NCC National Capital Core Area Plan | In Progress

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

For Canada Day, I tested out the NCC’s new swimming dock beneath Parliament
It was my first Canada Day in Ottawa, and I spent it at one of the NCC's new swimming docks on the Ottawa River with a view of Parliament.

By Olivia Belovich, Ottawa Citizen
Published Jul 01, 2026 | Last updated 5 hours ago

...

I also brought to the capital a distaste for swimming in waters near downtown. Not many people in Toronto swim in Lake Ontario. There’s a general understanding that it’s kind of gross.

Toronto has the same mythology as us.

[urbanforest]

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

Toronto has the same mythology as us.

I find this really interesting as someone who grew up swimming in the St Lawrence near Kingston. Perhaps the water is a bit gross right at Toronto, but downstream it's spectacularly clear and clean — which spoiled me when I moved here and found the water was brown from tannins or relatively stagnant in the case of the Rideau.

[zzptichka]

Monday evening

[Uhuniau]

Is that Hull structure the same size as East Wharf, or bigger?

[SL123]

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

Is that Hull structure the same size as East Wharf, or bigger?

Bigger but it doesn't include the nice wooden steps/seats so overall maybe equal

[rocketphish]

New swimming dock opens near history museum
National Capital Commission has now opened 2 new downtown docks

CBC News
Posted: Jul 10, 2026 12:02 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hour ago



The National Capital Commission (NCC) has opened its second new Ottawa River swimming dock this summer.

A promised dock near the Canadian Museum of History in downtown Gatineau, Que., has opened, the NCC said Friday.

The dock is accessible for unsupervised swimming from dawn until dusk, the NCC said. Water testing results will be published on Swim Guide.

Swimming started at the East Dock near the Ottawa Locks on the Ontario side of the river last month.

Those two docks join those at the River House near Rockcliffe Park, which opened in 2023, and the Dow's Lake dock on the Rideau Canal that made its debut last year.

The NCC has long operated beaches in the region.

The federal Crown corporation has been focusing on bringing more activities to the Ottawa, Gatineau and Rideau river shorelines, saying they had been underused for years.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ottawa-gatineau-swimming-dock-history-museum-river-9.7265804

[Uhuniau]

Gave the Hull dock a little test splish-splash last evening. Dang.

[dougvdh]

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

Gave the Hull dock a little test splish-splash last evening. Dang.

It was hopping there yesterday evening when I biked by on my way home from work. I was trying to see if it was as busy at the one on the south side of the river. It was also very busy at the RiverHouse.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by dougvdh

It was hopping there yesterday evening when I biked by on my way home from work. I was trying to see if it was as busy at the one on the south side of the river. It was also very busy at the RiverHouse.

Funny enough, it seems to me that the peak temperature for beach-ing seems to be about 27-28; after about 30, it starts dropping off again as people just stay indoors.

[zzptichka]

Couldn't find an empty chair yesterday after 7. It's pretty cool to see how much busier the whole park has become.