Blackburn Hamlet is a unique suburban community in the City of Ottawa, Canada, that features abundant greenspace, close proximity to stores, public transit, schools, recreational facilities and churches.
A high quality of life
Blackburn is closer to downtown Ottawa than almost all the “new” suburbs, yet offers an old-fashioned country village feeling rarely found in neighbourhoods today.
Two bus routes service the community and offer a quick and efficient alternative to driving. Residents who prefer to drive are only a short commute from the city downtown or any east end amenities.
Blackburn is pedestrian and cyclist-friendly and is connected end to end via a series of treed parks and bike paths.
Abundant greenspace
Blackburn Hamlet is one of only two communities fully surrounded by Ottawa’s Greenbelt, which provides residents with over 250 kilometres of hiking and cross country skiing trails right outside their door.
The Hamlet is in close proximity to the Green’s Creek tobogganing hill and is home to a cooperative garden maintained by residents.
Something for everyone
Blackburn offers all modern amenities within no more than a 10-minute walk from most homes, including: grocery store, medical, dental, legal practices, drugstores, a pub and several restaurants, banks, service stations, convenience stores, dry cleaners, seniors residences, public, Catholic and French schools, private schools and daycares, to name a few.
Blackburn Hamlet also offers:
- An outdoor community pool
- Tennis courts
- Baseball diamonds
- A City library branch
- A community hall
- The Lois Kemp Arena
- A splashpad
- Many playgrounds with play structures
- A series of outdoor soccer fields, known collectively as The Hornets Nest.
The Hornets Nest includes an air-supported indoor recreation dome, called the SuperDome. Additionally, Blackburn Hamlet’s French public high school, Louis Riel, is home to North America’s largest air supported fabric structure indoor recreation facility, at 12,422 square meters (133,705 square feet).
Lafarge Blasting
Lafarge operates a quarry in the Hamlet and blasting is part of their operations. For more information, view this presentation from March 2013.
Invasive Species
Wild Parsnip, Poison Ivy, and Giant Hogweed are commonly found in areas of uncultivated land, roadside ditches, nature trails, woodlots, and in some cases, on rural and residential property. Under the Ontario Weed Control Act (link is external), the City is responsible to take some action regarding the control of Wild Parsnip, Poison Ivy and Giant Hogweed on city property. Additional information can be found on the City of Ottawa website.