Downtown waterfront condo the hot new address in Ottawa - lure of water, pedestrian-friendly lifestyle re-energizes capital

Ottawa began its existence near where three rivers converged, so while its only lake is really a large pond created where the Rideau Canal widens, there are plenty of fine waterfront locations to be enjoyed in around the National Capital city.  

After years of urban sprawl that have seen Ottawa stretch well beyond the Greenbelt that was originally designed to circle the city, municipal officials are encouraging infill and brownfields redevelopment projects. Several developments are being built, or are designed to go in urban spaces once used for other purposes, while the city is considering a public-private partnership to re-energize its historic Lansdowne Park area on the Rideau Canal.  

A concerted effort has been made to rejuvenate the downtown, too, and 11,000 people have moved to the core’s 6,000 new housing units in the last decade.   The current City of Ottawa was created in 2001 by the amalgamation of 11 municipalities that once comprised the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton. This new, single-tier municipality covers a vast area that includes the old urban core and its older suburbs within the Greenbelt, as well as newer suburbs and rural areas and villages beyond it.  

Young professionals, retirees choose walkable downtown to live in

The Greenbelt was established and is maintained by the federal government, designed to preserve greenspace as the city grew. It provides plenty of passive and active recreational activities, including hiking in the warm months and cross-country skiing in the winter on its hundreds of kilometres of trails.  

But controversy surrounds the Greenbelt and there are those who advocate building on at least part of the space. They argue that the Greenbelt has contributed to costly expansion of the city far out into the countryside, rather than closer to the core where it would have been more economical to extend services.  

In recent years as its population has grown, downtown Ottawa has attracted more festivals, fine restaurants and entertainment facilities and has shaken the image it held for so long as a place that public servants abandoned at 5 o’clock. It has a new ethnic vibe that attracts people wanting to live and work in an exciting urban environment.  

Ottawa’s downtown has benefited from intensification programs, while just outside the core, families have populated affluent neighbourhoods of sturdy homes built in earlier eras and retrofitted to meet the demands of a modern lifestyle. The city has introduced an urban design strategy and design awards to acknowledge projects of excellence. As well, the Ottawa Architectural Conservation Awards recognize examples of outstanding restoration and conservation.  

LeBreton Flats takes shape on core's fringe near Ottawa River

On the western fringe of downtown sits LeBreton Flats, a community once razed by fire and now the site of a major brownfields development. Expropriated by the federal government in the 1960s, it sat empty for years as a result of disputes and concerns about toxicity in the soil from its previous industrial uses. Since cleaned up, it is now home to the Canadian War Museum and the Bluesfest, while highrise condo developments with views of the Ottawa River are beginning to rise on its long-fallow fields.  

Ottawa’s efforts downtown have begun to attract international accolades. For example, the Corporate Resources Group, a Swiss management firm, ranked the city sixth in the world in terms of quality of life, a ranking based on factors that include low crime rates, environment, public services, political stability and economic and social conditions.  

Also, a cross-Canada survey conducted for Chatelaine magazine found Ottawa the best place in the country to live and work.  

Snaking through the city is the Rideau Canal, completed in 1832 and an engineering marvel of its day. Today, the story of its construction is told at the canal-side Bytown Museum, which is the oldest stone building in the city. The canal has been chosen as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the only one in Ontario.  

Ottawa's seven-kilometre-long skating rink world-famous

In winter, a seven-kilometre stretch of the canal, from Carleton University to the National Arts Centre, is maintained as a skating rink, which has been acknowledged by Guinness World Records as the largest skating rink in the world.  

The federal government isn’t Ottawa’s only employer. Besides Carleton, it houses the bilingual and downtown-based Ottawa University and, as well as several smaller universities, the Algonquin College of Applied Arts and Technology.  

Another major employer is the technology industry, centred in the western suburb of Kanata, but spilling out into the broader city. The Ottawa Hospital, an amalgamation of three hospital campuses, and the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, are also significant employers.  

The National Arts Centre is a respected centre for the performing arts, which attracts world-class entertainers and theatre productions.  

Canal-side stadium targeted for redevelopment

South of the arts centre along the canal sits Lansdowne Park, which has been home to agricultural fairs, professional football, political and other conventions and trade shows, and which has recently added a farmers’ market to its collection. The city is engaged in a campaign to breathe new life into the aging facilities there. A 20-acre parcel of Lansdowne property overlooking the canal has been dubbed “the front lawn.” The city says it wants to make the property a “must-see” location for visitors and a place residents can be truly proud of.  

Among the points designers have been urged to consider in drawing up plans are that the canal must be “embraced” by the facility, that the stadium and arena need revitalizing for sports and entertainment, that the property stand as a model of modern-day innovation, a place where people can go to walk, cycle, shop, dine, be entertained and play. It is hoped a refurbished football stadium will welcome back professional Canadian football, which has been absent from the city for some years.  

Parliament Hill dominates downtown Ottawa’s riverfront and efforts have been made to ensure it is not overshadowed by skyscrapers. The city has imposed height restrictions that keep the skyline fairly uniform and below 30 storeys. But in the immediate region of Parliament Hill, it is primarily an area of lower-profile heritage buildings, including several government structures, the Supreme Court of Canada and the Château Laurier Hotel, marked by its castle-like spires.  

Rideau Hall's beautiful grounds open to the public

Ottawa has a population of about 825,000, making it the second-largest municipality in Ontario. As the city grows, residents have been demanding an improved public transit system and the city has endorsed one that adds light rail to its bus-based system. To facilitate the route through the downtown core, there are plans for a transit tunnel beneath some of the city’s busiest streets, with space for underground shops.  

Among the city’s attractions are many national museums and the National Gallery. One of the major museums, the Museum of Civilization, is actually located across the Ottawa River in the Hull section of Gatineau, which is a partner in the federally designated National Capital Region.

The grounds of Rideau Hall, the official home of the Queen’s representative, the Governor General, are open to the public, while across the street sits 24 Sussex Drive, official residence of the prime minister.  

Ottawa boasts many kilometres of parkland, bike paths and walking trails along the city’s rivers and canal. On Sunday mornings in summer, part of the river parkway system is closed to vehicular traffic to make way for cyclists, in-like skaters, joggers, runners and walkers.  

Explore Ottawa's many neighbourhoods by foot

Ottawa has several interesting areas of bars, eateries and shops, including the Byward Market, Little Italy, Chinatown, Westboro Village and Elgin Street.   The city is the home of the National Hockey League Senators, who play at the suburban Scotiabank Place, which also attracts international entertainment stars.  

Ottawa is a city of celebrations and festivals. More than 35 festivals are held each year, ranging from Bluesfest and the Jazz Festival every summer, to Winterlude in February. Each spring, the city is ablaze in tulips, donated by the Netherlands to thank Canada for its part in liberating that country during the Second World War and offering shelter to the Dutch royal family.  

Real estate prices vary widely across Ottawa’s neighbourhoods, from the highs of Rockcliffe, Island Park, the Glebe and Westboro, to more modest levels in the rural villages. But generally, prices are more stable than the Canadian average, neither spiking quickly nor dropping precipitously.  

Real estate with a view a hot commodity

As well as the LeBreton developments, other new water-view housing is either planned or under way at several locations along the Rideau River and at Dow’s Lake.  

On the resale front, recently listed waterfront property in Ottawa included a one-bedroom, one-bath all-season cottage on the Ottawa River, with stunning views of the Gatineau Hills, for $290,000. A two-bedroom, two-bath bungalow condo on the Rideau River was priced at $529,000. And for $1,080,000 you could live on the Rideau Canal in a huge two-bedroom, three-bath condo apartment.