Families begin enjoying the spring as temperatures warm in eastern Ontario

Warmer temperatures in the region have people enjoying the day from the golf course to strolling along the canal. CTV’s Jack Richardson reports.

After an early spring snowstorm last week, high temperatures in the mid-teens have been a welcome sight for Peter Scammell and his wife Lois.

“Pretty hard to beat this,” he said as he ate his lunch in his car overlooking the St. Lawrence River in Prescott, Ont.

The Scammell’s took the roof off their convertible for the first time this season – a sign that spring is in the air on their drive east from Cornwall Monday.

“It’s fabulous. We love it,” Scammell said. “We came on Highway 2, the scenic route.”

Another indicator that winter is in the rearview mirror is a full tee sheet at the Prescott Golf Club. The course opened for the season Sunday, a bit of a later start than normal, according to General Manager Steve Martineau.

“A lot of happy golfers and the golf course is in great shape,” he said.

After a thrilling Masters championship Sunday evening, Ottawa resident Ben Beard had to find an open golf course to play his first round of the season.

“Pretty inspired by Rory today. So, I’m going to be bending them around trees like him,” he claimed. “We were happy to drive a little while to come play anywhere.”

Eager Ottawa golfers like Beard are a common customer early in the season at Prescott Golf Club.

“We get a lot of calls from Ottawa. People are anxious. They don’t want to wait that extra week or two that you have to wait in Ottawa,” Martineau said.

The sunshine and warm temperatures will continue in Ottawa to start the new work week, but there is still a chance of flurries later this week, according to Environment Canada.