The water quality was rated “excellent” in the Ottawa River last week, just below the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, where the National Capital Commission installed docks this summer to allow open-water swimming.

Bathers can take in sweeping views of Parliament Hill as they practise their breaststroke or front crawl in the shimmering river at one of four new waterfront bathing facilities to open in the capital region recently, including two this year.

Ottawa has joined the ranks of cities from Antwerp to Zurich in introducing this novel, simple and popular concept: outfitting local waterways with some of the conveniences of a public pool. 

Paris has Piscine Joséphine Baker on the Seine. Berlin has Badeschiff in the Spree. Copenhagen has the Sluseholmen Harbour Bath, one of numerous pools at the Danish city’s waterfront. Banagher, Ireland, inaugurated a river pool in the Shannon in April.

Closer to home, Quebec City has L’Oasis du Port in Bassin Louise, and Beloeil has Piscine en eaux-vives in the Richelieu River.

Montreal, meanwhile, is missing out.

The city was so close to getting its own floating swimming pool in René-Lévesque Park on the Lachine waterfront, after years of work to obtain the necessary environmental and engineering........

© Montreal Gazette