Oldottawaeast.homesCentral Ottawa · Neighbourhood guide Homes for sale 0
Neighbourhood 01 of 01 · Ottawa

Old Ottawa East

A small neighbourhood between the Rideau Canal and the Rideau River, with Main Street at its centre and a village history that goes back to 1888.

Holy Ghost Portuguese Community Centre, 115 Echo Dr., Ottawa sspx.ca « Holy Ghost chapel in Ottawa has been sold » – sspx.ca « 113-115 Echo
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
8,535Population (2021 census)* · source
4,430Private dwellings (2021)* · source
35.6Median age (2021)* · source
4Schools inside
12Parks & places inside
0Homes for sale here

* Ottawa Neighbourhood Study figures for its “Old Ottawa East” area, which is larger than Old Ottawa East alone.

Old Ottawa East is in Capital Ward in central Ottawa, south of Nicholas Street and between the Rideau Canal and the Rideau River. The Ottawa Neighbourhood Study's 'Old Ottawa East' area had 8,535 residents in the 2021 census.

Updated · Facts on this page link to their sources

The neighbourhood

About Old Ottawa East

Old Ottawa East is in Capital Ward in central Ottawa, south of Nicholas Street and between the Rideau Canal and the Rideau River. Avenue Road marks its southern border. Old Ottawa South is to the south and Sandy Hill to the north-east. Wikipedia says it began as the suburban community of Archville, was incorporated as the village of Ottawa East in 1888 and was amalgamated with Ottawa in 1907. Main Street was Archville's central road. The neighbourhood is home to Saint Paul University. Its centre is Greystone Village, a housing development that Wikipedia says some residents objected to. The southern part is sometimes called Rideau Gardens. The Flora Footbridge, open to pedestrians since 2019, links it to The Glebe.

Boundaries

Wikipedia places Old Ottawa East south of Nicholas Street and between the Rideau Canal and the Rideau River, with Avenue Road marking the southern border. Old Ottawa South is to the south and Sandy Hill to the north-east. It includes the Lees Avenue area, and the southern part is sometimes called Rideau Gardens. The Ottawa Neighbourhood Study uses its own boundary for 'Old Ottawa East', so figures here may differ slightly from other definitions.

Homes

In the 2021 census, ONS counted 4,430 private dwellings in Old Ottawa East. Of these, 42.1% were apartments in buildings of five or more storeys, 27.8% were single-detached houses, 12.2% row houses, 9.1% apartments in buildings under five storeys, 5.8% semi-detached houses and 3.2% duplex flats. 13.1% of private dwellings were condominiums, and 50.3% of households rented while 49.6% owned. Wikipedia describes Greystone Village as a housing development at the centre of the neighbourhood. ons-sqo.ca

Highlights
  • Incorporated as the village of Ottawa East in 1888 and amalgamated with Ottawa in 1907
  • Flora Footbridge links the neighbourhood to The Glebe (open to pedestrians since 2019)
  • Downtown (Parliament Hill) is 2.8 km away in a straight line, or 3.8 km and about 8 minutes by road in free-flow, no traffic
  • About half of households rent (50.3%) and half own (49.6%) (ONS, 2021 census)
  • 42.1% of dwellings are apartments in buildings of five or more storeys, and 27.8% are single-detached houses (ONS, 2021 census)
  • Schools include Lady Evelyn Alternative School, Immaculata High School and the CECCE French-language Au Coeur d'Ottawa school
  • O-Train stations at Lees, Hurdman and uOttawa are listed in OpenStreetMap

Community

History

How Old Ottawa East came to be

Ballantyne Park, a city park in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Ballantyne Park, a city park in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.. Photo: You may select the license of your choice., CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  1. 1826

    The Rideau Canal, built from 1826 under Lieutenant-Colonel John By, permanently fixed the canal as the western edge of Old Ottawa East. en.wikipedia.org

  2. 1863

    In 1863, land east of Main Street was sold to the Roman Catholic College of St. Joseph, later associated with St. Joseph's Scholasticate of the Oblate Order and, eventually, Saint Paul University. en.wikipedia.org

  3. 1873

    In 1873 Archibald Stewart registered the Archville West subdivision, one of the earliest formal suburban plans in the area. Its streets included Greenfield, Montcalm, Havelock, Harvey, Concord and Echo Drive. en.wikipedia.org

  4. 1888

    The County Council approved the incorporation of the Village of Ottawa East on 7 December 1888. It elected a reeve and village council until 1907. en.wikipedia.org

  5. 1907

    Ottawa East was annexed by the City of Ottawa, ending its period of village self-government. en.wikipedia.org

  6. 2019

    The Flora Footbridge opened to pedestrians, connecting the community to The Glebe. en.wikipedia.org

People & landmarks

Local names worth knowing

  • Robert Lees

    A lawyer, farmer, speculator and political leader who acquired extensive holdings in the district from 1859. Wikipedia says he played a major role in the fight against annexation in the late 1880s. en.wikipedia.org

  • Jean Chrétien

    Former prime minister, listed by Wikipedia among the neighbourhood's notable residents. en.wikipedia.org

  • Paul Dewar

    Politician, listed by Wikipedia among the neighbourhood's notable residents. en.wikipedia.org

  • Wallis Giunta

    Opera singer, listed by Wikipedia among the neighbourhood's notable residents. en.wikipedia.org

Map

Around Old Ottawa East

Walking rings at 5, 10 and 15 minutes from the neighbourhood centre.

Schools

8 nearby

Straight-line distances from the Old Ottawa East centre. Living near a school does not guarantee a place: confirm the designated school for an address with each board. All schools and board locators.

Parks & places

10 nearby

The full parks & trails guide.

Shops & dining

10 nearby

The full shops & dining guide.

Getting around

Transit

  • Lycee Claudel

    openopenstreetmap.org

    720 m9 min walk

  • Hurdman

    O-Train

    open1434 Riverside Driveopenstreetmap.org

    820 m10 min walk

  • Lees

    O-Train

    open191 Lees Avenueopenstreetmap.org

    910 m11 min walk

  • Smyth

    OC Transpo

    openopenstreetmap.org

    950 m12 min walk

  • Downtown, straight line

    2.8 km from the neighbourhood centre to Parliament Hill (downtown Ottawa).

    openstreetmap.org

  • Downtown, by road

    3.8 km and about 8 minutes by road to Parliament Hill (free-flow, no traffic), from the OSRM demo router on OpenStreetMap roads, as of 2026-10-30.

    router.project-osrm.org

  • O-Train

    Lees station (191 Lees Avenue), Hurdman station (1434 Riverside Drive), uOttawa station (301 Nicholas Street) and Tremblay station (170 Tremblay Road) are listed as open in OpenStreetMap.

    openstreetmap.org

  • Hurdman O-Train station

    1434 Riverside Drive.

    openstreetmap.org

The full transit guide.

Homes

For sale in Old Ottawa East

All homes for sale

No Old Ottawa East homes on oldottawaeast.homes right now

Selling here? Get a website for your home, or browse every home for sale in the area.

Next door

Neighbouring areas

    Questions people ask

    Quick answers

    Short answers first; each links to the full answer and its sources.

    All 34 questions

    1. 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

    2. 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

    3. 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

    4. 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

    5. 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

    6. 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

    Sources for this page (56)
    Selling in Old Ottawa East?

    Get a website for your home

    A finished website for your house, on its own address, for $50.

    How it works