My mom has been going every morning for years. Today, June 23, 2023, I decided to sign up so I can lift weights and get back into shape. I'm 50 years old. We'll see how this goes. Today I signed up for the free three day trial. so I can use three days over the next week. Went right to the weight room and I lifted weights for a while and then ran on the treadmill. It's a great room. So many machines. I don't even know what most of them do. It's a great relaxing atmosphere. I'm going to start going every morning instead of my usual jog along the canal. Oh, and my dad goes every month for a talk they have in one of the rooms with a speaker for mostly retired people. It's great. I've gotten to some of those. read more

No, if you are a fancy gym user. I have been to Cherry YMCA in Toronto and it was just perfect. This YMCA has a really old and dark gym space with a really old equipment. Another thing is that it's very dirty over the place. I would say that there some other options like GLife or Elgin Fitness if you need some new equipment. If you are ok with old machinery then go ahead. The monthly prices range from $45 to $70. Unfortunately, it is very sad about gyms in Ottawa. read more

This is a fantastic institution! I'm a member of the Carlingwood Y, and tried to book a private room there for a boxing class with Noah K, but their multipurpose rooms were all full. The Carlingwood location still doesn't have their pool open either, and we wanted to swim, so we decided to visit the Taggart Family Y on Argyle, right across from the Museum of Nature. We headed over around noon on Saturday and there was absolutely no parking anywhere nearby. After circling around several times, we decided to park at the Museum. BIG mistake! We ended up paying $12, but the real kicker was I discovered they have underground parking (the entrance is off of Carling, and I believe it costs $5). Anyway, despite that little hiccup, we had a great experience. The woman at the front desk was a sweetheart - super friendly and enthusiastic. She greeted us and let us know about the two squash courts we could use. You can't book them in advance - they're first come first serve (ha!), but both were empty when we got there. They're a bit creepy and not in great shape, but they were perfect for what we needed them for - a large area where we wouldn't crash in to anyone. The changerooms were huge and had plenty of free lockers. You can also purchase a small locker (I think they're 25 cents) if you forgot to bring a lock. They have several shower stalls which are decent (though the water pressure was so hard it hurt a bit!) though nothing fancy, and bunch of spots to dry your hair and reapply your makeup. They even have complimentary hairdryers which was super convenient. We didn't use the gym equipment, but it looked great. We did spend about an hour in the pool area which is definitely dated, but still in fairly decent shape. It could use a coat of paint and some cosmetic touches, but it's large, has room for swimming laps, a children's pool and a hot tub. I would definitely come back here again, and I love that I have full access to it because of my Y pass. They also had a ton of children and family events going on, and had posters and flyers everywhere for upcoming events. A great facility for people looking to get involved in their community or work out! read more

Taggart Family Y - Pool for laps - Gyms Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

I recently signed up with the YMCA for the student deal they offer for the summer. The rate is $160 for four months. In comparison with the other monthly rates they offer, the student deal was my best option. I have been to a few other gyms in the area-- Snap Fitness, uOttawa, Goodlife Rideau-- and prefer the YMCA on Argyle Avenue to any gym. Firstly, the price for a membership is very reasonable. It is the most basic membership available. I would only consider upgrading my membership for access to more group classes-though I have not tried a group class, and I do not have plans to in the foreseeable future. When I arrived at the gym, my first thought was that it is very large, spacious and clean. All of the equipment is updated and new and well kept. There are many sorts of cardio machines and an impressive weight section. I enjoy that the treadmills face the outdoors. A nice feature the YMCA includes are locker rentals. Upon entering the gym, you will notice small lockers. For a dollar coin, you can rent the locker for a short period and receive your dollar coin on your way out! A nice feature--now I only bring my purse to the gym!! On my first visit, I had noticed that many of the weight machines lack detailed instructions on how to use them and as a 'newbie' to the gym, this was a bit intimidating for me. Though, I contacted the gym and arranged an orientation. A few days later I received a call from Angie, the instructor who was going to perform my orientation session, and she discussed my goal and current stage with me. The orientation session was a one-on-one information session with Angie--unlike my orientation at Goodlife that included 5 other people. Angie designed a full body workout for me, demonstrated and had me perform each exercise. Moreover, my membership includes 2 more of these sessions! More than anything, I really enjoy the inclusivity at the YMCA. There are a wide range of people that come to this gym and this makes the gym less frightening and intimidating for me. I have found many gyms to contain many 'macho' tough guys and girls who have too much of a competitive streak, though I have less of a sense of this at the YMCA. Overall, I really enjoy attending the YMCA and would highly recommend it. read more

Don't be fooled by their claim that they have racquetball courts. Technically, they have two non-glass courts. They are falling apart. I play every week and every week there are more paint flakes from the walls on the floor. The walls are very beat up and marked. The floor is no longer varnished all over, bare wood shows, especially at the serving line. Not only is the maintenance poor but, when three lights were out, I had to badger the management to replace them. It took several weeks. Did I mention dirt? The janitorial service here is the worst that I have ever seen. On the plus side, it only costs $8/day/person and is very near a bus line. Also, the counter staff is friendly and capable, more than I can say about the management. read more

I used to like this gym. It has a really nice weight room and as far as I can see good personal trainers. The problem is behind the service counter and in management. I went to work out today after being gone for the holidays and they had fixed their parking gate. I thought it wouldn't be a big deal since I had my debit card with me... I was wrong!! Before I left I asked the girl behind the counter if the machine took debit and she assured me that it did so I pulled up to the gate to find out that it didn't. I parked again and went back to the desk to ask how I could pay to leave. A second girl told me that she was sure the machine by the elevator did so we walked over to see, it didn't. She then brought me to the cafeteria to see if I could get cash there but they wouldn't let me. She then told me I would have to use they ATM and pay the fee to get cash. The fee was as much as the parking in the first place. After getting cash and starting to use the machine I realized that with all of this my parking fee had gone up because I had been there longer. That's when the manager passed by. I asked her if there was anything she could do. All she did was brush me off and go back to her office. Good equipment but not worth it. They preferred to get the $5 for the parking over taking care of a customer. Stay away from this gym!! read more

Not a fan. First and foremost - the gym is way too freakin' hot. We're exercising, we don't need a roaring furnace! The counter staff just shrugged every time I brought it up. Secondly, there are always unattended kids running around, or (worse) being ignored by their parents as they climb on machines or try to pull stuff off people's active treadmills. The change rooms often have signage indicating recent thefts from lockers, and full of sloppy boottracks in the winter. I found it always crowded and didn't personally like the small TVs in each treadmill (no CC - I prefer the row of overhead TVs so I can watch a show but also listen to my own music. The final straw for me was when they changed the cable subscription without warning. They charged me an extra month as well when I left. If this is all you can afford, or you have a family, or your tolerance of humanity is greater than mine, it's worth a shot. However, there are other options in the area for adults who want to work out in (relative) peace and comfort. read more

I've been to a number of gyms in ottawa, such as Algonquin College, Goodlife, the city gym in Orleans, and the ymca in Orleans. One of the best features of this ymca is that it has a squash court. I don't play squash at all. I never tried and probably never will lol. The reason why I like the squash court is because it's a private area that I can go to and train Mauy Thai with my girlfriend. A lot of other gyms have fitness areas but they seem to be busy at the time I am there or that members are not allowed to use that area without a staff member there. The squash courts are always free when I go here (probably because no one actually likes playing squash lol). Another great thing about this ymca is their weight room. They have plenty of equipment to choose from and the machines are kept very well. I love to run and bike. Their treadmills are modern with built in tvs on the front. But I did find that the treadmills have a timer on it and the max I could put it on for is 35 minutes! . I'm currently training for a triathlon and I typically run for about 1hour. These treadmills stopped after 35 minutes and then I had to reset them. Major bummer!!! The bikes did the same thing! I imagine it is because they don't want people hogging them if/when the gym is busy. But the absolute best part of this gym is the swimming pool. It is 25m in length and always has a lane for people to swim. The pool isn't the newest nor looks exactly the cleanest lol. But it's absolutely perfect for swimming. The pool at the ymca in Orleans is 20m in length in comparison. But if you plan on doing a triathlon like myself then a 25m is a must to train on!!! Thanks for reading!!! read more

Taggart Family Y - Front entrance - Gyms Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

Overpriced facility with outdated and often broken equipment. Cleanliness is a huge factor throughout the facilities, in the change rooms, showers and gym. I opted for the plus membership which was nice with a private gym in the change room but still with a premium membership that area was dirty, mildew in the showers, attendants busy watching TV. After cancelling and being charged a full month despite losing half of the month I paid for returning my card, talking to the condescending got me nowhere. He proceeds to talk in circles to illustrate it is normal to pay for services you are not getting, completely unwilling to help out a client there for 2 years plus 4 years in Montreal. Today they lose 2 clients forever, and hopefully more that learn from my experience. Shop around there are many better cheaper options out there. read more

I was a member at the Taggart Y for almost 10 years, I wanted to help with the community living, but also want a proper gym. I kept wanting things to get better, but to no avail. I've just changed to GoodLife in the Glebe. read more

I was looking for a pool that was open on Easter Monday as all City of Ottawa Pools are closed on that day. Upon calling I was informed that they were open and that their drop in rates are $13 which gives you access to all the facility. Although i do admit it is a good price for someone who is planning on having a workout day-swimming/using the gym... it is not really a practical price to pay for just a 45 minute swim. The temperature of the water is apparently cooler than the City of Ottawa facility that I presently go to .. 80 degree F! Probably a great place.. never made it there because their drop in rates are ridiculous! read more

I am DISGUSTED with the management of this place. When I moved to Toronto at the end of April, I was assured that my membership could be cancelled at any YMCA. Well I arrive to Toronto and no longer am able to use the gym, so I head to my closest YMCA to cancel. I was told there was no way to cancel my membership unless I went back to Ottawa and did it there. I e-mailed them that day, which was 9 days before the day they take the membership fee from my account and they assured me that since I gave them a notice of more than 7 days I would not be charged for May's membership. Well, they charged me for May and when I contacted them about it I was ignored! I sent multiple e-mails to multiple people, including the e-mail which guaranteed I would not be charged, which all went without a reply. I would call and they told me all I could do was e-mail. I am very disappointed that it has had to come to this, BUT I AM NEVER GOING BACK TO A YMCA AGAIN! read more