City Can’t Extend Beach Supervision

08/19/2025

city.hall .log .small

In the 2025 budget, additional funds were approved to extend the outdoor aquatic season for beaches, deep outdoor pools and wading pools. This memo will provide an update on all outdoor aquatic amenities.

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This is a release from the City of Ottawa.

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BEACHES

The City’s four municipal beaches have a core operating season running from June 21 to August 24, 2025. Based on the availability of additional funding, attempts were made to extend the season until September 1.

Unfortunately, after exploring several options, including a shortened or modified daily schedule and a reduced number of beach sites, staff are not able to retain a sufficient number of certified waterfront lifeguards to extend the season at any of the locations. There is a requirement to have between 55 and 60 lifeguards available to properly supervise Ottawa’s beaches.

The early return to classes at French School Boards, combined with the early September long weekend, and subsequent resumption of post-secondary classes has resulted in most waterfront lifeguards refusing to extend their summer employment. Appreciating that residents may still choose to go to the beach beyond the supervision season and into September, we will maintain measures at each site to promote safety around the unsupervised waterfront, including:

• New prominent signage indicating the beach is unsupervised

• Use of pictograms to improve accessibility for diverse populations

• Clear information on water safety, potential hazards, and emergency contacts • Multiple red flags flown to indicate no lifeguard supervision

• On-site public address reminders and messaging until Labour Day

• Availability and regular inspection of basic self-rescue equipment, including a ring buoy with float rope, reaching pole, and hook. These inspections continue through Thanksgiving weekend at all four beach sites

Combined with social media outreach, new consistent on-site messaging, and the implementation of new safety stations, these measures form a comprehensive waterfront safety framework for the pre and post supervised beach season.

Beach pavilion washrooms at Mooney’s, Britannia and Petrie Island will remain open until September 1 operating Monday to Thursday 10:30am-9pm and Friday to Sunday 10:30am-7pm and porta-potties will remain at these locations until October. Westboro Beach Pavilion and washrooms will be opened, closed and maintained by the National Capital Commission (NCC).

OUTDOOR SWIMMING POOLS

There are nine outdoor pools (deep pools) in operation this summer. Pools have an operating season that runs from early June until late August. For the end of this pool season, the following changes have been made to extend services at some sites.

General Burns:

This pool has been closed for several weeks for unplanned repairs and is expected to reopen on September 9 for an extended season until October 3.

With the support of the additional 2025 budget funding for an extended aquatic season, Bearbrook, Crestview and Glen Cairn outdoor pools were selected to remain open until September 14, with modified hours (available on Ottawa.ca). Early in the season, significant leaks were detected at Crestview Pool. Though staff were able to implement temporary measures to sustain the current season, additional work is required this Fall to ensure summer 2026 is not impacted. Contractors have been hired, and work is scheduled to commence on September 2. In order to ensure a pool is available in the geographic area served by Crestview, Entrance Pool will remain open until General Burns can be reopened on September 9.

Wading pools had two staggered start dates this June, with half the pools opening on June 23 and closing August 17. The remaining pools had a start date one week later on June 30 allowing for closure one week later than the first cohort of pools. This approach effectively extends the wading service across the City. The additional 2025 funding provided allowed for 10 wading pools to open on weekends in June ahead of the formal start of the season.

SPLASH PADS

Splash pads will be in operation until at least September 14. Most pads operate from 9 am to 9 pm. Staff will monitor the weather and temperatures and could extend the season beyond this date if hot weather persists.

For a list of splash pad locations, please visit ottawa.ca.

Regards,

Dan Chenier

General Manager,

Recreation, Cultural and Facility Services

Direction générale des loisirs, de la culture et des installations

Cc. Senior Leadership Team