Between the canal and the river
Old Ottawa East is a small neighbourhood in central Ottawa, south of Nicholas Street and between the Rideau Canal and the Rideau River. Main Street runs through its centre. This guide covers its history, schools, parks, shops, transit and census figures. Every fact on this site links to its source.
Holy Ghost Portuguese Community Centre, 115 Echo Dr., Ottawa sspx.ca « Holy Ghost chapel in Ottawa has been sold » – sspx.ca « 113-115 Echo. Photo: Jeangagnon, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
oldottawaeast.homes is an independent guide to Old Ottawa East, Ottawa. It maps 8 schools, 30 parks and recreation places and 15 shops and restaurants, each with its source.
Updated · Facts on this page link to their sources
One neighbourhood
Where it starts and ends, how it grew, and what is nearby.
For sale now
Each home has its own website; tap through for photos, rooms and the open house.
No homes listed right now
New homes appear here as soon as their websites go live. See recently sold.
Latest guides
Researched from public sources, with every source linked on the page.
Parks & trailsParks, rinks and the canal
Neighbourhood parks, a wading pool, rinks and the Rideau Canal.
Updated October 2026
SchoolsSchools in and around the area
English and French, public and Catholic, plus independent schools.
Updated October 2026
Shops & diningMain Street and nearby shops
Groceries, markets and everyday errands.
Updated October 2026
TransitStations, buses and the canal footbridge
O-Train and Transitway stations nearby, plus the distance downtown.
Updated October 2026
MarketThe market, honestly
OREB's latest numbers for Ottawa, what they mean, and what they don't.
Updated October 2026
The area at a glance
South of Nicholas Street, between the Rideau Canal and the Rideau River, with Avenue Road as the southern border. Old Ottawa South is to the south and Sandy Hill to the north-east. Wikipedia says the neighbourhood includes the Lees Avenue area. Its lines follow Wikipedia and the Ottawa Neighbourhood Study (ONS) boundary, and they can differ from how residents describe them.
Neighbourhood centres
- 1Old Ottawa East0 m
The market, honestly
Citywide Ottawa figures from OREB's monthly MLS® report. They describe the whole city, not one neighbourhood.
- $705,100Single-family benchmark price (MLS® HPI)Nearly unchanged from Sept 2025; down 3.0% from August
- 4.4Months of inventory, single-familyAll homes: 4.8, up from 4.1 a year earlier
- $685,640Average sale price, all homesDown 1.0% from Sept 2025
- 1,010Homes sold in SeptemberDown 6.6% from Sept 2025
Figures for September 2026, released October 5, 2026 · Source: oreb.ca
Quick answers
Short answers first; each links to the full answer and its sources.
Is Old Ottawa East a good place to live?
Old Ottawa East is a central Ottawa neighbourhood between the Rideau Canal and the Rideau River, with 8,535 residents in the 2021 census. The Ottawa Neighbourhood Study counts an average of 10.8 transit stops within a 600 m walk, and 24.4% tree canopy cover in 2024. Whether it suits you depends on what you need, so here are the facts.
As of 2026-10 · ons-sqo.ca ons-sqo.ca
What schools serve Old Ottawa East?
Schools located in or near Old Ottawa East include Lady Evelyn Alternative School (OCDSB, elementary, 63 Evelyn Avenue), Immaculata High School (OCSB, secondary, 140 Main Street) and the French Catholic elementary school Au Coeur d'Ottawa (CECCE, 88 Main Street). First Avenue Public School and Viscount Alexander Public School (both OCDSB, elementary) are also in the surrounding area.
As of 2026-10 · openstreetmap.org openstreetmap.org
How far is Old Ottawa East from downtown Ottawa?
From the neighbourhood centre, Parliament Hill is about 2.8 km away in a straight line. By road it is about 3.8 km, roughly 8 minutes in free-flowing conditions with no traffic.
As of 2026-10 · router.project-osrm.org openstreetmap.org
What are homes like in Old Ottawa East?
In the 2021 census, 42.1% of dwellings in Old Ottawa East were apartments in buildings of five or more storeys and 27.8% were single-detached houses. Row houses were 12.2%, apartments in buildings under five storeys 9.1%, semi-detached houses 5.8% and duplex flats 3.2%.
As of 2021 · ons-sqo.ca ons-sqo.ca
What is the nearest O-Train station to Old Ottawa East?
Lees station (191 Lees Avenue) and Hurdman station (1434 Riverside Drive) are the two closest O-Train stations to the neighbourhood centre in the places data, and both are listed as open. uOttawa station (301 Nicholas Street) and Tremblay station (170 Tremblay Road) are also in the wider area.
As of 2026-10 · openstreetmap.org openstreetmap.org
Where do people in Old Ottawa East buy groceries?
Grocers on or near Main Street include Urban Greens and NU Grocery (143 Main Street), and the Main Street Farmers' Market is also listed. Larger stores in the wider area include Loblaws (20 Isabella Street), Metro (754 Bank Street) and Whole Foods Market (951 Bank Street).
As of 2026-10 · openstreetmap.org openstreetmap.org