Living in Orleans
Orleans is a beautiful neighbourhood, located on the east end of Ottawa. The most populous suburb in the Ottawa area, Orleans is home to over 107,000 residents. It’s among the fastest growing neighbourhoods in Ottawa and is home to both English speaking and French Canadians. Experts rank it as one of the most welcoming and friendly neighbourhoods in Canada.
Orleans Housing
The neighbourhood has experienced rapid development in recent years. Ottawa real estate agents believe that despite the fluctuations in the market, buying a home in Orleans is definitely a sound investment. Property prices are projected to increase in the future, so anyone who buys now can reap the benefits later on.
The Orleans market is also filled with great homes available for rent. There are several elementary and secondary schools located within Orleans.
Orléans Jobs and Employment
The labour market in Orléans consists of a mix of government employees, and employees in the fields of business, finance, sales, as well as some trades. In recent years, city counsellors have been lobbying for large corporations to find a home in the east end. Most residents must commute to the downtown core, resulting in heavy traffic congestion during peak hours.
Commercial growth in the area originally started along St. Joseph Boulevard and later included Place d’Orléans, a large shopping centre with over 175 stores. Now, the commercial hub of the suburb is Innes Road. which features many restaurants, box stores and a movie theatre.
Is Orléans A Safe Neighbourhood?
Orléans is an extremely safe neighbourhood, which experiences a very low crime rate. It is considered the 4th safest neighbourhood in the city.
Orléans Activities
The Elizabeth Manley skating rink at the Bob MacQuarrie Recreation Complex is home to the Gloucester Skating Club and the Canadian Academy of Skating Arts. The Ray Friel Recreational Complex in the more eastern part of Orléans, includes a public library, an indoor wave pool, exercise facilities, a physiotherapy clinic, a sports store, a restaurant, two soccer fields and three skating arenas making it one of the main centres for recreation in Orléans.
In 2009, the Shenkman Arts Centre opened just east of Place d’Orléans. It is a multidisciplinary arts centre that houses a concert hall, black-box theatre, several art galleries and studio spaces for both visual and performing arts.
Along the Ottawa River in the north-east of Orléans, is the parkland of Petrie Island which has been converted into a large beach area. The second largest Canada Day party, following the celebrations on Parliament Hill, take place here every July 1.
There are also several nature trails and paths throughout the area and a beautiful waterfall near St-Joseph Boulevard.
Popular Neighbourhoods within Orleans:
Avalon:
The vast majority of Avalon residents are well educated and employed in various industries. Those who live in Avalon tend to commute into Ottawa’s more central areas for work, often relying on public transit. The OC Transpo bus service has multiple routes that run to and through Avalon, and city counsellors are pushing for Ottawa’s new Light Rail project to be extended into the suburb.
There are a number of retail and sales employment opportunities located in Avalon, or just outside of it.
Is Avalon a safe neighbourhood?
This area sees very little criminal activity and is in close proximity to the Ottawa Police East Division Station. Avalon is known to be an inclusive community, home to a large immigrant population and boasts one of the city’s newest mosques, the Masjid Bilal mosque on Innes Rd.
Avalon activities
Avalon residents happily make use of the numerous parks (including play structures, splash pads, skating rinks, etc.) located within the suburb. The area is within walking distance of the movie theatres, restaurants, pubs, box-stores and other commercial properties that line Innes Road—Orléans’ central commercial hub.
FALLINGBROOK:
Fallingbrook is a neighbourhood in Orléans, an east end suburb of Ottawa. The area is defined by a strong sense of community, two large high schools and the largest multi-use recreation complex in Ottawa’s east end. Below the community of Fallingbrook, flows the Ottawa River.
Fallingbrook Housing
Residential development of the area began in the mid-1980s. Since that time, the neighbourhood has experienced rapid growth. Now home to over 25,000 people, Fallingbrook is a top destination for families due to the numerous elementary and secondary schools in the area.
Fallingbrook Jobs and Employment
Many Fallingbrook residents will commute into Ottawa’s more central areas for work, which is made easy by the multiple OC Transpo bus service routes that run to and through the community. Orléans is included in the second phase of Ottawa’s Light Rail Transit project, which will make the suburb even more accessible.
Is Fallingbrook A Safe Neighbourhood?
The Fallingbrook Community Association plays a big part in bringing the town together, including overseeing the area’s Neighbourhood Watch Program.Ottawa’s east end, which includes Fallingbrook, is considered the 4th safest area in Ottawa, via the Ottawa Police’s statistics on crime.
Fallingbrook Activities
The Ray Friel Recreation Complex, located in Fallingbrook, is the largest and most comprehensive recreation complex in east Ottawa featuring three NHL size arenas, a fitness centre with over 20,000 square feet of state-of-the-art training equipment, wave pool, whirlpool, sauna, physiotherapy clinic, daycare, Karate Dojo, pro shop, restaurant and coffee shop.
The Fallingbrook Community Association organizes an annual Canada Day celebration, and Summer festival each year.
One of Fallingbrook’s natural beauties is Princess Louise Falls that can be found on Princess Louise Drive. The falls are hidden by foliage from view and access is granted by pedestrian trails.
Fallingbrook is also close in proximity to Petrie Island beach.
Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill is a quiet and green neighbourhood within the community of Orleans. Along with the surrounding rural area, it is bordered by the Greenbelt to the west. This neighbourhood provides a wonderful green space right next to the city – A great mix of suburban and urban amenities.
Chapel Hill consists of mostly single-family homes, with town housing and apartments available as well. This neighbourhood also has an exceptionally fun and active community.
As this neighbourhood is located on the east end of the city, closer to rural areas, it is somewhat car-dependent. Most errands require a car. But there are a few nearby public transportation options if one needs to access the bus routes of Ottawa. This area is also flat as a pancake, which makes it a perfect local for biking enthusiasts!
A cool feature of this neighbourhood:
The scenic and lush Heritage Park, and The Ottawa German Language School.
