Hello ORLÉANS!

Welcome to the 25th edition of Orléans Connect.

Suddenly the weather feels decidedly 🍁 Fall-ish… Has the cooler weather arrived to stay? We shall see! We’ve been known to have some warm Septembers.

French school boards started back at school this week🏫, which is another sign of fall - school children crossing the streets and crossing guards back on duty. Reminder to all drivers to drive safely, keep your eyes on the road ahead and stop for those school buses! 🚌

🏋️‍♀️ This week, we want to know your opinion about what your favourite 💪 GYM in Orléans is? Scroll down to the bottom of the newsletter to give us your answer in this week’s poll.

Also this week we’ve got a brand new Orléans Food Spot review - 🍕 Make sure to check that out below. ⬇️

❤️ SHARE AND HELP US GROW 📈

Many thanks 🙏 to everyone that continues to share our newsletter each week with this wonderful Orléans community. Our goal is to grow our readership significantly over the coming months and our existing subscribers are a big part of that.

Help us reach a new subscriber milestone by sharing Orléans Connect in your usual online hangouts, especially all those local Facebook groups. You can use the button below. ⬇️

There’s a lot happening in Orléans in the next 7 days, so let’s have a look: ⬇️

Here’s our roundup of upcoming events:

• 👢August 29th - Grab your boots, your friends and join for an evening of music, dancing and fun! It’s Line Dancing time at the Legion. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or brand new to the steps, everyone’s welcome on the dance floor! Register with Melanie at [email protected] to get on the list!

  📍Orléans Legion (Lower Floor), 800 Taylor Creek Dr

• 🧠 August 29th - It’s Trivia Night at TapRoom260 from 8 PM - 10 PM. Think you’ve got what it takes to be the brainiest in the room?  Grab your crew and join for a night of fun, drinks, and awesome prizes!

  📍260 Centrum Blvd

• 👟 August 30th - Join the Ottawa Voyageurs Walking Club from 9 AM - 11 AM for a walk! Two route options - one is 5 KM, the other is 10 KM.

  📍Esso Station, 6469 Jeanne d’Arc Blvd N

• 🐕 August 30th - Ink for Paws - Tattoo Fundraiser in support of It Takes a Village Dog Rescue, from 11 AM - 6 PM. Every dollar raised helps give dogs a second chance at life. Come get inked, shop, snack and snuggle some pups!

  📍Sorry Mum Tattoo Studio, 1429 Youville Dr, Unit 5

• 📚 August 31st - Sunshine Little Free Library is celebrating it’s First Anniversary from 10 AM - 2 PM! Browse the library’s overstock, pick up a “Blind-Date-with-a-Book” (while supplies last), and support a good ol’ fashioned lemonade stand and bake sale (all funds raised going to CHEO).

  📍2027 Newcarlisle Crescent

🗓️SAVE THE DATES! 🗓️

Get those calendars out - plenty of events coming up in September:

• 🍻 Stray Dog Brewery is celebration it’s 8th Anniversary on Sat, Sept. 6th.

• 🌻 Next Heart of Orléans Market is on Sun, Sept 7th!

• 🎭 Shenkman Arts Centres is hosting an Open House on Sun, Sept 7th.

• 💓 Orléans Multicultural Festival is coming to Aquaview Park on Sat, Sept 13th from 1 PM - 7 PM.

• 👩‍🍼 The Mom Market is coming to Place d’Orléans on Fri, Sept 12th.

• 🎨 Paint Night is coming again at the Orléans Legion on Tuesday, Sept 23rd. $40 per person, includes all materials. All proceeds from this event go to It Takes a Village Dog Rescue. Spaces are limited. Please register via: [email protected] to reserve your spot!

• 🎶 The Orléans Legion is hosting “Born in the 70s, Raised in the 80s and got to Party in the 90s PARTY” on Fri, Sept 26th.

🧑‍🌾 WEEKLY EVENTS 🥬 

Summertime has some great weekly events happening!

• Every Tuesday

  • 🧠 Trivia at Broadhead Brewery. Free to play, no registration required. 630 PM - 830 PM 📍1680 Vimont Ct, Unit 106

• Every Wednesday

  • 🛶 Try-In Out Evenings with Petrie Island Canoe Club - try canoes, kayaks and paddle boards. Reserve your spot online (Form opens Mondays at Noon). From 6:30 PM - 8 PM 📍Petrie Island

• Every Thursday

  • 🫛 The Orléans Farmers Market from 11 AM - 4 PM. 📍Parking lot of the Ray Friel Community Centre

  • 🟢 Bingo Night at Broadhead Brewery - starts at 6:30 PM. Free to play, prizes to be won! First come, first served.

  • 🎤 Open Mic Night at Stray Dog Brewing Company, from 7 PM - 10 PM.

• 🧑‍🌾 Every Saturday - The Cumberland Farmers Market from 9 AM - 1 PM📍1115 Dunning Road, Cumberland

• 🚲☕ Every Sunday - Community Café from 930 AM - 12 PM. 📍Voyageur Park, 6137 Voyageur Dr.

Do you have an event you want to see featured here? Let us know!

📰 News you should know about…

🚒 Fire engulfs Orléans townhome causing extensive damage. (City News) We are thinking of the family that experienced this devastating loss of their home and belongings, and grateful to hear that everyone (pets included) got out safely! Thanks to all of the firefighters on scene who worked tirelessly! Note to all neighbours: If a house is burning in front of you, maybe your first instinct can be helping the humans and pets, rather than filming the tragedy…

☯️ Tai Chi is coming back in September to Orléans’ Community Centres thanks to the Great Avalon Community Association. No pre-registration required. Learn more here.

🩺 Did you know that Centrum Pharmacy offers an in-person walk-in clinic in Orléans on Fridays and Saturdays from 9:30 AM - 1:30 PM?

🍝 Attention Orléans food businesses: the City of Ottawa is reviewing its food premise licensing regulations and wants to hear from you. This review could affect restaurants, bakeries, butcher shops, shared kitchens, and more. Share your feedback here (deadline September 14th, 2025).

🧶 Knitting Club sends out early call for wool donations (The Orléans Star)

🎈 Orléans MPP Stephen Blais caught this scene of a landed hot air balloon in McKinnons Creek Storm Pond in south Orléans (from the Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival happening right now - Aug 27-31st).

🧠 Open Door Development, opened early bird registration for a new online mental health support resource launching in September.

 🎥📣 High School Students - Want to Cover Sports, Create Content and Graduate Smarter? 🏈🎙️

Are you in Grade 11 or 12, and passionate about sports, media or content creation? Do you film highlights, edit videos, design graphics, run social media, or dream of calling the play-by-play?

This fall, The Youth Sports Network (TYSN) is inviting a new class of student content creators to join their team — and this time, they’re partnered with local schools so that your work can count towards two optional high school credits (in Tech, Business, Arts, or Co-op). This experience will help build a resume & portfolio that stands out!

Spaces are limited, and preference is given to students with a passion for football, sports culture, and storytelling. Learn more and apply now.

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT 🔦

This week’s Orléans business spotlight is… 🥁 … FIRE BOX PIZZA - located at 1455 Youville Dr, Unit 105.

Fire Box Pizza is a catering and pop-up business. Meaning that if you’re having an event, a birthday party, or practically any other occasion where you want incredibly tasty wood-fired pizza, Fire Box will cook their amazing pizzas on site. They specialize in Neapolitan style pizzas.

You can find them at regular pop-ups at their Doughmain location, at Dominion Brewery, and at the Navan Market and Heart of Orléans Market. Make sure to follow them on their socials to find out where they’ll be popping up next. Or book them for your own upcoming event.

Read our full Orléans Food Spot review of Fire Box Pizza here! ➡️

As always, if you wind up booking them for your event, make sure to tell them that Orléans Connect sent you.