Five places to cool off during the June heat wave in Ottawa and Gatineau

Kids cool off at a local splash pad in Ottawa on July 7, 2021, when the humidex hit a high of 40. (Dave Charbonneau / CTV News Ottawa)

OTTAWA -

Ottawa residents will be looking for a place to cool off over the next few days, as the first heat wave of summer grips the capital.

A Heat Warnng has been issued for Ottawa and eastern Ontario. Environment Canada is calling for temperatures of 33 C on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.  The humidex on Sunday will make it feel like 39 degrees.

The city of Ottawa notes pandemic restrictions are limiting access to some of the usual public places where people may cool off, including libraries, shopping malls and museums.  Malls, movie theatres and museums remain closed in Ontario due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

CTV News Ottawa looks at five places to cool off during the heat warning:

BEACHES

Ottawa's public beaches remain closed under provincial regulations and they are not supervised. Lifeguards are scheduled to begin patrolling Ottawa beaches on June 19.

The city of Gatineau's beaches at Parc du Lac-Beauchamp, Parc Mousssette and Parc des Cedres will be open June 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9. Beaches in Gatineau will also be open June 12 and 13.

Starting June 19, beaches will be open daily and lifeguards will be on duty in Gatineau.

Health officials in Ontario and Quebec recommend residents avoid non-essential interprovincial travel.

SPLASH PADS

You can cool off at splash pads.

The city of Ottawa's splash pads are open daily from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

The following splash pads are closed for repairs:

• Andrew Haydon Park
• Claudette Cain Park
• Cumberland Millennium Sports Park
• Kilbirnie Park
• Pioneer Plains Park
• Queenswood Heights Centennial Park
• Westcliffe Park

For a list of Ottawa splash pads, visit Ottawa.ca.

Splash pads are also open in Gatineau daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. For a list of locations, visit Gatineau.ca.

Ottawa area splash pads open today

EMERGENCY COOLING CENTRES

The City of Ottawa says four emergency cooling centres will open on Monday.

The following locations can be opened as emergency cooling centres from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.:

• Plante Recreation Centre (930 Somerset St. W.)
• Hunt Club-Riverside Park Community Centre (3320 Paul Anka Dr.)
• Ron Kolbus Lakeside Centre (102 Greenview Ave.)
• Pat Clark Community Centre (4355 Halmont Dr.)

The operation of cooling centres could be extended, should the need arise.

Respite Centres and Day Programs will also be available for priority populations to see relief from the heat.

Greenspaces

Parks and multi-purpose trails are open across Ottawa and Gatineau.  Ottawa Public Health recommends cooling off in the shade or at a park or greenspace. 

Gatineau Park is also open for visitors.

RENT A POOL

You can rent a pool for an hour through Swimply.com.

The website lists swimming pools available to rent by the hour in Ottawa and around the world.

In Ottawa, pools are available to rent for between $45 and $200 an hour.