Ottawa's Westboro Beach to close for the summer

Residents take advantage of the sunshine at Westboro beach on Colonel By Day Monday, despite the possibility of a fourth wave of COVID-19 with the Delta variant surging in different parts of the world. (Colton Praill/CTV Ottawa, August 2, 2021)

You will not be able to cool off this summer at Westboro Beach in Ottawa's west end.

The city of Ottawa says the popular beach along the Ottawa River will be closed for the summer while the National Capital Commission redevelops the area.

The NCC's plans for the beach include a year-round Park Pavilion, a renovated lifeguard space and rehabilitating the existing Strutt pavilions with washrooms/change rooms to meet accessibility standards.  There will also be improvements to the park landscaping and safety improvements along the multi-use pathway, while the parking lot will be moved to the south side of the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway.

"This project will be of significant benefit to residents as it will modernize the infrastructure of one of the four beaches supervised by the city and enhance the public amenities,"the city’s Recreation, Cultural and Facility Services General Manager Dan Chenier said in a memo to council Friday afternoon.

The NCC will begin construction this spring, but Chenier says there will be several "short-term disruptions" at Westboro Beach to allow the work to take place.

"Due to the significant staging area required by the contractor and safety considerations, Westboro Beach will be closed for the 2022 season," Chenier said.

"Recognizing the importance of beach access for residents, we have explored the possibilities of maintaining beach operations but unfortunately this cannot be accommodated during construction."

The NCC owns the Westboro Beach property, with the city's main involvement at the site revolving around the programming of beach operations.

According to the NCC website, the Ottawa River South Shore Riverfront Park Plan calls for the creation of a "continuous nine kilometre riverfront park connecting LeBreton Flats to Mud Lake. It also provides guidance on facilities, amenities and design improvements needed at Westboro Beach."

The NCC says as part of the agreement for the light rail transit project, the city will finance parkland improvements on a 2.5 km stretch of the riverfront park, including proposed improvements at Westboro Beach.

Ottawa's beaches at Britannia, Mooney's Bay and Petrie Island will be open this summer.