Make a day at the beach memorable for the right reasons

[guest]

City beaches are a great place in the summer to cool off, enjoy the outdoors, and have fun. Make the day memorable for all the right reasons by respecting water safety and COVID prevention, park rules, and other families sharing the beach and parks.

COVID-19 prevention

Even though vaccinations continue and COVID numbers decline, we need to remain vigilant and continue to do our part to follow public health protocols and measures:

• Stay two metres from people outside your household – in the water and on shore
• Bring a mask for situations when physical distancing may be difficult
• Use hand sanitizers frequently
• Avoid touching your face and other people's property - like chairs, balls and frisbees
• Self-screen and stay home if you are sick or showing symptoms of illness

Under Step One of the Reopening Ontario plan, outdoor social gatherings are limited up to 10 people – and require physical distancing from members outside of a household.

Large crowds make physical distancing more difficult to maintain. When you arrive at the beach and see excessive crowds, consider trying another location or activity. It is also recommended to visit your closest beach. Parking is also limited at our park and beach locations, and both Mooney’s Bay and Petrie Island have paid parking. Also, check octranspo.com to help plan your transit route to the parks and beaches.

Respect beach and park rules and environment

Park rules and regulations ensure respect for other beachgoers and the park’s natural environment:

• Smoking, vaping and alcohol consumption are strictly prohibited
• Do not litter – put your waste in the garbage and recycling bins or bring it home for proper disposal
• Unruly behaviour towards other people will not be tolerated
• No fireworks on the beach or anywhere in the park

The parks at each beach location are closed nightly at 11 pm. Loitering or long-term access is not permitted after this time. To support COVID outdoor gathering restrictions and City park regulations, a pilot project will be taking place at Mooney’s Bay to close the park daily at 9 pm from Friday, June 11 to Sunday, June 13.

Water safety

Lifeguards are on duty starting Saturday, June 19 and will supervise daily from noon to 7 pm until August 29. Always swim at the beach during the hours of supervised operation. Any time you are near or around water, keep young children within arms’ reach. It only takes a few seconds for a fun outing to become a serious or tragic event.

New at Britannia Beach this year, visitors are reminded that the swimming area was dredged last year to provide a deeper area close to shore for swimming. New buoys and rope markers and signs have been installed to indicate the deeper areas. As well, a new shallow wading area has been created at the north end of the beach.

Ottawa Public Health will conduct regular water quality testing. Check ottawa.ca/beaches for any no-swimming advisories and whether lifeguards are on duty. Beach locations that have no-swimming advisory will also fly a red flag and signs along the shoreline. Check ottawapublichealth.ca for the latest water-quality results.

Sun safety

Be sure to apply sunscreen before heading to the beach or park and apply it several times during your stay. Also make sure to bring your water bottle to the beach and keep yourself hydrated. Watch for the signs of possible sun and heat stroke for you and your family, which include headache, dizziness, no perspiration and dry skin, as well as nausea and vomiting.

Taking the necessary health precautions and being mindful of our behaviours will help make a day at the beach fun for everyone.

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