There’s a feeling of leaving the big city as you drive into Barrhaven. You pass farms lining the Greenbelt, where rows of corn stretch toward the horizon and horses graze in nearby fields. The air feels a little cleaner. The temperature seems to drop slightly. The sky suddenly feels bigger.
Despite those reminders of rural Ottawa, Barrhaven has become anything but the country.
The suburb grew from a population of about 13,000 in 1981 to roughly 40,000 a decade later and more than 72,000 by 2011. Today, estimates put its population at around 110,000 — and it’s still growing rapidly.
Over the past few decades, the community has changed dramatically. Former longtime councillor Jan Harder often joked there was a time when you couldn’t even buy a pair of socks in Barrhaven. Today, residents have dozens of places to shop.
Strip malls and shopping centres line major roads. Nearly every major retailer — Walmart, Canadian Tire, Home Depot, Costco and Loblaws among them — now has a presence in the community. Amazon even chose Barrhaven for one of its largest Canadian fulfilment centres. Alongside the national chains, locally owned businesses, independent restaurants and coffee shops are helping give the suburb a stronger sense of identity.
The Lookout sat down with Barrhaven West Coun. David Hill to discuss how he sees the community evolving over the next decade.
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