Moving to Ottawa: The Ultimate Guide

With a laid-back lifestyle where residents are into outdoor adventures rather than nightlife, moving to Ottawa is an easy decision to make. In 2016, Mercer, a global consulting firm, ranked Ottawa 17^th out of 230 cities in the world for best quality of living. Our nation’s capital has also been rated as Canada’s best city by Moneysense with low crime, a high percentage of doctors, strong population growth, and above-average household incomes.

 

Here are some things you should know about moving to Ottawa:

 

Transportation Hubs

The Ottawa MacDonald-Cartier International Airport, located in the south end of Ottawa, is the sixth busiest airport in Canada and is serviced by a variety of airlines. We have two main VIA Rail Stations, Fallowfield Train Station located in the city’s south end and Ottawa Train Station just to the east of downtown Ottawa. Our Greyhound bus station, Ottawa Central Station, is situated in the downtown core.

 

Getting Around the City

For public bus transportation, get a Presto Pass and OC Transpo will take you practically anywhere in the city, of course, you can buy tickets or pay cash, but if you are taking the bus regularly, the pass will give you the best deal. We also have a light rail transit system called the O-Train. Currently, the O-Train’s Trillium Line runs about 8kms from Bayview to Greenboro and the Confederation Line, expected to open in 2018, will feature 12.5kms and 13 stations along the downtown connecting Blair station in the east and Tunney’s Pasture in the west.

With over 170 km of bicycle paths, many along the gorgeous Ottawa and Rideau Rivers, biking is a viable transportation option in our city. Many of our buses have bike racks and you can even take your bike on the O-Train. If you don’t have your own, here are a few bicycle rental companies: RentABike, Escape Tours & Rentals, Scooteretti (electric bicycle rentals), and velogo, a bike-sharing system. Of course, Uber is now legal in Ottawa and our three main taxi companies are Capital Taxi, West-Way Taxi, and Blue Line Taxi.

 

Education for All Ages: Schools in Ottawa

There are four school boards in Ottawa. Public schools are offered in both English and French with The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) and the Conseil des Ecoles Publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario (CEPEO). Catholic education is also offered in both official languages at The Ottawa Catholic School Board (OCSB) and the Conseil des Ecoles Catholiques du Centre-Est (CECCE).

Ottawa also has a wide range of private schools, here is a list of the main ones:

 

For post-secondary education, there are two main universities in Ottawa, Carleton University and the University of Ottawa. Algonquin College of Applied Arts and Technology, La Cite Collegiale, Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts Institute, The Ottawa School of Art, and Dominican University College are some of the top higher learning institutions in Ottawa.

 

Shopping Havens

There’s no shortage of shopping destinations in Ottawa. Byward Market is home to Canada’s oldest Farmer’s market, as well as 600 shops and businesses, and is located in the heart of downtown right next to the Rideau Centre. Bayshore Shopping Centre is located at the western end of the city and St. Laurent Centre and Place D’Orleans are in the east. Tanger Outlet Ottawa is our outlet mall for high-end designer brands and is located in Kanata at the western edge of the city. For one-of-a-kind boutiques and unique fashions, head to Westboro Village, Wellington Village, and The Glebe.

 

Arts and Culture Hotspots

Our nation’s capital is a hub of arts and culture to the delight of Ottawa’s residents. Here are some of the main museums and entertainment centres you can enjoy when moving to Ottawa.

National Arts Centre
Canadian Tire Centre
The Canadian Museum of Nature
Canadian Museum of History
Canada Science and Technology Museum
National Gallery of Canada
Canadian Aviation and Space Museum
Canada Agriculture and Food Museum
The Canadian War Museum
Canadian Children’s Museum

 

Year-Round Festivals

Ottawa also boasts a wide variety of annual festivals ranging from music to culture and performing arts to sports. Here are some of the most popular festivals in Ottawa.

Winterlude – February
Ottawa Children’s Festival – May
Canadian Tulip Festival – May
Bluesfest – July
Ottawa Jazz Festival – June
Westfest – June
Ottawa Summer Solstice Indigenous Festival – June
Fringe Festival – June
Dragon Boat Festival – June
Canada Day – July
Northern Lights: Sound and Light Show – July to September
Buskerfest – August
Lumiere Festival – August
Casino Lac du Leamy Sound of Light – August
The Capital Fair – August
Cityfolk – September

 

Fun Places for Kids

From waterparks Calypso and Mont Cascades, to indoor play zones, Funhaven, Kids Kingdom, and Cosmic Adventures, there are plenty of activities to keep your children of all ages occupied, rain, sun, or snow! Skyzone indoor trampoline park, Altitude indoor rock climbing gym, Pirate Adventures on the Rideau, Landsdowne Park, Mooney’s Bay Playground, and Saunder’s Farm are just a few of the top family-favourite venues you will discover when moving to Ottawa.

 

Outdoor Adventure

Ottawa has beaches located right in the city and the best-known ones are Westboro Beach, Mooney’s Bay Park and Beach, and Brittania Park and Beach. In addition, there are beaches at Petrie Island, an island in the Ottawa River, which is also a nature reserve with 7kms of nature trails, kayak and canoe rentals, fishing, and a nature centre. Some of Ottawa’s most popular outdoor venues include Dow’s Lake where you can rent paddleboats and kayaks, Hog’s Back Park, an urban nature park with falls and gorgeous trails along the Rideau River, and the Rideau Canal, where you can walk or cycle along the River on scenic pathways during the warmer weather and ice skate on the world’s largest naturally frozen ice rink in the Winter.

 

Diverse Neighbourhoods

Whether you are looking to live in a suburban or downtown community, Ottawa has excellent neighbourhoods with great schools, beautiful green spaces and parks, and friendly welcoming residents, with no real areas to avoid in Ottawa. My guides to the top neighbourhoods in Ottawa are an excellent place to start learning about where to live.

Central Ottawa
Ottawa East
Ottawa West
Ottawa South
Orleans
Kanata
Barrhaven

 

Our extensive experience and in-depth knowledge about buying a property in Ottawa will guide and protect you in your home buying journey. If you have any questions about real estate or moving to Ottawa, contact me at info@buyandsellottawa.ca or give me a call at 613-590-3036.