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    Dow's Lake Pavilion

    3.9 (15 reviews)

    Services - Dow's Lake Pavilion

    Boat charters

    Marinas

    Venue rental

    Dow's Lake Pavilion Photos

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    Rude employee
    Kathy F.

    Amazing experience! Got a groupon so it was much cheaper. But the only reason I give it a star off is because of the extremely rude man working there. Don't get me wrong, the other three employees there were really nice. Two females and one younger male were very friendly. Though, the blonde "gentleman" was really rude, especially towards my mom. He wasn't helping my mom to maneuver the kayak, nor was he aiding her in any way. She obviously needed assistance, and was struggling. He was rolling his eyes and being really hostile, and just stood there. Meanwhile, I was there doing all the work. My mom, boyfriend and I were very put off by his rude mannerism, though we had an awesome time. I'd definately recommend getting a groupon deal for kayaking, and bringing a friend, family member, or a date to join you. Great exercise too!

    Boating!
    Andrea B.

    It's hard not to be a fan of Dow's Lake. A gathering spot for canoe and paddle boat enthusiasts in the summer, and a great starting point on the canal for skaters in the winter, this place is a hub for outdoorspeople. As mentioned, they rent canoes, paddle boats and kayaks here, but it's also a great spot to eat, with three venues (Lago, Malone's and BAJA Grill) that all have excellent views of the canal. If you're coming to rent out any of their equipment, get in line as soon as you can. Boats can sell out quite quickly, and on a nice day, lineups can be quite long. Make sure to bring sunscreen, a water bottle and someone who knows what they're doing! You do get lifejackets with your rental so no worries there. Prices are pretty great - $15 for paddle boats, $16 for canoes, and single person kayaks for the first hour, then $8 for each hour after that. Two person kayaks are $20 and another additional $8 per hour. Pro tip: be sure to keep your receipt and get them to validate it, as the only parking is in a paid lot across the street.

    photo from their website
    Amanda D.

    Dow's Lake Pavilion offers many fun and healthy activities in the heart of Ottawa and their prices are actually very reasonable. In the winter, they're the first (or last) lag of the Rideau Canal Skateway. They offer skate, sleigh and snow shoe rentals. If you're an adult looking to skate for two hours, it will cost you $15 for skate rental, plus a $20 deposit with valid photo ID. To be honest, I'm not much of a skater, so I've never been very interested in the pavilion's winter offerings. In the summer, this is one of my favourite places to exercise, relax and enjoy Ottawa's pretty scenery. For $15 an hour ($8 for every additional hour) you and a friend can rent a canoe and leisurely paddle down the Rideau Canal. If you're looking for something more leisurely, rent a paddle boat ($13), go out into the lake, perhaps near the arboretum, and leisurely lay back in the sun and read a book or talk to your friends. Perhaps take a beer out there with you? They also rent kayaks (one person, tandem and sea), inline skates and bikes. The prices are amongst the best I've seen and the scenery and Ottawa experience is more than worth the cost.

    Tulip festival!
    Mimi J.

    I love this park, as you can canoe peacefully along the water in summer, and in winter you can skate here! In summer, the tulip festival is also held here, and it is beautiful to watch the fireworks being set off from the edge of the water. Overall beautiful any time of the year!

    Taken from http://www.dowslake.com/

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    7 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    8 years ago

    I love this place especially during the Tulip festival. It is beautiful for a walk or a picnic.

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    12 years ago

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    Review Highlights - Dow's Lake Pavilion

    In May there's the Tulip Festival which is technically in Commissioner's Park, but this park surrounds Dow's Lake.

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    Cedar Cove Resort

    Cedar Cove Resort

    (2 reviews)

    What a beautiful place! Cedar Cove Resort is open year-round, offers boat & cottage/trailer…read morerentals, maintains a sandy family beach, has a marina with a gas bar and a brand-new store/reception building with a great restaurant/bar and an outdoor pool! They even have a new chip-truck called the Fireside Grill that makes a pretty decent version of poutine with real cheese curds! The lakeside cottages are well maintained and have all of the amenities that allow you to kick back, relax and enjoy Canadian nature at it's finest! (enclosed fire-pit, barbecue, fully furnished cottage and deck area, screened windows and oscillating fan, fireplace, full-size refrigerator and more!) This place is family owned and you can definitely feel it in the comfortable atmosphere and care they put in to maintaining the property. The only addition I would love to see would be a full-service fish cleaning shack with running water and waste disposal. White lake is a magical place and Cedar Cove is the perfect way to explore it - Highly recommended! TIP - The Canada Day fireworks show (worth $4000) from the beach area is truly spectacular! A good, low-key alternative to Parliament Hill.

    My family has been visiting this resort for 8 years, it was a friendly and reasonable place. It was…read morenot maintained very well, but friendly staff. We always rent their boat and fish there. I took another visit this year, everything totally changed. Friendliness is gone. I know they had a fire, not sure since then changed their management style, or they just want tons of money in short time. The moment I arrived, signs reminding you to register is everywhere. We have 2 senior 1 five year old, 2 adults, only myself can operate a boat. And the boat can only take 4 people. We were asked rudely that where the fifth people going to stay. I said just stay in the shore. Again, rudely told that the 5th people can't stay in their property if not renting a boat. Even though I told them I drive 100 KM to get here, they still say no. Maybe they just want us to rent two boats, even though we can only use one. During the conversation, an employee points to me to their manager, couple of feet from me, to watch out that this guy might take a free park. The receptionist always refer me to her friends as this guy right in front of me. Very rude. Not sure why they always refer people as this guy or that guy. The new building doesn't add any new value for the sake of visitors but for the ease of administration and collecting money. The pool, the facilities are still old and needs tons of maintenance. Every staff dresses him/her as a cowboy, just a rude one. I feel that they are not there to serve you, but to make sure all money being collected. Feels like they blend the New York management style and cow boy style. Will never be there again.

    Dick Bell Park

    Dick Bell Park

    (7 reviews)

    One day, I came here, to the wrong park but it was a great error. I think I was mesmerized by the…read moredocked boats and pulled in. Lots of parking. Nepean Sailing Club. I didn't go in but I don't think it's private. Well kept. Beautiful pathways. Lots of benches for sitting and gazing out at the vast water. Friendly cyclists. Lots of geese. I took my dog the whole way in a big C shape and came back. Great exercise. Loved it here and I'll return. I have to find more friends with boats...

    Dick Bell Park is a beautiful park by the Ottawa River. There's a marina there and the Nepean…read moreSailing Club is there too. There's a good length walking path, lots of open green space for picnics on the grass, or they have a few actual picnic tables as well (some even have charcoal grills where you can cook your food). There is a very high concentration of commemorative park benches in this park. More than I have seen in any other park in the city. (as an aside, I looked up the commemorative park bench program in Ottawa, and for around $3500 you can purchase a commemorative park bench, chose your text on the plaque, chose it's location in any municipally-owned park, you donate it to the city, and the city will maintain it in perpetuity. I think this is a beautiful way to remember a loved one. However, Dick Bell Park is apparently full and cannot accommodate anymore commemorative benches. I guess it is a popular location). Lots of people fish at this park. It's very picturesque as it's by the water and in the summer you can see lots of boats in the water. I've never been there at sunrise or sunset, but I'm sure the view would be spectacular at those times. There's free parking on-site.

    Len's Cove Marina - Marina

    Len's Cove Marina

    (8 reviews)

    We purchased a brand new Barletta Corsa from Lens Cove in the fall of 2023 and took delivery in the…read moreSpring of 2024. We did a lot of research last summer into the type and model of Boat we wanted. When spending close to 200K, it is a big investment so we did our homework. Our new Boat was ordered through Lens Cove directly from the Factory. Throughout the process Lens Cove staff and the Barletta factory staff were very helpful and quick to answer our numerous questions. I want to extend a special thank you to Megan Malette, Dave Loney and Nathan Horsfall from Lens Cove. They both went above and beyond throughout the buying process. From the initial consultations on colour, to the back and forth on the options to the day our boat was delivered, we would not be happier. I would highly recommend both Lens Cove Marina and Barletta for your next luxury boat purchase! Denis & Ingrid Patry Ottawa

    We have been renting bowriders from Len's Cove for close to 10 years now. It's always been a great…read moreexperience---the staff are friendly and helpful, and the boats are always in amazing shape. This year, we decided to transition from renters to owners, and so we bought a Mastercraft NXT20 from Len's. I've got to say---I can't imagine a better purchasing experience! The team at Len's really has this process dialed, and made it very clear and easy for my wife and I to know and understand all the steps (and the timeline of those steps) leading up to our taking possession of the boat. Everyone at Len's was so helpful and responsive, and even now that the purchase is over and done we feel a tremendous level of support from the Len's team in the continuing care and maintenance of the NXT. Len's make you feel like you're their only customer...marrying excellent customer service with professional competence. Needless to say, we are now loyal Len's customers...a loyalty and trust earned over almost a decade of great experiences. Many thanks to Sean, Dave, Fraser, Bonnie, Timmy, and everyone else at Len's for everything you do...we feel so lucky to have found you guys!

    Dow's Lake Pavilion - venues - Updated May 2026

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