Where can my dog go swimming in Ottawa?

August 28, 2008 1:51 PM

Where can I go swimming with my dog near Ottawa, ON?

I recently moved to Ottawa, and my husband and I are having a hard time locating pet-friendly places to swim. We have found some good dog parks, but no pet-friendly places near the water. We have a car, and we are willing to drive a few hours if we need to.
We would really love to get away this weekend, bonus points if you can suggest pet friendly cottages or campsites that have beaches open to dogs.
Thanks!

posted by Chick Pea to pets & animals (8 answers total)

Head west. There's a beach in Carleton Place I've seen plenty of dogs in; so many that I don't know the name of the park next to it because I just call it "Dog Poo Park." There's also a nice spot to dip in, if not actually swim, in Blakeney, and there's a little beach in Pakenham that also gets plenty of dogs. There are a few cursory directions here. Renfrew also has a fairly pretty beach.
posted by kmennie at 3:37 PM on August 28, 2008

The folks at the Ottawa Dog Blog can probably help you out. (Disclosure: I know the site's creator/webmaster.)
posted by synecdoche at 4:09 PM on August 28, 2008

I visited a friend in Wakefield, Quebec, and we visited some local ponds with his dogs. There's also this cached site with lots of locations that I found on the internets.
posted by billtron at 5:35 PM on August 28, 2008

Thanks guys, I didn't think I was going to get any answers on this. I really appreciate your help!
posted by Chick Pea at 3:28 AM on August 29, 2008

I read in the paper that the official beaches are now closed, so although it's getting cooler, you might be able to use one of them without harassment.
posted by hungrysquirrels at 5:07 AM on August 29, 2008

You shouldn't have to go far.

The Bruce Pit on Cedarview Dr. and the Conroy Pit at Conroy and Hunt Club are the canonical locations. Both are large off-leash areas with old quarries in them that fill up with water. Dog use only. Lots of dogs get in the water at the Arboretum on Dow's Lake, but the water is pretty stinky there. Those are all off-leash.

On leash, almost any of the Ottawa River walks allow dogs to get in the water, just don't go in near the beaches. The area around Remic rapids (where all the inukshuks are) is particularly nice.
posted by bonehead at 8:43 AM on August 29, 2008

I used to go swimming in the Gatineau River near Wakefield, just at a random spot where the railroad tracks run along the river. Any spot like that would probably be fine, as long as it's not a regulated beach.
posted by teg at 9:40 AM on August 29, 2008

DO NOT DO NOT First, welcome to Ottawa.

There are approximately 169 off leash areas in the City of Ottawa, with more coming. Areas where dogs can swim are not abundant but there are places where you can take your dog swimming.

DO NOT allow your dog to swim at Bruce Pit or the Arboretum. Both areas come under the National Capital Commission's Animal Regulations and a violation will result in a hefty fine. Frankly, you would not want to allow your dog to swim in either of these locations because of high contamination and bacteria.

If you contact us at Responsible Dog Owners of Canada, we can provide you with a list of areas where you can legally allow your dog to swim.

You can check out dog friendly areas at www.responsibledogowners.ca.


Packmom (Candice O'Connell)
posted by Packmom at 7:18 AM on June 3, 2009