
thumb
Ottawa's 'Vanier' neighbourhood is a former municipality that ceased to exist in
2001 by becoming part of the city of
Ottawa, Ontario. It is most notable for its large
francophone population, and has 15,726 residents today (2006 census).
The Vanier neighbourhood is located in the east of Ottawa across the
Rideau River from the neighbourhoods of Lowertown and
Sandy Hill, and just south of
Rockcliffe Park and
New Edinburgh. To the east of Vanier are the suburbs of
Gloucester. Vanier has a relatively small area with a high population density.
In
1908, the communities of 'Janeville', 'Clarkstown' and 'Clandeboye' were joined to form the village of 'Eastview'. In
1913, 'Eastview' was incorporated as a town. Originally it was a popular destination for
civil servants who wished to live at a distance from downtown. It later saw a large influx of
French-Canadians and became the main francophone area in the capital. In
1963 it became a city, and in 1969 was renamed after the recently-deceased
Governor General of Canada,
Georges Vanier.
The section of Montreal Road used as the main thoroughfare of the community saw prostitution and drugs in the past, but is an up-and-coming area today. Vanier offers a wide choice of retail shops, strip malls, eateries, bars, etc. As one of the last relatively inexpensive Ottawa neighbourhoods with a desirable location next to downtown, Vanier is increasingly considered a target for gentrification. Both subsidized and self-financed housing is available here, with several existing and proposed upscale condominiums and infill developments. The population on the western edge of Vanier closer to the
Rideau River, esp. the Kingsview Park neighbourhood, is among the more affluent.
Like nearby Lowertown, Ottawa's Vanier neighbourhood is home to a number of French-speaking immigrants from Africa and elsewhere. It is also the site of an urban
maple syrup Sugar Bush Festival held in spring, and home to an outdoor Catholic shrine, the Grotte des Lourdes.
Vanier is part of the federal
riding of
Ottawa—Vanier, and the
Ottawa—Vanier provincial riding. It is traditionally one of the staunchly
Liberal ridings in Canada, having voted for the party consistently since the riding's creation. Federally, it is represented by
Mauril Belanger, and provincially by
Madeleine Meilleur.
According to the
Canada 2001 Census:
★ Population: 17,632
★ % Change (1996-2001): 2.2
★ Dwellings: 9,114
★ Area (km².): 2.93
★ Density (persons per km².): 6017.7
Mayors of Eastview
★ 1913
Camille Gladu
★ 1916 John Herbert White
★ 1918
Arthur Desrosiers
★ 1920 John Herbert White/Camille Gladu
★ 1922 Arthur Desrosiers
★ 1923 Arthur Guilbault
★ 1924 Arthur Desrosiers
★ 1928 G.H. Alex Collins
★ 1931 David Langelier
★ 1933
Donat Grandmaître
★ 1936
Jean-Baptiste Charette
★ 1937 Donat Grandmaître
★ 1949
Gordon Lavergne
★ 1961 Oscar Perrier
Mayors of Vanier
★ 1965
Gérard Grandmaître
★ 1970 Roger Crete
★ 1973 Gérard Grandmaître
★ 1974
Bernard Grandmaître
★ 1980 Wilfrid Champagne
★ 1985
Gisèle Lalonde
★ 1991
Guy Cousineau
See also
★
List of Ottawa neighbourhoods
External link
★
Vanier Business Improvement Association
★
Vanier Maple Sugar Fest