Nepean Sportsplex is a sports complex located in Ottawa, Ontario. It is located north of Confederation High School, near the Ottawa Greenbelt at 1701 Woodroffe Avenue. This is the home arena of the Nepean Raiders hockey team from the Central Canada Hockey League.

The Nepean Sportsplex is a multi-purpose facility serving Ottawa residents and visitors for over 40 years. Each year, the Nepean Sportsplex hosts more than 30 sporting events. It is used annually by more than 1.5 million people. The facility boasts an impressive aquatic centre with a 50-meter Olympic swimming pool, diving towers, springboards and a 25-metre family swimming pool. A therapeutic whirlpool is available, as well as a wading pool for children. 

The centre boasts three rinks that are North American-sized: The Yzerman and the Allen J. MacDonald arenas, as well as a 10-sheet curling area. The banquet and meeting spaces range in size from 468 square metres up to 8,640 sq. There are 62,000 square feet of space available.

The Nepean Sportsplex is the ideal location for tradeshows, special events, and even the annual Christmas craft fair. There are activities for seniors over 50, and the Visual Arts Centre offers all levels visual arts programs. There are also general interest programs.

Facility Reviews

• It is amazing that the pool has a length of 50m.
• Ideal temperature for long or intense workouts.
• The pool is ideal for lap swimming during the day, and the lanes to circle swim are clearly marked.
• The pool is bright and well ventilated.
• You will find water fountains and refilling stations for your bottles on the deck.
• For those who prefer a warmer swim, a second pool of 25 meters is available.
• The showers and change rooms may be old but they are always clean.
• A few pull-buoys and chewed kickboards are still available.
• Excellent staff.
• Two parking areas are available: one at the front and one at the back. It’s also located on a bus route.

History

In 1973, the Nepean Sportsplex was built to be a hub for the former city of Nepean. It has an athletics centre with a gym and a fitness area, as well as fields for soccer, baseball, and football. There is also convention space and swimming pools. It was used by Barrhaven, and surrounding communities, until the Walter Baker Sports Centre opened in 1980. In memory of Steve Yzerman who was a former player for the Nepean Raiders Hockey team, the 3000-seat arena was named Steve Yzerman Arena. You can also see the Ottawa Junior Riders of the Quebec Junior Football League.

The Sportsplex was Ottawa’s first mass vaccination clinic during this CoVID-19 Pandemic.