Local parkour spots
These are -my- favorite parkour spots. It doesn’t cover everything, everyone has their own small spots close to home they love, but this list will cover the big spots known by the parkour scene in Ottawa, as well as a few gems I’ve found tucked away in the city.
2001 CArling Ave.
Nice low grippy walls dropping onto grass. Perfect beginner spot. Please be mindful of the flowers, and scan your landing area for dog poop since it’s an apartment building and a lot of people don’t pick up after taking their pets out on the lawn it seems.
Portage: “main Spot” -98 Rue Victoria, Gatineau
This plaza has a huge number of features spread out around its perimeter, with a big fountain in the middle that’s good for nothin. the northeast corner (which is the spot in the picture) is what people mean when they say the “main spot” but the whole plaza is good. Be advised, the west side building security guards are way fussier than the ones responsible for the east side building.
Portage: “Cover spot” -172 Prom. du Portage
featuring an easy drop onto soft turf, a railing, and a couple low walls, this spot is covered by the underside of the building, which means even in bad weather this spot is always available. A perfect “Plan B” for any parkour training day. The adjacent courtyard has some neat features too.
Portage: - 55 Rue Kent
Some nice soft landing combined with some hard ones. Tall walls and curving, spacious architecture. A really nice blend of elements.
Ottawa University- (Multiple spots)
You could (and I have) spent an entire summer doing parkour just at Ottawa U and never run out of architecture to style out on. I would like to break down each of the specific spots on campus, but there’s so many it’s too much for now. If you’re on campus, then you’re a 2 min walk from at least one absolute banger of a spot. This is THE spot in Ottawa.
Carleton University -(multiple)
Not even a quarter as many spots as Ottawa U, but still some good parkour to do. One feature in particular which I havnt’t found anywhere else in the city is “the halfpipe”: Soft grassy ground with tall grippy walls on 3 sides and a railing at the top of one of fancy entrance/exit. This spot is magnificent for spamming back to back wall tricks with soft landings and shade. It also features 2 “inside corners”, which is a rare architectural feature in outdoor locations that can be used for very advanced wall tricks. Found between “SA” and “ML” on their campus maps.
Garden of the Provinces and Territories
I like this spot for the walls and platforms of various heights. Not great for vaulting, but a great spot for climbing and dismounting. One of the nice things about this location is that it’s public property so you can train all day with no kick-out!
