This year's Ottawa River flooding so far: The view in photos

Rain and warmer temperatures in eastern Ontario and western Quebec have forced water levels along the Ottawa River and its tributaries to rise significantly in recent days.

It’s the fourth big spring flood along the river in the last nine years, with larger floods occurring in 2017, 2019 and 2023. Some areas experienced record peaks during the 2017 flood.

Over the past week, CBC Ottawa and Radio-Canada dispatched its reporters and videographers to capture some of the scenes resulting from the flooding.

In some cases, drones were deployed to give a larger sense of the flooding’s reach.

Here’s a selection of that imagery.

A flooded area of Rue Saint-Louis in Gatineau, Que., on April 19, 2026.

A flooded area of rue Saint-Louis in Gatineau, Que., on April 19, 2026. (Frédéric Pepin/Radio-Canada)

Rues Jacques-Cartier and Saint-Louis in Pointe-Gatineau on April 20, 2026.

(Patrick Foucault/Radio-Canada)

A section of Boulevard Hurtubise east of downtown Gatineau, Que., on April 20, 2026.

A section of boulevard Hurtubise east of downtown Gatineau, Que., on April 20, 2026 (Olivier Plante/Radio-Canada)

Residents in Gatineau trek through knee-deep water on April 21, 2026.

Residents in Gatineau wade through knee-deep water on April 21, 2026. (Jason Maclellan/CBC)

Some homes sit surrounded by water in Luskville, Que., on April 22, 2026.

(Félix Desroches/CBC)

Vehicles drive along the Chaudière Bridge on April 22, 2026 as the water along the Ottawa River flows high underneath.

Vehicles drive along the Chaudière Bridge on April 22, 2026, as the water underneath flows higher than usual. (Félix Desroches/CBC)

Lifeguard seats sit surrounded by water at Parc des Cèdres on April 22, 2026.

Lifeguard seats appear shorter than they are at Parc des Cèdres on April 22, 2026. (Félix Desroches/CBC)

Some homes have been able to escape rising water levels along the Ottawa River, while others have seen water creep up to their yards and homes. This image was taken on April 22, 2026.

Water reaches into the backyard of a home in Ottawa’s Crystal Bay area on April 22, 2026. (Félix Desroches/CBC)

This year’s Ottawa River flooding so far: The view in photos

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