The first of two Awesome Ottawa awards for December goes to Chris Osler and the Ottawa Outdoor Gear Library to support winter gear loans and programming.

“As we approach our third winter season,” says Chris, “the Ottawa Outdoor Gear Library is gearing up for a busy few months! We are Ottawa’s first all-season outdoor gear lending library,” he continues, “with an extensive, diverse inventory. We have outdoor books, binoculars, camping equipment, roller blades, ice skates, soccer cleats, baseball gear, and so much more!”

“During the winter season,” explains Chris, “in addition to our main location on Boyd Ave., we have a pop-up location in Overbrook with cross country ski equipment and snowshoes. We also support our partner organizations with winter programming like cross country ski, snowshoe, and skating outings.”

“Our mission,” says Chris, “is to respond to barriers experienced by marginalized communities to nature-based experiences and outdoor recreation. And we prioritize sustainability by promoting a circular economy – all the gear in our library is donated from the Ottawa community, and we take time to repair gear or repurpose parts into new items to reduce waste.”

Chris is co-founder of the Ottawa Outdoor Gear Library, and has been working as a community developer for the past 20 years.