City of Ottawa beaches open for the season. Here's what you need to know
Youssef Ismail, left, and Andre Gallant leap into the water to catch a frisbee tossed by a friend as they cool off at Britannia Beach in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
Saturday marks the start of the season at City of Ottawa beaches.
Mooney's Bay, Britannia, Westboro and Petrie Island beaches will be open for supervised swimming from noon to 7 p.m. daily until Aug. 24.
It comes as the city prepares for its first summer heat wave with temperatures expected to soar to 35 C on Monday and 34 C on Tuesday.
Swimmers may notice several changes at the beach this summer. A new flag system is being introduced to 'improve swimming safety and communication,' according to the city's website:
Red over yellow: Lifeguards are present; designated swim zone.
Green flag: Lifeguards are actively supervising.
Red flag: Lifeguards not on duty.
Ottawa Public Health will no longer be issuing daily 'no-swim' advisories as in previous years, opting to encourage swimmers to consider the risks before, during and after visiting the beach.
Swimming is only recommended with a lifeguard present.
Beach signs have been upgraded this year explaining the new flag system and to highlight water safety messaging.
The new safety measures are being introduced following a 'lifesaving audit' conducted last year that made several recommendations to prevent drownings or serious injuries in the water.
Changes will most be noticed at Britannia after four drownings were reported at the west end beach since 2020. Sloped riverbed areas will be marked with a lane rope and new buoy lines will be set 300 millimetres away from dredged zones.
Ottawa Public Health will be conducting weekly e-coli testing at all beaches and will alert residents of the results on its website. As of Saturday, all city beaches meet the provincial standards.
NCC beaches
Beaches maintained by the National Capital Commission (NCC) opened last week.
Lifeguards will be on duty at La Pêche Lake, Meech Lake and Phillippe Lake daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. until Sept. 1.
Water will be tested weekly and swimming areas are marked by buoys. Water quality readings for all NCC beaches was 'excellent' or 'good' as of Saturday.
Smith Beach at Phillippe Lake will be closed for the season due to ongoing rehabilitation work.
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