/ #beaches #pools 

A list of beaches, pools, splash pads and water parks around Ottawa

Ottawa has four major public beaches that are open for most of the summer. Add to that more than 50 wading pools and 9 outdoor public pools — and there are plenty of ways to keep cool. When winter arrives, you can head inside to one of the 20 public swimming complexes. (And that’s not even counting all of the facilities on the Gatineau side!)

Indoor swimming pools

Swimming Lessons

Ottawa Beaches

Ottawa has four supervised beaches with lifeguards, washrooms, and other amenities. Beaches are open from late June to late August each year, with lifeguards on duty from 11am to 7pm.

  • Britannia Beach (2085 Carling) On the Ottawa river at Britannia Bay.
  • Mooney’s Bay (2926 Riverside) On the east shore of the Rideau River just south of Hogs Back.
  • Petrie Island (727 Trim Road) On the Ottawa River in the east end.
  • Westboro Beach (closed for 2022 season due to an NCC-led redevelopment project) (745 Ottawa River Parkway) Located at the Kitchissippi look-out on the Ottawa River.

City of Gatineau Beaches

There are three public beaches maintained by the City of Gatineau. They’re usually open from early June to late August each year.

  • Parc des Cèdres (Rue Raoul-Roy and Ottawa River)
  • Parc du Lac-Beauchamp (745, boul. Maloney Est)
  • Parc Mousette (361, boul. de Lucerne)

Gatineau Park Beaches

The beaches in Gatineau park are some of the nicest (and quietest) in the region, including Meech Lake, Lac Philippe, La Pêche Lake and Lac Leamy (in urban Gatineau).

For a complete listing of Gatineau Park beaches, including water safety conditions and maps, click here.

Even more beaches

  • Constance Bay Beach. It’s along the Ottawa River north of Kanata.  Not an “official” City of Ottawa beach, and no lifeguards.  There are public washrooms and a 911 paramedic station nearby.
  • Fitzroy Harbour Beach. Part of Fitzroy Provincial Park, northwest of Kanata.
  • The Town of Arnprior runs two beaches. Only Robert Simpson Park has lifeguards, though.
  • Carleton Place also has two beaches on the Mississippi River: Riverside Park, and across the river is Centennial Beach.
  • Baxter Beach on the Rideau River . In the southern part of Ottawa, just south of Kars. Part of the Baxter Conservation Area and managed by the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority.

Check before you go:

Each day in the summer, health officials sample beach water to test for E.coli bacteria. When the bacteria count is too high, the beaches are closed. You can get the latest water quality information for City of Ottawa beaches via Ottawa Public Health.

Water slides / Water parks

  • Mont Cascades Located in Quebec, about 40 minutes north of downtown Ottawa.
  • Calypso Calypso opened in 2010, and features heated water. It’s located in Limoges, which is about 40 minutes east of downtown Ottawa.

Salt Water Pools

Here are some indoor saltwater pools in Ottawa. If you know of any others that we should add to this list, please contact us

  • Soloway JCC The Soloway JCC pool is a 4 lane, 25m Main Pool with a beach-like ramp, therapeutic hot tub, shallow baby pool, slide, water basketball nets and patio lounges.
  • Centre Aquatique Paul-Pelletier A public swimming pool in Aylmer
  • The Ottawa Athletic Club Features an indoor salt water swimming pool for club members.
  • The Goodlife Fitness Centre at 1200 St. Laurent Blvd has a salt water pool, 22 metres long and 5 feet deep.
  • There’s a salt water pool in Amberwood in Stittsville. Available to members only.
  • Several hotels have salt water pools for guests, including the The Chateau Laurier, The Westin Hotel, Minto Place Suite Hotel, The Delta and Best Western Baron Hotel in Bells Corners.
  • The Brookstreet Hotel has indoor and outdoor saltwater pools.

(Contrary to popular belief, salt water pools are not actually chlorine-free. The salt is converted to chlorine by an electrolytic cell source).

(Bet you’d never expect to come across electrochem on THIS blog, did you?)

Wading Pools, Outdoor Pools, Splash Pads

Ottawa has over 50 public wading pools, open free for kids during the summer from the end of June to the end of August. Visit ottawa.ca for a complete listing of wading pools.

Swimming, Diving and Synchro Clubs

(Originally published July 2008 and updated many, many times since then.)