How to use your Active Living membership

By Ramiro Bustamante Torres, March 18 2024—

While life as a student might feel like you’re just coming to campus for classes and to study, there are services available to you through your tuition. As a student at the University of Calgary, you receive an Active Living membership with your general fees. This membership allows you to access a wide variety of services and facilities on- and off-campus once you activate your membership. If you have never used any of these services and would like to know more about what you can do, here is a list of services available and how to access them.

Fitness Centre & Aquatic Centre

 If you’re looking to start your fitness journey or just to get to know how all the equipment works, the Fitness Centre is open to students in KNB 155. On the first floor, you can find the majority of the gym equipment. Benches, treadmills, circuit machines and more are available as long as someone is not already using them. On the second floor, the running track can be found with more equipment but mostly more space to workout. The entrance to the Aquatic Centre is through the change rooms in KNA, where you have the option for 25 m lane swimming on a shallow or deep-end, or when there is no divider it will be 50 m. During the weekends, the pool is open for family swimming where members of the community can come in and enjoy open pool swimming without having to do laps. If you’re already a seasoned swimmer, this is a great place to come and get a workout. If you aren’t a strong swimmer and still need to practice on your skills, there are slower lanes available and lifeguards on duty just in case. There are swimming lessons for various levels available through the Aquatic Centre for those who don’t know how to swim and would like to learn. After a swim, each locker room has a steam room available as well. 

Racquet Centre and Climbing/Bouldering Wall

To use the Racquet Centre, you first need to book the space with the KNA 104 service desk or online and receive a wristband before being able to access the space in KNA 166. You can book one of the 13 courts for Squash, four courts for Racquetball/Handball and two courts for Pickleball using modified Racquetball courts. Tennis courts are available in the warmer months outside for booking as well. To access the Climbing/Bouldering Wall, you need a wristband from the main desk or the Outdoor Centre desk, then head down to the basement of KNA. To use the climbing wall, you will need to complete a belay test or have someone who is certified to belay you. 

Olympic Oval and Outdoor Centre 

Used in the 1988 Olympics and named Canada’s fastest ice, the Olympic Oval has open skate times with rentals open for students for most of the winter and skating lessons are available for the public. Some clubs do skating events so you don’t have to go alone and there are skating aids for those not as comfortable on the ice. The Outdoor Centre handles rentals and various outdoor programs. If you are interested in skiing or snowboarding, the Outdoor Centre offers rentals. Rentals are not limited to winter sports, there are rentals for hiking, camping and biking. The Outdoor Centre also operates the boat house in Bowness Park where they offer canoe and kayak rentals in the summer, skates and skis in the winter. As an Active Living member, you receive a discount on rentals with the Outdoor Centre.

There are more services available to students as an Active Living member, this includes the Gold Fitness Alcove, drop-in Red and Gold gym times, the Student Discovery Series and more. Since the services are already available and paid for through your tuition, you should take advantage of them while you have your membership. Even alumni can pay for a discounted membership up to one year after they graduate to still enjoy the benefits. Check out the Active Living website for more information on times and rental prices here.