A plan to build a floating sauna on the Ottawa River is one step closer to fruition with the National Capital Commission (NCC) announcing it is coming this fall. The NCC issued a request for proposals in August 2025 for a company to design, build and/or operate a floating sauna that would be located near NCC River House in the city’s east end. The NCC has confirmed that a floating sauna and cold plunge experience by Saunoa will be open for visitors soon. “Saunoa will be opening a sauna near the NCC River House in the coming weeks. This new destination aligns with the NCC’s vision of creating unique waterfront experiences while enhancing public access to the Capital’s shorelines,” an NCC spokesperson said in a statement to CTV News Ottawa on Monday. An exact date has yet to be confirmed. Saunoa’s website says it is coming in “early October” and bookings are open. The sauna would be operated year-round. “River House is such a unique setting. You’re nestled in nature with beautiful views of the Ottawa River, and you can actually feel the movement of the water beneath you while you sauna,” said Saunoa founder Matt Slaman, in an email to CTV News Ottawa. “Guests also get to pour water over the hot sauna rocks themselves to create löyly, the steam and heat that are at the heart of the traditional Finnish sauna experience. We can’t wait for Ottawa to experience it.” The company says it will have floating saunas in Ottawa and Toronto. The one in Toronto is slated to open in November. “In Finland, you don’t just go to the sauna. You sauna. The word saunoa (SOW-no-ah) is a verb, and it covers the whole ritual: sitting in the heat, throwing water on the stones for löyly (the wave of steam that follows), cooling off in cold water, resting, then going again,” Saunoa says on its website. “That’s the idea we built Saunoa around. The room matters less than what you do in it. We put the sauna on the water on purpose. Being a few feet off the dock is enough to leave the traffic and the noise behind without losing sight of the city. In Toronto, that means the CN Tower and the skyline across the harbour. In Ottawa, it’s the river, the old boathouse, and the trees along the shore.” Swimming spots still open The NCC also says its popular swimming spots remain open a little while longer, even as the season changes. The Dow’s Lake dock and River House docks will be closed at the end of the day on Thursday, Oct. 1, while the Canadian Museum of History and East Wharf docks will be closed at the end of the day on Monday, Oct. 12. Over the summer, nearly 900,000 people visited the NCC’s waterfront attractions.
