Orléans is the largest suburb on the east side of the city and, for a lot of families, the best value in Ottawa. Most homes sell between $500K and $850K, and that buys more house and more yard than the same money buys in most places west of downtown.
It is also the one suburb where the older half is better value than the newer half, and most buyers only look at the new half. So let me start there.
North of Innes, south of Innes
Innes Road is the dividing line. North of it, between Innes and the river, Orléans was built in the 1970s and 80s: Convent Glen, Orléans Wood, Queenswood Heights, Chateauneuf. Bungalows and two-storeys on lots you could not buy new today, mature trees, and the closest streets to the highway and the new train stations.
South of Innes is the Orléans of the last 25 years: Chapel Hill South, Fallingbrook, Avalon, and further out, Cardinal Creek and Trailsedge, where the builders are still working. Newer houses, smaller lots, and the longest drive to the 174.
| Built | What you get | In the range | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Convent Glen and Orléans Wood | 1970s and 80s | Big lots by the river, walking distance to the new stations, and houses that may need a kitchen. | Middle |
| Queenswood Heights and Chateauneuf | 1980s | Established family streets on the hill, larger two-storeys, close to Place d'Orléans. | Middle |
| Chapel Hill | 1980s to 2000s | The north half is older and pricier. The south half is newer and busier. | Middle to high |
| Fallingbrook | 1990s | Townhomes and singles near the east end of Innes. Schools in every board. | Low to middle |
| Avalon and Notting Hill | 2000s to now | The newest big pocket. Townhomes, new singles, new schools, and construction still around you. | Low to middle |
| Cardinal Creek | Newest | Far east, past Trim. New everything and the longest commute. | Middle |
The train, and what to believe about it
The train has been extended from Blair to Trim Road, with stations at Montréal, Jeanne d'Arc, Convent Glen, Place d'Orléans and Trim. The track and the stations are built. As I write this it is in testing and not carrying passengers, and the opening date has moved more than once, so I do not let buyers pay for it yet.
What I do tell them: if you buy north of Innes, you will be able to walk or bike to a station once it opens. If you buy in Avalon, you will drive to one. That difference is worth thinking about at the offer table, because the day the train opens is the day the north side gets more expensive.
Until then, the commute is the 174 or the bus to Blair, and the 174 at 8 a.m. is the reason people say they would never live in Orléans. It can be 35 to 50 minutes to downtown by car.
French schools
Orléans has the highest share of francophones in Ottawa, since about three in ten people in its three wards grew up speaking French, compared with about one in seven across the city. French-language schools from both the public and Catholic boards are spread across the area, which makes it a good place to be if you are raising francophone or bilingual kids. Day to day, though, most of Orléans runs in English, so you do not need French to live here.
What buyers get wrong
- They only look at new builds. The 1980s house on the north side has the bigger lot, the mature trees and the shorter commute, at the same price or less.
- They assume the new-build townhouse is freehold. A lot of them come with a monthly fee for the shared lane or the parking. Small, but it counts against you at the lender. Here is what a parcel of tied land is.
- They buy in Cardinal Creek because it is new and a little cheaper, then discover that "far east Orléans" means past the last plaza and past the last station.
Who is happy here
Families upsizing from a townhouse who want four bedrooms and a yard. Parents who want their kids in French or bilingual schools. Military and public service families on a posting, who find Orléans easy to settle into. And, more than people expect, first-time buyers who wanted the Glebe and worked out what $600K actually buys.
Who is not: anyone whose work is in Kanata. Orléans to the tech park is an hour each way and I will say so before you look.
Selling in Orléans
The north side is about to get a train, and pricing a house there right now takes some judgment about how much of that to bake in. The south side prices against a lot of similar new builds. Either way, I know the pockets from the inside. Ask for a real number.
I am biased about the east end and I will admit it. I still think most Ottawa buyers underrate Orléans because they have only driven through it on the 174. Tell me your budget and I will show you the streets that changed a few of my own clients' minds.
Questions I get about Orléans
Is Orléans a good place to live?
Yes, especially for families, including parents who want their kids in French or bilingual schools. It is the best space-per-dollar on the east side of Ottawa. The trade-off is the 174 commute until the train opens.
How much does a house cost in Orléans?
Most homes sell between $500K and $850K. Townhomes in Fallingbrook and Avalon start the range; larger two-storeys in Chapel Hill and Queenswood Heights end it.
Does the LRT go to Orléans?
The extension from Blair to Trim Road is built, with five stations, and is in testing. It is not carrying passengers yet and the opening date has not been set. Ask me where it stands; I keep track.
Do I need to speak French to live in Orléans?
No. Most of daily life in Orléans happens in English, which is why plenty of people who live there get by without any French.
Thinking about Orléans?
I grew up out here. Tell me your budget and I will show you the streets buyers from the west side never see.