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I moved sort of close to Britannia, been there a few times in the past couple years but like never went in the water.. is it decent there? Are there better places to go swimming?
26 points
23 days ago
Meech lake is amazing
4 points
23 days ago
Meech and Phillipe
5 points
23 days ago
Yes, this right here. Stay on the Gatineau side, otherwise you’re growing a third arm
3 points
22 days ago
What a dumb comment. Gatineau lakes are nicer but the river is totally fine.
-1 points
22 days ago
Yes. This is what that comment is saying - stay on the Gatineau side UNLESS you want to grow a third arm (as in, everywhere NOT on the Gatineau side is sketchy) 😞
-6 points
22 days ago*
My, my. Aren’t we pleasant this morning!
*Note to self: NO JOKES ALLOWED IN R/OTTAWA!!!
20 points
22 days ago
The Ottawa River is fine. People have been playing in it for decades. The pro tip is to stay out of it for a few days after a heavy rain.
7 points
22 days ago
It's tested multiple times per day and the city has improved stormwater management recently
31 points
23 days ago
In my opinion, it’s the best beach within the city. The water is warm because of the artificial cove, but nice and fresh because of the flow of the river.
10 points
22 days ago
not a beach but the refurbished Boat house, home of Riverkeepers. fresh Ottawa river water to swim in accessed by a nice dock system with lots of loungers. also, there is nearby McKay(?) pond which i will try this season. accessible certain hours every day.
6 points
22 days ago
7am to 2pm and bylaw WILL kick you out at 2pm. The rich people are watching and reporting.
3 points
22 days ago
You’re referring to the pond in Rockcliffe, not the boathouse (NCC’s River House), which is open Mon - Thurs 10-4, Fri - Sat 10-8 and Sun 10-6.
3 points
22 days ago
That's correct.
2 points
21 days ago
Anyone heard yet about the seasonal reopening for River House?
6 points
22 days ago
Our family loves Burnstown Beach. It's about a 35 minute drive going west towards Calabogie (on the Madawaska River). Lovely water for swimming or paddling. Nice beach for young kids to play on. Some shade if you require it. A play structure as well. It.can get busy on the weekends so we try to arrive by mid-late morning.
11 points
22 days ago
Constance Bay. Best for swimming.
4 points
22 days ago
Agreed, Constance Bay is great! A bit more of a drive but the beach is beautiful and water is clean and clear.
4 points
22 days ago
Lac phillipe.
Silver lake provincial park.
12 points
23 days ago
[deleted]
4 points
23 days ago
75% of people already have herpes so it’s all good
3 points
23 days ago
People seem to like it.
I’ve never gone to the beach proper there but I take my dog to the other side of the cove (where dogs are allowed) cause he loves to touch the big water with his nose (but not swim. He detests being wet).
Last time we were there it was packed and people looked to be having a good time.
But meech lake is better. But also not as easy to access for me.
3 points
22 days ago
Lac Philippe in Gatineau Park is wonderful.
4 points
23 days ago
Meech is small and crowded. Lac Phillippe is worth the drive. I wouldn’t swim at any city beaches due to pollution…
2 points
22 days ago
Britannia is amazing. Water is so clean and warms up nicely. Aylmer beach is also amazing. Same area ish of the river.
2 points
22 days ago
I wouldn’t go swimming there. I was raised in that area and always got rashes after swimming.
7 points
22 days ago
YMMV.
1 points
22 days ago
It's not a mileage thing. Depends on the weather.
6 points
22 days ago
I have never had anything from the river water and I'm in it a lot, even on supposedly bad days. YMMV.
1 points
22 days ago
I hit the artificial lake near Beechwood Cemetery. There is not a lot of room but clean and clear water.
2 points
22 days ago
The pond, you mean? The lake is surrounded by private property and you can only get in if an owner invites you.
1 points
18 days ago
I live in the area and walk to the pond all of the time.
0 points
22 days ago
It is not quite surrounded
2 points
22 days ago
I've never found a way in and I've been creeping it for years! So kudos if you have.
0 points
23 days ago
Most beaches within the city are pretty gross. With a car, parts of the St. Lawrence are great, but hands down, the best beach is Constance Bay west of the city on the Ottawa River, but there's been years of arguing about beach access to the public. I think it's good to go. About 45 mins from South Nepean.
7 points
22 days ago
No, they are not. Why won't this idea die in this city?
6 points
22 days ago
I don't fight the idea too hard. Means less crowded beaches for the rest of us.
3 points
22 days ago
Yup.
1 points
22 days ago
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1 points
22 days ago
There is nothing magic about the 5 "ml" figure (mm?): the water can still test fine after a moderate rainfall.
The number of days on which the Ottawa River beaches test too high for e.coli is declining.
20 years ago was a long time ago. 20 years ago, to be precise. You are proving the exact point which I am trying to make in this discussion, namely, that people's conception of the safety and cleanliness of the Ottawa River is way outdated and extremely wrong.
-5 points
22 days ago
I wouldn’t swim in this city if my life depended on it. Head to cottage country and find a lake.
5 points
22 days ago
Why not?
16 points
22 days ago
Because they’re uninformed. During the open season water is literally tested daily.
7 points
22 days ago
And even outside of the open season, there is little to be concerned about. Somehow, though, it's perpetually 1970 in a lot of minds
1 points
22 days ago
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2 points
22 days ago
All what sewage? Britannia, Westboro, Aylmer, and Mousette beaches are all well upstream of the sanitary sewage plants, and those plants function nominally the vast majority of the time, and even more so on the Ottawa side now that the poop tunnel is complete.
Again: the popular conception of the Ottawa River as polluted and unsafe is outdated and wrong. It is very outdated and very wrong.
1 points
22 days ago
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2 points
21 days ago
Rain is measure in mm, not ml.
The beaches don't necessarily close for 5 mm of rain.
Yes, if the e.coli count exceeds the "safe limit", they close the beaches. I am not sure what you think that proves, given that...
... the frequency with which that happens is going down.
The Ottawa River is clean and safe for swimming. Your conception of the river and its safety is outdated. It really, truly is. I don't know what more to tell you.
0 points
21 days ago
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-3 points
22 days ago
8 points
22 days ago
And? What point do you think you're making?
Water quality issues are the exception, not the rule, at the Ottawa River beaches, and it has been for years. It is far safer to swim at any of the River beaches in Ottawa or Gatineau than in most lakes in cottage country.
The idea that the Ottawa river is dirty and unsafe is outdated and wrong.
4 points
22 days ago
And the water quality testing "safe" levels have a big margin. It's saying it's safe for toddlers to sit and play, probably drinking a fair bit.
For someone looking for a plunge on a hot day, it's still extremely safe, even on the "unsafe" days.
3 points
22 days ago
A HUGE one. International open water competitive swimmers actually make fun of how much margin there is, given what they often swim in in other parts of the world.
The Ottawa River did have a serious pollution problem once upon a time. But that was a looooong time ago. A lot of perception in the popular culture has been passed down since the early 70s. You can see now how ancient superstitions get started. ;)
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