Bounded by the Rideau Canal on the west, Ottawa’s Osgoode ward includes villages, magical skating trails and marvelous maple syrup.
Osgoode Village was founded just east of what would become the Canal in the early 1800s and later turned into a railway stop. Today’s locals love Red Dot Café for a menu that combines comfort foods and fine dining.
Head east to Greely–physically the largest rural village in the City of Ottawa–with six parks offering wide open spaces for winter activities. The Greely Loop is perfect for walking, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. If you’re into antiques and collectibles, check out the curios at Aubrey’s Antiques.
Continuing east, the Village of Metcalfe was named in 1877 after the Governor General of the day and was a stop on the stagecoach route between Ottawa and Cornwall. Today, it’s home to the delightful Hawley’s Corners Gift Shop and the Stable Restaurant which has a heated patio for safe winter dining.
Have you ever skated through a forest? If not, you can cross off that bucket list item at RiverOak, a beautiful outdoor playground with over 3 kilometres of skating trails leading to wide open rinks. Not into skating? RiverOak also has cross-country and snowshoe trails, and you can purchase maple syrup harvested from trees onsite.
Speaking of maple syrup, as the days get longer and warmer, head to Stanley’s Olde Maple Lane Farm near Edwards. This year-round operation includes a sugar bush, farm-to-table dining, and a Farmshop with a wide selection of products including farm raised beef, chicken and eggs, prepared meals, sauces, seasonings and snacks.
Ottawa’s rural southeast is also a snowmobiler’s paradise, with an extensive network of groomed trails operated by the Osgoode Carleton Snowmobile Trail Club.
