It’s time for another neighbourhood spotlight, and this time we’re moving north from Barrhaven to the communities of Grenfell Glen, Pineglen, Merivale Gardens & Country Place. If you see a real estate listing for one of these neighbourhoods, it more likely than not includes the phrase “Country Living in the City.”
Surrounded by green space and nestled among a forest of mature trees, these quiet communities have an atmosphere of seclusion and serenity, despite being only 10 km from the downtown core. Many of the houses are on forested lots or back onto the National Capital Commission Greenbelt.
The rare combination of large lots with mature trees inside the city makes these highly sought-after Ottawa neighbourhoods. If this sounds like what you’re looking for, give one of our real estate agents a call, and we can get right to work finding you the type of home you’re looking for.
Grenfell Glen, Pineglen, Merivale Gardens & Country Place Neighbourhood Spotlight
Three of the four communities – Merivale Gardens, Grenfell Glen and Pineglen – were developed in the 1950s. They have a wide diversity of housing styles – small and large, old and new – giving the neighbourhoods a lot of character. The majority of properties in Merivale Gardens, Grenfell Glen and Pineglen are on a well and septic system, resulting in larger lots than is typical in Ottawa.
Country Place was built later than the other three neighbourhoods, starting in the 1970s. Its main street, Amberwood, winds its way from Merivale to Prince of Wales, with quiet crescents and courts sprouting out alongside it. The homes in Country Place are equipped with city water and sewer services, and there is more homogeneity in the house designs. While the Glens and Merivale Gardens have many bungalows, Country Place is primarily larger, two-story homes.
Merivale Gardens, Grenfell Glen, Pineglen & Country Place Amenities
Merivale Gardens encircles a park with a children’s playground and picnic tables where community events are sometimes held. It also has a skating rink in the winter.
Pineglen and Grenfell Glen each have two tennis courts, available to members of the Glens Tennis Club. Both communities also have parks with children’s playgrounds and Grenfell has an ice rink in the winter.
Country Place has a park with a children’s playground, a playing field, and an ice rink in the winter. Community events are often held here.
In addition to the community parks, residents of these neighbourhood have easy access to multiple public green spaces, including the Nepean Sportsplex.
Pinhey Forest – directly accessible from both Grenfell Glen and Merivale gardens – has a network of trails for walking, snowshoeing, or cross-country skiing. The forest also includes the hidden gem of the Pinhey Sand Dunes.
The Greenbelt Pathway, a trail extending from Woodroffe Avenue to Black Rapids Lock Station, runs along the south end of Pineglen and Country Place. The path is used by walkers, cyclists and cross-country skiers.
Fallowfield Railway Station and Transitway with Park & Ride facilities allow for quick access to both Via Rail services and OC Transpo buses to downtown Ottawa.
Merivale Gardens, Grenfell Glen, Pineglen & Country Place Schools
Neighbourhood schools are always an important consideration for families moving to a new area. With Ottawa’s many school boards and French Immersion programs, finding a school can be confusing.
To make the process a bit easier for you, the interactive map above allows you to restrict your search to a specific school type. To use this function, click on the icon found on the top left of the map. A menu will slide out on the left-hand side, and you can scroll through the list and check the box of the schools you’d like to see on the interactive map.
For the English boards, you can also type an address into the school locators below to figure out which programs each school offers.
Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB):school locator
Ottawa Catholic School Board: (OCSB): school locator
For an explanation of the elementary school language options in the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board, click here. For secondary school options, see this link. A description of how French is taught in the Catholic Board can be found here.
Elementary/Intermediate Schools
Program |
JK – Grade 6 |
Grades 7-8 |
English with Core French |
Meadowlands |
Merivale |
Early French Immersion |
Meadowlands |
Merivale |
Middle French Immersion |
Carleton Heights (grade 4 to 6) |
Merivale |
Ottawa Catholic School Board |
St. Monica |
Frank Ryan |
French Public |
Michaëlle-Jean |
Pierre-de-Blois |
French Catholic |
Laurier-Carrière |
Pierre-Savard |
Alternative School (OCDSB) |
Regina Street Alternative |
Summit Alternative |
Secondary Schools
PROGRAM |
SCHOOL |
OCDSB English |
Merivale |
OCDSB French Immersion |
Merivale |
Ottawa Catholic School Board |
St. Pius X |
French Catholic |
Pierre-Savard |
French Public |
Pierre-de-Blois |
Alternative |
See link |
Merivale Gardens, Grenfell Glen, Pineglen & Country Place: Real Estate
Have you read our other neighbourhood spotlights?
Northeast Barrhaven: Barrhaven East & Longfields
Old Barrhaven West: Pheasant Run, Cedargrove/Fraserdale & The Triangle
Central Barrhaven: Strandherd, Heart’s Desire, Barrhaven on the Green & Heritage Park
South Barrhaven: Stonebridge & Half Moon Bay
Buy and sell with confidence. Choose MacDonald Property Group.
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With over twenty-five years of experience in all aspects of real estate, we have bought and sold well over a thousand homes. We’ve been honoured to help thousands of clients in Barrhaven and across the Ottawa area close a deal with confidence and satisfaction. Give us a shout and let us show you what we can do for you!