Public Notice

Dow's Lake Recreational Dock Pilot Project – Public Comments Invited

January 24, 2025 – The National Capital Commission must determine whether the proposed Dow's Lake Recreational Dock Pilot Projectlocated in Ottawa, Ontario is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects in compliance with sections 81-91 of the Impact Assessment Act and the National Capital Act.

To help inform this determination, the National Capital Commission is inviting comments from the public respecting that determination. It is important to note that all comments received will be considered public. For more information, individual should consult the Privacy Notice on the Registry website.

Written comments for this project must be submitted within 30 days of the date of this posting, referencing project name and registry number:

By email: IA-EI@ncc-ccn.ca

 

By mail: Environmental Officer, Environmental Assessment group

40 Elgin, 5^th floor

Ottawa, ON, Canada

K1P 1C7

 

The National Capital Commission thanks you for your comments, which will be considered in the project determination. Please note that responses may not be provided.

 

For National Capital Commission general inquiries, please contact:

Email: info@ncc-ccn.ca

Telephone: 613-239-5000 or 1-800-465-1867 (toll-free)

TTY: 613-239-5090 or 1-866-661-3530 (toll-free)

www.ncc-ccn.ca

 

The Proposed 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.