This is the first in a series of articles on Ottawa River anchorages by Cathy Duchesne.
I will admit that during our 30 years on the water Constance Bay has not been my favourite
weekend anchorage: too many speed boats and too noisy. (During weekdays the place has a
much different vibe, quieter and quaint.) Still, to be fair, the Canada Day fireworks have been
worth the trip, and there were memorable party raft-ups there pre-COVID. It’s also a good spot
to meet boat visitors.
The highlights are in the shore leave. If you or your kids are into beaches this is definitely the
spot to be. (Just keep kids and non-swimmers away from the point at the bay entrance; it has a
wicked drop off on the river side.) What I enjoyed most was being able to take a break from the
galley!
The Bay Cafe is a lovely addition. It’s just a short walk up Constance Bay Road from the beach.
They are currently open 6 am to 2 pm for breakfast and lunch. We had their delicious breakfast
sandwich and a fantastic spinach Danish. The pastry was really nicely done. We miss our
espresso machine on the boat but the cafe came to the rescue with their full-service coffee bar.
I was pleased to see The General Store has so far survived floods and COVID. For those of
you new to cruising the store offers all the essentials, including ice and a small LCBO section.
The owner is doing a great job of adhering to COVID protocol in the small space.
The next day we had to try out the Carp Custom Creamery homemade ice cream. It was
delicious and they did have a milk free option. Their new food truck is located 1 km up
Constance Bay Road. They open noon to 9 pm so you can earn your ice cream after lunch or
dinner.
I hear from the crew of Born Free that Happy Times Pizza is also excellent for a night off. Next
time we will plan to check it out.
There is more to discover so bring your mask, your dinghy, and watch your charts (no anchoring
near that underwater cable) and take a break with all the amenities Constance has to offer!!
Arrows indicate the location of The Bay Cafe, Happy Times Pizza and The General Store on Constance
Bay Road.
