Beating the heat in Lowertown

By Taylor Stocks and Christine Kilfoil of the Lowertown Community Association’s Health and Wellness Committee

With the recent heat waves Ottawa has endured, thoughts turn to cooling off. Lowertown residents can pack a book and walk a short distance to a quietly treelined dock in Bordeleau Park or sink into a red muskoka chair on Green Island and watch the boats on the Rideau River. When it gets too hot, the water awaits.

The newly opened National Capital Commission (NCC) East Wharf dock is located on the Ottawa River directly below Major’s Hill Park and next to the Rideau Canal Locks. It features a deep-water swimming zone, a lap lane, multi-level seating, and dockside food vendors. Curious about the water quality? Check out theswimguide.com and look for the East Wharf Recreational Dock, particularly after heavy rain.

The wading pool at Bingham Park located at the intersection of Dalhousie and Cathcart Streets has been a gathering spot for Lowertown families for decades. With its older, vintage charm, it is a staple of beating the summer heat. It survived a city drive to remove wading pools and replace them with splash pads in the mid 2000s with a successful community driven “Save our Wading Pool” campaign. A unique feature of this campaign was that it was children- and youth-led, who presented a petition and made a plea to the Lowertown Community Association and counsellor. The city listened, and the pool became part of the Bingham Park revitalization as a centre point of the children’s play area. The wading pool is open every day this summer except Tuesdays. The hours are posted on the adjacent recreation building which also has public washrooms.

There is another updated wading pool with terraced seating walls in Lowertown at 400 Clarence Street East in Jules Morin Park. There are crafts for children offered by the pool staff and lots of trees and grass to put a blanket or towel around the pool. This pool is wheelchair accessible. A splash pad is located at 349 Bruyere Street in Bordeleau Park, nestled amidst the river, tennis courts, and children’s playground. It features powerful ground jets, a dumping bucket, and a scenic water run-off system. The tree canopy provides plenty of shade for anyone who is sun sensitive.

For indoor swimming, Lowertown has two public pools: one located in the Patro on Cobourg Street and one in the Champagne Fitness Centre on King Edward Avenue. Sharing its building with the Patro, the Lowertown Pool hosts public, lane, and 50+ swims, as well as local summer camps. Patrons can finish their swims in the gender-inclusive sauna. The Champagne Fitness Centre boasts a pool with cooler water than Lowertown, however, it is currently closed until August 31.

Public water venues are more than a place to cool off – they are vital community spaces. The pools and splash pads host birthday and picnics, neighbours meeting neighbours, and children making new friends. At the splash pads and nearby parks, residents read, sit quietly or chat with others, suntan or play on the green space. The wading pool at Bingham Park sees families of all kinds, from babies and toddlers to loved ones from the nearby Bruyère Hospital. Like a rock thrown into a river, there is a ripple effect that spreads throughout Lowertown. Investment in these spaces means investment in community, connection, and healthy ways to cool off in the summer heat.