Boundaries
Hwy. 417 to the north and east, the Rideau River and the O-Train line on the west, and Walkley Road, Colliston Crescent, Colbert Crescent, Heron Road, and Walkley Road again on the south.
History
Braddish Billings was one of the area’s first European settlers. He built a home overlooking the Rideau River in the late 1820s. Now known as the Billings Estate National Historic Site, it is the city’s oldest remaining wood-framed house. Billings and other farmers in the area gradually sold off property for developments such as Rideau Park, which dates to 1892. The area’s suburbanization took off after Ottawa annexed it in 1950. Some lots were sold to individual families, while larger parcels were sold to builders such as Robert Campeau, who developed Elmvale Acres. Today, small post-war homes on large lots in parts of Alta Vista are often being replaced by larger, more luxurious houses.
Claim to fame
The neighbourhood is home to multiple health and medical facilities, including hospitals, the University of Ottawa’s medical school and the national offices of medical organizations.
Alta Vista–Elmvale Acres neighbourhoods
The area is home to numerous neighbourhoods, including:
- Alta Vista
- Playfair Park
- Faircrest
- Elmvale Acres
- Urbandale
- Guildwood Estates
- Eastway Gardens
- Ridgemont
- Riverview Park
Who’s building where
No major projects
In the area
Large, single-family homes are common in much of Alta Vista. Elmvale Acres features many bungalows, large yards and mature streetscapes. The area also includes apartments, townhomes and affordable housing.
Schools
Alta Vista–Elmvale Acres has public and Catholic elementary schools, both English and French. It has English public and Catholic high schools, including the public Canterbury High School of the Arts. French high schools are more distant.
- English public: Ottawa-Carleton District School Board
- English Catholic: Ottawa Catholic School Board
- French public: Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario
- French Catholic: Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est
Also in the neighbourhood are several private schools: Lycée Claudel, an international French school for children aged three through high school; Westboro Academy, for kindergarten through Grade 8 students; and OMS Montessori, which provides English, French and bilingual Montessori programs for children aged 18 months through Grade 6.
Businesses
This neighbourhood is home to several major employers, including the Ottawa Hospital (General and Riverside campuses), the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, the Conference Board of Canada and Canadian Blood Services. Industrial areas on the area’s eastern edge provide further employment. Businesses include:
- Farm Boy
- LCBO
- Mark’s
- Bed, Bath and Beyond
- Shoppers Drug Mart
- Michael’s
- SAIL
- Movati Athletic
- Five Guys
- Walmart
- Bulk Barn
- Fitness Depot
- Figure 8/Hockey One
- Mid-East Food Centre
- Bicycle Craft Brewery
- Pelican Seafood Market and Grill
- 3 Sisters Bakeshop
Amenities
They include:
- Rideau River
- Billings Estate National Historic Site
- Canada Science and Technology Museum
- Billings Bridge Shopping Centre
- Elmvale Acres Shopping Centre
- Ottawa Public Library (Alta Vista and Elmvale Acres branches)
- Ottawa VIA Rail Station
- Ottawa Train Yards (big-box shopping)
- Ottawa Hospital (General and Riverside campuses)
- Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario
- Perley and Rideau Veterans’ Health Centre
- Greenspace and recreational areas, including pathways, pedestrian/cycling-friendly routes and parks
- Canterbury Community Centre
- Brian Kilrea Arena
Services
Services in Alta Vista–Elmvale Acres include medical offices, churches, salons, banks, gas stations, retirement homes and daycare centres.
Transit options
The community is served by multiple public transit routes. The Transitway runs along the northwestern edge of the neighbourhood, connecting to the LRT’s Confederation Line at Hurdman Station. On the far western edge of the neighbourhood is the Mooney’s Bay Station of the LRT’s Trillium Line. For more details, go to octranspo.com. The area also has bike paths and the northern end is close to the Ottawa Via Rail Station.