FAQ

When are OCDSB facilities available?

  • Ottawa-Carleton District School Board space is available from mid-September to May 31 each year, excluding Winter Break, March Break and holiday long weekends. Sports Fields are available from May 15th until October 30th and Ball Diamonds are available from May 1st until October 30th.
  • Facilities are available for community use weeknights from 6:00pm to 10:15pm. Bookings will be in blocks of  6:00pm to 8:00pm, 8:15pm to10:15pm or 6:00pm to 10:00pm to maximize access. Facilities are available from 8:00am—6:00pm on Saturday and Sundays with a two (2) hour minimum.
How do I know what my user category is?
  • Please refer to the User Group description. Once your permit request has been submitted a CUS booking assistant will review your request and revise the user group category if necessary – please note that fees will change if the user group category is revised. Returning clients may review past permits to confirm their user category.

What are the fees to rent a school facility?

  • Please refer to the user fee schedule on our website. If you have any further questions regarding user fees please call the Community Use of Schools office at 613.596.8260.

How old do I need to be to rent a school facility?

  • You must be a minimum of 19 years of age.

Are there any rules and regulations I need to be aware of?

  • Our Rules and Regulations Agreement can be found under User Information.
  • Smoking is prohibited on all OCDSB premises and is against the law (Smoke Free Ontario Act). The permit holder is responsible to ensure none of their group’s member’s smoke on school property. 
  • Recreational cannabis possession and/or use is not permitted on any OCDSB property.
  • Consumption of alcohol is permitted through OCDSB's Special Occasion Permit Guidelines.
  • Violation of permit guidelines will result in the cancellation of permits.

Where do I find information on your facilities and spaces?

  • Click on the ‘Schools’ button at the top right corner, and search all OCDSB facilities and spaces available to book. You will find a map with the school location, facility pictures and descriptions of the spaces available.

Where can I check facility availability?

  • Click on the ‘Calendar’ button in the top right corner. On the calendar page you can search all available OCDSB facilities and space availability. Due to time delays between the permit requests being submitted and approval, the calendar will not always be 100% current.

Are classrooms available?

  • Yes, secondary school classrooms are available subject to availability in the school. Elementary school classrooms are subject to approval and availability. If you wish to book a classroom; please indicate in the special instructions how many classrooms you will be requesting.

What if I need to book a tournament?

  • Each tournament request requires a separate permit request. The large attendance numbers may require additional staffing. Please submit your request even if the system has indicated there is a conflict - tournament times may be outside of regular CUS hours and approval will be required. In the purpose please indicate that it is a tournament.

Once I submit a request is it approved?

  • No, your request is ‘pending’ until you receive an approval email with your approved permit and any additional documents. 

What if I need to make changes to my permit request?

  • If you have submitted your permit request and would like to make a change, please use the ‘discussion’ tab to notify the booking assistant of your requested change.

Are the user fees finalized prior to an approved permit?

  • No, estimated costs are calculated based on your permit request and may not reflect all costs.  All fees are subject to review prior to approval by a CUS booking assistant. Classroom rates are estimated based on one classroom. Fees will be reviewed and/or revised based on the number of requested classrooms. 

How do I make changes to my permit once it has been approved?

  • All changes are done by the booking assistant – under the ‘discussion’ tab indicate your request and the booking assistant will make the change if possible. All changes from clients are subject to a $10.50 amendment fee.

What if I have questions about my permit?

  • Please use the ‘discussion’ tab in your permit and the booking assistant will respond to your inquiry.

How do I find out the status of my permit request?

  • Log on to your account; the status of your permits is listed on the landing page.

What do the different colours mean?

  • Blue (Pending) – indicates the booking is pending with no approved conflict
  • Green (Approved) – indicates the booking is approved
  • Grey (Expired) – indicates the bookings on your permit have passed
  • Red (Conflict) – indicates the dates you requested are conflicting with another approved permit or excluded date or time.
  • Black (Cancelled) – indicates the permit was cancelled
  • Teal (On Hold) – indicates the permit is neither approved nor denied, it is currently “on hold” due to outstanding documents or reasons indicated in the ‘discussion’ tab.

What does it mean when it says my permit request is ‘on hold’?

  • Your permit request has been put ‘on hold’ by the booking assistant – please check the ‘discussion’ tab to see if the booking assistant has any further information for you. This does not mean your permit request is approved.

Where can I review my permit request details?

  • Click on the permit you would like to review – this section will show all the permit information you submitted.

How do I change my personal account information?

  • Please visit the top right corner of your account once logged in and click the ‘Options’ button to view all your account and/or organization information.

How do I view my permit balances and payment history?

  • Please visit the top right corner of your account once logged in and click the ‘Options’ button to view all your permit balances and payment history.

Where do I upload my liability insurance information?

  • You can upload your liability insurance information in two places. You can upload the document in your ‘files’ section under ‘options’ on your account. Alternatively, you can upload the insurance document to your ‘files’ section under a specific permit.

How do I request to join an organization?

  • If you are looking to book space through an organization listed in the drop down menu, please proceed with your account set up and a request will be sent to the organization administrator for approval. If your request is approved you will receive an email notification and you will be approved to book space through the organization you requested to join. If your request is denied by the administrator you will be denied access to book under the organization.

How do I update my credit card information?

  • Please log into your account and visit the ‘Options’ section; you will find all your account information in this location.

I have forgotten my password?

  • Click the ‘forgot your password’ link below the ‘login’ button on the ‘login’ page and a temporary password will be sent to the email address listed on file.

Where do I find the ‘Help’ Button?

  • Once you login to the booking software the ‘Help’ button can be found in the top right corner. This should provide you with helpful hints as you move through the booking process.
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