Ottawa has been getting a lot of national attention recently because of the yearlong celebration of Canada’s 150th birthday. This is a nice change of focus for the mid-sized city on the Ottawa River, which, as the nation’s capital, has carried with it a reputation for simplicity and a lack of art and culture.
The focus on Ottawa for Canada’s 150th has generated a large number of infrastructure projects across the city to improve its national image and generate more economic development. A new project at Lansdowne Park has finished about two years ago now, and it has been a huge success. Another positive development was the construction of a footbridge over the canal that links Sandy Hill (and the U of Ottawa campus) to downtown Ottawa.
The New Rail Line Will Connect Suburban Ottawa to Downtown
By far the most important public infrastructure project is the Confederation Line which, when completed, will connect Ottawa’s expansive suburban boroughs with the city. The line will connect Trim Road to Moodie Drive (going East to West) and Bayview to Greenboro (going north to south) and beyond. This development has been in the works for years to come and is finally, thanks to Canada’s 150th birthday, getting the backing it deserves.
For prospective home buyers in Ottawa, the light rail train line makes the suburbs a lot more appealing. As it turns out, suburban Ottawa is full of fantastic single-family homes that are affordable and built to last. Once the light rail line is complete the property closest to the rail line stations will shoot up in value. No question about it.
So, in the interest of helping prospective homeowners get the best value they can, here are a few suburban regions close to the proposed rail line stations:
Barrhaven is only a short drive from the proposed Bowesville station. It is a little borough that has a lot of momentum behind it, chiefly due to the fact that the housing plots are well designed. It’s a great example of a new wave of suburban development that is focused on building full-service neighbourhoods for the inhabitants. Three bedroom homes can still be found in the $400k range but you have to act fast!
Orleans has been one of the stable Ottawa suburban developments since amalgamation in 2001. With close proximity to Trim Road station, the property value of these homes will certainly increase. Only 16km from the centre of the city, and located along the picturesque Ottawa river, Orleans is made up of small boroughs of single-family homes or condominiums. Single bedroom, semi-detached homes are going for around 220k, while 3 bedroom properties will go for no less than 400k.
A real estate broker that knows the different regions will be able to find you a great deal – but not for long. Once the light rail line is done suburban Ottawa will be much more sought-after. In the year of Canada’s 150th birthday, there is arguably no city in Canada that embodies innovation and urban development more than the nation’s capital.
