Sports and leisure activities - Ontario in 2024

Practical information : Move & Laze around Ontario

Budget & Tips

There are ways to stretch your legs without paying a penny. The town halls of towns and villages provide a variety of sports facilities, from swimming pools to baseball fields. Access is usually free or at a very low cost. There is also a network of free multi-use trails in Ontario for both cyclists and cross-country skiers. A few dollars are required in national parks and some nature reserves. However, to embark on adventures such as rafting or snowmobiling, you need to budget for them.

What's very local

In winter, in parks and other large areas, skating rinks grow like mushrooms. Most of the time, you have to provide your own equipment, but some rinks offer ice skates for rent on site. And it is beautifully maintained throughout the season! Another particularity in Ontario: outfitting camps. Whatever the season, you can practice all possible outdoor activities, starting with hunting and fishing, the two big stars.

Your documents please

Some activities require a valid certification or permit. This is the case if, for example, you wish to rent a motorized watercraft, participate in a fishing trip or go scuba diving. The same is true for driving a snowmobile, which requires that you carry your driver's licence. In short, find out about the requirements beforehand.

To be booked

Places are often limited, so it is recommended, if not essential, to reserve for guided outdoor outings, multi-activity excursions, raids (snowmobile, dog sledding, etc.), adrenaline activities (jet boating, zip line, etc.), golf games or even treatments and massages offered in the spas. The same goes for professional sports team games in Hamilton, Ottawa and Toronto, especially when it comes to hockey, Ontario's beloved sport. Although tickets can usually be purchased on site, during the playoffs, reservations become essential to secure a seat.

Main events

There are many high-calibre sporting events in Ontario, starting with the games of the province's professional sports teams (Blue Jays for baseball, Raptors for basketball, Argonauts, Redblacks and Tiger-Cats for football, Maple Leafs and Senators for hockey, and Toronto FC for soccer), but also those of the junior or university leagues that showcase the next generation of athletes. Several marathons are also held in Ontario, including in Ottawa, Toronto and Niagara Falls. There is also the Bonnechere Cup in Eganville in February (snowmobile races), the Honda Indy Toronto Grand Prix in July (IndyCar circuit), and the National Bank Open in Toronto, which each year in August hosts the cream of world tennis.
To fill up on ideas, fairs are organized throughout the province and feature outdoor activities, camping, hunting and fishing (The Ottawa Outdoor + Adventure Travel Show, The Outdoor Adventure Show, Toronto Sportsmen's Show...), not to mention carnivals dedicated to winter activities (Winterlude in Ottawa, Fesb Fest in Kingston, Winterfest in Barrie...).

Tourist traps

During sporting events, dealers are omnipresent in the vicinity of the event venue. Although it is true that you can save a few dollars by buying from them, it would be a shame to lose your money on fake tickets. So go through the official ticket offices.

Sports and leisure activities Ontario

PORTAGE STORE

ST. GEORGES GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

WILDERNESS TOURS

WHIRLPOOL JET BOAT TOURS

DINOSAUR VALLEY MINI GOLF

NIAGARA RIVER RECREATION TRAIL

BRANTFORD TO HAMILTON RAIL TRAIL

NATHAN PHILLIPS SQUARE'S ICE RINK

BIGWIN ISLAND GOLF CLUB

OSPREY VALLEY RESORT

MUSKOKA BAY CLUB

WESTMOUNT GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

ST. THOMAS GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

WILDPLAY ZIPLINE TO THE FALLS

HARBOURFRONT CANOE & KAYAK CENTRE

TORONTO BRUCE TRAIL CLUB

VOYAGEUR QUEST

PAVILLON DU LAC DOW

THE ALGONQUIN CANOE COMPANY

NIAGARA GLEN NATURE CENTRE

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