Frequently Asked Questions

Call our helpline at 613-237-6000. It is answered by a real person from 10am to 10pm, seven days a week, and serves Ottawa, eastern Ontario, and western Quebec. You can also message us or email us. Either way, they can listen, answer questions, and help you find a meeting.

Yes. Use the Chat with us button at the bottom of any page to send a message to an AA volunteer. If someone is available they will reply in the chat. If not, you can leave a message and a way to reach you. Prefer the phone? Call the helpline at 613-237-6000, 10am to 10pm, seven days a week.

Yes. The helpline is answered by AA members who keep your call private. You do not have to give your full name or any personal details. Whether you call, message us, or email us, you can simply ask questions.

Yes. If walking into a meeting alone feels hard, call our helpline at 613-237-6000, message us, or email us, and a member can arrange to meet you and go with you. Many people find this makes the first meeting much easier.

That is alright. You can start by calling our helpline at 613-237-6000, messaging us, or emailing us, to talk things through. There is no pressure and no timeline. Reach out whenever you feel ready.

No. AA is not a crisis or medical service. If you or someone else is in danger or needs urgent medical help, call 911. For support with drinking when it is not an emergency, our helpline at 613-237-6000 is here from 10am to 10pm, seven days a week.

Once you are settled, there are many simple ways to help, from making coffee to greeting newcomers to answering the helpline. Helping others is a core part of staying sober in AA. When you are ready, ask at your home group, or call, message, or email us to learn more.

If you repeatedly drink more than you intend or want to, if you get into trouble or have memory lapses when you drink, you may be an alcoholic. Only you can decide. Our self-assessment can help, and it is often suggested to attend a few AA meetings and listen for the similarities in the stories of others.

No. You just have to want to stop. Many of us came to our first meeting still drinking.

No. AA does not keep membership files or attendance records. You do not have to reveal anything about yourself. You are always welcome; the only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking.

They will be there for the same reason you are. AA’s Traditions ask members not to disclose other members’ identities to outsiders. You retain as much anonymity as you wish , that is one of the reasons we call ourselves Alcoholics Anonymous.

AA meetings take different forms, but at any meeting you will find members talking about what drinking did to their lives, what actions they took to help themselves, and how they are living today. No one will call on you or pressure you to speak. Listening is full participation.

No. No one will call on you or pressure you to share. If you are invited to share and prefer not to, simply say “I’ll pass” , no explanation is needed.

You are an AA member if and when you say so. The only requirement is a desire to stop drinking. There is nothing to sign and no fee, just come to a meeting. Many of us were not very wholehearted about that when we first approached AA.

There are no dues or fees for AA membership. Most meetings pass a basket during the meeting to cover expenses such as rent and coffee , contributions are entirely voluntary. You can give nothing at all.

No. AA is not allied with any religious organization. While many members speak about a “higher power,” everyone defines this as they wish , a traditional God, the AA group itself, or nothing at all. There is room in AA for people of all beliefs and non-beliefs.

No. AA is not religious. You define your own understanding of a “higher power,” or none at all.

AA members believe there is no cure for alcoholism, the ability to stay sober depends on maintaining physical, mental, and spiritual health over time. Regular meetings provide community, accountability, and the opportunity to help others, which is itself part of recovery (Step 12).

In our experience, the people who recover in AA:

• Stay away from the first drink
• Attend AA meetings regularly
• Seek out members who have stayed sober for some time
• Try to put the AA program into practice
• Obtain and read the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous, from our bookstore

Keep coming back. Listen for your story in someone else’s. Only you can decide if AA is right for you.

There are several ways to find an AA meeting in Ottawa:

• Meeting Finder: search and filter by day, time, location, and type at our Meeting Finder.
• Meeting Guide app: the free official AA app from AA World Services. Search by location. Available on iOS and Android, no registration required.
• Phone: call our helpline at (613) 237-6000, 10 am to 10 pm, 7 days a week.

Yes. French-language meetings are included in our Meeting Finder and the Meeting Guide App. For broader French-language AA services in the region, contact District 22 (Gatineau) or District 5 (Hull, Ottawa, Aylmer).

Entrances are sometimes at the side or rear of a building. You can also ask someone nearby if there is a “Friend of Bill” meeting , most people will know what that means. If you still can’t find it, call us at (613) 237-6000.

Open meetings welcome anyone, including friends, family, and observers. Closed meetings are for those who have a desire to stop drinking. See the Glossary of Terms for explanations of other meeting types and formats.

No. AA is not affiliated with any religion, sect, denomination, or institution. The meeting location has no bearing on any religious requirement for attendees.

Many members stay afterward for coffee and conversation. This informal time can be valuable, especially for newcomers, but it is entirely up to you whether you stay.

Many members choose one group they attend regularly and consider their home. Home group members often take on service roles such as making coffee, chairing meetings, or serving as a group representative. Having a home group is not required but is a common part of recovery.

Each meeting listing includes the platform, meeting ID, and passcode. Most online meetings use Zoom, which is free to download and use. Look for the meeting details on the individual listing in our Meeting Finder or the Meeting Guide App.

Some online meetings use Zoom. On the meeting detail page, click the Zoom or Join online button. If the listing shows a Meeting ID and Passcode, you can also open Zoom and enter those details manually.

You do not need a paid Zoom account to attend a meeting. You can join from a computer, phone, tablet, or by phone if the meeting lists dial-in access.

For step-by-step help, see Zoom Support: Joining a Zoom meeting.

There are no local Ottawa dial-in numbers. The closest are in Toronto: (647) 374-4685 or (647) 558-0588. Long distance charges may apply. After dialing you will be prompted to enter the Meeting ID, then the Passcode, both shown on the meeting’s listing in our meeting finder.

Cross talk means commenting directly on what another person has shared, or offering advice during a share. Most AA meetings ask members to avoid cross talk out of respect for each person’s experience. Some meetings explicitly allow supportive responses, follow the lead of the group. Look for the “Cross Talk Permitted” tag in our listings.

Some meetings will sign attendance documentation for courts, treatment centres, probation officers, or employer programs. Contact the meeting directly to confirm. The requesting agency must provide the documentation form , we are not able to supply it.

Use our Register / Update Meeting form to submit new listings or permanent changes to an existing listing, including Zoom details. For temporary updates or closures, use our Contact Us form. Updates are usually processed within 48 hours.

You are free to leave at any time. Safety concerns that groups address include threats, bullying, harassment, and discrimination. Anyone who wants to stop drinking is welcome in AA , being made to feel unwelcome is not an “outside issue.” If you have a safety concern about a listed meeting, please contact us.

Open our meeting finder and filter by day, time, format, neighbourhood, or language, or type in the search box. The list updates as you choose.

In our meeting finder, filter for online meetings to hide the in-person ones. Hybrid meetings, which offer both at once, are marked as well.

Open a meeting in our meeting finder to see its address and a map you can use for directions.

Open our meeting finder and filter down to the meetings you want (by search, day, time, type, or location). Then click Email / Print List at the top. A clean, printable version opens in a new tab, where you can print it, save it as a PDF, or email a copy to anyone.

Yes. Use the filters in our meeting finder first, for example a day, a time, a type such as Big Book, or meetings near an address. Then open the printable list. Whatever you filtered to is exactly what gets printed or emailed. The Reset Filters button clears your choices if you want to start over.

On the printable list, click Print or Save as PDF. In your browser’s print dialog, choose Save as PDF as the destination instead of a printer.

AA does:

• Share members’ experience with anyone seeking help with a drinking problem
• Offer person-to-person support (sponsorship)
• Provide a program of recovery through the Twelve Steps

AA does not:

• Keep attendance records or case histories
• Make medical or psychological diagnoses
• Provide detox, nursing services, or any medical treatment
• Offer religious services
• Provide housing, food, money, or social services
• Accept money from outside sources
• Provide letters of reference to courts, parole boards, or employers

AA members know what it is like to be addicted to alcohol , to be unable to keep promises made to others and ourselves. Our only qualification for helping others is that we have stopped drinking ourselves. Seeing that it is possible is proof that it can be done.

The Twelve Steps are AA’s program of recovery, first published in the Big Book in 1939. They guide members through a process of self-reflection, making amends, and developing a spiritual foundation for living sober. Working the Steps is usually done with the guidance of a sponsor.

Anonymity is one of AA’s founding principles. What is shared in a meeting stays in a meeting. Members are asked not to identify other members outside of AA Anonymity allows people to seek help without fear of judgement. Learn more about AA and anonymity.

A few people have stopped drinking by reading the Big Book on their own, but most find they need the support of meetings and other members. Reading helps, and connecting with people who understand helps more.

Browse the bookstore, add what you need to your cart, and check out. Orders are for in-person pickup, and we will let you know when yours is ready.

No. The Intergroup bookstore is for in-person pickup only. Browse and reserve what you need online, then collect at the office.

Orders are picked up in person at the Intergroup office on Saturdays from 2 to 4pm only. Please call ahead to confirm at 613-237-6000. See our Contact page for the address.

You can pay online when you place your order, or in person when you collect it.

• Online: debit or credit card (including Stripe Link), or Interac e-Transfer (our preferred method).
• In person: cash, cheque, or card on our Stripe terminal.

Credit card payments carry a small processing fee. The checkbox at checkout lets you cover that fee so it does not come out of the funds that support AA. It is voluntary, and you can uncheck it.

AA books, pamphlets, sobriety chips, and medallions. Browse by category in the bookstore.

Yes. Use the Quick Order page to add many items at once by quantity.

Yes. Groups and meetings order literature the same way as individuals, through our online bookstore. Add what you need to the cart and choose pickup at checkout. Larger group orders are welcome too.

It lists Intergroup and service meetings, along with AA events such as conferences, workshops, and roundups across the Ottawa area. See the Service and Event Calendar.

The meeting finder lists recovery meetings you can attend to stop drinking. The calendar lists service meetings and special events. Use the finder to find a meeting, and the calendar to see what is coming up.

Check the Service and Event Calendar, or the Events and Announcements section under News.

Use the Submit an Event form. Once it is reviewed, it appears on the calendar.

Events are for AA groups and committees in the Ottawa area. Submit yours with the event form and it will be reviewed before it goes live.

Family members and close friends are welcome at Open AA meetings. You can search for open meetings using our online meeting finder or call us at (613) 237-6000.

AA is for the person who wants to stop drinking, so it cannot make someone else change. What you can do is learn, offer support, and share information when they are open to it. For your own support, Al-Anon is a separate fellowship specifically for the families and friends of people who drink. You are also welcome to call our helpline at 613-237-6000 for guidance.

Al-Anon is a separate fellowship for the families and friends of people with a drinking problem. While AA supports the person who drinks, Al-Anon supports the people around them. The two are independent of each other. If your concern is someone else’s drinking, Al-Anon is usually the better fit.

You cannot force someone to stop, but you can help them find the door. Let them know help is available, without pressure or judgment. You can share our meeting finder or the helpline number, 613-237-6000, and offer to go with them if they decide to attend. The decision has to be theirs.

That is entirely your choice. AA asks members to protect their own and each other’s anonymity, so no one will share your membership for you. Whether, when, and whom you tell is up to you.

Yes. Anonymity is central to AA. Members are asked to keep private both who attends and what is said. It is best to let the member decide for themselves who to tell about their involvement.

The Service Login, at the top of every page, is for OAI service volunteers and committee members to reach our online service tools. You do not need it to find a meeting, browse the FAQ, or get help.

Click Service Login in the top menu, or go to ottawaaa.org/service/tools/, and sign in with your username and password. You will be taken to the tools for your service role.

Accounts are for active OAI service volunteers and committee members, such as helpline and 12-step volunteers, group and committee coordinators, and the web team. Each login only opens the tools needed for that role.

It depends on your role. Tools include managing meeting listings, logging helpline calls, posting newsletters and announcements, and managing events. You will only see the tools for your role.

If you are a service volunteer and need an account or a password reset, contact us through our Contact page and we will help you get access.