Wateridge Village

The site (310 acres/125.5 hectares) was occupied by the Department of National Defence (DND) in the 1920s before it was eventually re-designated the Canadian Forces Base Rockcliffe. The base was primarily reduced to housing before being decommissioned in 1994.

Canada Lands purchased the site from DND in 2011, following the signing of the Algonquins of Ontario (AOO)– Canada Lands Company Participation Agreement in 2010, which provides a framework for an ongoing relationship and the realization of mutual benefits. Specifically, the agreement provides opportunities to commemoratethe history and connection of the Algonquin people to the site, AOO engagement across all stages of concept development, land use planning and detailed design, and the ability for the AOO to acquire lots or blocks under the municipally approved plan. 
 
The community design plan, approved by the City of Ottawa in 2015, envisions a community with more than 5,000 residences, over 120,000 square feet of commercial retail space, 1,200 jobs, three elementary schools, nine parks and more than 50 acres of open space and parkland. At completion, Wateridge Village will be home to more than 10,000 people.

There are three affordable housing projects at Wateridge Village: land has been sold to Ottawa Community Housing through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s Federal Lands Initiative and Habitat for Humanity and Multifaith Housing Initiative have also joined the community to provide affordable housing for families and homeless veterans. These three projects have created more than 300 affordable housing units.