Water at Montreal’s Jean-Doré beach off limits due to bacterial contamination

Swimming at Jean-Doré beach on Montreal’s Île Notre-Dame is banned until further notice due to high levels of bacteria.

Quebec’s environment ministry said the decision to close the beach was made jointly with the City of Montreal following poor water quality tests carried out on July 29.

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Officials say the test results did not meet the bacteriological quality standards established by the ministry.

The man-made lake, which only reopened on July 11, has been operating at a reduced capacity due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Alternatively, Montrealers looking to cool down can head to the aquatic centre on neighbouring Île Sainte-Hélene for a swim.

Both venues recommend making an online reservation for the desired time slot before heading out.

A notice on the Jean-Doré beach website states swimming is expected to resume on Sunday, Aug. 2 at 10 a.m.

That, however, could change pending further water quality test results.