An Ottawa River treasure

Driving east from Rockcliffe Park, on the Sir George-Étienne Cartier Parkway, you will be surprised by the sudden sight of an outstanding building jutting out on the Ottawa River. The two-storey wood frame construction looks like it was built as a set for a period-piece movie.

The complex is a good example of an early 20th century boathouse, and this is why it was designated a federal heritage building in 2010. The designation also acknowledged its longstanding association with the history of canoeing in Canada.

Although the first canoe club in the region was established in 1883, it was the merging of the Ottawa and New Edinburgh Canoe Clubs in 1914 that made possible the construction of such a magnificent clubhouse between 1914 and 1923. The Ottawa River Boathouse was conceived by the eminent architect C.P. Meredith, who was also associated with the design of many prominent residences and landmark buildings in Ottawa.

In 2019, the National Capital Commission (NCC) began extensive refurbishment and upgrades to the boathouse, which turned it into a year-round and accessible gathering place and leisure destination. The complex reopened in 2023 under a new name: the NCC River House. Given its location, the facility is linked to the network of all-season NCC trails along the river.

When we visited it recently, the NCC River House was lively with people engaged in water sports, swimming or just enjoying the majestic view of the Ottawa River while sipping a drink or eating a gelato on the verandah.

The NCC River House is used for the storage of the club’s boats, of course, but it also offers a range of public facilities: docks that can accommodate canoes and kayaks, a swimming area supervised by lifeguards, changing rooms and bicycles racks. Additionally, there are meeting rooms, a bistro and offices for the Ottawa New Edinburgh Club (ONEC) and an organization called “Ottawa Riverkeeper/Garde-rivière des Outaouais”

We had never heard of Ottawa Riverkeeper. We were interested to find out that it is a charitable advocacy organization devoted to the protection and promotion of a healthy Ottawa River for current and future generations.

The local Riverkeeper organization is a member of Waterkeeper Alliance, an international grassroots organization devoted exclusively to clean water, ensuring that it remains swimmable, drinkable, and fishable. The international organization is actively involved in the protection of millions of miles of waterways in forty-seven countries.

From what we could see during our visit, the partnership between the NCC, ONEC and Ottawa Riverkeeper has created an amazing resource for Ottawa residents and visitors. You will probably agree after watching this short video.