When it comes to looking for something to do this summer, either with the kids or on your own, Orléans and the surrounding area has lots to offer starting with Petrie Island.
Petrie Island is a combination beach destination, water sports hub and hiker’s paradise.

The island has three beaches – the east beach where the water is the deepest, the main beach which is the most popular due to its shallowness and the old beach which is located just west of the main beach and is much less crowded.

If you’re not a beach person and still want to enjoy the water, you can rent all sorts of watercraft at the Petrie Island Marina located on midway down the causeway, including kayaks, canoes, paddleboards and pedal boats.

Or if you want to take your water sports to the next level you could always join the Petrie Island Canoe Club. The Club offers “Try it Out” sessions every Wednesday night for free from 6:30-8:00 p.m. The next session will be held on Wednesday, July 23.

For hikers and nature lovers, Petrie Island has more than seven kilometres of easy walking trails offering spectacular views of the Ottawa River and peaceful wetlands with an abundance of wildlife and lush vegetation. You can find a map of the hiking trails on the Friends of Petrie Island website at pertrieisland.org.

After you work up an appetite from hiking, swimming and paddling you can drop by the Baja Burger Shack, located on the main beach for a quick bite to eat.

Also, while admittance to Petrie Island is free, parking is not. So make sure to bring a couple of loonies or toonies or your credit card.

For parents of young children, there’s no better place to take them than Millennium Park which has both a splash pad and a massive playground, with plenty of free parking, although the park is also accessible by bus.

Further afield, the Cumberland Heritage Village Museum is one of hidden gems and it’s located just down Old Montréal Road in Cumberland Village.

The museum is actually a collection of buildings that were relocated there from villages in the former Township of Cumberland. The museum grounds offer a wide open safe space where kids can run around and blow off some steam, while you sit back, relax and watch them. Or you can take them on a wagon ride anytime between 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

The museum is open Wednesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $9.14 for adults, $6.47 for seniors age 65 and over and youth age 6 to 17. Children 5 and under are admitted for free. They also have a special family rate for up to two adults, and accompanying children, all living in the same household, for $23.15.

If you don’t mind the bugs, a visit to the Mer Bleue Bog nature preserve is great way to get away from it all. Operated by the NCC, the nature preserve contains more than more than 20 kilometres of trails, including the Mer Bleue Bog Trail which is popular with families because of its interesting storytelling route and its mostly flat, universally accessible boardwalk. It’s an ideal spot to take young children for a walk – even with a stroller.

If you happen to live in Blackburn Hamlet, you can always take your kids to the outdoor pool operated by the City of Ottawa next to Emily Carr Middle School on Innes Road. Public swims are held from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Mondays, 2:30 to 6:30 p.m. from Tuesday to Friday, and from 12:30 to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. There is also a family swim on Saturdays and Sundays from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Single visit fees are $5.48 for adults, and $2.85 for children, youth and students.
Seniors aged 65 and over pay $3.57.