Event Center
Hospitality / Tranquility
Parkside Ranch’s Full-Service Event facilities for conferences and retreats are available to serve the offsite meeting needs of organizations such as schools, church and youth groups, and community and corporate groups. A peaceful and welcoming country environment minimizes distractions, helping participants focus more effectively on their conference material and objectives. Clients’ own programming can be complemented on request by stimulating social and team-building programming provided by Parkside, including sports, archery, STEM and group animation for school events, and equestrian activities.
Our Clientele
Educational Institutions
Parkside Ranch is a popular venue for offsite leadership training or planning retreats, STEM and team building, as well as outdoor activities such as orienteering or sports concentration programs, for all levels of education – primary, secondary, CEGEP and university. The combination of fully-equipped meeting facilities and the beautiful rural setting is perfect for multi-faceted retreats.
Churches and Youth Groups
Parkside Ranch’s event center provides an ideal learning, sharing, planning and spiritual renewal environment for church and youth group retreats, with spaces available for breakout discussion groups. The 370 acre property allows for multiple simultaneous recreational activities without crowding anyone. In cooler weather, two comfortable areas with large natural stone fireplaces provide welcoming informal gathering places for guests to wind down.
Corporate, Community and Not-For Profit Organizations
Parkside Ranch’s peaceful natural park-like setting and rustic but fully-equipped conference facility makes it a highly attractive alternative to urban office environments for all types of organizations. The absence of typical city noise and distractions encourages a tight focus on the conference content and objectives, while the broad variety of available recreational activities provides the opportunity for a uniquely balanced conference agenda.
All-Inclusive Packages
Standard Package Offerings
Weekdays: The standard weekday overnight event package includes dormitory lodging, 3 meals a day plus an evening snack, as well as full use of our facilities while at Parkside. Standard check-in is 9:30 on the arrival date and check-out is 14:00 on the date of departure. Allowances can be made for guests who attend only a portion of the event.
Weekends: The standard weekend overnight event package includes 2 nights of dormitory lodging, 5 meals, 2 evening snacks as well as full use of our facilities during your stay. Standard check-in is from18:00 on Friday and check-out is at 14:00 on Sunday. Allowances can be made for guests who attend only a portion of the event.
Single Day: The standard single day event package (e.g. school activity days) includes 1 meal and 1 snack as well as full use of our facilities for the day. Standard arrival time is typically 9:30 and departure is 15:00.
Optional Parkside Programming
Parkside offers custom programming and animation services that can be tailored to your group’s specific needs. Options may include an equestrian program, STEM programming for schools, lifeguarding for waterfront activities and group animation – click on ‘’Request a Services Offer’’ below to describe your requirements.
Parkside’s Event Facilities
Hub Conference and Activity Centre
Our conference and activity center, located on the main floor of the Hub building, can accommodate groups of up to 130 people for a wide variety of events. The centre is equipped with an 8-channel sound system, 3 microphones and a ceiling-mounted overhead projector. It also serves as a games room with ping pong, Mississippi and foosball tables, as well as a handcraft facility.
Gymnasium
The gymnasium is a multi-sport facility that can accommodate a wide range of activities such as full-court basketball or floor hockey games, volleyball, indoor soccer, dodgeball, or other activities when bad weather threatens outdoor plans.
Dining Room
The dining room seats up to 130 people in a rustic country ambiance, with guests socializing over well balanced home-cooked family style meals. In cold weather, the blazing fireplace is a popular spot to chat and warm up over a hot beverage.
Parkside’s Overnight Lodging Accommodations
Parkside offers 3 separate lodging facilities for a total capacity of up to 130+ overnight guests, depending on the group profile and individual needs. The base accommodation packages include lodging in the Lodge and Gym dormitories, with the private motel-style Hub rooms with private washrooms offering an extra-cost option.
Downloadable floor plan PDFs that show the guest capacity by room.
The Lodge Dormitory
The Lodge dormitory above the kitchen and dining room has 8 camp-style rooms, each with multiple bunk beds, for a total overnight capacity of 62 guests. There are 6 individual washrooms with showers, plus an additional 2 individual washrooms without showers.
The Gym Dormitory
The Gym dormitory above the gymnasium has 6 camp-style rooms, each with multiple bunk beds, for a total overnight capacity of 54 guests. There are 2 shared washrooms, each with 2 shower stalls. Imagine the possibilities, being just upstairs from the gymnasium – late night or early morning basketball or floor hockey games, tossing around a football or frisbee…
Private Motel-Style Hub Rooms
Located on the floor above the Hub conference and activity centre are 8 private and comfortable motel-style rooms, each with a queen bed, a set of bunk beds and a private bathroom with tub and shower. The Hub motel-style rooms can accommodate up to 30 guests.
Spring & Fall Activities
Upon arrival at Parkside, guests are greeted by the extensive outdoor dry-land sports facilities – soccer field, softball diamond, mini-putt, horseshoes and badminton.
The challenge – choosing where to start!
The outdoor beach volleyball court is an invigorating and popular warm weather activity. Nothing beats enjoying sun and sand with friends over a friendly game.
The pond is the center for swimming and other water sports activities. The floating ‘cheese’ platform in the middle of the pond is the go-to hang-out spot on hot days and is the base for the popular ‘cheese game’. The paddle boats and kayaks contribute to a relaxing time on the water but can also serve for exciting team competitions.
Parkside has a variety of nature trails with direction signage on the 300+ acres of woodlot surrounding the main campus, for everyone’s hiking enjoyment. Plan to take some time while at Parkside to enjoy nature, and perhaps spot some wildlife.
Winter Activities
Tubing brings out the kid in everyone. The tubing hill is steep and fast enough to elicit a scream or two but not too long for the walk back up. Parkside’s variety of tubes provides thrills for both solo runs and group slides, including under the lights well into the evening! An extremely popular option (extra cost, pre-registration required) is tubing behind Parkside’s snowmobiles, with helmets provided by Parkside for safety.
Parkside’s large pond ice surface is carefully maintained as weather permits, for a variety of winter guest activities, including skating, hockey and broomball. Hockey and broomball sticks, nets, pucks and balls are provided, as well as more than a dozen pairs of skates of various sizes, or guests can bring their own.
With over 5 km of trails throughout Parkside’s 300+ acres of woodlot and open fields, winter sports enthusiasts will find fulfillment! Parkside provides a large selection of snowshoes but guests are welcome to bring their own skis.