McKenna: A swimming strategy would be a coup for Ottawa

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A municipal election is underway in Ottawa, but so far there’s one element you’re unlikely to find promising for any candidate: a swim strategy.

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Swimming strategies that open up municipal rivers and lakes for recreational swimming, while improving the health of local waters, addressing the climate crisis, and promoting inclusion have risen to the top of the agenda in a growing number of cities like Paris, London, Copenhagen, Berlin and Vancouver.

For example, as water quality has improved, new facilities have sprung up along the Seine, such as floating beaches and micro-parks. Last month, London announced that recreational swimming would be welcomed in its financial district, Canary Wharf. Now in his twenties, the transformation of Copenhagen’s River Nyhavn from a polluted industrial port to a swimmable playground is the stuff of urban planning legend. Berlin is hard at work turning a central canal that runs past its Foreign Ministry into a swimming oasis. And this summer, Vancouver declared its ambition to be the most swimmable city in Canada.

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It turns out that cleaning up famous waterways and building fun amenities on the waterfront is a highly visible vote-getting factor that opens up recreational, social, and economic opportunities.

So why not Ottawa, a city founded at the confluence of three rivers and the terminus of its famous canal? Let’s make it as safe, accessible and fun to swim in Dow’s Lake and spin the canal in the summer as it is to lace up your skates and hit the ice in February.

The case for a swimming strategy is fourfold:

First, when people expect to swim in municipal rivers and lakes, it forces local governments to get serious about cleaning up pollutants. This means doing the important work of dredging or capping historic debris and ensuring that local water systems can handle more frequent storms that cause sewage to be discharged into waterways. Climate change is increasing the intensity of these storms, making this work even more urgent. The Ottawa River Action Plan provides a partial blueprint and the Ottawa Riverkeeper and Swim Drink Fish are keeping the pressure up. We might even be closer than we think: triathletes raced across Dow Lake in 2019. The results of the water tests raised no concerns.

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Second, with rising temperatures caused by climate change, access to outdoor swimming spaces to cool off can be a cost-effective part of a strategy to keep residents safe from extreme heat. Lucky Ottawanians look forward to cooling off in air-conditioned or backyard pools or lakeside cottages. That option is not available to many residents. But we can make the Ottawa and Rideau Rivers and Rideau Canal a summer service that’s available to everyone, while helping to promote swimming and water safety for children and newcomers.

Third, making our canals and rivers swimmable will boost local tourism. The winter skating rink, the world’s largest skating rink, attracts more than 20,000 skaters each day and generates more than $200 million in economic activity each season. The pavilions of the National Capital Commission have become a beloved feature in winter, adding to the skating experience. NCC’s summer bistros and new hotspots suggest the way forward.

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Lastly, it would be fun! After the last few years, we need a jolt of fun and something new to bring us together. We have seen how important open public spaces are during the pandemic. Looking around the world, the best new swim parks are inventive spaces that incorporate whimsical design to increase their accessibility and appeal. Think of the prow of a gigantic, stylized jumping ship, a floating beach dotted with colorful oversized Muskoka chairs, or a winding boardwalk that leads out over the water where you can enjoy a picnic with friends.

Many people think that Ottawa is a winter city, or a boring city, but during the spring, summer and fall, it is full of festivals and events. Swimming in rivers and canals can also become an iconic part of summer. Now only municipal candidates willing to take the step are missing.

Catherine McKenna is a former Parliamentarian for the Ottawa Center and Minister for the Environment and Climate Change, and Infrastructure and Communities. She is the founder and director of Climate and Nature Solutions and chairs the UN Secretary-General’s Group of Experts to tackle greenwashing. She is also an open water swimmer.