
Smith joins premiers in Ottawa to talk to Trudeau about health care, just transition
Canada's premiers are in Ottawa to meet with the prime minister over access to more health care funding. But that's not all Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has on her mind.
-
'Buildings are broken': Calgary man in Turkiye describes disaster scene post-earthquake
Calgarians at home and abroad are reeling in the wake of a massive earthquake that struck a war-torn region near the border of Turkiye and Syria.
-
New details emerge ahead of Trudeau-premiers' health-care meeting
As preparations are underway for the anticipated health-care 'working meeting' between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Canada's premiers on Tuesday, new details are emerging about how the much-anticipated federal-provincial gathering will unfold.
Saskatoon
-
Syphilis cases up over 600 per cent in Sask. First Nations communities, says public health doc
Indigenous Services Canada’s top public health physician in Saskatchewan is sounding the alarm over growing rates of syphilis in First Nations communities in the province.
-
'A step backwards': Saskatoon greenhouse closure could harm green infrastructure strategy
The former director of planning with the city is mourning the loss of the city-operated greenhouse and what its absence could mean moving forward.
-
Connor Bedard is big business for the Western Hockey League
Connor Bedard has been taking the hockey world by storm, selling out multiple games on the Regina Pats Alberta road trip, but has the Western Hockey League (WHL) reckoned with his impact?
Edmonton
-
Trudeau to present health-care offer to premiers in long-awaited meeting for new deal
Canada's health care system is not working as well as it should and that has to change, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday as he prepared to meet the premiers to work on a new health-care funding deal.
-
Quake deaths pass 5,000 as Turkiye, Syria seek survivors
Search teams and emergency aid from around the world poured into Turkiye and Syria on Tuesday as rescuers working in freezing temperatures dug, sometimes with their bare hands, through the remains of buildings flattened by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake. The death toll soared above 5,000 and was still expected to rise.
-
N.W.T to complete curriculum transition by 2028, a 'sad commentary' for Alberta
After using Alberta's education curriculum since the 1950s, the Northwest Territories has outlined the timeline it will use to pivot toward British Columbia's program of studies.
Vancouver
-
'A largely absent resource': Those who call on Vancouver's police-based mental health team hope funding boost will improve service
There’s so much demand for Vancouver’s mental health emergency teams that people can be left waiting days, and sometimes teams never make it to requests for service at all. It’s hoped a funding boost to hire more staff will increase capacity of the service.
-
Dog named Kujo likely to 'kill or injure,' B.C. court rules in euthanasia decision
A dog named Kujo will be euthanized after a B.C. judge determined the animal is "likely to kill or injure" if released from the pound.
-
B.C. premier keeping an 'open mind' on eve of historic health summit in Ottawa
For more than two years, Canada’s premiers have been asking for a meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to discuss a new healthcare funding model – and on Tuesday the group will finally get two hours of face time in Ottawa.
Regina
-
What a global recession in 2023 could mean for Sask.
Talks of a global recession in 2023 remain relatively strong as the calendar reaches the second month of the year.
-
Riders expected to sign QB Harris in free agency: TSN
When free agency opens in the Canadian Football League (CFL) on Feb. 14 it’s likely the Saskatchewan Roughriders will sign quarterback Trevor Harris, a TSN report says.
-
Man charged after downtown robbery: police
A 27-year-old man is facing charges after a financial institution was robbed Monday afternoon on the 1900 block of Hamilton Street, the Regina Police Service (RPS) said in a news release.