Recreation
Spring, Summer, and Autumn Recreation
During the warmer months, City Parks staff open and maintain a number of outdoor green spaces, parks, trails, and facilities. Brockville is also fortunate to have had a number of community groups over the years fundraise for additional recreation amenities such as the outdoor rink in Rotary Park, bocce ball court in Hardy Park, disc golf course, and more. We are proud to be part of such a giving community and for providing additional opportunities for our citizens to get outside and enjoy our beautiful city.
The Brockville Railway Tunnel was Canada’s first railway tunnel, and this historic site was reopened in full to the public in 2017 and connects to the Brock Trail. The tunnel is over 500 metres long and contains a number of interesting man made features and natural geological formations. Lights run along the path, lighting the tunnel a rainbow of colours, quickly making it Brockville’s number one free tourist attraction. The site is open daily between April and October, please check the tunnel website for closure notices for special events and seasonal opening dates.
The City of Brockville is proud to be “bicycle friendly” with several sites listed on the Ontario by Bike website, including St. Lawrence Park, which has an “always open” policy for self supported cyclists needing a place to camp.
For updates on openings each year for assets such as the beach or splash pad, please check out our News and Announcements section.
Athletic Fields & Activities
Baseball Fields
- Brackenreid Ball Park
- Fulford Athletic Grounds
- Kelly Ball Park
- Memorial Park:
- Goldie Christopher Park
- Kinsmen Slo-pitch Ball Diamonds (x2)
Soccer Fields
- Memorial Park:
- Rotary Field House and Soccer Fields (x5)
Tennis Court and Pickle Ball
- Butler’s Creek Tennis Court + fitness station
- Schofield Pickle Ball Courts
Basketball
- Outdoor Court along the Brock Trail (near King Street and Gilmour Street)
Disc Golf
- Located near Brackenreid Park.
Bocce Ball
- Hardy Park
Skateboarding and Pump Track
- Civitan Skate Park (Skateboarding)
- Brock Trail by King Street and Gilmour Street (Bicycle Pump Track)
Fitness Station
- Brock Trail section by Pearl Street (Outdoor fitness station)
Please contact 613-342-8772 x 3238 or contact Arenas and Facilities for questions or to book the baseball or soccer fields.
City Parks
The City of Brockville has 26 parks, totaling more than 90 acres.
A description of Brockville’s largest and most popular parks can be found on our Parks and Trails page. Below is a list of our local parks and playgrounds. Parks that contain playgrounds are listed first, followed by parks that do not.
Parks with Playgrounds:
- Alwington Park
- Armagh S. Price Park
- Bramshot Park
- Brookview Park
- Butterfield Park
- Dana Street Park
- Davison Park
- Duke Street Park
- George Street Park
- Hardy Park (with accessible playstructure)
- John Knox Park
- Kensington Park East
- Kensingston Park West
- Kingswood Park
- Linden Park
- Little Fulford Park
- MacOdrum Park
- Matthew Fraser Park
- Perth Street Park
- Pilgrim Park
- Rotary Fieldhouse Park
- Rotary Park and Splash Pad
- Schofield Park
- Sophia Street Park
- St. Lawrence Park
- Victoria Park
- Waverly Park
Other City Parks:
- Baker Park
- Bicentennial Park
- Bisley Park
- Brock Street Park
- Centeen Park
- Centennial Park
- Cunningham Park
- Courthouse Green
- Courthouse Square
- Ernie Fox Quay
- Henry Street Park
- Museum Park
- Ruskin Crescent Park
- Scace Avenue Park
Winter Recreation
When the St. Lawrence River freezes over, a whole new set of activities become available. Outdoor skating is a popular activity as children move from street hockey to ice hockey, and our outdoor rinks become viable. The Brockville Memorial Centre has an arena that is used for a number of local groups, from hockey, to figure skating, to speed skating. Opportunities for public skating are kept current in the button below with additional information posted on our Arenas and Facilities page.
Outdoors, the City prepares and maintains three rinks, and one toboggan hill. The rink at Rotary Park has a covered rink with public changerooms and washrooms and is less subject to temperature fluctuations and the elements as the other two areas, and is therefore the most popular. A mix of recreational skating and hockey is available on this rink on a daily schedule from mid December until mid to late March.
Outdoor Rinks & Toboggan Hill
Rotary Park Outdoor Rink
Just west of the downtown core, Rotary Park (King Street West at Gilmour Street), has an artificially chilled rink along George Street which is open from early December to the end of March.
Rotary Park offers free, year round, all ages outdoor activities, including a splash pad, accessible play area, skateboard park, Ontario’s first paved bicycle pump track, and a basketball court. In the winter, the P&G pavilion has washrooms and a change room that are open daily, and a refrigerated, covered rink that provides ice for hockey and public skating from December to March. Rotary Park is immediately adjacent to the Brock Trail and ample public parking is available on George Street.
Tunnel Bay (Blockhouse Island)
Once the municipal harbour freezes over in January or February, City staff prepare the surface as an another rink for recreational skaters. Since the seasonal docks stay in the harbour over the winter, a set of these docks is used to provide a space to tie your skates, and the skating area itself is a kidney shaped loop rather than a traditional skating oval. No hockey is permitted at this site.
City staff check the ice each day to ensure the safety of the rink, and close and lock the gates if the area is not safe for skating.
Watch the Municipal Harbour on our City webcams.
Memorial Park (Laurier Boulevard)
Laurier Hill has long been a favourite for tobogganers in the winter months. With a long run off area at the bottom of the hill, it is also a good workout to climb back to the top of the hill, and a good way for kids to burn off some extra energy. City staff check on the hill conditions and we post if the hill is safe for use.
A generous “toboggan lending library” is set up at the bottom of the hill for anyone who needs one, please return them at the end of your fun.
At the bottom of the hill, next to Laurier Boulevard, City staff prepare and condition an outdoor ice rink. Please check the status of the rink before going out onto the ice. Footprints left in melted slush are often permanent and makes for a tough skate.
At the north end of the city, you will find Mac Johnson Wildlife Area, a Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority site. In the winter they maintain groomed cross country skiing trails and offer family activities on certain weekends.
Brockville is an active sport city year round. From hockey, skating, and snowshoeing in the winter, to soccer, baseball, water sports and much more in the warmer months, you’ll always find Brockville residents keeping active.
The City maintains a large number of parks and playgrounds, including multiple ball diamonds and soccer fields, along with indoor and outdoor skating facilities, summer splash pad, public beach, city islands, campground, and a 10 kilometre long paved walking trail that runs through the city. In the surrounding region, we are fortunate to have nearby hiking and cycling trails, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing recreational trails, and plenty of opportunities to get out on the river for kayaking, sailing, boating, scuba diving and more.