OTTAWA (CBC) - An Ottawa man is calling for better signage at city beaches contaminated with E. coli bacteria after his two-year-old daughter fell ill following a Canada Day swim at Petrie Island.

Scott Joyce's daughter Leigha came down with diarrhea Wednesday, a day after visiting the east end beach on the Ottawa River with her father, mother Kim and brother Christopher, 7.

Joyce said the family never took Leigha to a doctor, as the diarrhea cleared up on its own after a day or two, but they suspect the illness might be related to their day at the beach.

The children had spent the afternoon digging and filling holes with water and wading in the water at an area sometimes called the "old beach," near the jetty slightly west of the main swimming area.

Joyce said he didn't see any signs or red flag warning about the "no swim" advisory, which was issued by the city due to high levels of E. coli in the water. Nor did the family hear any announcements made over a PA system, and only found out about the advisory from a friend the next day.

He pointed out that he wasn't the only one - volunteer firefighters unaware of the advisory sprayed river water over a crowd of families with children on another part of the beach.

Signs should be posted on road: Joyce

Joyce, who lives in Orléans, said he has written to local city councillor Bob Monette to suggest that the city put up large signs on the road leading to the beach.

"There's only one entrance to Petrie Island beach," he said.

Monette said Friday that he has asked the city to implement Joyce's suggestion, and city managers have agreed to that and other suggestions to improve signage regarding water quality at Ottawa beaches.

The city posts signs at designated swimming areas and flies a red flag when a "no swimming" advisory is in effect. Information about water quality at beaches is also available on the web, on the phone or from lifeguards at the beach.

Monette said that even he had trouble figuring out whether it was safe to swim at Petrie Island beach on Canada Day.

"I found that there was not enough signs by the beach, especially right by the waterfront," he said.

He added that the red flags flown when there is a no-swim advisory should be at eye level instead of three storeys above ground level.

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