Outdoor swim and splash

The City’s beaches Mooney’s Bay, Britannia and Petrie Island will be open for supervised swimming from noon to 7 pm starting June 15 until August 25, 2024, inclusively. Washrooms will be open for the season starting May 18 until September 2, 2024 inclusively.

Note: The City will not be providing lifeguard supervision at Westboro Beach this year.  Due to construction at the site the National Capital Commission is operating only reduced unsupervised access to the beach. The City recommends swimming at supervised beaches only.

Put your toes in the sand and have fun at any of the City’s public beaches.

• East Ottawa: Petrie Island Beach, 727 Tweddle Road, 613-824-5704
• West Ottawa: Britannia Beach, 2805 Carling Avenue, 613-820-1211
• South Ottawa: Mooney’s Bay Beach, 2926 Riverside Drive, 613-248-0863

There is a fee for parking at Mooney’s Bay and Petrie Island. Check octranspo.com to help plan your transit route to parks and beaches.

Keep our beaches and parks clean by not littering. Dispose of your waste in bins or bring it home to dispose of in your green bin or your recycling and garbage bins.

Water health and safety

Ottawa Public Health conducts daily water quality testing for the presence of E coli bacteria. Check Beach Water Quality Results - Ottawa Public Health for the latest water-quality results and no swimming advisories.

Have fun at the beaches and play safe by following water safety guidelines. For additional information please visit the City of Ottawa’s Safety and supervisory standards in City pools and beaches.

Beach-accessible wheelchairs

Beach-accessible wheelchairs are available at no cost at Mooney’s Bay Beach, Britannia Beach and Petrie Island Beach.

Users are required to provide their own attendant to push the chair and assist with the transfer in and out of the chair. There is no lift on site.

To check the availability of beach-accessible wheelchairs, please contact:

• Mooney’s Bay, 613-248-0863
• Petrie Island, 613-824-5704
• Britannia Beach, 613-820-1211
• or beaches@ottawa.ca

Beach volleyball rental

For all inquiries and reservation requests please e-mail beaches@ottawa.ca.

Reservations are not required; walk-in requests are welcome. Weather permitting and pending special events.  

Mooney’s Bay Beach 

Availability

May 18 to September 2, 2024, inclusively  

• Monday to Thursday, 11 am to 8 pm
• Friday to Sunday, 11 am to 7 pm 

Cost (includes tax)

Payment can be made on site at the lifeguard office. Card or cash accepted.

• Daily $63
• Hourly $20  

Britannia Beach 

Availability

May 18 to September 2, 2024, inclusively  

• Monday to Thursday, 11 am to 6 pm
• Friday to Sunday, 11 am to 7 pm 

Cost (includes tax)

Payment can be made on site at the lifeguard office. Card or cash accepted.

• Daily $63
• Hourly $20  

Petrie Island Beach 

Availability

May 18 to September 2, 2024, inclusively  

• Monday to Thursday, 11 am to 6 pm
• Friday to Sunday, 11 am to 7 pm 

Cost (includes tax)

Payment can be made on site at the lifeguard office. Petrie is a cash only operation. 

• Daily $63
• Hourly $20 

Stand Up Paddleboard rental

For all inquiries and reservation requests please e-mail beaches@ottawa.ca.

Reservations are not required; walk-in requests are welcome. Weather permitting and pending special events.  

Mooney’s Bay Beach 

Availability

June 3 to September 2, 2024, inclusively  

• Daily, noon to 6 pm

Cost (includes tax)

Payment can be made on site at the lifeguard office. Card or cash accepted.

• Hourly $24  

Britannia Beach 

Availability

June 3 to September 2, 2024, inclusively  

• Daily, noon to 6 pm

Cost (includes tax)

Payment can be made on site at the lifeguard office. Card or cash accepted.

• Hourly $24  

Petrie Island Beach 

Availability

June 3 to September 2, 2024, inclusively  

• Daily, noon to 6 pm

Cost (includes tax)

Payment can be made on site at the lifeguard office. Cash only.

• Hourly $24

Event and group bookings

To book an event at the beach, contact Centralized Allocations at 613-580-2595 or sports@ottawa.ca.

To bring your group to swim at the beach, contact Beach Operations at 613-580-2424 ext.16966 or beaches@ottawa.ca.

Beach amenities

Petrie Island Beach

A wonderful sandy beach with spectacular views across the Ottawa River. Great for picnics, a stroll, a swim, a game of volleyball or watching the boats go by.

• From May 18 to September 2, 2024, paid parking from 7 am to 6 pm
  • seasonal passes available
• Canteen
• Picnic tables
• Play structure
• Volley-ball net rental
• Stand-up Paddleboard Rental (16+ years of age)
• Lifeguards

Britannia Beach

• Free parking
• Canteen
• Picnic tables
• BBQ pits in the park
• Play structures
• Accessible washroom
• Volley-ball net rental
• Stand-up Paddleboard Rental (16+ years of age)
• Lifeguards

Mooney’s Bay Beach

A popular summer destination for swimmers, rowers, and special events, including Dragon Boat Races and HOPE Volleyball.

• From May 18 to September 2, 2024, paid parking from 7 am to 6 pm
• Canteen
• Picnic tables
• BBQ pits in the park
• Play structures
• Volley-ball net rental
• Stand-up Paddleboard Rental (16+ years of age)
• Lifeguards

Westboro Beach

The City will not be providing lifeguard supervision at Westboro Beach this year.  Due to construction at the site the National Capital Commision is operating only reduced unsupervised access to the beach. The City recommends swimming at supervised beaches only.

This beach is located on National Capital Commission property at Kitchissippi Lookout on the Ottawa River.

Please note: extreme weather can impact openings or, for safety purposes, may cause closures.

Select one of the following facilities to see hours, locations and drop-in schedules.  

Currently open on a pre-season schedule: 

• Bearbrook Pool 
• Beaverbrook Pool - Kanata 
• Crestview Pool 
• Entrance Pool 
• General Burns Pool 
• Glen Cairn Pool 

Opening June 22: 

• Corkstown Pool 
• Katimavik Pool

Opening June  29:

• Genest Pool

Splash pads will be in operation until September 15, 9 am to 9 pm.

The following Splash Pads are closed for repairs:

• Atrium Park
• Roy Park

There is no cost to swim at a City of Ottawa wading pool.

Britannia Park wading pool will be closed for repairs until further notice.

Starting July 15, Heron Park will be closed for the season. 

Regular season hours of operation

View City of Ottawa wading pool locations and hours of operation in the chart below. 

Accessible wading pools are indicated in light blue.

At certain locations, while the wading pools are being drained, dogs are welcome to splash and play in the remaining water. This usually amounts to about 15 to 30 cm (six to 12 inches) of water.

See the table below for wading pools offering this service along with the scheduled start times.

Start and end times

• Dogs and their owners should not arrive to the site with their dogs until after the public human swimmers have left the area. This may be later than the start time indicated in the chart below. 
• Dog owners who do arrive early with their dogs will be asked to leave or wait before entering the park. Once the pool has closed and been cleared of humans, they will be welcomed to play.
• The time it takes to drain a pool is an estimate and varies by location.
• Dogs and owners are welcome to stay until the pool is completely drained.

Before arriving

Dogs should be walked prior to arriving at the site to reduce risk of urination and defecation on site. Dog waste needs to be picked up by the owner, whether in the pool or in the surrounding area. 

Please note:

1. Wading pool water is chlorinated and contains substantially more chlorine/chloramines than normal drinking water. It is recommended owners supervise their dogs to ensure they are not drinking the wading pool water and it is best to give them a hose off or shower at home afterwards.
2. There may be days where the wading pool is closed or closes early due to staffing shortages, poor weather or other unforeseen issues. 
3. Dog owners must ensure their dog does not bite or attack residents, staff or other animals and must ensure they are following the Animal Care and Control Bylaw (2003-077). 
4. For health reasons, dog owners are not permitted to join their dog in the wading pool but can easily stand by and watch the joy of their dogs at play.