The sun is supposed to return this weekend so, if you’re inspired to visit a beach around Ottawa-Gatineau, we’ll tell you what’s open and when.
At most beaches, there are washrooms and changing rooms available but you should check the beach’s website before you leave.
Also note that water quality is monitored at all City of Ottawa, City of Gatineau and National Capital Commission (NCC) beaches to determine whether it is safe for swimming.
Beaches will not host supervised swimming if the levels of E. coli are high enough. Check the website of the beach you’re visiting to check the water quality in advance.
Ottawa
Ottawa’s beaches at Mooney’s Bay, Britannia and Petrie Island begin hosting supervised swimming on Saturday. The beaches will have lifeguards from noon to 7 p.m. every day until Aug. 25.
At each of those three beaches, the washrooms will remain open until Sept. 2. They open at 10:30 a.m. each day and close at 9 p.m. Monday to Thursday or 7 p.m. Friday to Sunday.
Westboro Beach remains unsupervised because of its renovations.
Ten wading pools open on Saturday and the rest open in stages until July 2.
Four outdoor swimming pools opened on Monday and the rest will open in stages until June 29.
Gatineau
In Gatineau, the beaches managed by the city at Parc des Cèdres, Parc du Lac-Beauchamp, and Parc Moussette opened last weekend for a preview, closed for the workweek and are now open seven days a week.
All the beaches have washroom facilities and are open daily for supervised swimming until Aug. 25. Lifeguards will be there starting at 11 a.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. on weekends, until 7 p.m.
Parc des Cèdres is an exception, opening every day at 10 a.m.
All the parks will reopen for Labour Day weekend — Aug. 31, Sept. 1 and 2 — for supervised swimming before closing again for the year.
Meanwhile, its wading pools open for the summer next weekend.
NCC
The NCC beaches at La Pêche Lake, Leamy Lake, Meech Lake and Philippe Lake opened Friday.
They will all be monitored by lifeguards between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. until Sept. 2 (Leamy Lake is an exception; it’s monitored until 7 p.m.) There are washrooms available at all NCC beaches.
You can also swim from the docks at the NCC River House west of the Canada Aviation and Space Museum from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.