Ottawa is a city that is making the most of its river. On a trip in August, Canada’s capital was hot and summery, with highs of 90 degrees and plenty of chances to get in the Ottawa River.
Kayak tour of the Ottawa River
Two of the highlights of my trip were kayaking and swimming, and both were easily accessible from downtown by Uber. My second night in Ottawa, Grant Kowalsky of Escape Tours & Rentals gave me a private sunset kayak tour of the Ottawa River. We met near the beautiful century-old NCC River House, which used to belong to a private club and is now open to the public for swimming, changing clothes, launching kayaks and hanging out watching the river. Grant is an impressive soul, who’s already done lots of things from wildland firefighting to studying cybersecurity to traveling to more than 40 countries, all by reaching the quarter-century mark.
An enthusiastic nature lover, Grant took me on an upriver cruise looking for wildlife. We saw a hawk, some ducks, and various small birds. The river was low, so we got a peek at aquatic plants that are usually hidden from view. We saw the French and British embassies, and got up close to Rideau Falls, so named because they look like curtains.
Our turning point was where the river meets the Rideau Canal and we got a look at the parliament buildings from the water. A couple of firsts for me on this kayak trip: paddling out to the middle of the river and going around a buoy dividing Ontario water from Quebec, so that it was technically a two-province journey. And seeing a bus coming at us—in the water! The amphibious tour bus was at a safe distance, but it was very weird to see bus headlights coming towards my kayak.
One soul enjoying the sunset
At the end of our trip, the sun set. “Even if it’s just one soul, to see a sunset like we have in front of us here, that’s the goal,” Grant said. “If I can get somebody out on the water to see this little piece of a hidden gem in the world, that’s what I’d like.”
I loved how much Grant loved sharing the river with guests.
Swimming in the Ottawa River
I returned the next morning to take a solo swim at the boathouse, which is a project of the National Capital Commission. Being American, I had no idea what that was. According to the NCC website, “The National Capital Commission is the federal Crown corporation dedicated to ensuring that the National Capital is a dynamic and inspiring source of pride for all Canadians, and a legacy for generations to come.” Its projects include the realms of public art, conservation, remediation, parks, pathways, bridges and roads.
Based on the river pool, I’m a fan of the NCC. It’s built docks in a rectangle around a section of the river so that it looks like a pool but you’re really in the river. The setup includes two 25-meter lanes for people who want to lap swim, and then a big pool to play in, complete with two swim-up platforms. The water was dark and a pleasant temperature in the low 70s. It was a little trippy because the docks made me feel like I was in a pool, but I had to remember I was really in the river, with fish and currents and all that good stuff.
At 8 AM, even on a Saturday in August, there were only five or six of us in that big pool. Later in the day, lifeguards are on duty and the pool fills up with families. The boathouse’s amenities—changing rooms, restrooms, a café—make it very convenient. Swimming in the river was one of my favorite things I did in Ottawa.
