… if you’re a beach lovin’ family in Ottawa, where do you go? Westboro? Britannia? Petrie Island? Meech? What do you love best about your favourite beach? The snack bar? The rock collecting? The seagulls (or lack thereof?)
Your tips and suggestions are needed to round out an upcoming SavvyMom piece! Thank you!
1 | alison
Sadly, my favourite beach seems to have disappeared (at least as of Mother’s Day) due to high Ottawa River water levels. Maybe the girls and I will take a drive down and see if the water has receded and if any sand is left. If it’s still there, I’ll write back and give directions.
Also, I linked to your thrift shopping challenge posting today. Hope you don’t mind.
2 | LO
While i am trying desperately not to become too jaded about the extreme levels of e.coli lurking at our beaches i will say that I LOVE the Dunrobin Beach. It’s not big and usually not very busy-two pluses for me! Also, Fitzroy Harbour Camp grounds-great place and not far for a little piece of paradise.
Lo
3 | Karen
We really like Britannia. Yes, it’s busy but we always get there early since our kids are early risers. I love the bathrooms close by, the great swimming area and the playground right there that is really shady.
4 | tali
The beach at the marina in aylmer…big, lots of play structures, watching the ships. Usually not crowded at all.
5 | BeachMama
As much as I am BeachMama, I don’t usually go to Ottawa beaches due to the ecoli and the fact that they close so often. We used to go to Lac Phillipe all the time, but even they have had trouble in the last couple of years. J asked if we could go to a local beach this year, so I might have to suck it up and go, but it will be with great caution.
6 | Jaime
I know it’s not a beach but I loved going to Andrew Hayden Park. The playstructures are shaded, you see lots of little animals around, the kids can run around and there is a little splash pad off to the side there. Speaking of splash pads, I like that as an alternative to beaches, that are regularly closed to ecoli. In particular the one in Barrhaven, the City of Ottawa has put out some awesome splash pads but you do need to get out there early to get a spot.
7 | danigirl
I’m a fan of Britannia beach, which is rarely closed for e-coli or anything else. Nice gentle grade, clear water, sandy beach and easy access to change rooms (and french fries, should you choose to indulge!)
Also nice is the provincial park on the Rideau River Provincial Park (they say they’ve never been closed for e-coli, and the Park itself is quite nice) or Lac Phillipe if you don’t mind the drive. They have swimmer’s itch at Lac Phillipe, though, so you have to towel off carefully.
None of them compare to the beach of my fondest heart, though. Hoping to make another pilgrimmage to Grand Bend on Lake Huron this summer! And that ocean beach in Bar Harbor would be nice to revisit, too!
8 | Pat Grenier
Maybe we need to chill more (no pun intended) I/we use the beaches on the Ottawa River near Arnprior (who’s e-coli limit for beach closer is 100 pp100ml). BUT we have a boat and rarely if ever use a municipal beach so we don’t know the e-coli levels at our beaches and frankly after swimming there for 50 plus years – don’t care! Has anyone been treated at any area (city of Ottawa or valley for that matter) hospitals for e-coli related swimming problems. How severe were they? What were they? Don’t forget this is a liability problem for the municipality so they won’t soon relax their vigilance over their beaches. They are protecting their butts. Go for a swim – chill and see your doctor on Monday if you are afraid – but ask the question “Doc, how long can I do it before it affects me?”
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