Membership policies

Student and employee cards issued by the University of Ottawa as well as those issued by Sports Services are the only recognized official pieces of ID for access to sports facilities, no other piece of ID can be used to enter the facilities. Sports Services reserves the right to refuse access to any member who does not have their access card at time of entry. 

Any person using another person's card, or a forged or altered card, is subject to the sanctions of the University regulations on fraud and will lose their membership privileges without refund. People who try to admit another person to our facilities illegally shall be expelled from the premises and will lose their membership privileges without refund. 

NOTE: Any staff member of Sports Services has the right to revoke membership privileges at any time. Sports Services also declines any responsibility for accidents and loss or theft of personal belongings.

• Smoking (including using lighted or heated tobacco or cannabis) and Vaping (including use of electronic cigarettes) is prohibited within our Sports Fields, Facilities, and Surfaces, including outdoor areas within 20m of our sports facilities. 

• Reference: University of Ottawa Policy 58 and the Smoke Free Ontario Act, 2017. 

• All food and beverages must be consumed outside the sports facilities. 

• Newspapers or other paper objects are not permitted in the saunas. 

• Shaving is not permitted in the saunas. 

• In the sauna, sit on a towel. 

• Sandals are recommended in the locker rooms and in the pool area. 

• Do not leave any food in the lockers. 

• Do not hang any piece of clothing or your towel on your locker door. 

• Do not spit on the ground. 

• Use a towel to wipe off your exercise bench both before and after use. 

• Do not walk barefoot in the sports facilities. 

Users are required to wear a sweater, t-shirt or other appropriate sportswear, as well as running shoes which do not scuff the playing surfaces. Bags are not allowed into any of the activity areas and corridors including the fitness centres. Sport shoes previously worn outside are not permitted on the playing surfaces. Regular shorts, clothing and shoes are not allowed in the pool or in the pool area. It is mandatory to wear a bathing suit in the pool or the pool area. 

All of our employees are certified in first aid and cardio-pulmonary resuscitation. Members must advise staff of accidents or injuries. In case of an emergency, our staff will make the necessary phone calls to ensure the members safety. 

Members taking part in Sports Services activities are not insured in case of accident. Individuals are therefore responsible for securing their own coverage. With the exception of dental care, most expenses related to medical treatment are paid by the Health program of each Canadian province. 

Members are encouraged to leave their valuables in a safety deposit box, available free of charge at the client services desks of Montpetit Hall and the Health and Lifestyle Centre, and use a high quality lock. A lost or no-returned key is subject to a $25 replacement fee. The card has a limited life expectancy and it can be activated or deactivated as needed. 

Safety tips: 

• Avoid leaving your personal belongings unsupervised. 

• Inform the staff of any suspicious looking activities or individuals in the facilities.

• Never leave your credit card or any health card as proof of identification. 

• Do not bring glass containers into the facilities or the locker rooms. 

• Wring the water from your bathing suit in a sink or use a centrifuge. 

• Know where the emergency exits are located and leave the facility immediately if the alarm sounds. 

• Wearing sandals in the facilities is not allowed except in corridors, swimming pool, martial arts room and change rooms. 

• All of our facilities are regularly patrolled by both our employees and Protection Services Officers. These employees may be in uniform or dressed casually. 

• For the protection of our clients, electronic surveillance cameras are used in certain areas of the sport facilities. 

Patrons using this facility do so at their own risk. The University of Ottawa does not accept responsibility for related risks or injuries. 

• All bathers must shower with warm water and soap and rinse off the soap before entering the pool.
• The shower must be turned off after use. The shower room floor is slippery when wet. Do not run.
• Outdoor footwear is not permitted on the pool deck. Rubber pool sandals are recommended.
• Any pool fouling will result in the pool being temporarily closed in accordance with provincial regulations.
• Bathing apparel must be clean and used specifically for the purpose of bathing.
• No glass containers, food or beverages are allowed in the change room or on the pool deck.
• Spectators are asked to remain in the identified spectator area.

It is recommended that people stay in the sauna for a maximum of 5 to 10 minutes.

There is no proof that saunas promote health or that tolerance to high temperatures increases with repeated exposure. People subject to fainting spells or suffering from an irregular heart-beat, palpitations, angina, hypertension or any other cardiovascular disease must avoid the sauna and the whirlpool without prior medical consultation and permission from their doctor.

Avoid using the sauna after strenuous physical exertion. Never enter the sauna or whirlpool alone.

People under the age of 16 are not allowed in the sauna.