Westboro, Ottawa

The neighbourhood got its start in the late nineteenth century, when flyers were published proclaiming 'Move to Westboro,' and offering prospective residents 'views of the Laurentian Mountains.' This slightly creative name for the distant geological formation along the Eardley escarpment is now better known as the Gatineau Hills. The Gatineau Hills can be seen across the Ottawa River.

Nineteenth-century descriptions of the neighbourhood refer to its location along the Macadam Road to Bells Corners. That road is now known as Richmond Road, and where it slices through Westboro it is the commercial heart of the Village-like neighbourhood, once the centre of the old Nepean Township. The old Town Hall on Richmond Road used to house the bell that later became the symbol of the former city of Nepean, now a part of the city of Ottawa. The Maplelawn Garden, boasting the second oldest building in Ottawa (built in 1831) and designated a National Historic Site, is located at the western edge of the village.

The other prominent street in Westboro Village is Churchill Avenue. This street was known as Main Street, but was renamed in honour of Winston Churchill following World War II. A few blocks to the west, another street was originally named River Road since it bisected the neighbourhood and led down to the beach on the Ottawa River. That street was renamed Roosevelt Avenue for similar post-war reasons. The renaming was also due to Westboro's integration into Ottawa and that there were already streets named River Road and Main Street.

Westboro existed as a police village from 1903 to 1949 when it was annexed by Ottawa. An Ottawa streetcar line used to run along what is now a narrow grass strip along Byron Avenue, bringing Ottawa residents to an area once considered cottage country. Many cottage-like residences still exist today, especially by the Ottawa River north of Scott Street.

Westboro is a thriving community with a lively street scene. Several condominium projects are encouraging densification and promising to bring more people to the neighbourhood. The village features murals painted by a local artist. The free annual Westfest music festival is held in June. The neighbourhood boasts a concentration of outdoors and sport stores including Mountain Equipment Co-op, Vancouver-based trendy lululemon athletica, Bushtukah, The Expedition Shoppe and Trailhead and is close to cycling trails and whitewater rapids in the Ottawa River. Boutiques, restaurants and coffee shops on Richmond Road have helped turn Westboro into a trendy neighbourhood. The Newport Restaurant is amongst the best known local businesses.

The neighbourhood is served by two stations of the rapid-bus transitway: Westboro and Dominion.

Westboro encompasses a large part of the western part of Ottawa, and many smaller sub-neighbourhoods. Including the core Westboro village located north of Richmond Road, there exists the following sub-neighbourhoods:

*Carlingwood

See also

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