In the summer of 2019, BLC unveiled its newly built outdoor classroom. Our Outdoor Learning Classroom (or OLC) enables children to reap the many benefits of being outside. Whether enjoying a noisy music lesson, carrying out a messy art project, having a snack or simply reading a book, the OLC is a cozy outdoor space that encourages social engagement and learning through play. As we go outside in rain or shine (or snow), the OLC provides a sheltered, shaded spot that protects children from the elements. The OLC is instrumental in BLC’s vision of helping to create a community of resilient, active children who are curious about and truly enjoy their natural surroundings.

Special thanks to the City of Ottawa for the generous grant which enabled us to build this wonderful structure, and to Klingbeil Landscaping for their outdoor expertise.

The Beacon Learning Centre is located on Ogilvie Road, north of Montreal Road, in the quiet and attractive residential neighbourhood of Beacon Hill North. Our new facility was built in 2011 with generous grants from the City of Ottawa, the Trinity Foundation and a grassroots fundraising campaign. We have five bright classrooms with large windows, two cubby rooms, eleven washrooms including some with changing facilities, a full kitchen, a laundry room and storage rooms for the many books, puzzles, games, art supplies, educational toys, and other teachers’ resources that our staff use to create a stimulating environment for play and learning.

High quality mill work has been used throughout the building. The flooring, made of rubber, is good for both walkers and crawlers. The entire building is fully air-conditioned. Our outdoor play-space features a large sand area with a play structure, swings and bouncy ducks. We have a track which runs around the sand area for wagons, tricycles and scooters. We also have plenty of grass to run and play on, and trees for shade. A separate play area, with a shade cover for the summer, provides a safe place to play for our toddlers. We also have a little vegetable garden where we grow a variety of vegetables for the children to eat.

In the winter, we bring out the shovels, crazy carpets and toboggans which are great fun on our little hill. The entire space is fenced and gated and provides a safe and supervised place to get some exercise and have some fun.