Ottawa beaches are no longer supervised but splash pads are still open

Summer might not be over yet, but lifeguard season at Ottawa beaches is.

The City of Ottawa is reminding residents that its public beaches are no longer supervised and water quality testing is no longer taking place.

"To protect yourself and your family, please do not swim at these locations or any unsupervised waterfronts," a public service announcement from the City of Ottawa said.

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Lifeguards were on duty at city beaches between June 15 and Aug. 24. The last day for beach water quality results was Aug. 25.

Washrooms will be open until Sept. 2.

Concerns about safety at unsupervised beaches were renewed this spring when a young boy drowned at Britannia Beach on June 3, just 12 days before lifeguards would have been present. This prompted Ontario's chief coroner to recommend the City of Ottawa conduct a "lifesaving audit" at all city beaches.

City staff said the audit would take place in August before the beaches closed, with results expected in the fall.

There have been calls to extend the time lifeguards are present at city beaches, but city staff say the majority of lifeguards hired to monitor beaches in the summer are students, which limits their availability once school resumes.

Sunny and warm days remain in the forecast for the last few days of August. The City of Ottawa says more than 100 splash pads will remain open until mid-September, and indoor pools offer sessions for public, family and lanes swims.

Wading pools are now closed for the season. End-of-season dog swims at outdoor pools are underway before pools are drained. The Beaverbrook, Corkstown, Entrance, and Katimavik pools held their dog swims on Sunday.

The Bearbrook pool remains open until Saturday, Sept. 1, with the dog swim scheduled for 5 to 6 p.m. The Crestview and General Burns pools are open over the Labour Day weekend, with dog swims scheduled for the afternoon of Sept 2. The Genest pool remains open daily until Sept. 2, with its dog swim scheduled for 5 to 6 p.m.