Hello ORLÉANS!

Welcome to the 2nd edition of Orléans Connect!

We’re Off to a Great Start!

Over the last week we’ve been completely overwhelmed by everyone’s positive response to this little newsletter. Already, we’ve brought on hundreds of subscribers, and we’re so thrilled and honoured that you’re here with us.

The next seven days in Orléans are positively brimming with a truly diverse set of events for the community. Make sure to check out all the events below. ⬇️

Orléans Has Got the Shakes? 🫨

Did anyone feel that shaking this morning? Not us, but the scuttlebutt on the Facebook groups seems to suggest that a lot of people did. Looks like it was from a 3.8 earthquake in the Laurentians area in Quebec. We’ll have to double-check on our porcelain nesting doll collection and make sure none of them moved a single millimetre. 😆

Thanks again for joining us on this adventure. Let’s get to the good stuff Orléans…

There’s a lot going on this week in our not-so-sleepy suburb. Let’s have a look:

• 😆 March 21st - Looking for a comedy show? In The Black is a curated stand-up comedy showcase featuring Black comedians with connections to different parts of Canada. Show starts at 7 p.m. at Shenkman Arts Centre. 🎟️ Tickets: $33.28, show is ages 18+. 

• 🏒 March 21st - 22nd - It’s the return of the Bradley Cup Charity Hockey Tournament! Head over to the Navan Memorial Centre to cheer on Orléans, Navan, Cumberland, Vars, Sarsfield and Hammond as they compete for the title! Fun for the whole family, with live entertainment, food & beverage, and of course, competitive hockey—all in support of the Navan Pavilion Project.

• 👠 March 22nd - Drag Bingo is on again at Broadhead Brewing Company! Your hosts Sunshine Glitterchild and Holli Cow will keep you entertained as you play for prizes from Ottawa businesses, all while sipping on Broadhead's fresh, local beer. 🎟️ Tickets: $25. This event is 19+. Doors open at 6:45 p.m., Bingo starts at 7 p.m., Drag Performances from 8:30 p.m. - 10 p.m.

• 🦋 March 23rd - The Blackburn Community Association is putting on a Kids & Youth Spring Fling event. The event will feature crafts, games, and activities designed for kids and youth of ages 5 to 15 with a serving of light refreshments and plenty of hands-on-fun.

  🕥 10:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

  📍 190 Glen Park Dr - Blackburn Community Hall

• 🧠 March 29th - Think you’re a trivia master? It’s Trivia Saturday at the Orléans Legion Branch 632 for an afternoon of thinking, fun, and friendly competition! Bring your team and test your knowledge, enjoy great company, and win exciting prizes! 🎟️ $10/person. Teams of 4. Doors open at 12:30 p.m., trivia starts at 1 p.m. Register in advance by emailing Mélanie at [email protected]. 

• 🎶 March 30th - SDBC Taproom Concerts Presents: Ryan King and Dan Kelly, The Unlikely Places Tour. Catch two of Ottawa's up and coming artists in one intimate spot! Ryan King is a musician with a passion for acoustic alternative guitar and purposeful lyrics, and Dan Kelly is a talented Indie Folk singer songwriter who has crafted an evocative musical style that has already left an outstanding impression on the music scene. 🎟️ Tickets: $15. Doors open at 6 p.m. Stray Dog Brewing Company: 501 Lacolle Way

• 🥁 April 1st - Indigenous Drumming Circle, hosted by Indigenous Roots Ottawa. Everyone is welcome - Indigenous, Two-Spirit, men, women, children, non-Indigenous. Bring your drum... There will be some drums available for use. Send a message to Indigenous Roots Ottawa to confirm your attendance. 

  🕡 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. 

  📍 1257 Joseph Drouin Ave, Orléans - Pierre Rocque Community Center a.k.a Orleans Tennis Club

• 💃🕺 April 4th - Saved by the Bell: Ultimate Throwback Dance Party 

  Dust off your neon leg warmers and scrunchies because it’s time to bring back all the classic jams that will have you dancing all night long. Don't miss out on this one-of-a-kind, blast from the past! Grab your friends and come party like it's 1999! Hosted by St Peter's Parent Council. Beats by Mace x Kam x Bounce. This is a cash only, licensed event. Ages 19+. ID required. 🎟️ Tickets: $22.63.

  🕗 8 p.m. - 12 a.m. 

  📍 St Peter High School (Gym / Cafeteria), 750 Charlemagne Blvd

📰 News you should know about:

🌎 💚 Cleaning up to the Capital! 💚 🌎 

It’s time to spring into action! 🌱 Registration is open for the annual Spring Cleaning The Capital campaign! Gather your friends, family, or colleagues and help keep our community clean and green. Choose a public space - parks, roadsides, shorelines - and Register your Cleanup Project by May 2nd. 

Cleanup kits are available, and registered groups can receive special yellow bags that won’t count toward curbside collection limits. Make a difference this spring in your neighbourhood! 

Pick-up sites for cleanup kits:

📍Bob MacQuarrie Recreation Complex, 1490 Youville Dr

📍Orleans Client Service Centre, 255 Centrum Boulevard

👏 Congratulations to 35 residents who were recently bestowed with the King Charles III Coronation Medal. This Orléans Star article goes into more detail about who the recipients were and why they were singled out for their achievements.

🚓 Updated: Ottawa Police Service’s Crime Map (Year-to-Date) has been redesigned to make it easier than ever to access crime statistics in your community.

🔗 Explore the updated Crime Map.

📣 Calling all Educators! Book an educational session with the Friends of Petrie Island to share the wonders of wetlands and the natural world with your students. Once the spring flood is over and the Island is accessible, tours and presetations will be available in English or French. You can make a reservation by emailing [email protected] with preferred dates, group size, topics and language. Learn more about Petrie Island. 

🔔 The City of Ottawa is accepting applications for the 2025 Community Environmental Projects Grant Program (CEPGP). CEPGP provides funding to non-profit organizations interested in undertaking small-scale, community-based initiatives that support an environmentally sustainable Ottawa. The application deadline is Monday, March 31, 2025 at 4 p.m.

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT 🔦

This week’s Orléans business spotlight is…. 🥁 …. COOKIES BY KAT - With 2 locations: 📍11-5929 Jeanne D’arc Blvd. & 1004 Wellington St. W

If you are yet to discover this incredible shop, you are in for a treat… 🍪 literally! Cookies By Kat makes what could possibly be the greatest comfort food known to man, decadent, stuffed cookies with flavours you never thought were even possible.

We’ve been binging on these cookies for some time now, but what we love about this business is that it’s an entrepreneurial success story that started as a side business and has grown into a truly inventive business where Kat’s mission is to push the boundaries of what a cookie can be.

Just don’t ask about the calories - that’s not a topic up for discussion when we talk about comfort food now is it? 😜

ACTIVITY IDEA OF THE WEEK

ACTIVITY IDEA OF THE WEEK

☀️ Mer Bleue Bog is one of our favourite places nearby to go and enjoy nature, feed the birds and notice the season changes! The Mer Bleue conservation area spans 3,500-hectares, is approximately 7,700 years old, and is a habitat for many species of regionally and significantly rare plants🌱, birds 🐦 and other wildlife🐸. You will find interpretive boardwalks, sand ridges, natural hiking trails and forests. Its main feature is a phagnum bog that is situated in an ancient channel of the Ottawa River and is a remarkable boreal-like ecosystem, normally not found this far south. 

Our favourite time of day to go is around 4 p.m. - magic hour lighting here is stunning! ✨ 📷

The most popular trail is the Mer Bleue Bog Trail. It’s great for families because of its interesting storytelling route and its mostly flat, universally accessible boardwalk. It’s an ideal spot to take young children for a walk — even with a stroller. You’re guaranteed to find some birds to feed along the way! This time of year, best to wear your rubber boots, there will be some muddy spots! Access the Mer Bleue Bog Trail from P22.

If you’re looking for a hike that’s less crowded, check out trails 50 and 51. Trail 51 starts at parking lot P20 and links to Trail 50, which can be accessed via parking lot P23.

🧭 Check out this Self-Guided Tour (bilingual)

🅿️ Parking is free. 

🕖 The gate opens daily at 8 am and closes at sunset.

📍 Ridge Road, Gloucester

THIS WEEK’S POLL