About Us

BGC Ottawa has been helping at-risk children and youth across our city for nearly 100 years. It has the greatest reach and impact on at-risk children and youth in the city with more than 100,000 visits per year.

Each year, BGC Ottawa provides thousands of children and youth in seven at-risk neighbourhoods across the city with a safe space during the most vulnerable hours of the day, and FREE access to life-changing programs in four key programming pillars that are purposefully designed to drive personal development. They are; Education; Physical Activity and Healthy Lifestyle; Leadership and Social Skills; and Creative Arts. The Club also runs Camp Smitty to ensure that every child has the opportunity to experience summer camp.

After-school and weekend hours are a critical time for youth. That time can represent either an opportunity to learn and grow or be a time of risk to youth's health and safety. Experts agree that after-school programs offer a healthy and positive alternative. They keep kids safe, improve academics and help relieve the stresses on today's working families. They can serve as important intervention strategies for youth.

At the Club, we dream of a community where every child is given the opportunity to succeed in life and experience a brighter future regardless of race, religion, social or economic status.