Why would a Kanata family drive to Carleton Place to swim?

For the size of the groups and the single home pool. Swimmers are coached individually on technique, the schedule stays in one building, and the club has produced provincial qualifiers from exactly that structure. It is a choice about how a child is coached, not about distance.

How far is the Carleton Place pool from Kanata?

About 32 km and 25 minutes outside rush hour, via Highway 417 west and Highway 7. Add ten minutes for a weekday afternoon departure from the east side of Kanata.

My child already swims competitively elsewhere. Can they transfer?

Yes. Any swimmer with competitive experience starts with an evaluation by the head coach so they land in the right group, whether that is White, Blue or Senior. The registrar arranges the evaluation.

Which group is right for a complete beginner?

Junior 1, the learn-to-swim group: two 45-minute practices a week in three eleven-week sessions from October to June, teaching all four strokes with starts and turns. Children usually spend one to two years there before moving up.

Our club's area

Swim Club for Kanata Families

Kanata has no shortage of large swim programs, and most families there have never thought about driving west for practice. Some do. The Carleton Place Water Dragons are a Swim Ontario club that trains in one pool, the Carleton Place Aquatic Centre, with groups kept small enough that the coach knows every swimmer's stroke. We do not train in Kanata, and this page is for the family weighing that trade.

What the drive buys is a different kind of club. There is one home pool, so the schedule does not move between buildings across the city. Groups are small by design. The ladder is complete, from Junior 1 for beginners through White and Blue to Senior and Senior Elite, with Youth Conditioning for teenagers and Masters for adults alongside it.

For a Kanata swimmer who feels lost in a big lane, or a parent who wants a club where the head coach can tell you how your child swam on Tuesday, the half-hour west on the 417 is the whole cost.

Getting to Kanata

From Kanata Centrum to the Carleton Place Aquatic Centre is about 32 km, or 25 minutes by car outside rush hour. Take Highway 417 west to the Highway 7 exit, follow Highway 7 west into Carleton Place, then Bridge Street to the pool at 359 Bridge Street.

The 417 westbound between 4 and 6 pm is the one part of the drive that varies, so a weekday practice may be closer to 35 minutes from the east side of Kanata. Weekend and later-evening sessions are an easy run.

Practice schedule

Junior 1: 2× weekly, 45 min
Junior 2: 3× weekly
White: 4× weekly, 4.5 h
Blue: 4× weekly, 8 h
Senior: 4× weekly, 8 h
Senior Elite: 14 h weekly
Youth Conditioning: 3× weekly, 1 h
Masters: Up to 4× weekly

Times and pool lanes change by season. The practice calendar always has the current week. See the practice calendar.

Swim Levels

Junior 1 Our Learn to Swim group. It focuses on the fundamental skills of all four competitive strokes, as well as starts, turns and finishes.
Junior 2 For swimmers who have the skills and want to begin competing regularly. The emphasis is stroke improvement, with an introduction to Learning to Train.
White For swimmers ready to begin Learning to Train at a more advanced level. Stroke improvement stays the focus, with intermediate training techniques added.
Blue For swimmers who have demonstrated advanced stroke mechanics, training techniques and racing strategies. The group's focus is Learning to Compete.
Senior The Senior group is for swimmers wishing to train and compete at a high level but who are unable to train at the Senior Elite level of commitment.
Senior Elite Senior Elite is the most advanced group within the Water Dragons club. Swimmers are expected to attend all practices and compete at all meets designated for the group.
Youth Conditioning An opportunity for teenage swimmers to practise their skills and improve their conditioning. Intended for youth pursuing lifeguarding, triathlon or fitness.
Masters For adults 18 and over who wish to maintain fitness, improve stroke technique, compete at Masters competitions, or swim socially with other adults.

Notes for Kanata families

Kanata is well served for water. The Richcraft Recreation Complex on Innovation Drive has an eight-lane, 25-metre pool, and the Kanata Leisure Centre on Aird Place has the wave pool most Kanata children learned to swim in. Two large competitive clubs train in the area, and for many families one of them is the right choice. The Water Dragons are the other kind of club: one pool, small groups, a head coach who knows every swimmer, 25 minutes west. Families who want that come to us from Kanata; families who want a big program have good options at home.

On cost, one distinction worth knowing: if your swimmer also uses the Carleton Place pool for a public swim or a lesson, Ottawa residents are charged the town's non-contributing-area rate for those. Club fees are a separate matter between you and the Water Dragons.

Questions from Kanata

Why would a Kanata family drive to Carleton Place to swim?: For the size of the groups and the single home pool. Swimmers are coached individually on technique, the schedule stays in one building, and the club has produced provincial qualifiers from exactly that structure. It is a choice about how a child is coached, not about distance.
How far is the Carleton Place pool from Kanata?: About 32 km and 25 minutes outside rush hour, via Highway 417 west and Highway 7. Add ten minutes for a weekday afternoon departure from the east side of Kanata.
My child already swims competitively elsewhere. Can they transfer?: Yes. Any swimmer with competitive experience starts with an evaluation by the head coach so they land in the right group, whether that is White, Blue or Senior. The registrar arranges the evaluation.
Which group is right for a complete beginner?: Junior 1, the learn-to-swim group: two 45-minute practices a week in three eleven-week sessions from October to June, teaching all four strokes with starts and turns. Children usually spend one to two years there before moving up.