About 35 kilometres south of Ottawa’s downtown core, where traffic eases and the skies open, lies Metcalfe, a village of less than 2,000 residents that is surrounded by farmland.
Metcalfe was a part of Osgoode Township until the township was amalgamated into the City of Ottawa in 2001. Now, it is one of the city’s most rural communities, where the majority of residents work in trades or in social and community services, and many commute to Ottawa for work, according to the 2021 Census.
Aside from commercial vehicle traffic, which has increased in the community in recent years, it’s a quiet place, where neighbours are familiar, and farmers pop into The Stable Restaurant for coffee or lunch.
Many residents like the town exactly as it is, but in recent years, some of the local amenities have closed down, and as Ottawa continues to grow and expand, community advocates want to make sure that growth doesn’t pass Metcalfe by.
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