Beginnings: 1973

The Ottawa Lions Track & Field Club traces its roots back to 1973, when Bob Staveley — who still competes as a masters athlete today — founded the East Ottawa Lions Track & Field Club.
The club took its name from the service organization that provided the initial financial support, helping establish what would quickly become one of Ontario’s leading track and field clubs.
By the 1980s, the Lions boasted world-ranked race walker Ann Peel as their premier athlete, raising the club’s profile nationally and internationally.

Unifying Ottawa’s Track & Field Community: 1988–1989

By the late 1980s, Ottawa’s athletics scene was fragmented, with several small clubs competing for the same athletes and resources. This limited the sport’s organizational capacity and slowed development.

In 1988, the East Ottawa Lions led a new vision for the sport in the capital:

• Unite local coaches under one banner.
• Provide a coordinated, long-term development pathway for athletes.
• Build a strong calendar of local competitive opportunities.

The result was a merger of multiple training groups in 1989, rebranding as the Ottawa Lions Track & Field Club. That same year marked the launch of the Ottawa Summer Twilight Series, which remains a fixture on the local athletics calendar more than three decades later.

A Game-Changer: The Dôme @ Louis-Riel (2005)

The club reached another milestone in 2005 with the opening of the Dôme @ Louis-Riel, a unique 400m indoor track facility. Under the leadership of then-president Colin Timm, the Lions secured a central role in using the facility, solving a decades-long challenge of finding adequate winter training space.

Before 2005, limited indoor facilities meant that winter programming was minimal. The Dome changed that, fueling a surge in participation:

• Pre-Dome: ~300 members per year
• Today: Over 1,200 members annually

The Dome also allowed the club to provide indoor training opportunities for Ottawa’s leading post-secondary institutions.

Commitment to Schools & Youth Development

The Lions have long been committed to fostering track and field at the high school level. Each spring, the club organizes a High School Series of competitions, giving local student-athletes a full season of racing and skill-building opportunities.

Today

From its modest beginnings to becoming the largest athletics club in Canada, the Ottawa Lions have played a vital role in the sport’s growth in Eastern Ontario. Our history reflects our core values: community, collaboration, and commitment to excellence — values that continue to drive us forward.