Mooney’s Bay Park

Great beach for tanning. There’s lots of sans space to lay down, play music, out your belongings in the shade and sandcastle!
Big area for swimming, under constant lifeguard surveillance. Relatively clean water to swim in. Just a lot of sea weeds in the deeper waters.
Lots of volleyball nets. Trade in a piece of identification for a ball and your set :)

Ottawa does not have a lot of beaches. Money’s Bay is certainly no Caribbean white sand heaven, but it’s a pretty great escape just outside the downtown core. There is a roped off swimming area in the water and plenty of trees if you need some shade. It has lots of great events every year including the Hope beach volleyball tournament (rain or shine) and sits just down the road from one of Ottawa’s rowing clubs so it makes a great place to watch some of the races from a distance such as the dragon boat festival. There is also a large green space between the beach and the road that is perfect for frisbee games.
With a lifeguard on duty and a beach hut food shack, Mooney’s bay park and beach make for a nice day out in the sun.

Don’t volunteer for this event, and get your kids to get their 40 hours elsewhere.
Last year when I volunteered a teenage boy (you know how they are) passed out from heat stroke because the paid staff were not watching out for him. He was standing in the sun for hours, water delivery was sparse, and the grown-​ups (Paid security) were not paid to care. I just happened to arrive for a volunteer shift and noticed his severe pale complexion and his wavering stance and managed to get him to the volunteer tent and sitting down before he passed out.
This year something similar happened directly to me. I was booked to start my first shift at 11:30 and because I have to take 3 buses and didn’t want to be late I was over an hour early for my first shift. Well, instead of being allowed to have my coffee and look the site over for an hour I was bullied by a staff member and fellow volunteer into gulping down my coffee and going on duty early. The I was not given a chair, despite my asking for one at least five times, and ended up standing for over 8 hours. As a disabled person I found this abusive. The first water delivery was over 3 hours (yes, three hours in the scorching noon-​day sun) later.
My staff supervisor cared so little for the volunteers that he could not hear. He would kiss your ass if you were someone on the street, but me, not even half a minute to hear that I wanted to have my coffee. He ran around like the proverbial chicken with its head cut off being saccrine sweet to everybody, except me.
I am also expressing my concern about young girls being placed with overly friendly older males… particularly when the males refuse to have their bags checked by security and don’t hand in their blue police security check forms. I also was never asked for my security check form. I also refused to have my bag checked because the Tersa guard who asked to search my bag had been abusive to me when I didn’t allow her in the parking lot we were told they could not use. I asked her how it felt to be disrespected by someone just for doing your job. She had no answer, and I have no time for people who insult/​abuse me for doing my job, even when it’s a volunteer job.