• Highland Park/McKellar Park
• Laurentianview/Hampton Park
• Westboro Beach/Westboro North

Each has its own Community Association. McKellar ParkWestboro (Laurentienview/Hampton Park)Westboro BeachThey have many names but I can confidently say that these are three distinct area. In fact, I personally have owned homes in all 3 of these communities. Let’s explore west to east.

MCKELLAR / HIGHLAND

McKellar and its neighbour Highland are the furthest west along Richmond Road. McKellar/Highland as the Ottawa Real Estate Board calls it is primarily made up of single-family detached homes. A handful of streets have recently been zone for infill and intensification, allowing for semi-detached, triplexes, and multi-unit residential homes. A modest detached home here would likely garner $850,000 for its land alone.

 The crown jewel of the area is McKellar Park with its wading pool, tennis and basketball courts, soccer field, and softball diamond, as well as a popular well-lit outdoor skating rink. An active community association puts on seasonal festivals, most notably the spring Easter Egg Hunt and the Fall Festival.

LAURENTIANVIEW / HAMPTON PARK

Moving east you will find Laurentianview and it’s southern neighbour Hampton Park. One of the most experienced realtors in this area told me about 15 years ago that once you cross Churchill moving east, you save about 15-20% on your home. Here you will find a mix of detached and semi-detached homes small apartment buildings and also taller condo buildings, some with beautiful views of the river.

You will find younger families in this area. It’s where my husband and I bought our first home. Traffic flow varies from street to street so it’s important to watch for that when choosing where to live. There are a few smaller parks including Clare Park, and the larger Hampton Park in this pocket.

WESTBORO BEACH

Now if we head north, we’ll end up in the enclave of Westboro Beach. Here you’ll find the highest number of rooftop decks all facing north toward the river and the Gatineau hills. The streets slope toward the river here. The beach area is currently being redeveloped and it will be an even more vibrant community gathering spot in 2024.

I made one of my silliest real estate moves when buying my Westboro Beach home. We bought a lot and built a home in this area when my kids were toddle and preschool age. We bought directly from the listing agent without a real estate agent to advise us. We moved in to our house on the most sloped part of the slopiest street in the area. My sporty little boys loved all the ball sports. 

Well the balls would roll into the street and down it faster than any of us could run. Sure, the house was pretty, but I wish someone would have pointed out the lifestyle implications of that decision.