The
community of Orléans is made up of a collection of
neighbourhoods in Ottawa's far east end. Neighbourhoods such
as Convent Glen, Orleans Wood, Chapel Hill, Queenswood Heights,
Fallingbrook and Chatelaine Village were formally part of
the municipalities of Gloucester and Cumberland. In fact,
the border between the two former cities ran through the centre
of what, over the years, came to be known as Orléans.
The community
started out as the Parish of St. Joseph de Gloucester in
1860. The first known settlers to the area were François
Dupuis, a veteran of the War of 1812, and Joseph Vézina,
also known as Viseneau who arrived in the area about 30
years before it became a parish. In its earliest days --
and right up until the mid-20th century -- Orléans
was a predominantly French speaking community. In 1849 the
population of the area was approximately 50 people. Within
50 years the area would see the construction of its first
hotel, its first post office and its first school. But it
wasn't until the 1980s that the community really boomed.
During the early
to mid '80s, Orléans was the fastest growing community
in Canada. Over that period the population almost doubled.
Today, Orléans is home to more than 100,000 inhabitants.
The commute into Ottawa can take between 15 minutes from
Trim Road in the east end of Orléans during non-rush
hour periods to about 30 minutes during rush hour.
The community
has a number of state-of-the-art recreation facilities such
as the Ray Friel Centre and the Millennium Sports Park,
modern library services, top notch secondary and elementary
schools and the largest shopping centre in the region in
Place d'Orléans.
Orléans
is currently represented in the House of Commons by Liberal
MP Marie-France Lalonde, who is the parliamentary assistant to the Minister
of Foreign Affairs, and at the provincial level by Liberal
MPP Stephen Blais.
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