10 Best Swimming Pools in Ottawa Where You Can Beat the Heat
When it’s summer in Ottawa, I often forget that I’m in the 7th coldest capital in the world. The humid, sweltering heat can be as intolerable as our harsh winters—that is, if you don’t know where to cool off.
Luckily, Ottawa has incredible public facilities and hotels where you can escape the heat. Whether you prefer to lounge at a swanky indoor pool or float aimlessly at a wave pool with the entire family, this city has it all.
Here are the best swimming pools in Ottawa to beat the summer heat.
The Brookstreet Hotel
Media credit: brookstreetott
Website: https://www.brookstreethotel.com/
Location: 525 Legget Drive, Kanata
Phone: +1 833 744 2782
Pool hours: Mon-Fri 6 am to 10 pm, Sat-Sun 7 am to 10 pm
Amenities: Wading pool, hot tubs, lounge areas, sauna, and cabana
During the warmer months of the year, Brookstreet Hotel’s indoor and outdoor saltwater pools will be open to the public daily. Of the two, the pool in the Flex Fitness Studio is a better option for families because it has a wading pool right next to it.
If you’re looking to relax and soak in some sun, go to the pool near the Marshes Golf Club. You can indulge in refreshing drinks and delicious meals while taking in the stunning views of the perfectly manicured grounds.
Whatever pool you choose, your kids are welcome to swim and splash around, including the little ones who aren’t potty trained as long as they wear a swim diaper. You can purchase one from the fitness center for $1.
Drop-in fees apply for public use.
Minto Recreation Complex
Media credit: d_man_oo_runs
Website: https://ottawa.ca/
Location: 3500 Cambrian Road
Phone: +1 613 727 2683
Pool hours: Mon-Fri 6:15 am to 10 pm, Sat 7:15 am to 9 pm, Sun 6:45 am to 8 pm
Amenities: Gender-neutral changerooms, gender-specific washrooms, free public WiFi, and free parking
Drop-in fees (w/o taxes): Adult $6.02, Youth $3.94, and Senior $4.62
Inside Minto Recreation Complex, you’ll find one of the best pools in Canada. Spanning 25 meters, this lap pool has six lanes with a 3-meter and 1-meter diving board, perfect for swimming and diving practices.
Athletes often use the lanes so you’ll have to stay out of their way when they’re doing laps, which is quite easy to do in a pool this size. And even though you’re not a pro at swimming, there’s a lot to enjoy here, especially the inflatable obstacle course.
What we like the most about Minto is how community-centered it is. Aside from having excellent facilities that make pool access convenient, it also has swimming classes for all ages.
Fairmont Chateau Laurier
Media credit: fairmontlaurier
Website: https://www.fairmont.com/laurier-ottawa/
Location: 1 Rideau Street
Phone: +1 613 241 1414
Pool hours: Daily 6:30 am to 9 pm
Amenities: Health club lounge, change rooms, training room
Membership fee: 1 month $125, 6 months $600, 1 year $960
The Fairmont Chateau Laurier has one of the best hotel pools in Ottawa. If you aren’t a guest, you can only access the pool with a Health Club Membership, which is available monthly, annually, and on a 6-month basis.
Membership doesn’t come cheap, so it’s ideal if you’re committed to turning fitness into a lifestyle. As a member, you can have daily access to the pool, as well as the hotel’s state-of-the-art fitness facilities.
The indoor pool measures 18.3 meters with four lanes where you swim laps. It features an art deco design with glowing orb-shaped lamps hovering over the lanes, and swimming here feels like you’re in a scene from a Wes Anderson movie.
Splash Wave Pool
Media credit: ottlifesaving
Website: https://ottawa.ca/
Location: 2040 Ogilvie Road
Phone: +1 613 748 4222
Pool hours:
- Mon, Wed, Fri 6 am to 7 pm
- Tue, Thu 8 am to 8 pm
- Sat-Sun 10 am to 3 pm
Amenities: Free public WiFi, on-site parking, washrooms
Leisure pool fees: Adult $6.02, Youth $3.94, and Senior $4.62
Wave pool fees: Adult $9.26, Youth $6.71, and Senior $7.86
For many Ottawans, visiting Splash Wave Pool with their kids is a rite of passage. Parents would take their little ones here to let them experience the same fun-filled summers they had growing up.
Aside from floating around in the wave pool, you can go down the 32-meter slide or soak in the whirlpool, which accommodates 30 adults. Kids have their own shallow pool with warm water, a little cove area, and spray toys to keep them entertained.
Splash has always been a popular spot among Ottawans, so it attracts a lot of crowds in the summer. If you can, visit on the weekdays so you won’t have to wait in line just to get in.
Champagne Fitness Centre
Media credit: movielinks2000
Website: https://ottawa.ca/
Location: 321 King Edward Avenue
Phone: +1 613 244 4402
Pool hours:
- Mon 8:30 am to 9:30 pm
- Tue-Wed, Fri 6:30 am to 9:30 pm
- Thu 9 am to 9:30 pm
- Sat-Sun 8:30 am to 4 pm
Amenities: Gender-specific changerooms, washrooms, on-site parking, sauna, and lockers
Just a stone’s throw away from the ByWard Market, the Champagne Fitness Centre houses a 22.86-meter pool with 4 lanes. Whether or not you’re an athlete, you have a lot of space here to do laps and get some exercise.
Thanks to its convenient location in downtown Ottawa, it attracts a wide range of visitors from young swimmers to seniors, but it never gets too crowded. After swimming, you can hop inside their sauna to relax and sweat the stress away.
Although it’s much smaller than the Minto Recreation Complex, all its facilities are as well-maintained and clean. They also have affordable drop-in fees because this is a government-run facility.
Kanata Wave Pool
Media credit: alexevoy
Website: https://ottawa.ca/
Location: 70 Aird Place
Phone: +1 613 580 9677
Pool hours: Mon-Fri 7 am to 9 pm, Sat 8 am to 8 pm, Sun, 8 am to 6 pm
Amenities: Free public WiFi, on-site parking, washrooms, hot tub, and sauna
Leisure pool fees(w/o waves): Adult $6.02, Youth $3.94, and Senior $4.62
Wave pool fees: Adult $9.26, Youth $6.71, and Senior $7.86
Small yet very fun, the Kanata Wave Pool is like a neighborhood water park with a 50-meter corkscrew slide, water fountains, waterfalls, and wading pools. It’s where families take their kids to cool down in the summer without breaking the bank.
Since this facility is run by the city, it’s more affordable than an actual water park. Not to mention, it’s less crowded—even in the summer.
Its only con is that it has specific schedules for different activities. Like other public facilities, you can only use certain amenities like the wave pools and slides at certain hours of the day.
Francois Dupuis Recreation Centre
Media credit: laserccg
Website: https://ottawa.ca/
Location: 2263 Portobello Boulevard
Phone: +1 613 580 8080
Pool hours: Mon-Fri 7:15 am to 9 pm, Sat, Sun
Amenities: Family changerooms, free public WiFi, on-site parking, and sauna
Drop-in fees (w/o taxes): Adult $5.32, Youth $2.77, and Senior $3.47
Another city-run recreation center with amazing public pools is Francois Dupuis. It has a 25-meter, 6-lane pool for swimmers who want to practice laps and a leisure pool for non-athletes who just want to splash around.
At this facility, specific programs like lane and public swimming have specific schedules, which you can view from the city’s website. You must time you visit between such hours to use the pool.
Francois Dupuis is quite popular among families, especially with young children. A lot of parents take their kids for swimming lessons here, so the pools are often packed.
Bearbrook Park
Media credit: geegeesswim
Website: https://ottawa.ca/
Location: 2679 Innes Road
Phone: +1 613 824 8300
Pool hours:
- Mon, Wed, Fri 6:30 am to 6:30 pm
- Tue, Thu 7 am to 6:30 pm
- Sat-Sun 9:30 am to 6 pm
Amenities: Covered gazebo, free parking, washrooms, and picnic tables
Drop-in fees (w/o taxes): Adult $5.32, Youth $2.77, and Senior $3.47
If you’re looking for an affordable and family-friendly pool where the entire family can sunbathe and swim, Bearbrook Park is an excellent spot.
Here, you’ll find two outdoor pools, one large enough for swimming laps and the other shallow enough for kids to wade in safely. It even has a splash pad, where kids who don’t want to swim can play with the water sprays and still have fun.
Don’t forget to pack that sunscreen and reapply it, especially if you’re staying for an hour or two. There is a small gazebo with picnic tables, where you can take shelter from the sun and perhaps munch on some snacks.
Ray Friel Recreation Complex
Media credit: marieclaudet
Website: https://ottawa.ca/
Location: 1585 Tenth Line Road, Orleans
Phone: +1 613 580 4765
Pool hours: Mon-Fri 6 am to 9 pm and Sat-Sun 7:30 am to 8 pm
Amenities: Free public WiFi, sauna, hot tub, free parking, and washrooms
Leisure pool fees(w/o waves): Adult $6.02, Youth $3.94, and Senior $4.62
Wave pool fees: Adult $9.26, Youth $6.71, and Senior $7.86
The third wave pool in Ottawa is located in the Ray Friel Recreation Complex, which is mostly known for its three National Hockey League size arenas. Around 20,000 sq. ft. of this complex is dedicated to a state-of-the-art fitness center, where you’ll find the pool.
It’s easily one of the best places to train as a swimmer because it has a 25-meter indoor pool with 6 lanes, a 1-meter diving board, a sauna, and a physiotherapy clinic. But if you’re simply looking to beat the heat, not train, you’ll have a blast at their wave pool.
What we like about this recreation complex is that it has a restaurant and a coffee shop on-site, where you can grab a bite after a fun day of swimming.
Genest Outdoor Pool
Media credit: matfleury
Website: https://ottawa.ca/
Location: 43 Ste Cecile Street
Phone: +1 613 749 6488
Pool hours: Daily 10 am to 7 pm
Amenities: Free on-street parking, washrooms, and change rooms
Tucked away in the suburbs of Ottawa, the Genest Outdoor Pool is only a 9-minute drive from downtown. This is a neighborhood pool mostly frequented by friendly residents and their children.
Even though it’s smaller than other pools on our list, you can do laps around here. The experience can still be fun because the lifeguards post daily challenges and games for everyone to enjoy.
Unfortunately, there aren’t lockers around where you can keep your stuff while you swim. If you’re coming here with other people, it might be best to take turns so someone can watch your valuables.