Barrhaven, Ontario
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Barrhaven is a rapidly growing suburban area located in the southwest corner of the city of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, about 20 km (12 miles) southwest of downtown Ottawa. Prior to amalgamation with the city of Ottawa, Barrhaven was located within the city of Nepean. Since Barrhaven was never a municipality or census division, It is estimated that the 2001 population of the area is about 32,125 (Source: 2001 Census, Statistics Canada).
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[edit] Geography
Barrhaven is approximately bounded to the north by the Greenbelt, to the east by the Rideau River, to the west by Highway 416, and to the south by the south shores of the Jock River. The area is diagonally bisected by the CN rail tracks. Barrhaven is surrounded by rural areas and farmland, with the exception of the growing Riverside South area across the Rideau River.
The area is divided into several areas. Barrhaven proper or Old Barrhaven is the westernmost part of the neighbourhood, lying between Cedarview Road and Greenbank. Also included in this is the triangle of land east of Greenbank between Fallowfield and the railway tracks known as Knollsbrook. South of this is the area known as Longfields, which stretches south to Strandherd and east to Woodroffe Avenue. Sandwiched between the CN rails, Jockvale, Greenbank and Strandherd is the neighbourhood of Barrhaven on the Green. East of Woodroffe, next to the Rideau River, is the neighbourhood of Davidson Heights. South of Strandherd and east of Greenbank is a new community known as Chapman Mills. West of Cedarview another new neighbourhood, known as Jockvale, is under construction.
[edit] History
The Barrhaven area was long inhabited by First Nations peoples, and the modern Jockvale Road follows an ancient path that was originally a trail through the wilderness. In the 19th century the area became populated by European farmers as the area was divided into a number of rural homesteads. In 1911, the Canadian Northern Railway built a rail line from Ottawa to Toronto through the area, but no train station was built to serve the community until the late 1990s.
Modern Barrhaven was established in the 1960s, one of a group of new suburbs built across the Greenbelt from the main city of Ottawa. Building in the area was begun by Mel Barr, for whom the community is named. Barr had originally purchased a 200 acre farm intending to construct a horse racing track. However the Rideau Carleton Raceway was built further to the east, and Barr instead decided to build a new suburban subdivision.
It grew rapidly into a community housing several tens of thousands of people. Commercial centres were slower to arrive. In 1990 the area was served by a single grocery store, had no movie theatre, and not even a bar. Recently this has changed with the vast Barrhaven Town Centre complex of big box stores and smaller commercial establishments, as well as a few smaller shopping malls. The 1990s also saw a rapid influx of high-tech companies into the area during the 1990s (such as JDS Uniphase and Nortel), and the growth of the Public Service in the National Capital Region. The area also got its own high school in 1999 when John McCrae Secondary School opened.
[edit] Character
Since Barrhaven has been built so quickly and so recently, like most North American suburbs, it has a very uniform feel considering how big it is. Almost every street consists of fairly large late 20th century style suburban houses. In the older parts of Barrhaven, the streets wind and turn, never forming a grid as they do in older parts of Ottawa. Flooded with Catholic and Public Schools, Barrhaven also has an extremely nice landscape, featuring many public parks and playgrounds that have been built within the last few years. This growing community now boasts wider access routes and its own movie theatre. It's also home of the Walter Baker Sports Centre, which contains a wide array of facilities including a library.
As of late 2005, it features a 6-theatre cinema, and a power centre on Strandherd Drive featuring Wal-Mart, Staples, Winners, and Loblaws among others. Real-estate value ranges anywhere from $110,000 to $1,500,000 in Barrhaven. [citation needed]
[edit] Tranportation
Barrhaven is served by two local bus routes. Routes 170 and 173. These routes go in a general loop, turning on various local streets on their way to and from the nearby Fallowfield Station, and because of Barrhaven's seemingly random design it has caused much confusion with the local bus routes.
Fallowfield is a VIA Rail station and the current end of the Nepean South leg of the Transitway, although an extension to areas further south has been proposed for upcoming years. Under the proposed light rail plan the community will eventually be served by the North-South LRT line. It takes approximately 30 minutes, on route 95 Orleans, to get downtown from Fallowfield Station via Ottawa's OC Transpo.
At Fallowfield Station there are two stops 1A and 2A. Both stops have busses that go to and from Barrhaven.
Stop 1A
70, 71, 73, 76, 77, 170, 173, 188 Nepean South
176 Tunney's Pasture, Lebreton
186 Rideau
Stop 2A
70, 71, 73, 76, 77 Downtown
95 Orléans
188 Lincoln Fields
406 Scotiabank Place
873 Nepean Centre
Bus Routes In Barrhaven
Bus routes that leave Barrhaven are; 70, 71, 73, 76, 77 Downtown, 95 Orléans, 186 Carlingwood, 176 Tunney's Pasture/Lebreton, 188 Lincoln Fields, 406 Scotiabank Place, 873 Nepean Centre.
Routes 70, 76 Downtown are express routes that start at Jockvale and Cedarview and travels on the transitway to Hurdman station. Route 70 opperates from 6:00 am till 9:30 am, Monday to Friday.
Route 71 Downtown is an express route that starts at Riocan Marketplace and travels on the transitway to Hurdman station. Route 71 opperates from 6:00 am till 9:30 am, Monday to Friday.
Route 73 Downtown is an express route that starts at Strandherd and Riocan and travels on the transitway to Hurdman station. Route 73 opperates from 6:00 am till 9:30 am, Monday to Friday.
Route 77 Downtown is an express route that starts at Leikin and Bill Leathem and travels on the transitway to Hurdman station. Route 77 opperates from 6:00 am till 9:30 am, Monday to Friday.
Route 95 Orleans is a regular route that starts at Fallowfield station and travels on the transitway to Orleans station. Route 95 operates from 4:25 am till 2:04 am, daily
Route 176 Tunney's Pasture/Lebreton is a regular route that starts at Fallowfield station. Route 176 opperates from 5:30 am till 1:50 am daily
Route 186 Rideau is a regular route that starts at Fallowfield station and goes to Beaverwood and Scharfield. Route 186 operates from 5:40 am till 10:55 pm daily.
Route 188 Lincoln Fields is a Peak Route that starts at Agriculture Canada and goes to Lincoln Fields station. Route 188 does only one trip, it operates from 4:08 pm till 4:28 pm, Monday to Friday
Route 406 Scotiabank Place is a Scotiabank Place Connexion route travel from Fallowfield Station and goes to Baseline Station and then Bayshore Station. Travel time is approximately 65 Minutes
Route 873 Britannia, Nepean South is an Early-morning Route (runs before 6:00 am only), that starts at Greenbank and Larkin and goes to Colonnade. Route 873 operates from 4:20 am till 6:00 am, Monday to Friday
Bus routes that go to Barrhaven are; 70, 71, 73, 76, 77 Nepean South, 95 Fallowfield, 186 Rideau, 188 Nepean South.
Routes 70, 76 Nepean South are regular routes that starts at Hurdman station and travels on the transitway to Jockvale and Cedarview. Route 70 operates form 3:00 pm till 7:00 pm, Monday to Friday
Route 71 Nepean South is a regular route that starts at Hurdman station and travels on the transitway to Riocan Marketplace. Route 71 operates form 3:00 pm till 7:00 pm, Monday to Friday
Route 73 Nepean South is a regular route that starts at Hurdman station and travels on the transitway to Strandherd and Riocan. Route 73 operates form 3:00 pm till 7:00 pm, Monday to Friday
Route 77 Nepean South is a regular route that starts at Hurdman station and travels on the transitway to Leikin and Bill Leathem. Route 77 operates form 3:00 pm till 7:00 pm, Monday to Friday
Route 95 Fallowfield is a regular route that starts at Orleans station and travels on the transitway to Fallowfield station.Route 95 operates from 4:16 am till 3:14 am, daily.
Route 188 Nepean South is aPeak Route that starts at Lincoln Fields station and goes to Agriculture Canada. Route 188 does only one trip, it operates from 7:19 am till 7:37 pm, Monday to Friday
[edit] Education
[edit] Public
[edit] Elementary
- Adrienne Clarkson Elementary (French)
- Barrhaven Public School
- Jockvale Elementary School
- Mary Honeywell School
[edit] Intermediate
- Cedarview Middle School
[edit] Secondary
[edit] Catholic
[edit] Elementary
- L'école élémentaire catholique Jean-Robert Gauthier (French)
- Monsignor Paul Baxter Catholic elementary school
- St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic elementary school
- St. Luke Catholic elementary school
- St. Patrick Catholic elementary school
[edit] Secondary
[edit] Jennifer Teague murder case
While Barrhaven is generally regarded as a quiet and safe community, local residents concern for public safety increased after the high-profile disappearance and subsequent murder of a teen in 2005. On September 8, 2005, Jennifer Teague, 18, was returning home with her friends after her late night shift at a local Wendy's restaurant After stopping at a Mac's store just a few blocks away from her home, the group parted ways. It was to be the last sighting of Teague alive. <ref> speech by Bevan, Vince, Text of statement by Police Chief Vince Bevan, The Ottawa Citizen, http://www.canada.com/topics/news/national/story.html?id=bee9d432-145d-4339-b383-fd57246118a9, June 27, 2006</ref> For days after her disappearance, there was a major search operation involving several of Teague's friends and family members, local residents, Ottawa Police, and finally the RCMP, which provided a helicopter to assist the search. <ref> Plante, Jean-Francois, Teague : la GRC se joint à l'enquête (RCMP joins investigation), Le Droit, Ottawa, September 17, 2005, page 9 </ref> The searches were unsuccessful, and the police stopped after one week. On the afternoon of September 18, 2006, an off-duty police officer noticed a foul odor and shortly discovered a body in a wooded NCC trail about 5 kilometers away from the then-Teague residence. <ref> Boivin, Mathieu & La Haye, Dominique, Un cadavre, peut-être celui de Jennifer... (Body found may been Teague's), Le Droit, Ottawa, September 19, 2006, page 3. </ref>24 hours later it was identified as that of Jennifer Teague. The body was identified using Teague's dental records.<ref>Boivin, Mathieu, Le corps retrouvé de Jennifer Teague... (Confirmation of discovery of Teague's body), Le Droit, Ottawa, September 20, 2005, page 3 </ref> The murder case prompted a large public meeting of Barrhaven residents with Barrhaven councilor Jan Harder and then-Ottawa Police Chief Vince Bevan to discuss the safety issue. There were concerns about a possible serial killer in the city as the case had several similarities to the Ardeth Wood case. <ref> Boivin, Mathieu, Inquiétude à Barrhaven (Concerns in Barrhaven), Le Droit, Ottawa, October 7, 2005, page 12 </ref> At the time of Teague's disappearance and death, Chris Myers had not yet been arrested for the murder of Wood.
In early April, Ottawa Police released a sketch photo of a person of interest that was spotted by a motorist on the morning of Teague's disappearance near the area where the body was found. <ref> Seymour, Andrew & Dimmock, Gary, Breakthrough in Teague killing, The Ottawa Citizen, http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=d8adf7ea-dade-4a4e-a961-0e65426d7886&k=21612, April 6, 2006 </ref> In May 2006, Ottawa Police released several pictures coming from a video surveillance camera at the Mac's convenience store that Teague and her friends stopped at on the night of her disappearance.<ref> Laucious Joanne, Police hope posting photos on web will help crack Teague case , The Ottawa Citizen, http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/city/story.html?id=5192b655-068b-4b7a-b14c-d56539f0e1b7, May 25, 2006 </ref> On June 26, 2006 Chief Bevan announced in a news conference that they had arrested a suspect, 24 year-old Kevin Davis, who had admitted on previous occasions that he was the murderer. During one of these instances, on June 9, 2006, he had been running erratically along Fallowfield Road and was nearly hit by passing vehicles. While being transported to the hospital, he admitted that he did the crime but denied it shortly thereafter. It was discovered that he was under the influence of magic mushrooms, a psilocybin substance. Shortly after being released from treatment, Davis again admitted to the crime on June 26 while approaching an off-duty police officer. Davis was arrested and charged with murder. <ref> Laucious, Joanne, Arrest made in murder of Jennifer Teague, The Ottawa Citizen, http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=e1bd58e2-7b4e-43b6-b414-8feb6648d511&k=24007, June 27, 2006.</ref> <ref> Seymour, Andrew & Dimmock, Gary, 'I killed Jennifer' : Accused high on drugs when he admitted guilt in public rant, The Ottawa Citizen, http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/story.html?id=a453c4ca-e9f7-45f7-aaab-af4a1708a389&k=60643, June 28, 2006 </ref> It is unclear whether Davis will stand trial in Ottawa or elsewhere as his lawyer hasrequested that the venue be outside of Ottawa in order to ensure a fair trial. His request was made after comments by Chief Bevan were thought to be harmful for Davis's defense. <ref> Boivin, Mathieu, L'avocat du présumé meurtrier de Jennifer Teague veut un procès à l'extérieur d'Ottawa (Teague killer's lawyer want a trial outside of Ottawa), Le Droit, Ottawa, August 9, 2006, page 8. </ref> Despite Davis's arrest, local residents still have concerns for their safety, due to the case seemingly being a random act of violence. The murder was as highly publicized in 2005 as the 2003 disappearance of Wood in Ottawa and across Canada due to its similarities. <ref> Laucious, Joanne, Teague, Wood cases share eerie parallels, The Ottawa Citizen, http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=3a75aef9-dbb8-4a04-9f37-4f8c73b50bb0, June 28, 2006 </ref>
[edit] External Links
- Design of the future South Nepean Town Centre
- Design of Barrhaven South Future community
- Extension of Greenbank Road and Southwest Transitway
- North-South Light Rail Transit Line
- 1 of 2 Barrhaven and Neighbourhood Resource Sites
- 2 of 2 Barrhaven and Neighbourhood Resource Sites
- Barrhaven Weather Forecast
[edit] References
<references/>
- Melanie O'Brien. "Thriving beyond the greenbelt: Barrhaven growing rapidly as buyers look for a sense of community." The Ottawa Citizen. Jun 29, 1996. p. J.1
- Janet Collins. "The Far Haven: Barrhaven" The Ottawa Citizen. Feb 1, 1993. p. B.3
- Carrie Buchanan. "A sleeping suburb; Barrhaven's nothing but a bedroom community." The Ottawa Citizen. Oct 29, 1989. p. D.1
