Taggart Family Y

I was looking for a pool that was open on Easter Monday as all City of Ottawa Pools are closed on that day. Upon calling I was informed that they were open and that their drop in rates are $ 13 which gives you access to all the facility. Although i do admit it is a good price for someone who is planning on having a workout day-​swimming/​using the gym… it is not really a practical price to pay for just a 45 minute swim. The temperature of the water is apparently cooler than the City of Ottawa facility that I presently go to. 80 degree F! Probably a great place. never made it there because their drop in rates are ridiculous!

I’ve been to a number of gyms in ottawa, such as Algonquin College, Goodlife, the city gym in Orleans, and the ymca in Orleans. One of the best features of this ymca is that it has a squash court. I don’t play squash at all. I never tried and probably never will lol. The reason why I like the squash court is because it’s a private area that I can go to and train Mauy Thai with my girlfriend. A lot of other gyms have fitness areas but they seem to be busy at the time I am there or that members are not allowed to use that area without a staff member there. The squash courts are always free when I go here (probably because no one actually likes playing squash lol). Another great thing about this ymca is their weight room. They have plenty of equipment to choose from and the machines are kept very well. I love to run and bike. Their treadmills are modern with built in tvs on the front. But I did find that the treadmills have a timer on it and the max I could put it on for is 35 minutes!. I’m currently training for a triathlon and I typically run for about 1hour. These treadmills stopped after 35 minutes and then I had to reset them. Major bummer!!! The bikes did the same thing! I imagine it is because they don’t want people hogging them if/​when the gym is busy. But the absolute best part of this gym is the swimming pool. It is 25m in length and always has a lane for people to swim. The pool isn’t the newest nor looks exactly the cleanest lol. But it’s absolutely perfect for swimming. The pool at the ymca in Orleans is 20m in length in comparison. But if you plan on doing a triathlon like myself then a 25m is a must to train on!!! Thanks for reading!!!

This is a fantastic institution! I’m a member of the Carlingwood Y, and tried to book a private room there for a boxing class with Noah K, but their multipurpose rooms were all full. The Carlingwood location still doesn’t have their pool open either, and we wanted to swim, so we decided to visit the Taggart Family Y on Argyle, right across from the Museum of Nature.
We headed over around noon on Saturday and there was absolutely no parking anywhere nearby. After circling around several times, we decided to park at the Museum. BIG mistake! We ended up paying $ 12, but the real kicker was I discovered they have underground parking (the entrance is off of Carling, and I believe it costs $ 5). Anyway, despite that little hiccup, we had a great experience.
The woman at the front desk was a sweetheart — super friendly and enthusiastic. She greeted us and let us know about the two squash courts we could use. You can’t book them in advance — they’re first come first serve (ha!), but both were empty when we got there. They’re a bit creepy and not in great shape, but they were perfect for what we needed them for — a large area where we wouldn’t crash in to anyone.
The changerooms were huge and had plenty of free lockers. You can also purchase a small locker (I think they’re 25 cents) if you forgot to bring a lock. They have several shower stalls which are decent (though the water pressure was so hard it hurt a bit!) though nothing fancy, and bunch of spots to dry your hair and reapply your makeup. They even have complimentary hairdryers which was super convenient.
We didn’t use the gym equipment, but it looked great. We did spend about an hour in the pool area which is definitely dated, but still in fairly decent shape. It could use a coat of paint and some cosmetic touches, but it’s large, has room for swimming laps, a children’s pool and a hot tub.
I would definitely come back here again, and I love that I have full access to it because of my Y pass. They also had a ton of children and family events going on, and had posters and flyers everywhere for upcoming events. A great facility for people looking to get involved in their community or work out!

I recently signed up with the YMCA for the student deal they offer for the summer. The rate is $ 160 for four months. In comparison with the other monthly rates they offer, the student deal was my best option. I have been to a few other gyms in the area– Snap Fitness, uOttawa, Goodlife Rideau– and prefer the YMCA on Argyle Avenue to any gym.
Firstly, the price for a membership is very reasonable. It is the most basic membership available. I would only consider upgrading my membership for access to more group classes-​though I have not tried a group class, and I do not have plans to in the foreseeable future.
When I arrived at the gym, my first thought was that it is very large, spacious and clean. All of the equipment is updated and new and well kept. There are many sorts of cardio machines and an impressive weight section. I enjoy that the treadmills face the outdoors. A nice feature the YMCA includes are locker rentals. Upon entering the gym, you will notice small lockers. For a dollar coin, you can rent the locker for a short period and receive your dollar coin on your way out! A nice feature – now I only bring my purse to the gym!
On my first visit, I had noticed that many of the weight machines lack detailed instructions on how to use them and as a ‘newbie’ to the gym, this was a bit intimidating for me. Though, I contacted the gym and arranged an orientation.
A few days later I received a call from Angie, the instructor who was going to perform my orientation session, and she discussed my goal and current stage with me. The orientation session was a one-​on-​one information session with Angie – unlike my orientation at Goodlife that included 5 other people. Angie designed a full body workout for me, demonstrated and had me perform each exercise. Moreover, my membership includes 2 more of these sessions!
More than anything, I really enjoy the inclusivity at the YMCA. There are a wide range of people that come to this gym and this makes the gym less frightening and intimidating for me. I have found many gyms to contain many ‘macho’ tough guys and girls who have too much of a competitive streak, though I have less of a sense of this at the YMCA.
Overall, I really enjoy attending the YMCA and would highly recommend it.