Hello ORLÉANS!
Welcome to the 52nd edition of Orléans Connect. As always, welcome new subscribers! 👋
🎉 One year ago, we started this little newsletter for the Orléans community, and it has already grown beyond our expectations! Over the last year, we’ve gotten to know our community so much better through the connections we’ve made!
As we celebrate our first anniversary 👏, we just wanted to extend a hearty thanks to all of you, our readers. This newsletter would be nothing without all of you! This week we’re debuting a few new things, including some redesigned and more modern headers, along with a new monthly section below called Community Builders, where we’ll highlight people and organizations who are working to improve the Orléans community, both big and small. If you have stories of local community building in Orléans, send them in here.
Also, if you’re relatively new to these parts, make sure to follow Orléans Connect on Instagram & Facebook.
As always, don’t forget to check out this week’s poll below ⬇️ - today we’re asking: What’s your favourite BAKERY 🥯 in Orléans?
Here’s everything happening in Orléans over the next 7 days…
As the snow thaws and the days get longer, we definitely have spring on our mind!
Here’s our roundup of upcoming events:
🥊 March 13th - Family Feud Night at the Orléans Legion! Doors open at 5:30 PM. Game on from 6-8:30 PM. If Family Feud isn’t your thing, they also have the All Request Dance Party on from 7-11 PM.💃
📍800 Taylor Creek Dr🎶 March 13th - Ward off the Friday the 13th bad luck with good music, with Cory Ell, live at Stray Dog Brewing Co, from 6-9 PM. Rock, pop and folk - requests always welcome!
📍501 Lacolle Way, Unit 4🎤 March 14th - Kids and Youth Karaoke hosted by Dreamers. Grab the mic and join for an afternoon of karaoke, from 12:30-3 PM. Sing solo or with friends - no experience needed.
📍Blackburn Community Hall, 190 Glen Park Dr🐮 March 14th and 15th - Kick off March Break with an unforgettable family experience at Robert Plante Greenhouse. Get up close and personal with Real Mini Cows from Prettiest Petal Farms - a rare and adorable sight! Spaces available between 9 AM - 3 PM! Additional dates available over March Break. Reserve tickets here.
📍 4228 Navan Rd😂 March 14th - The Joke’s on Me Comedy Tour at Stray Dog Brewing Co. Featuring a killer lineup of comics from Toronto, Hamilton and Montreal, this show delivers the kind of raw, unfiltered comedy you won’t see on TV. Doors at 7 PM, show at 7:30 PM. Get your tickets online now!
📍501 Lacolle Way, Unit 4🎶 March 14th - 90s Hip Hop Party at 9 PM, featuring Deejay Nash at Connor’s Irish Pub.
📍2401 St. Joseph Blvd📚 March 15th to April 3rd - The Orléans Branch of the Ottawa Public Library is hosting a Used Books Sale! Paperbacks are 2 for $1!
📍1705 Orléans Blvd🍳 Le dimanche 15 mars - Déjeuner mensuel - Notre prochain déjeuner mensuel aura lieu le dimanche 15 mars, de 9 h à 11 h. Profitez d’un repas maison savoureux, une délicieuse alternative beaucoup moins chère qu’au restaurant! C’est une belle occasion de déjeuner en famille ou entre amis et de passer un agréable moment ensemble. Vous pouvez réserver votre place à un de nos kiosques libre-service ou à la billetterie au 613 834-6808 ou [email protected]. 🎟️ Réservez en ligne.
♠️♦️ Le dimanche 15 mars - Whist militaire - Venez mettre à l’épreuve votre esprit de compétition lors du prochain whist militaire. Que vous soyez débutant ou joueur expérimenté, vous êtes assuré de passer un après-midi agréable en excellente compagnie. Et n’oubliez pas : plus il y a de joueurs, meilleurs sont les prix à gagner, alors invitez parlez-en dans votre entourage! C'est un rendez-vous le dimanche 15 mars à 13 h. 🎟️ Inscription en ligne
👢 Le Jeudi 19 mars - Soirée de danse en ligne country - Préparez vos bottes et votre sourire : Saddle Up with Peach vous invite le jeudi 19 mars à 18 h pour une soirée de danse en ligne country. Au rythme des musiques entraînantes, apprenez de nouveaux pas dans une ambiance conviviale et pleine d’énergie ! C’est votre dernière chance de participer à cette expérience unique. Pour que la soirée ait lieu, nous avons besoin d’un minimum de 15 participants. Amateurs de danse en ligne et de musique country, venez combiner vos deux passions lors d’une soirée festive de danse country — on vous attend pour mettre le feu à la piste ! Coût: 15 $ membre / 20 $ non-membre. 🎟️ Inscription.
💗 March 19th - Café Amore is hosting Coffee and Cannolis with Rent a Daughter Canada. Join for an intimate and welcoming conversation about caring for a loved one, from 5:30 - 7:30 PM at . Register here.
📍Café Amore🎒 Have kids home next week for March Break and looking for options?
📚 Check out the Ottawa Public Library’s offerings - they have close to 100 free activities across their branches.
🎨 ACE Art Studio has some art workshops available
🥼 SteamPunks Discovery Lab has special science activities
💃 Blackburn Community Association is hosting Kids and Youth Zumba classes on March 16th (2-2:45 PM) and March 18th (4:30-5:15 PM)
🍕Boston Pizza has some special events
The following March Break Camps still have some spaces available:
🍀 St. Patrick’s Day 🍀
Looking for an opportunity to celebrate Irish heritage and culture? Here’s your roundup of local St Patrick’s Day celebrations:
SATURDAY, MARCH 14th:
🎵 Orléans Brewing Company is hosting St Patrick’s Day in the Taproom, starting at 12 PM. Live entertainment by DJ Geoff Paquet and Joe Unsupervised.
🎶 Gear up for St Patrick’s Day with St Practice Day - Broadhead Brewery’s annual green-and-gold celebration. Curbside Decisions takes the stage at 1 PM, and Rusty Breezes brings the party at 6 PM.
🇮🇪 Moose McGuire’s is hosting St Practise Day, starting at 5 PM with SFH School of Irish Dance. Late night live music and dancing, tunes by Where’s Waldo Band gets started at 9 PM! No cover.
TUESDAY, MARCH 17th:
🇮🇪 Connor’s Irish Pub is opening bright and early at 7 AM and celebrating all day long with live bands throughout the day, Irish drinks and specials, traditional Irish food and non-stop St Paddy’s Day vibes!
🍀 The Orléans Legion is hosting their St Patrick’s Day Bash from 11 AM - 6 PM. Live music with Malcolm Parsons and Bonita Leblanc. Open to everyone, no cover charge.
🎶 Join for a massive St Patrick’s Day Party at The Royal Oak Pub. Live music is on all day, starting at NOON! Lots of specials, plenty of Irish fare available, Guinness and Harp on tap, Jameson’s Irish Whiskey, Irish cocktails and of course GREEN BEER!
🍻 St Patrick’s Day at Stray Dog with Redial and Friends, from 2-10 PM at Stray Dog Brewing Company.
🧠 Moose McGuire’s is hosting St Paddy’s Day Trivia at 7 PM, and Ryan King will perform at 9 PM.
🎵 Head over to Taproom260 to celebrate St Patrick’s Day. There will be live music featuring Ryan MacIntyre. Book your table now!
🗓️ SAVE THE DATES! 🗓️
🧒 Active Pediatrics invites you to their Open House on Fri, March 20th, from 1-3 PM. Explore the Occupational Therapy and Speech-Language Pathology services, meet the team and learn about the collaborative vision for supporting children’s development. Event is open to families, students, educators and professionals!
🛍️ It’s the Artisan Legion Market on Sat, March 21st, from 8 AM - 3 PM, to support their Building Maintenance Fund. Breakfast on from 8 AM - 1 PM.
Learn everything you need to know to make your community garden a reality in the Ottawa Region at this upcoming virtual workshop: “How to Start a Community Garden Workshop”, hosted by JustFood Ottawa on Tues, March 24th, from 6:30 - 8:30 PM.
🎨 In partnership with It Takes a Village Dog Rescue, the Orléans Legion is hosting Paint Night Bar Series #2 on Tues, March 24th at 6 PM. $40/person, includes all materials.
🐰 Bloom & Bunny Easter Cookie Decorating Class with Capital Cookie Company - a sweet spring workshop where you’ll learn step-by-step how to decorate the cutest cookies! No experience needed. Hosted at Broadhead Brewery, on Wed, March 25th from 6-8 PM. Reserve your spot.
🎶 It’s another Down East Kitchen Party at the Orléans Legion on Fri, March 28th from 5-11 PM.
🐣 Hop Into Spring at the Cumberland Heritage Village Museum on April 4th from 9 AM - 3 PM. Advanced registration required.
Do you have an event you want to see featured here? Let us know!
🗞️ NEWS you should know about: 🗞️
💔 Ottawa police community grieves death of veteran officer who died by suicide (CBC News). The passing of Sgt. Robert (Bob/Bobby) Cléroux has left the Orléans community grief-stricken. In place of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Ottawa First Responders Foundation.🫶
📰 Ottawa city councillor Matthew Luloff found guilty of impaired driving charges (CBC News). Read Matt Luloff’s statement, shared on his Facebook page, responding to the verdict.
🐈 FOUND CAT: Are you missing a cat? This beautiful kitty is safe and sound at Mer Bleue Vet, and they are trying to reunite him with his owner - more info here.
🚉 Check out this video update about the O-Train extension to Orléans: The Pathway to Passenger Service - O-Train Stage 2 Eastern Extension achieves substantial completion (YouTube).
🚓 28 percent rise in thefts in Ottawa this year (CityNews).
🏫 Cairine Wilson Secondary School is celebrating its 50th anniversary with an Alumni Reunion on Saturday, May 2nd. Get tickets here!
💗 The Rotary Club of Orléans is inviting local schools and community organizations to nominate youth who show integrity, leadership, and community spirit. Deadline to receive nominations is April 3, 2026. Nominations can be submitted here.
🚙 Are you a Commuter, and looking for active and sustainable travel options such as carpooling, transit, cycling and walking? Check out Ottawa Ride Match!
💰 It’s TAX SEASON! Free tax clinics are available (for those who qualify) through the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program. Learn more.
Photo credit: ACE Arte Studio
This week’s Orléans business spotlight is… 🥁 … Ace Arte Studio located at 2095 St Joseph Blvd Unit 1.📍
🎨 ACE Arte Studio is a vibrant, welcoming space where creativity comes alive through art classes and workshops for children and adults alike. Born from a deep passion for visual arts and creative expression, ACE was built to bring people together and nurture a thriving sense of community. Beyond classes, events, and camps, the studio provides tailored private and group art sessions designed to honour the creative journey, encouraging self-discovery and harnessing the healing power of making art.
At ACE Arte Studio, you'll find intimate class sizes that allow for personalized attention, premium materials, a diverse range of mediums, and a warm, light-filled studio that inspires from the moment you walk in.
As always, if you wind up visiting them, make sure to tell them Orléans Connect sent you.
This month, we’re highlighting two local moms (one who lives in Orléans and the other in Cumberland) who are helping build a new community centred around first-time moms, a local coffee shop, WhatsApp, and a community space. Their community includes women from Rockland to St Laurent (and everywhere in between). Here’s their story:
When I became a first-time mom, I quickly realized how isolating the experience can feel. I’m not originally from Ottawa and don’t have family nearby, so I decided to create the kind of support network I needed myself. After posting in a local Facebook group, I started a WhatsApp group for first-time moms in the east end of Ottawa who were also looking to connect with others in the same stage of life.
💡What began as a simple idea has grown into a supportive community where we check in with one another, share advice, and meet regularly. Sometimes we just need someone to listen when the days feel long or overwhelming. Getting together helps remind us that we’re not alone in navigating the challenges and joys of becoming a new mom.💗
Recently, we were looking for a place to meet that felt welcoming not just for our babies, but for us as well. I reached out to Creative Stir Café ☕ and they went above and beyond to help make it happen. The café partnered with Transform Together Inc, a beautiful community space next door that offers services like counselling, tutoring, and ADHD coaching.
Leslie, the manager at Transform Together, cleared the front area so we could set up a play mat and toys for the babies. This allowed the moms to be hands-free and actually enjoy some time together. Meanwhile, Morgan and her team at Creative Stir Café made things even easier by bringing our food and drinks over once we ordered, so we didn’t have to juggle babies and trays. They even surprised us with a beautiful fruit tray!
Everyone left feeling refreshed and grateful for the chance to connect. For our first-time mom group, these meetups are more than just coffee dates - they’re a reminder that community matters, especially in the early days of parenthood. 🫶
Do you have you a local community building story you want to tell us about? Send it in here.
According to data from Statistics Canada, the makeup of private households by household size in Orléans is as follows: 1 person: 9,230 households, 2 persons: 17,725, 3 persons: 8,995 households, 4 persons: 9,080, 5 or more persons: 5,270.
Many thanks to Gail P. for submitting her super cute 7 lbs Maltipoo dog named Ping, who, judging from this picture, wants to be just like Superman’s dog, Krypto! 🐾
Submit a photo of your Orléans pet(s) by emailing it to: [email protected]
What's your favourite 🥖 Bakery in Orléans?
Last week’s poll results: What’s your favourite place to get 🍦 Ice Cream in Orléans?
🥇- Chocolate Favoris - 53%
🥈- Chris’s Ice Cream- 15.5%
🥉- Marble Slab Creamery- 7%
Cafe Latte Cino - 7%
Baskin Robbins - 5%
Dairy Queen - 5%
The Love of Chocolate Factory- 3.4%
Juice Dudez - 1.7%
McDonald’s - 1.7%
