Hello ORLÉANS!

Welcome to the very first edition of Orléans Connect!

What You can Expect from This Newsletter

Our goal with this newsletter is to support, grow, and inform all citizens of Orléans about what’s happening in their community.

In every issue of the newsletter we’ll be writing about and highlighting:

• Events in and around Orléans, Ontario

• Community news

• Local businesses

• The history of Orléans

• Unique activity ideas

• Places and things to discover in Orléans and beyond

Why We Started This Newsletter

With the state of the world, and forces beyond our control that we all helplessly doom-scroll past, we wanted to do something about that feeling of helplessness. And for us, that meant doing something locally.

Here’s what we believe in:

• Highlighting amazing events, big and small in Orléans

• Giving back to our community and being good neighbours

• Supporting local businesses

• Supporting local non-profits and charities

• Local and independent journalism

Thanks for joining us on this adventure, and stay tuned to a new edition of the newsletter, once per week, every Thursday.

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

• 🍀 March 17th - St. Patrick’s Day Party - Join The Royal Oak Pub for the biggest St. Patrick’s Day Party in Orléans! Live music starts at noon. Kinnexa Cross (12 pm - 3 pm), Shabraque Celtic Band (4 pm - 7 pm) and Mason’s Apron (8pm - 11 pm).

• 👑 March 18th- 7:30 p.m. - Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story - Head over to Shenkman Arts Centre for a unique celebration of the people’s princess. This dynamic performance has won multiple awards and sold-out venues across the UK.

• 🛠️March 19th - 9:30 am - Men’s Shed Informal Breakfast - Join this informal gathering at Connors Irish Pub and Eatery to chat about what Men’s Sheds are and what the Ottawa East Men’s Shed can be.

• 🧠 March 19th- 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm - Taproom Trivia - Stray Dog Brewing Company hosts team based trivia every Wednesday evening.

• ♫ March 28th - 8 pm - Down East Kitchen Party - Get ready for a true Maritime-style kitchen party at the Orléans Legion! Join in for a night of music, dancing, laughter and good old-fashioned East Coast fun!

• 🐦 April 5th - 10 am - 12 pm - Birding 101: Not Just for the Birds Seminar at Robert Plante Greenhouses - Discover the joy of bird watching! Learn how to attract and identify birds in your own backyard. Register before it fills up!

📰 News you should know about:

🗳️ Blais re-elected on bittersweet night for Liberals, The Orléans Star

🏆 East end well represented at Global Alliance Awards, The Orléans Star

💡 Reminder to complete your vacant unit tax declaration before March 20th. For more information.

🏐 Looking to get active playing beach volleyball, pickleball or softball? Registration is now open for citywide spring sports leagues for ages 18 and up. Registration for most leagues closes May 23rd. Sign up today!

🚍 Tracking Ottawa's Electric Bus Transition, Tim Tierney, City Councillor, Beacon Hill-Cyrville

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT 🔦

This week’s Orléans business spotlight is…. 🥁 …. ORLEANS BOOK MARKET - 1675 Tenth Line - 613-824-3198

So many used book options! Books spilling over onto the floor. The books at Orléans Book Market tend to be in great condition for used books. Expect to pay about 50% of the retail price for books. Most are somewhere between $7 to $20. They only take used books Tuesday to Saturday. Huge selection of fiction.

ACTIVITY IDEA OF THE WEEK

🍁 March is Sugar Bush season! 🥞

🍁 Maple Fest at Proulx Farm Outdoor farm activities, sugar bush visits, horse and wagon ride and brunch. General Admission: $8.75 - $14.99 + HST. Kids under 3 free. Saturdays and Sundays, March 1 to April 21, 9am–5pm (last seating for brunch at 2 pm)

📍Ferme Proulx et Érablière, 1865 Chemin O’Toole, Cumberland.

🍁 Stanley’s Olde Maple Lane Farm Sugar Bush   

With taffy-on-the-snow, tractor-drawn rides, a barn full of animals and a delicious pancake breakfast available, there’s something for everyone at Stanley’s!

General Admission $5 (seniors) - $10. Kids under 2 free. Saturdays and Sundays from March 1 to April 20. Pancake House 9am–2pm. Sugarbush and Farm 10am–3pm.

📍 2452 York’s Corners Rd.

🍁 Vanier Sugar Shack Get your maple fix at North America’s only urban sugar shack! The Vanier Sugar Shack offers a unique experience, blending traditional maple syrup production with modern offerings. Enjoy local food in a charming 17.5-acre sugar bush setting, where history and nature come together. FREE admission. Open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, from February 16 to Monday, Apr 21, 9am-2pm.

📍Vanier Museopark, 300 des Pères-Blancs Ave, Vanier.

🍁 Sugar Bush at the Log Farm 

Come out to the farm to experience sugarbush 2025. This once a year, Canadian tradition doesn´t last long as winter gently eases into spring. Take a wagon ride out to the sugarbush to see how maple syrup is made. Then take a walk through the trails of the sugar maples and taste some sweet taffy on the snow. Ticket price General Admission: $11.50. When: Saturdays from 9am to 4pm.

📍670 Cedarview Road, Nepean.

Explore the phenomenal National Capital Region!

❄️ Snowshoe Under the Stars at Gatineau Park - Enjoy the serene beauty of Gatineau Park by moonlight with a guided snowshoe hike led by experienced nature interpreters. Discover how animals adapt to winter as you traverse selected trails and get a hot chocolate beverage and cookies afterwards. Tickets: $15 – $25, advance registration required, age 13+.

🗓️ Every Friday from January 17 to March 21, 7pm – 9pm

📍 Gatineau Park, Chelsea, Québec. Specific trail details provided upon registration.

THIS WEEK’S POLL