Outdoor swimming pools, wading pools, beaches and museums will reopen this month

Under Step One of Ontario’s Reopening Plan, the City is planning the reopening of its outdoor swimming pools, wading pools and beaches this month.

Outdoor deep-water swimming pools – June 11

Outdoor swimming pool facilities will open on June 11. The number of swimmers will be reduced for both public and lane swims and COVID-safety protocols will be in place. Reservations can be made beginning on June 10 at 6pm at ottawa.ca/recreation for a 1-hour session.

Beaches – June 19

The City’s beaches at Mooney’s Bay, Westboro, Britannia and Petrie Island will be open for supervised swimming starting Saturday, June 19.

Lifeguards will be on duty daily from noon to 7 pm until August 29. Ottawa Public Health will conduct regular water quality testing. Check Beach Water Quality Results - Ottawa Public Health for the latest water-quality results and no swimming advisories.

To further help you and your family stay safe and healthy, the City has worked with Ottawa Public Health to implement COVID-prevention measures, including:

• Enhanced cleaning measures for beach washrooms
• Extra comfort stations (portable toilets)
• Sanitization stations 
• Exterior hand-washing stations

Beach accessible wheelchairs will be available on a first come first serve basis.

Also, keep our beaches and parks clean by not littering. Dispose of your waste in bins or bring it home to dispose in your green bin or your recycling and garbage bins. Smoking and alcohol are prohibited.

Parking lots for the beaches will be open.  There is a fee for parking at Mooney’s Bay and Petrie Island.  Also, check octranspo.com to help plan your transit route to the parks and beaches.

Sports activities

Some sports activities can resume outdoors. These activities are limited to non-contact training such as drills with a maximum of 10 people including coach and instructors.

Wading pools – June 24

The wading pools operated by the city will open on Thursday, June 24.  Wading Pool Attendants are on duty during all operating hours to provide safety supervision at the pools. Reservations can be made for 30-minute sessions on site at each wading pool location. Swimmers are only required to exit the pool following their 30-minute session, if the subsequent session is fully booked.

Museums – Offering self-guided tours

The Cumberland Heritage Village Museum will be offering self-guided outdoor tours starting June 16. Pre-registration through the city’s website is suggested. Billings Estate National Historic Site will offer take-away tea service starting June 19. Stay on site and have a picnic or enjoy your tea at home.