Petawawa beaches closed due to potential of unexploded devices
Posted May 19, 2022 02:51:00 PM.
If you were thinking of anchoring your boat and going for a swim at one of four beaches located on the banks of the Ottawa River at Garrison Petawawa, you would be advised to find another spot as they will be closed due to the threat of encountering unexploded ammunition including grenades and projectiles.
According to the Department of National Defense (DND), this has been the practice for several years and although no official order was ever signed allowing public access to the beaches, they are popular for boaters since they are only accessible by boat.
The four beaches, Wegner Point, Antler Point, Gust Point, and Kiska Beach are all located on DND property and over the years some dangerous items have been recovered from these areas.
Daphne Gebhardt, a public relations official at Garrison Petawawa, said although there have not been several dangerous objects removed from the Ottawa River, there is always the potential of a boat or swimmer coming into contact with a deadly device.
“The unexploded ordinance (UXO) threat has always been and will continue to be a threat,” she said. “Sandy beaches and the constant flow of the Ottawa River and flooding means there can never be absolute certainty that all UXO hazards have been detected and removed and they can re-surface after a period of time.”
She cited an example in 2021 when two UXOs including a hand grenade and a 12-pound projectile were found. Additionally, a 105 millimetre projectile was reported, but was never found by the ordnance team.
She added that the beaches will be closed for the foreseeable future and it has been an annual closure dating back several years.
For those familiar with the Ottawa River beaches in the area, she advised those on the river to obey all signage, including floating aids and buoys along the Garrison Petawawa bank from Black Point to Black Bear beach.
However, one of the area’s most popular summer destination, Black Bear Beach and the surrounding campground are not subject to the shutdown and remain open to the public.
