Dow's Lake Recreational Dock Pilot Project

The National Capital Commission (NCC) maintains the northeastern shoreline of Dow's Lake as part of Commissioner's Park.  It is currently used primarily as a multi-use pathway corridor, with passive amenities such as seating and interpretive displays. An opportunity has been identified to install a floating dock structure as a pilot project for the summer 2025 season.

Recent public engagement sessions identified strong public desire for increased water access on the canal, particularly at Dow's Lake. The installation would further enhance the lake's overall value as a highly accessible urban lake and a vital part of the Rideau Canal –a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site, Canadian Heritage River and National Historic Site of Canada.

The NCC administers the shoreline where the new floating dock will be installed. A federal land use, design and transaction approval (FLUDTA) is required for this work. The project will be informed by advice from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and Transport Canada. All work on, under and over the bed and waters of the lakes and rivers of the Rideau Canal requires a permit from Parks Canada.

The NCC, jointly with Parks Canada, will make a determination of effects under the Impact Assessment Act prior to implementation.

The NCC aims to ensure universal accessibility in its design. The dock will feature an aluminum structure with polypropylene decking and will be anchored to the bottom of the lake using concrete blocks and chains. The shoreline work involves connecting the dock to the shoreline, installing some additional bike racks and planting native vegetation.

Shoreline and dock infrastructure is scheduled to start in March 2025 and is expected to take four to eight weeks to complete. All work will occur at the shoreline and in the water. If the pilot project is successful, the floating docks will be installed seasonally from approximately the months of May to October.

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Latest update

March 13th, 2025 – The National Capital Commission issued its Notice of Determination and determined that the project is not likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects.

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Key documents

Key documents
Document number Document title File Date
2 Notice of Determination - March 13, 2025
1 Notice of Intent to Make a Determination - Start of Public Comment Period - January 24, 2025

Contacts

National Capital Commission
Environmental Assessment
40 Elgin Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5A8
Email: IA-EI@ncc-ccn.ca


Disclaimer

This map is for illustrative purposes. The markers represent the approximate locations based on available data. More than one marker may be identified for a given assessment.

  • Location

    • Dow's Lake Recreational Dock Pilot Project (Ontario)

  • Nature of Activity

    • Recreation and Tourism

  • Assessment Status

    Completed

  • Start Date

    2025-01-24

  • Proponent

    The National Capital Commission

  • Authorities

    • National Capital Commission
    • Parks Canada Agency

  • Assessment Type

    Project on federal lands

  • Reference Number

    89207

Nearby assessments

...within 200 kilometres
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