Discover life in Renfrew
A Great Community to Call Home
AVERAGE HOME PRICE
(based on OREB stats 2020/ Area 540)
Explore Renfrew
Renfrew is an exceptional town on the Bonnechere River in Renfrew County. The Town is just one hour West of Ottawa. The Ottawa Valley's heart is surrounded by beautiful farms, forests, lakes, rivers, and great cottages. It is the economic and service support centre for a large area. Renfrew offers the best of both worlds. It has a wide range of attractions, stores, and services from the heritage downtown with specialty stores all the way to big box stores just a short drive away. Renfrew is a thriving, friendly community filled with a variety of businesses. It is the perfect area to relocate and work remotely from home. When an office visit is required, it is a short commute to the Kanata High-Tech Park or downtown Ottawa
Neighbourhood: Renfrew
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Could Moving to Renfrew be Right for You?
Reasons to move to Renfrew
RENFREW
REAL ESTATE 2020
Average Sale Price Residential & Condominium Combined : $256,049
Up 13.2% over 2019
* based on MLS districts 540* OREB 2019 vs 2020
Shopping in Renfrew
Renfrew has a very historic and beautiful downtown. With free parking and a wide variety of shops and services, you can take many exciting walks downtown. After visiting the many stores, you can head to the Millenium trail that goes right through town and cross the swinging bridge down at the museum or visit the Farmers Market at the Fairgrounds. The market is an excellent place for every family member, where you will find local produce and handicrafts.
History of Renfrew
Renfrew was founded, developed, and prospered because of excellent water and rail transportation connections. The first settlers to this area followed the Bonnechere river from the Ottawa river. They came in 1820 and began to clear the land. The Town was named after Renfrewshire in Scotland. In 1840 John Lorne McDougall opened the first store. He then built the grist mill across the river, which still stands as the McDougall Mill Museum.
In 1855 the first agricultural exhibition was held, making the Renfrew Fair one of Canada's oldest. The railway's arrival opened more markets for Renfrew products and crops. Lumber has long been an essential industry for the Renfrew area. For many years, the railway played a crucial role in the life of Renfrew. Sadly, the last rail line closed in 1990.
Another important piece of Renfrew's history is that they are the birthplace of the NHL. When the Renfrew Creamery Kings wanted to challenge teams from other leagues and kept getting turned down, business man M.J. O'Brien of Renfrew and his son Ambrose began forming the NHA (National Hockey Association) which eventually turned into the NHL. Be sure to visit the NHL Birthplace Museum next time you're in town for the full story.
Events And Attractions
Renfrew has an awe-inspiring number of sports facilities, walking trails, events, and festivals each year. Due to the rich history of Renfrew, there are many attractions worth visiting. These include:
- Town of Renfrew Cenotaph, this honours the members of the Armed Forces who died during the Two World Wars
- Renfrew Swinging Bridge replaced the first bridge built across the Bonnechere in 1885. The current bridge was built in 1983 and updated in 2015. This is one of three swinging bridges in Canada and provides an excellent view of the Bonnechere River and the power generation plant
- McDougall Mill Museum has three floors of beautiful artifacts
- NHA/NHL Museum, A O'Brien with his Father, created the National Hockey Association in 1909
- The Renfrew Fair has been a tradition since 1853. It lasts five days and has many activities such as the Beef Shows, Horse Shows, 4-H & Interclub Shows, Swine & Lambs, many more Livestock events, Exhibits, Art, Domestic Science, Women's Institute Displays, Floriculture, Fruit, Vegetables, Junior Classes, Needlework and so much more
- Craft Beer & Food Truck Festival has been held in October at Renfrew's Low Square
- Renfrew's Annual Bluegrass Festival is famous and has the best Blue Grass music from all over North America
- Taste of the Valley Renfrew highlights locally grown and handmade items from across Renfrew County
Renfrew, Residents and Life in the Town
Bonnechere Bakery and Bistro Fine Food
The Bonnechere is a family-owned bakery, bistro, and fine food restaurant. They prepare world-class homemade farm-style bread, soup, and salads fresh every day. They also have a gluten-free line. They make their soups from scratch with wholesome natural ingredients, so you never have to worry about hidden chemicals or preservatives. The food is always fresh, and the selection is impressive.
The Rocky Mountain House is the largest restaurant in Renfrew. It offers a very cozy and friendly atmosphere. They serve excellent German dishes with schnitzel, with spätzle being extremely popular. The Schnitzel Melt Sandwich and Deep-Fried Curds are always in demand.
Sandy's is a very welcoming and friendly Diner. The atmosphere is great and always feels like home. The food is always fresh and of extremely high quality. Breakfasts and their club sandwiches are highly recommended. Given their great location, it is amazingly easy to drop in and enjoy the great food.
Other local favourites include:
Parks and Outdoor Activities
There a great number of super parks in Renfrew, here are just a few: Forgie Park is a small but fun park, Fortington Park, has a play structure and a toboggan hill, Horton Heights Park, has two play structures and green space, Kiwanis Park and the Knights of Columbus Park and Legion Park: all have play structures. O'Brien Park has an amphitheatre and benches and is located on the Bonnechere River.
There are even more parks to enjoy. Renfrew is the hub for a great selection of outdoor sports. These include the 147-acre, Ma-Te. Way Park, it has a community centre, splash pad, BBQ pit, playgrounds, walking/hiking trails, indoor and outdoor rink, soccer pitch, ball diamonds, tennis, and volleyball courts.
There are many excellent golf courses in the Renfrew area including, Dragonfly Golf Links Golf Course, Renfrew Golf Club, Oaks of Cobden Golf Club, and the Whitetail Golf Club.
Renfrew Millennium Trail
Renfrew's 3.4 km long trail along the old CN tracks running from Barnet Blvd. to Lisgar Street is enjoyed by walkers, joggers, wheelchairs, bicycles, bird watchers and cross-country skiers. The trail has benches and picnic tables for rest stops and provides a safe, scenic atmosphere to stay fit for young and old alike.
Renfrew - Call this Special Town Home
Renfrew is the true heart of the Ottawa Valley and is a fantastic place to call home. There is a strong economy, affordable housing, natural scenery, and friendly communities. There are all types of homes to choose from and even living on a lake or river is possible. It is a special place to play any sport and take part in many cultural and fun events. At the same time, you are only one hour from Ottawa.
Take the short drive to Renfrew, and you will want to come back very soon
Full-Service Renfrew
While the population of Renfrew is minimal in comparison to other suburbs or Ottawa, the amenities within the city are here to serve. Renfrew is home to excellent local schools in the public and catholic sectors for both elementary and secondary students.
O'Brien Rd and its surrounding side streets are also home to many different types of local businesses and specialty stores that cater to most of the needs of its residents and homeowners. Here you can find hairdressers and barber shops, medical clinics, massage therapy, restaurants, karate, yoga, fitness centres, music schools, dance studios, office supply stores, cobblers, florists, grocers, a hardware store, Giant Tiger, and much more. Provided all the excellent benefits of living in the city of Renfrew, most residents don’t mind venturing into the neighbouring Arnprior and Pembroke communities for needs that exceed what is provided here, if and when the need presents itself.
Royal LePage Team Realty in Renfrew: we live here, we work here.
Since the 1950’s Royal LePage O’Neil has been helping members of the Ottawa Valley fulfill their real estate needs and dreams. The same is said for Royal LePage Gale Real Estate which first planted roots in Almonte in 1948 and since 2015 has operated under the name of Royal LePage Team Realty along with many other Ottawa Valley and City of Ottawa locations.
With our office located on O'Brien Rd, our real estate professionals know the community and surrounding area well. If you have any questions or are interested in finding out more about real estate in the Renfrew area please reach out to us anytime!
Talk to a Community Specialist
If you are interested in finding out more about commercial or residential real estate in the Renfrew area, contact our local team of professionals anytime.
We would love to help you make your next big real estate dream a reality!
