Westboro Beach closed for 2022 season due to NCC revitalization project

Ottawa beachcombers will have to forego Westboro Beach this year as the entirety of the waterfront will be closed for construction.

In a memo to city council from the general manager of the recreation, culture and facility services department, the City said the National Capital Commission’s (NCC) project will start on its revitalization project of the area in the spring, keeping the beach closed for the 2022 season. 

The project includes five focuses:

• Rehabilitation of existing Strutt pavilions with washrooms and change rooms to meet accessibility standards;
• A renovated lifeguard space to support the municipal beach operations;
• A new year-round park pavilion;
• A landscaping improvements; 
• Improved safety for the multi-use pathway and a new parking lot south of the parkways.

“The project will benefit our communities for years to come, but there will be several short-term disruptions to allow for the work to take place,” the memo details. “Recognizing the importance of beach access for residents, we have explored the possibilities of maintaining beach operations, but unfortunately this cannot be accommodated during the construction.”

Construction on and around the site, also means detours will be in place to help the public navigate through the area. 

Signal staff will be available at multiple locations to help direct traffic as necessary. 

The property at Westboro Beach is owned by the NCC and the City’s main involvement in the site is the programming of beach operations, the memo explains.

The NCC is leading the project and continues to engage the City as a partner, who is “fully supportive” of the initiative. 

According to the NCC website, the redevelopment project is one of the first steps in making the Ottawa River South Shore Riverfront Park Plan a reality.

In 2021, the NCC also completed four aspects of the project that include:

• Constructions of the Westboro Beach parking lot on the south side;
• Detailed designed and tendering for the pavilion and landscape plan; 
• Proposed schematic design submitted to NCC Board of Directors in January 2021
• Construction of services, as well as parkway intersection and realignment by City of Ottawa's LRT contractors.