Hello ORLÉANS!
Welcome to the 71st edition of Orléans Connect. As always, welcome new subscribers! 👋
Just a quick note, there will be NO newsletter next week, Jul 30th, as we are taking a short summer break at a cottage. 🚣♀️
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And don’t miss this week’s poll ⬇️ - today we’re asking: What is your favourite 👓 optometry clinic / optometrist in Orléans?
Here’s what’s going on in Orléans over the next 7 days…
Another beautiful sunset in Orléans.
WEEKLY RECURRING EVENTS
There is so much going on in Orléans, we’re keeping the weekly recurring events up to date on this page: Weekly Orléans Events! From live music, to outdoor yoga, to markets, to bingo and trivia, Orléans really isn’t a sleepy suburb at all.
Here’s our roundup of upcoming events:
🪷 July 23rd - Escape the busyness of everyday life at Aqua Sound & Social, a unique wellness experience. Begin the evening with a peaceful floating or poolside sound bath to calm the nervous system, then linger over handcrafted cookies from neighbourhood favourite Cookies by Kat while connecting with others. Unforgettable evening of relaxation, community and summer magic.
📍Orléans backyard oasis
🎅🏻 The Frosted Shack is hosting Christmas in July Cookie Decorating Classes on July 24th and 25th, from 10 AM - 1 PM. Decorate 6 pre-baked sugar cookies with pre-filled icing bags, take home a window box, snack bar included. Ages 14+, limited spots. Tickets $90/person. Email [email protected] to reserve your spaces. Located in Vars.
🎶 July 24th - Orléans Unplugged, a free outdoor music series bringing local talent, community vibes and laid-back summer evenings, from 6-8 PM.
📍Orléans Town Centre Courtyard - 250 Centrum Blvd
👢 July 24th - It’s Line Dancing with Heel Toe Rodeo at the Orléans Legion! On from 7-11 PM, no cover, open to everyone! On the lower floor.
📍800 Taylor Creek Rd
🎶 July 24th - It’s Musical Bingo at Taproom260 - 80s and 90s themed! On from 8:30-10 PM.
📍260 Centrum Blvd
🏘️ July 25th - Head out to Sugar Creek Way, Taffy Lane and Sugarbush Court to see what treasures you can find at the Neighbourhood Garage Sale, from 8 AM - 1 PM. Refreshments available in support of our two local food banks. There will also be a place to drop off donations for the food banks. Note: Taffy Lane closed to non-resident vehicles.
🎾 July 25th - Ready to try Tennis? The Orléans Tennis and Pickleball Club is hosting their Adult Red Ball Weekly Tennis on Saturday mornings from 8:30-10 AM. Sign up today!
📍1257 Joseph Drouin Ave
⚽ July 25th - Free Women’s 30+ Recreational Soccer Scrimmages! If you’re looking for a fun, welcoming group to play soccer with, join for these 9v9 scrimmages, on from 9:30-11 AM, every Saturday. All skill levels welcome! Download the BenchApp and join the group using the team code: PR20JS to sign-up.
📍Cardinal Creek Park, 1825 Trim Rd
🧘♀️ July 25th - Join for Yoga in the Park hosted by Sherif Rizk, Candidate for Ward 1 City Councillor. All levels welcome, just bring your own yoga mat and enjoy a great morning in the park. Fabio’s will be there with coffee and refreshments for purchase from 10 AM - 12 PM. Yoga starts at 10:30 AM.
📍880 Taylor Creek Dr
🚗 July 25th - Are you in the market for a new vehicle? Head over to Sobeys (Trim & Innes) for Test Drive for Change - a fun community event! Myers Orléans will have multiple vehicles available to test drive, and if they reach 100 test drives, Myers will donate $5,000 to the Kiwanis Club of Eastern Ottawa! On from 10 AM - 3 PM.
♻️ July 25th - Junk That Funk is hosting an event to Recycle your old electronics! Event runs from 10 AM - 4 PM. They accept any device that plugs in, or runs on batteries.
📍Redeemer Alliance Church, 4825 Innes Rd
🎵🌳 July 25th - Celebrate the first-ever Music in the Woods, a special event including live music, kids zone, and a wide variety of food and drink options. On from 1-7 PM. People are encouraged to take active transport - walk or bike along the scenic Ottawa River pathway to get to the event. Hosted by the Convent Glen Orléans Wood Community Association
📍1485 Duford Dr
🏃🏾♀️ July 26th - Join the Orléans Women’s Run Club at the That Café at 8 AM for warm-up. 5 KM run, all paces welcome. Post run, enjoy a coffee at the café with the group!
📍511 Lacolle Way
🌿 July 26th - The Friends of Petrie Island is hosting a BioBlitz - a community effort to record as many species as possible in a specific area, over a short period of time. Join at your convenience between 9:30 AM - 3 PM.
📍727 Tweddle Rd
🌽🕳️ July 26th - It’s time for Cornhole at Stray Dog Brewing Co! Your favourite game and tournament is back for another season! On from 12-5 PM, $10/person. To register, go to this link, or download the Scoreholio App.
📍501 Lacolle Way
🎟️ GET YOUR TICKETS NOW 🎟️
👠 Summer is in full swing and things are heating up with another edition of Drag Bingo Brunch on Sun, July 26th at Broadhead Brewery. Doors open at 12:30 PM, show on from 1-4 PM. 🎟️ Tickets $30/person - Going FAST - get them while you can!
🍇 Sip & Shop in the Vines is coming to Domaine Perrault Winery in Navan, featuring The Charcuterie Society! Build your own individual charcuterie picnic box, sip through a guided 5-wine tasting, and shop local Ottawa vendors. On Thu, July 30th, from 6-9 PM. Get your tickets now so you don’t miss out!
Safety Tree is hosting Home Alone Safety Course for Kids (ages 9-12 years old) - multiple upcoming date options in Orléans, including Thur, Aug 27th from 9 AM - 4 PM at Holiday Inn Express and Suites.
🗓️ SAVE THE DATES 🗓️
The next Heart of Orléans Market will be on Sun, Aug 2nd from 9:30 AM - 2 PM. With over 130 local vendors, market is on rain or shine!
🎡 The annual Navan Fair is on Thu, August 6th-9th. This classical rural country fair features midway rides, agricultural and livestock exhibitions, live concerts, demolition derbies, tractor pulls and so much more!
🐕 The second Fetch Local Night Market is on Sat, Aug 8th from 4-9 PM at Ray Friel Rec Complex. This is the perfect market to shop alongside your furry best friend - there are plenty of options to satisfy pets and humans alike! Over 40 local vendors, free entry, and free parking.
Do you have an event you want to see featured here? Let us know!
🗞️ NEWS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT: 🗞️
🚊 Colour us shocked, but there’s still no timeline for the opening of the O-Train East Extension. Beyond parody at this point. (CTV News)
🏹 The mystery of the crossbow bolt lodged in Orléans home has been solved. An individual has come forward to admit that they fired a crossbow bolt at a coyote. (Ottawa Police)
🔥 This season is already the worst wildfire season on record in Ontario, with already more than 7,250 square kilometres of Ontario forests burnt, surpassing the previous record set in 2021. The Ontario government is now defending its decision to cut firefighting budgets. (City News)
🅿️ New parking ticket regulations for the City of Ottawa take effect on July 28th. (City News)
🏙️ The City of Ottawa is launching a new communication strategy as part of a broader effort to spread out the commute into downtown. Part of that strategy is encouraging commuters to linger downtown after work to ease the rush-hour congestion on roads and public transit. Understandably, the new strategy is getting mixed reviews. (CBC News)
This week’s Orléans business spotlight is… 🥁 … Turkish Village Restaurant located at 2095 St Joseph Blvd📍
The Turkish Village Restaurant has served authentic Turkish food for over 30 years, offering guests a gourmet journey through one of the world's top 10 cuisines. The menu features a remarkable range of Turkish specialties, from soups and meze to meat and vegetarian dishes, pastries and desserts, each prepared with passion by the kitchen team.
As always, if you wind up visiting them, make sure to tell them Orléans Connect sent you.
Convent Glen is named for the Convent of the Grey Nuns of the Cross, formerly housed in the Villa St-Louis on the riverbank. In 1885 the Grey Nuns purchased 500 acres (the former Besserer land) for d'Youville Farm, supplying produce to their Bytown mother house until 1970; a surviving 1900–1908 stone storehouse/flour mill still stands at 1820 St-Joseph Blvd. The convent was destroyed in a 1956 fighter-jet crash, and the land was sold for housing to offset rebuilding costs, which is why Convent Glen was developed beginning in 1970.
Many thanks to Fran T. for submitting Bella, a gorgeous fluffy resident of Orléans.
Submit a photo of your Orléans pet(s) by emailing it to: [email protected]
This 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom townhouse is located in the Convent Glen neighbourhood and offers a bright and inviting living room with access to a private balcony, and a renovated galley kitchen. Ideal for first-time buyers. Check out the full listing here.
Photo courtesy of EXP Realty, Brokerage & Realtor.ca
What is your favourite 👓 optometry clinic / optometrist in Orléans?
Last week’s poll results: Given today’s political and socio-economic climate, should the Government of Canada prioritize economic well-being 📈 over plans to reduce fossil-fuel extraction 🛢️ and programs designed to address climate change?
🥇- Try to balance both with investments in clean energy initiatives like sola and wind - 56.25%
🥈- Prioritize the health of the Canadian economy - 38.75%
🥉 - Prioritize climate-change initiatives at the expense of the economy - 5%
Here are some comments from readers on last week’s poll:
Our economy is a disaster and our climate change initiatives just keep crippling it. Meanwhile we are a net negative carbon country while China and India do NOTHING to stop carbon production and their economies boom. It’s madness.
Climate change can only get worse as time goes by so the world need to come to grips with it especially the US and China. We in Orleans will likely get affected like Western Ottawa did on 1 July as it is almost inevitable.
The way you have phrased the options reinforces the misconception that environmental initiatives harm the economy. In fact, a sustainable planet is a pre-requisite for a sustainable economy.
In recent summers, this one included, it's obvious that something needs to be done about global warming and climate change. Balancing both is probably what's best!
