Lac Deschenes and the Ottawa River. Aerial photograph at spring break-up.

Lac Deschenes and the Ottawa River looking upstream (west) with the winter ice just starting to move.

Deschenes Rapids at Spring Thaw. Aerial photograph.

In the distance is Deschenes Rapids where the Ottawa River narrows between Quebec on the far side at Aylmer and the town of Deschenes, and the Britannia Yacht Club on the near side in Ottawa, Ontario.

Aerial Photographs of the breakwaters at the end of the pier at Britannia Beach. Britannia Park and the Ottawa River.

Britannia Bay to the west of Britannia Beach is still packed solid with ice despite it being mid-April.

Aerial Photograph of Britannia Beach, Britannia Park and the Ottawa River.

Aerial Photograph of Britannia Beach, Britannia Park and the Ottawa River. The swimming beach is at the top left. The windsurfer launching beach is at the bottom right where I am standing. Kite line has been erased.

Aerial Photograph of Britannia Beach, Britannia Park and the Ottawa River.

Aerial Photograph of Britannia Beach, Britannia Park and the Ottawa River. The swimming beach is at the top left. The windsurfer launching beach is at the bottom right where I am standing. Kite line has been erased.

What's that yellow thing? Aerial Photographs of Britannia Beach, Britannia Park and the Ottawa River.

Aerial view of the ice breaking up in the Ottawa River at Lac Deschenes. Deschenes Rapids are at the top right near the Britannia Yacht Club. There is a car-size yellow object drifting just under the surface of the ice at the bottom of the picture.

Aerial Photographs of Britannia Beach. this is the main swimming beach. There is a smaller beach for windsurfers to launch just out of the picture at the bottom right.

The snow is gone but spring thaw is still happening on the Ottawa River. At Britannia Bay and Lac Deschenes there is still a large amount of ice cover with some break-up happening towards Deschenes Rapids and the Britannia Yacht Club.

Aerial Photographs of the Ottawa River at Lac Deschenes looking upstream.

The snow is gone but spring thaw is still happening on the Ottawa River. At Britannia Bay and Lac Deschenes there is still a large amount of ice cover with some break-up happening towards Deschenes Rapids and the Britannia Yacht Club.

Aerial Photographs of Britannia Beach, Britannia Park and the Ottawa River.

The windsurfer beach is in the foreground and the main swimming beach is in the distance. The ice has not left the scene yet.

Aerial Photograph of Britannia Bay, west of the pier and the beach areas.

This bay is very popular with Canada Geese, ducks and other waterfowl. Just a couple of weeks and they will be settling in.

Aerial Photograph - the windsurfer launching beach and me.

This is the beach where I stood during all the aerial photography taken during this session. This is the smaller beach at the end of Britannia Pier where windsurfers set up and take off. It is not open for swimmers. To the west is the still-frozen Britannia Bay, part of the Ottawa River.

Aerial Photograph of the Windsurfer Launching Beach before spring thaw has taken away the ice.

Ice covered Britannia Bay around one of the breakwaters at the windsurfer launch beach. Ottawa River.

Aerial Photograph - Lac Deschenes.

Aerial view of spring thaw on Lac Deschenes and at the top right is Deschenes Rapids on the Ottawa River. Quebec and the Gatineau Hills are in the distance.

Aerial Photographs of Britannia Beach, Britannia Park and the Ottawa River.

The city of Ottawa is in the distance in this view at Britannia Beach. There is still a large amount of ice cover despite it being spring.

Aerial Photographs of Britannia Beach, Britannia Park and the Ottawa River.

Quebec and the Gatineau Hills in the distance over Ottawa River. At Britannia Bay and Lac Deschenes there is still a large amount of ice cover with some break-up happening towards Deschenes Rapids and the Britannia Yacht Club.

Aerial Photographs of Britannia Beach, Britannia Park and the Ottawa River.

The snow is gone but spring thaw is still happening on the Ottawa River. At Britannia Bay and Lac Deschenes there is still a large amount of ice cover with some break-up happening towards Deschenes Rapids and the Britannia Yacht Club.

Aerial Photographs of Britannia Beach, Britannia Park and the Ottawa River.

The windsurfer beach at the end of the beach at Britannia Park.