This is why there is a new floating dock at Dows Lake

The National Capital Commission is installing a new floating dock at Dows Lake, providing seating areas and access to paddleboarding. (Brad Quinn/CTV News Ottawa)

The National Capital Commission is installing a new floating dock at Dows Lake, giving residents a new way to access the water along the Rideau Canal.

Construction crews have been working to install the new recreational dock at Dows Lake, which includes a connection from the Rideau Canal Pathway to the dock.

“The NCC is installing a new recreational dock at Dows Lake, near the intersection of Queen Elizabeth Driveway and Lakeside Avenue,” the NCC said on its website. “This is part of an ongoing effort to improve public access to the region’s waterways and animate the shorelines.”

According to the NCC, the recreational dock will include seating, landscaping, bicycle racks and a portable washroom with “wood privacy screening.”

“The dock will provide seating and lounging space and be available for activities like paddleboarding,” the NCC said. “This dock location was chosen because of greater water depth, less aquatic vegetation, water quality, and easy access to the multi-use pathway.”

The NCC says it is exploring the possibility of allowing swimming in Dows Lake in the area of the dock in the future.