Crichton Community Council (CCC)

The Crichton Community Council (CCC), known as the three-Cs, is a volunteer organization that provides seasonal programs and ongoing community service in New Edinburgh.  Since 1974 the CCC has worked to enhance New Edinburgh’s sense of community and foster an inclusive spirit among residents. The CCC acts as the steward of New Edinburgh Park and the Fieldhouse – the hub of the neighbourhood – on behalf of the City of Ottawa, in the interest of New Edinburgh residents.  The CCC operates as an autonomous corporate entity, in partnership with NECA and other community organizations to achieve complimentary goals. 

The New Edinburgh Park Fieldhouse is available for public and private events.  More information is available on the Fieldhouse information page.

CCC initiatives include:

• acting as the steward of New Edinburgh Park and the Fieldhouse; 
• maintaining the neighbourhood’s outdoor ice rinks; 
• providing access to the Fieldhouse’s public washrooms and water fountain
• activating the Fieldhouse, playground and ice/lawns with seasonal events;
• providing employment and volunteer opportunities for teenage leaders;
• advocating for public space improvements as an active voice for improvements to the neighbourhood’s public realm;
• providing emergency refuge and respite for New Edinburgh residents during times of crisis.

Meetings of the CCC Board of Directors are on the second Monday of every month at the New Edinburgh Park Fieldhouse.  Meeting times, dates and locations may vary to accommodate the availability of CCC Directors or guests.  Please contact us by email if there is a topic you would like to discuss with us if you are interested in joining us as a volunteer.

Volunteers 

The strength of our community is founded in the commitment of individual volunteers to serving their neighbours.  Through the provision of indoor facilities and as a result of the stewardship we give the surrounding public spaces, the CCC enables individuals to create the kind of community they want to live in. Many individuals contribute to making New Edinburgh a dynamic and inclusive neighbourhood.  Please contact us if you are interested in contributing to the efforts of the CCC.

Event Leaders

An important part of the CCC’s raison d’être is to build community through the provision of opportunities for neighbours to gather in and around the New Edinburgh Park Fieldhouse.  If you have an event idea that excites you enough to contribute your disposable time into making it a reality, please email us. The CCC will support Event Leaders committed to creating inclusive opportunities in service of the greater good. 

Hosers

The skating ice at New Edinburgh Park is created by the exceptional volunteer efforts of the Hosers.  This dedicated group is outside every night of the winter maintaining this important neighbourhood amenity.  Thanks to the hosers, the New Edinburgh ice is typically open earlier and remains skateable much longer than most neighbourhood rinks in the City.   

Keymasters

Users of New Edinburgh Park enjoy the convenience of access to the public washrooms and water fountain in the Fieldhouse thanks to the dedication of the Keymasters.  This group of volunteers open and close the building daily.  In addition, they monitor the condition of the Fieldhouse and the surrounding park, then report any service needs to the City of Ottawa.  (If you see a need for service in the Fieldhouse or at the park, please call 311 to report it.)

Housemates

These “front of house” staff make big things happen. The Housemates are a public facing volunteer service group that facilitates the delivery of community events at the New Edinburgh Park Fieldhouse. Typical responsibilities  include: pre-event set-up; ticket checking at the door; food-drink ticket sales; food-drink service; post-event clean up.

Contact Us

CrichtonCommunityCouncil@gmail.com

Crichton Community Council (CCC)
New Edinburgh Park Field House
203 Stanley Avenue, Ottawa, K1M 1P2

CCC: https://www.newedinburgh.ca/ccc
Fieldhouse: https://www.newedinburgh.ca/ccc/fieldhouse/
Fieldhouse Reservations: https://nefieldhouseccc.skedda.com/

Facebook: @NEfieldhouse 
https://www.facebook.com/NEfieldhouse

Instagram: @NEfieldhouse 
https://www.instagram.com/nefieldhouse/

Twitter: @NEfieldhouse 
https://twitter.com/nefieldhouse

Donate to the CCC 

The CCC gratefully accepts donations to support neighbourhood events and for the purchase of equipment.  Financial contributions can be made by depositing a cheque in the mailbox near the front door of the Fieldhouse, or online using this link: https://square.link/u/I1bTGw6g

History of the Crichton Community Council

The Crichton Community Council (CCC) originated in 1974 when the Ottawa Board of Education introduced the Lighthouse Program to several schools “to keep the lights burning and turn school buildings into a resource for the Community”.  The former Crichton Street School was a natural site for the program since New Edinburgh did not have a community centre at the time.  The program was overseen by a Community Council and served as a mechanism for volunteers to offer extracurricular activities without the direct supervision of teaching staff.  Supported by school staff, as well as through the use of the school infrastructure, insurance and janitorial services, the CCC enriched community life.  

The initiatives of the CCC enabled New Edinburgh residents, in partnership with the school and City of Ottawa, to respond creatively to changing community needs in the provision of a variety of services.  Community recreational programming was the largest component of the CCC’s mandate.  Social events as well as fundraising in support of the school and park were also important efforts, in addition to creating and maintaining  an outdoor ice rink in the park through a service agreement with the City of Ottawa.

The Crichton Community Council was incorporated as a not-for-profit corporation in the Province of Ontario (number 1020495) on June 9, 1993.  When Crichton Street Public School closed in 1999, the CCC attempted to run programming out of Mackay United Church for a year.  Without operational funding from the school board, the volunteer run organization was unable to sustain the programming previously offered.  

In 1998 the City of Ottawa constructed the New Edinburgh Park Field House with the financial support of the CCC.  A longstanding Use Management Agreement between the the City of Ottawa and the CCC enables the organization to direct the use of the Fieldhouse in the interest of New Edinburgh residents.  Revenue generated by the CCC from the rental of the Fieldhouse provides sustainable funding for the organization to achieve its goals. 

Into the 21st century the CCC shifted its mandate from the provision of regular recreational programming to its current mandate: to act as the steward of New Edinburgh Park and the Fieldhouse; to activate the Fieldhouse and surrounding public spaces with events or initiatives; and, to build community by bringing members of the New Edinburgh neighbourhood together in our public spaces.