Out at Camp has adopted Strathcona Park in Sandy Hill through the City of Ottawa’s Adopt-a-Park program. On the west bank of the Rideau River in Sandy Hill, this neighbourhood park holds a special place in Ottawa’s queer history. We’re joining its neighbours and visitors in helping care for it.
A picnic that helped shape Capital Pride
On 28 June 1986, about 50 people gathered in Strathcona Park for a Pride picnic organized by Gays of Ottawa. There were burgers, people relaxing in the shade, music, dancing, and balloons decorated by hand. That gathering became the starting point of the annual tradition we know today as Capital Pride.
Gabriella Goliger, a participant and former GO Info reporter, later remembered the afternoon: “It was friendly and upbeat; it was intimate.” A photograph shows her holding a balloon reading “Better gay than grumpy.” Her recollection captures the warmth of a gathering small enough for people to find one another and spend an afternoon together. Read her recollection in Xtra.
Ottawa’s queer organizing and public celebrations already had a history: the city hosted the “We Demand” demonstration in 1971 and Pride events in 1973. The 1986 picnic belongs within that longer story of people working for their rights and making space for community. Explore Canada’s Pride history.
Picnics continued in the following years as the celebrations grew and moved between locations. In 1989, a week of Pride activities culminated in Ottawa’s first Pride parade, with roughly 300 participants making their way to the picnic site. Strathcona Park remains a place to remember the modest gathering from which today’s festival developed. Read more about those early years.
A place with a longer history
Strathcona Park stands on the unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation, whose relationship with these lands and waters extends back millennia and continues today. Learn about the City of Ottawa’s Honouring Statement.
The Rideau River is also known as Pasapkedjinawong, an Anishinàbemowin name meaning “the river that passes between the rocks.” That name carries a history much older than the park or the city around it. Learn more about the river and Chief Pinesi’s portage.
The site later served as a rifle range before becoming a public park in the early 1900s. Today, its lawns, paths and riverside setting offer space for neighbourhood walks, play, picnics and time outdoors. Read about the park’s early development.
Why we adopted it
Out at Camp helps 2SLGBTQ+ people get outside through trips, access to gear, and opportunities to build skills and confidence. Adopting Strathcona Park brings that work into everyday life in the city.
The park is close, free to enter, and part of Ottawa’s queer story. Looking after it is a practical way to honour the people who gathered here and help keep it welcoming for everyone who uses it now.
For us, that means picking up litter, spending time together, and making room for new connections. A shared afternoon outdoors can begin with something as simple as showing up.
What adoption means
Adopt-a-Park is a City of Ottawa program that gives residents and community groups a volunteer role in caring for public spaces. The City continues to manage the park, and it remains open to everyone.
The program asks adopters to:
- Commit to a two- or five-year adoption agreement.
- Hold at least two cleanups each year, one in spring and one in fall.
- Participate in Cleaning the Capital where possible and submit spring and fall cleanup reports.
- Follow the City’s health and safety guidance.
- Report hazards or vandalism through Service Ottawa or 3-1-1.
Cleanup activities can include collecting litter, sweeping pathways and removing minor weeds. The City coordinates approvals and provides bagged-litter collection during the spring and fall Cleaning the Capital campaigns. Eligible five-year adopters can also request a recognition sign after their first year of required cleanup reports.
Read the City’s Adopt-a-Park program details.
Join us in the park
Our first cleanup is Sunday, September 27, 2026, at 2:30 PM.
Come meet a few people, walk the paths, and help care for this shared space. No experience is needed. Stay as long as you can and work at a pace that suits you.
We’ll have cleanup supplies provided by the City, plus snacks and cold refreshments. Bring closed-toe shoes, weather layers, and a water bottle. We’ll share the exact meeting spot after you register.
Registration is free and helps us plan supplies and refreshments.
Register for the September 27 cleanup.
Watch our adventures list and newsletter for future park days.