Nepean Bay (Canada)
{{Short description|Body of water}}
{{Infobox body of water
| name = Nepean Bay
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| image = File:Nepean_Bay,_Canada.jpg
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| location = Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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| coordinates = {{coord|45|24|47|N|75|43|27|W|type:waterbody_region:CA|display=inline,title}}
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| etymology = Sir Evan Nepean{{Cite news|title=Nepean...Who's Nepean?|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/25310037/nepeanwhos-nepean-august-17-1967/|access-date=2021-07-04|newspaper=Ottawa Citizen|date=August 17, 1967}}
| part_of = Ottawa River
| inflow = Nepean Bay inlet
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| basin_countries = Canada
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| length = {{cvt|862|m}}
| width = {{cvt|287|m}}
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| elevation = {{cvt|53|m}}
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| pushpin_map = Canada Ontario
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| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Ontario
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Nepean Bay,{{cite cgndb|FDNAN|Nepean Bay}} is a bay in the Ottawa River in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is located between Lemieux Island and the Chief William Commanda Bridge on the west and LeBreton Flats on the east.
History
In the early 20th century, the bay was used for Ottawa's drinking water. In 1912, experts deemed the bay "no fit place under which to lay an intake pipe without great precautions", due to the intake pipe being in disrepair due to the number of logs in the bay from Ottawa's lumber industry.{{Cite news|title=Experts Assert Drinking Water Has Been Coming Solely From Nepean Bay|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/80775872/the-ottawa-citizen/|access-date=2021-07-04|newspaper=Ottawa Citizen|date=September 7, 1912}} During a typhoid fever epidemic at the time, tests taken from drinking water from the bay showed that it was contaminated with pollution.{{Cite news|title=The Typhoid Not Abating|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/80778364/the-ottawa-citizen/|access-date=2021-07-04|newspaper=Ottawa Citizen|date=February 4, 1911}} Plans to build a pipeline to carry treated water over the bay as a bridge was dismissed as a "wild undertaking".{{Cite news|title=A Great Sickness|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/80779256/the-ottawa-citizen/|access-date=2021-07-04|newspaper=Ottawa Citizen|date=October 30, 1995}}
In 1938, following complaints of "nude bathing" at the bay, the city entertained the possibility of establishing a public beach at the site.{{Cite news|title=Public Beach Near Nepean Bay Asked|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/80777288/the-ottawa-citizen/|access-date=2021-07-04|newspaper=Ottawa Citizen|date=June 28, 1938}}
The southern half of the bay (40 acres) was in-filled with garbage{{Cite news|title=Ottawa of Tomorrow Taking Shape Today|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/80777866/the-ottawa-citizen/|access-date=2021-07-04|newspaper=Ottawa Citizen|date=April 24, 1963}} from excavation work on government projects between 1962 and 1965{{Cite news|title=Ottawa River Parkway rushed to completion for opening in 1967|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/80779994/the-ottawa-citizen/|access-date=2021-07-04|newspaper=Ottawa Citizen|date=July 6, 1966 }} by the National Capital Commission. The new reclaimed land would be used for park and recreation purposes, and for the construction of the Ottawa River Parkway. The project, which began in 1961 also included a clean-up of the Canadian Pacific Railway tracks and roundhouse in the area.{{Cite news|title=First Step Is Taken To Fill In Nepean Bay|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/80776242/the-ottawa-citizen/|access-date=2021-07-04|newspaper=Ottawa Citizen|date=September 20, 1961}} The total cost of the project was estimated at $17,500,000. Originally, the plan was to build a causeway across the bay for the new parkway.{{Cite news|title=Proposed Causeway Across Nepean Bay|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/80776781/the-ottawa-journal/|access-date=2021-07-04|newspaper=Ottawa Journal|date=June 25, 1960}} The contract to build the parkway along the edge of Nepean Bay was awarded in 1964 to L.J. Corkery Ltd. for $371,969, and involved removing 100,000 cubic yards of sanitary fill from the bay, and replacing it with 300,000 tons of granular fill.{{Cite news|title=NCC awards fill contract|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/80778152/the-ottawa-citizen/|access-date=2021-07-04|newspaper=Ottawa Citizen|date=August 27, 1964}} This stretch of the parkway was completed in 1967.{{Cite news|title=Ottawa River Parkway Nearing Completion|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/80779637/the-ottawa-journal/|access-date=2021-07-04|newspaper=Ottawa Citizen|date=June 16, 1967}} Other proposed plans for the site at the time included building a heliport{{Cite news|title=Want Nepean Bay for Heli-Port|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/80778658/the-ottawa-journal/|access-date=2021-07-04|newspaper=Ottawa Journal|date=February 20, 1959}} and a garbage dump.{{Cite news|title=City Seeks Nepean Bay Site for Garbage Disposal Area|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/80778596/the-ottawa-citizen/|access-date=2021-07-04|newspaper=Ottawa Citizen|date=February 11, 1959}}